At least 38 Million US citizens watched Obama acceptance speech, topping Olympics

Via TPM:

(38 million is the) estimate of how many people watched Obama’s acceptance speech last night, according to Nielsen — and that doesn’t include people who watched on PBS or C-Span.

That’s more Americans than watched the Olympics opening ceremony, the season finale of American Idol, or the Oscars. TPM Election Central

That number also doesn’t include people who watched in on the Web, like I did.

US troops ‘to quit Iraq by 2011′

This just in and TOTALLY not a timetable, because Bush and McCain both said those are bad:
link

Rice defends Bush policy on Iran as ’successful’, said same about Iraq in 2001

“‘I think this is called a successful multilateral coalition of states that have the same view’ that Iran should be rewarded for its cooperation or isolated for its defiance, Rice said.

She added: ‘I would like to see what other options there are for the international community, given that this policy is one that I think is the best course for us.’”AFP

This can only mean one thing: because everything is working, there needs to be war.

Why? Because she said the same about Iraq:

Turkish troops pull out of Iraq, both sides declare victory

The Turkish version of “mission accomplished”:

Turkey says its troops have been withdrawn from northern Iraq after an offensive against Kurdish PKK rebels.

In a statement on its website, Turkey’s military said it had achieved its goals, and there was no question of any foreign influence on the decision. BBC

Update: The PKK responds via Al Jazeera:

Ahmed Danis, a spokesman for the PKK, confirmed the Turkish troop pull-out.

He said: “We are observing military movements like empty military trucks coming from Turkey. The trucks are being loaded with troops and returning to Turkey.

“If they [Turkish troops] withdraw completely it would be a victory for Kurdistan and for the PKK.” Al Jazeera

Bush 2000

Seeing the Democratic debate reminded me of something. And it still blows my mind. Bush actually said this in his second debate with Al Gore in 2000:

MODERATOR: The use of the military, there (Columbia) — some people are now suggesting that if you don’t want to use the military to maintain the peace, to do the civil thing, is it time to consider a civil force of some kind that comes in after the military that builds nations or all of that? Is that on your radar screen?

BUSH: I don’t think so. I think what we need to do is convince people who live in the lands they live in to build the nations. Maybe I’m missing something here. I mean, we’re going to have kind of a nation building core from America? Absolutely not. Our military is meant to fight and win war. That’s what it’s meant to do. And when it gets overextended, morale drops. I strongly believe we need to have a military presence in the peninsula, not only to keep the peace in the peninsula, but to keep regional stability. And I strongly believe we need to keep a presence in NATO, but I’m going to be judicious as to how to use the military. It needs to be in our vital interest, the mission needs to be clear, and the extra strategy obvious.
Debate transcript, October 11, 2000

Iraq denounces Turkish offensive, tells troops to withraw immediately

One thing to remember: Kurdistan once existed where now Iraq and Turkey do.

The Iraqi government has denounced a Turkish incursion into northern Iraq in some of the strongest terms heard since the operation began last week.

In a statement, the Iraqi cabinet expressed its “rejection and condemnation” of the operation.

It called on Ankara to withdraw its troops immediately. BBC

Or else?

Turkey army launches land offensive into Iraq

Turkish troops have crossed into northern Iraq in their hunt for Kurdish PKK guerrillas, the military said on Friday, but the United States and the European Union urged Ankara to keep the campaign limited.

The White House said the United States had been informed in advance of the incursion and urged Turkey to limit the operation to “precise targeting” of the PKK rebels hiding there.

Turkish TV said 3,000 to 10,000 soldiers had entered Iraq, but Iraq’s foreign minister and a senior military official with coalition forces based in Baghdad denied it was a major operation, saying only a few hundred troops were involved. Reuters

Don’t worry, they will no doubt be heralded as liberators and greeted with flowers. This is a cakewalk.

I mean, come on, this is Iraq. Nothing ever goes wrong there.

And even if something should go wrong, I am sure we will get very objective reports from the Turkish army, just like the US has done in Iraq. Use of internationally banned phosphorous optional, of course.

US military spending reaches levels of WWII

I take it this is Bush’s strategy to jump-start the US economy?

As Congress and the public focus on more than $600 billion already approved in supplemental budgets to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and for counterterrorism operations, the Bush administration has with little notice reached a landmark in military spending.

When the Pentagon on Monday unveils its proposed 2009 budget of $515.4 billion, annual military spending, when adjusted for inflation, will have reached its highest level since World War II. NY Times

Gates: Guards ‘undermine’ US Iraq aims

The activities of security contractors are “in conflict” with the US military’s mission in Iraq, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has said. (…)
“Just based on everything I’ve read and what our own team has reported, there have been instances where, to put it mildly, the Iraqis have been offended and not treated properly,” he added. BBC

That’s true. But to be fair: The US military is also not exactly helping the job of the US military.

Not so groovy, baby

Funny: Watching Austin Powers one night in which Dr. Evil asks for 100 Billion Dollars. Now that’s a ridiculous sum to ask for.

Not so funny: Seeing the White House ask for twice that as budget for Iraq the next morning:

After smothering efforts by war critics in Congress to drastically cut U.S. troop levels in Iraq, President Bush plans to ask lawmakers next week to approve another massive spending measure — totaling nearly $200 billion — to fund the war through next year, Pentagon officials said.

If Bush’s spending request is approved, 2008 will be the most expensive year of the Iraq war. LA Times

Kucinich

I think this is going to be a serious test of the Democratic Party. We were put in power because people expected a new direction in Iraq. It goes without saying that they expect greater transparency and oversight, but they also expect us to do something to bring the troops home. Now, if Congress goes ahead under Democratic leadership and votes to approve what some are now estimating as an additional $160 billion for the war in Iraq, bringing the total for the fiscal year to $230 billion, the Democratic Congress will have bought George Bush’s war. Now, who would buy a used war from this administration?

Congressman Dennis Kucinich speaking to Truthdig.

Iraq study group: U.S. underreported Iraq violence

Thought it was bad in Iraq? Well, it’s worse:

U.S. military and intelligence officials have systematically underreported the violence in Iraq in order to suit the Bush administration’s policy goals, the bipartisan Iraq Study Group said.

In its report on ways to improve the U.S. approach to stabilizing Iraq, the group recommended Wednesday that the director of national intelligence and the secretary of defense make changes in the collection of data about violence to provide a more accurate picture.

The panel pointed to one day last July when U.S. officials reported 93 attacks or significant acts of violence. “Yet a careful review of the reports for that single day brought to light 1,100 acts of violence,” it said. AP

This should be the wake-up call the Mass Mediaâ„¢ has been “waiting” for. Then again, the media shouldn’t need a wake-up call, they should be doing their job of reporting the news even if it is uncomfortable or invonvenient.

But the absolute kicker is this quote from the report:

“Good policy is difficult to make when information is systematically collected in a way that minimizes its discrepancy with policy goals.”

Translation: It’s bad for the country if its lead by power-hungry, lying bastards.

Ginsberg Election Day inspiration

Come along, come along
the end of Vietnam war
dirty smart bombs and napalm
and US army whores

come along, come along
hey baby don’t be late
come along, come along
let’s celebrate Watergate

Come along, come along,
Poor Nixon’s in his home,
Come along, come along
Sitting under Teapot Dome

come along come along
forget their heroin
smoke some grass and relax
and forget your bloody wine

come along, all-americans
and let’s be number two
number one was a pissy-assed act that we all went through

come along, save the whales
and save the humans, too
and the ladies and the fairies
and the communists true blue

come along out of the cold war
the planet is still here
we got to save our mama
nothing more we have to fear (…)

come along and breathe together
and conspire to be here now
come along, come along
the hour is at hand
when all this mighty nation
that smokes across the land
can wake up again
and shake off our Indochina scream

and hear eight hundred thousand orphaned babies they all dream
come along, oh modern nation
and get down on your knees
and ask the gods and buddas up there???
to forgive us if they please
we have killed two million people
we have wounded millions more (…)

Allen Ginsberg - End the Vietnam War

Hersh on Iraq: Worst. War. Ever.

In Vietnam, our soldiers came back and they were reviled as baby killers, in shame and humiliation. It isn’t happening now, but I will tell you – there has never been an [American] army as violent and murderous as our army has been in Iraq.”

Journalist Seymour Hersh (link)

Sy has always made absolutely sure that he can back up what he claims. His track record is stellar, as far as that is concerned. Now he claims he has seen video footage of war crimes that not only rival Vietnam, it is even worse. And since we now know it’s not because American troops are dumb, we should ask why is it happening then?

My own guess: because nobody has a working plan for Iraq. If we’re confused back home, imagine how confused the guys and gals in the field must be. In other words: Who’s the more foolish? The fool, or the fool who follows him?

I guess we’ll see on Tuesday.

Al Jazeera turns 10

They grow up so fast. Soon it will be a teenager and will start to be difficult: Middle-eastern news station Al Jazeera is turning 10 years old today. link

For a peek behind the scenes at this extraordinary network, watch the documentary Control Room. It’s quite good.

US death toll in Iraq for October tops 100

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The U.S. military death toll in Iraq for October climbed to 100 on Monday, a week before U.S. elections in which President George W. Bush’s Republicans could lose control of Congress over his policies in Iraq. link

Claim: Saddam accepted US demands, Bush didn’t accept

A few years ago I was taking photos of a TV screen showing Saddam Hussein for the next morning’s front page. Saddam was responding to a speech by George W. Bush earlier that night that had issued an ultimatum. Back then I wondered out loud, so if Saddam says “we open our borders and I am leaving as dictator” this whole war is off?

Bearing that question in mind I’ll hand this on as is:

A former political adviser to Saddam Hussein’s son said today that Saddam was willing to yield to all American demands before the U.S. invasion of Iraq — but that the Bush administration refused his offers.

The disclosure was made by Hossam Shaltout, a Canadian aerospace engineer, former American pilot, and founder of the peace organization Rights and Freedom International (http://www.rightsandfreedom.com), who said that war could have been averted, but Bush aides blocked his efforts to announce Saddam’s decision.

“Saddam was willing to yield to all American demands, announced and unannounced, to reach peaceful resolution,” said Shaltout, “but the Bush administration, including Elizabeth Cheney, undersecretary of State, David Welch, the U.S. ambassador in Egypt, and Gene Cretz, his political attache, did not respond to his offers.” Yahoo

US State department official: US ‘cannot stay course’ in Iraq

The US is not winning in Iraq and will not be able to stay the course in the long-term, a US state department insider has said.

Former intelligence official Wayne White told the BBC that violence in Iraq was “getting worse”.

A senior US state department official earlier said that the US has shown “arrogance and stupidity” in Iraq.

(…)”The effort can’t be sustained over the long haul, and so we can’t stay a course, I think, that requires years and years more.”

He said: “We’re not winning. It’s apparent.

“I checked with almost a dozen sources in Baghdad in just the last 24 hours,” Mr White said. “Every single one of them answered the question as to whether the violence was lessening, or getting worse, with - ‘worse’.”
BBC

Many thanks to the soon to be ex-state department official Wayne White. Join the Ellsberg club.

Iraq’s President Talabani backs ‘Iran-Syria plan’ to give them more influence in Iraq

Ever since former Secretary of State James Baker showed up on the Daily Show last week (watch the excellent interview here.) I have been wondering what those “alternatives” are he is supposedly is coming up with for the Bush administration to fix Iraq. And why is his groups paper coming out AFTER the election? Are the things they are dreaming up to “fix” Iraq really that extrodinary/extreme/scary?

The BBC has some insight:

Violence in Iraq could end “within months” if Iran and Syria joined efforts to stabilise the country, says Iraqi President Jalal Talabani.

He told the BBC the move would “be the beginning of the end of terrorism”.

The idea for the US to open talks with Iran and Syria over Iraq is said to be under consideration by a panel of experts examining US policy on Iraq.

The panel, led by a former US secretary of state, is also said to think that “staying the course” is untenable. BBC

Gives a new meaning to the popular GOP-propaganda line “when they stand up, we stand down” doesn’t it? Handing Iraq over to Iran… and I thought I had heard it all.

Spain admits possible CIA flights

Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos has admitted Spain may have been a stopover for secret CIA flights. BBC

Bush’ did not admit Saddam-9/11 link was wrong

I almost got excited when I saw that The Guardian is running a front page story with the headline “Bush: Saddam was not responsible for 9/11“. I am not sure why they did so, but in the speech Bush gave last night and they are referencing he did no such thing. He even yet again tried to tie 9/11 to Saddam by association:

On September the 11th, we learned that America must confront threats before they reach our shores, whether those threats come from terrorist networks or terrorist states. I’m often asked why we’re in Iraq when Saddam Hussein was not responsible for the 9/11 attacks. The answer is that the regime of Saddam Hussein was a clear threat. My administration, the Congress, and the United Nations saw the threat — and after 9/11, Saddam’s regime posed a risk that the world could not afford to take. The world is safer because Saddam Hussein is no longer in power.And now the challenge is to help the Iraqi people build a democracy that fulfills the dreams of the nearly 12 million Iraqis who came out to vote in free elections last December. White House

That’s what is called a non-denial denial. A clever one, but one nevertheless. He doesn’t admit anything because he only says “people ask me” about the lack of the link, but doesn’t say that there is no link. There’s a difference and Bush is treading that line quite carefully.

Rumsfeld “forbade” post-war planning for Iraq

It’s one thing to be incompetent. But to not even try?

Long before the United States invaded Iraq in 2003, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld forbade military strategists to develop plans for securing a postwar Iraq, the retiring commander of the Army Transportation Corps said Thursday.

In fact, said Brig. Gen. Mark Scheid, Rumsfeld said “he would fire the next person” who talked about the need for a postwar plan.
Rumsfeld did replace Gen. Eric Shinseki, the Army chief of staff in 2003, after Shinseki told Congress that hundreds of thousands of troops would be needed to secure postwar Iraq. Daily Press

Echoes of 9/11 Define Life 5 Years Later

The New York Times has opened a part of their Web site to comments from the public on how their lives have changed since the attacks. I find accounts such as this quite disturbing:

I do everything differently. I don’t like to be in crowds, I don’t ride elevators, I work from home. I don’t trust anyone at all. I shop and run errands as late as possible. I don’t travel on bridges or in tunnels. I feel trapped, held hostage by my fears. I don’t smile and laugh anymore. I have dark negative thoughts about the world events and people and have lost all faith and hope due to 9/11. I’ve become a hermit, a recluse. I’m thinking of leaving and moving to the mountains in NC. Imagine that, a catholic Yankee in the buckle of the bible belt. New York Times

Terrorism tries to instill fear. Nevermind that the US government seems to be rather happy having a comfortably-fearfull electorate, if accounts like this are as prevalent in real life as they are on the NYT Web site, we are in even more trouble than we thought.

It’s official: ‘No Saddam link to Iraq al-Qaeda’

Try not to be too shocked:

There is no evidence of formal links between Iraqi ex-leader Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda leaders in Iraq prior to the 2003 war, a US Senate report says.
The finding is contained in a 2005 CIA report released by the Senate’s Intelligence Committee on Friday.BBC

If only we had known this. Well… Hindsight is 20/20, isn’t it? Or is it more like 2,899/19,688 (dead/wounded US soldiers)?

Now all we have to wait for is someone like Cheney to jump up and say “I never said that.” Then we’re exactly where we were 2 years ago when Bush was facing an increasingly upset electorate.