Bush to bring 30,000 troops home by summer 2008

[Tahoe]

Yea, I disagree.

No one thought this was funny? The Swam wrote a nice lengthy post describing all sorts of things, and I said 'I disagree' get it?

[Zip Goshboots]

Let's not even begin to discuss the paper bag of shit we've lit on fire with the Kurds. We've given them tons of money and support. If you go into the Kurdish part of Iraq, you wouldn't even realize there was a war going on, they've got it so good right now. Things are stable there. Life is good if you're a Kurd in northern Iraq. But guess what? Kurds don't just live in Iraq. The Kurds have had a great long history of terrorist attacks against Turkey, Armenia, Syria, and Iran, fighting for what they see as the right to establish their own Kurdish homeland in the Middle East. The more aid we give to the Kurds, the more we piss off the Turks, Armenians, Syrians, and Iranians, and let's face it, we need all the friends we can get in the Middle East right now.

There's talk now that when the US finally withdraws from Iraq, no matter when, the Kurds may declare independence and secede from Iraq, and if they do that, the Turkish army will definitely invade them, setting the stage for yet another retarded Middle Eastern terrorist war.

No sooner will the Kurds get themselves settled and start blowing shit up, but then the Wheys will get in on the action.

[Big Swami]

No one thought this was funny? The Swam wrote a nice lengthy post describing all sorts of things, and I said 'I disagree' get it?

I wasn't sure how to take that at first, but now that you mention it, I have to kind of laugh at myself for not getting it. I'm such a dope.

No sooner will the Kurds get themselves settled and start blowing shit up, but then the Wheys will get in on the action.

And as soon as the Wheys get involved, the Kurds are going to be fried, and then this horrible conflict stretches into Wisconsin somehow.

[b-diddy]

i agree with swami's post. however, if good things somehow really were happening in iraq due to the surge, ie the economy up, unemployment down, sectarianism in the government waning; then i'd say it was worth us doing what we can to keep them on track.

basically, what im saying is i think iraq is a failure but its not like i want it to be. i think iraq has been f'd up since day 1, but if we could somehow salvage good out of it we would owe it to the iraqi people to do so. im 95 % certain we should just go home, though.

[Uncle Mxy]

No one thought this was funny? The Swam wrote a nice lengthy post describing all sorts of things, and I said 'I disagree' get it?

Sometimes, it's really fun to reply to some long, whiny email with "No." or "Oh.", but it has to be one word and it's best if you actually quote the entire thing so you know you're being a smartass. Not that I speak from direct experience on many multiple occasions... not me.

Oh well... back to the clash over Iraq:

[Glenn]

Here's a fun spam email that I just got...

The night after 9/11 Osama Bin Laden tossed and turned in bed, realizing the New York attack had done nothing for his cause. Killed a bunch of innocent people, that's all, and increased sympathy for America around the world. Osama lay there disgusted with himself. All he'd done is alienate moderate Islamists who would otherwise be critical of the West, and to be critical, had he not just sent 3000 people to their deaths. Osama was sleepless. First of all, to wage a Holy War, troops must have training, preferably training in real-life battle. Of course, blowing up buildings in New York doesn't clear out a nice sandbox for you to engaging American troops and hone your skills as an army. Secondly, blowing up two buildings full of people doesn't gain you many supporters, so how could Osama recruit for his army? Osama lay thinking, and realized he wasn't the only player in the Middle East. The big man about town, Saddam Hussein, despised Islamic fundamentalists about as much as America did, and sadly it looked like he'd be around for a while. What's worse, Osama's Afghan allies, the Taliban, could be easily routed in a quick war, in which the Americans would emerge popular and respected in the region. So under a starry sky, Osama thought to himself, could 9/11 have been a blunder?

Then Osama hit on it. He sat up, a smile on his face. Get America to invade Iraq! How simple! Furthermore, get them to do it on the cheap, building into a long, drawn-out conflict with mounting casualties on both sides, the innocent with the guilty, which would frustrate Americans and enrage the world. Osama grew excited, realizing just how many problems could be solved in one stroke, if only the Americans would go for it. Without Saddam in the region, who'd be left to oppose him? If Osama's troops could slip into Iraq and engage American forces, they'd get the practice they need to become a military threat. Most importantly, if Americans killed innocent civilians, Osama would have his recruitment tool. He'd only have to point out America's acts of war, and young Islamist recruits would flock to his cause. Even better, if America became preoccupied in Iraq, they'd forget about Afghanistan, which would allow Osama's allies to creep back in and set up shop virtually unopposed.

Ah, but Osama realized he was running away with himself. The American people would never allow their leaders to overthrow an ally against fundamentalism and leave the Iranians unopposed. Nor would they let the Republicans shift focus away from his home in Afghanistan and invade Iraq, a nation that had nothing to do with 9/11. Not even Americans are that dumb.

Osama sighed and fell sleep, sad and dejected. For a few minutes there, it looked like it was all going to be so easy.

[Big Swami]

Jon Stewart was cogent as hell about this stuff this week. Talking about Bush and Petraeus, and about how they are always saying the troops can't leave Iraq because "it's dangerous to try to predict how the Iraq conflict will develop in the future." Then, not even minute later, they're telling us about the horrible things that definitely will happen if the US pulls out.

So basically it's dangerous to say what you think is going to happen in Iraq, except if you want the war to keep going.

[Glenn]

Cheney is in GR as I type and is scheduled to speak at 10:30.

Protesters are everywhere downtown.

Best sign I saw this morning was "DICK CHENEY SHOT A MAN IN THE FACE!!!"

[Glenn]

BTW, Cheney is speaking to an "invitation-only" (controlled) crowd of 250.

Protesters and other non-priviledged civilians are being kept far away from the area (Gerald Ford Museum).

Link to the live stream if anyone wants to watch: http://www.wzzm13.com/video/live.html

[Big Swami]

Link to the live stream if anyone wants to watch:

"Here's a hammer if you feel like bashing yourself in the nutsack."