Moon of Alabama Brecht quote
Back to Main

April 13, 2008
Speechless

I am amazed how people like Fred Hiatt are able to believe their phantastic, self-created reality.

Threaded through the reports of progress in Iraq by Gen. David H. Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker last week was the story of a larger failure: the inability of the United States and its allies to contain the growing aggressiveness of Iran.

…
The proxy war in Iraq is just one front in a much larger Iranian offensive.
…

In theory, a popular backlash against Iran’s military adventurism could be nurtured across the Middle East.

…
It nevertheless is inevitable that Iran’s proxies in Iraq, Gaza and Lebanon will have to be countered in part by military force, while diplomatic and economic pressure aimed at stopping Tehran’s nuclear program is stepped up. Some observers interpreted the report of Gen. Petraeus and Mr. Crocker as calculated to provide yet another excuse for keeping U.S. forces in Iraq. In fact, these two seasoned professionals were pointing at a growing menace that the Bush administration, and its successor, cannot afford to ignore.

This leaves me speechless.

Posted by b on April 13, 2008 at 17:49 UTC | Permalink
Comments

I see, our invasion of Iraq was actually pre-emptive strike, sorta like Hitler invading the USSR in 1941…
And Dick Cheney was on Fox warning us that we cannot pull out of Iraq, leaving Al-Qaeda to gain acces to the oilfields.
And all this time they kept reiterating that it wasn’t about oil at all.

Posted by: ralphieboy | Apr 13 2008 19:40 utc | 1

not sure why this should surprise you B. we’re talking about Fred Hiatt, eager court stenographer and overall warmongering neocon assclown. like any good errand boy he does what he’s told. what would be surprising would be him not cheering for more mass murder in the Middle East.

Posted by: ran | Apr 13 2008 19:44 utc | 2

@ran – not sure why this should surprise you B.
The lack of realistic assessment – even a propaganda campaign has to start of at some facts. This is pure phantasy.

Posted by: b | Apr 13 2008 19:54 utc | 3

you have to learn to look on the bright side b.
it was on page B6

Posted by: annie | Apr 13 2008 20:02 utc | 4

The urgency and momentum of the Bush administration’s multilateral diplomatic campaign against Iran drained away following the release in December of a National Intelligence Estimate that misleadingly emphasized Iran’s reported decision to put one part of its nuclear program on hold.
This, to my mind, is the most telling sentence in the whole editorial (and since b doesn’t cite it above, I do so here). “Telling”–and why? Because it sounds the note of defeat. I didn’t myself realize that the neocon cause took such a heavy hit last December–having assumed that the NIE was merely stating the obvious, forgetting to notice that it was actually stating the obvious, stating it loud and clear, and stating what everyone already knew.
What could be more disastrous for Hiatt than to have the obvious stated by authorities far more knowledgeable than some flack at the Washington Post? That the NIE was only confirming facts long known and long reported by his own paper–doesn’t this put the man out of business? For out of business he certainly is. He has no credibility at all–least of all in his own workplace. So now we find him surfing once again on the tired spin of a discredited administration.
Discredited, finally, by people stationed in Iraq–Petraeus and Crocker among them, whose pallid performances before Congress really supported the NIE.
All true believers now look, and sound, like Joseph Lieberman. Sore and surly losers.

Posted by: alabama | Apr 13 2008 20:14 utc | 5

I wonder what Lieberman will look and sound like if he’s Veep? Although it is unlikely McCain could ever allow a vice as much power as shrub’s sheer laziness compounded with ignorance gave cheney, Lieberman will have the opportunity to indulge at least a few of his crazed fantasies.
One part of me recoils in horror. That would be the humanist part which recognises the large scale death and destruction Lieberman carries as a goal. The other pragmatic part believes that a Lieberman anywhere near executive power would ultimately bring the amerikan body politic to it’s senses over the futility and sheer impracticality of the zionist project long-term.
Those who imagine that Lieberman’s ascension would be a triumph for AIPAC would relieved to discover that having a racist loon like Lieberman so close to the centre of amerikan power, would in fact mean the end of the ‘the only good arab is a dead arab/muslim/persian/raghead’ worldview.
Is McCain crazy and desperate enough to put an ideaologue into power?

Posted by: Debs is dead | Apr 13 2008 20:42 utc | 6

The inimitable inevitable invisibles surround us! Attack!! Before it’s too late!! Preemptive disinvisibility is our only hope!

Posted by: Geoff H | Apr 13 2008 20:46 utc | 7

Iran’s military adventurism?
Iran’s military adventurism?
OK, I’m speechless too.

Posted by: DeAnander | Apr 14 2008 2:14 utc | 8

They can write all the fantasies in their fancy fish wrap that they want but here is some reality:

BLITZER: Now, as you know, Foreign Minister, there are a lot of Americans, especially lawmakers on Capitol Hill, who feel they are being played for suckers right now, that the Iraqis have all this oil money, but the U.S. taxpayers are still paying the bills.
ZEBARI: …We are not standing by. This is our country. And we are spending on ourselves.
BLITZER: The question, I guess, just to wrap up this part of the interview, when will the Iraqis, who now have a lot of money coming in from oil exports — it is projected you could have $60 billion this year alone in oil exports — some are saying if the oil continues at about $110 a barrel, you might have $100 billion this year.
A, when will you be able to take over full financial responsibility for your country without U.S. assistance? And B, at what point will you be able to start repaying the U.S. government for some of these hundreds of billions of dollars in expenditures over the past five years?
ZEBARI: …This is not just to deposit it in accounts abroad and so on. In fact, this is the people’s money, and it must be spent for their welfare.

Interview with Iraq’s Foreign Minister
Hey Wolfie “suckers” don’t even begin to describe it.

Posted by: Sam | Apr 14 2008 3:48 utc | 9

” repaying the U.S. government for some of these hundreds of billions of dollars in expenditures over the past five years”
What the hell? These bastards destroyed the country, ruined it, weren’t even able to rebuild basic infrastructure which Saddam rebuilt in 5 monts in 1991, killed one million Iraqis, and now they want to be paid for this?
I’ll keep this interview in mind for the next time I see anyone complaining about the abhorrent Chinese habit of sending the bullet’s bill to the death-sentenced guy’s family.

Posted by: CluelessJoe | Apr 14 2008 8:44 utc | 10

The “Special Groups” campaign ramps up:

There was also an escalation in the anti-Iranian rhetoric in connection with all of this on the weekend, the lead mouthpiece for that part of the campaign being Stephen Hadley, on Fox News on Sunday. In remarks picked up by AlQuds alArabi among others, Hadley is quoted to the effect he thinks Iraq is in a position to bring “diplomatic pressure” to bear on Iran with regard to arming and training fighters in Iraq, now that they “better understand” Iran’s role. He didn’t explain what he meant, but it was clear that the blame-Iran theme is being developed hand in hand with the theme of fighting the “militias in Sadr City”, “until the job is done.”

Badger
I don’t know how anybody can buy into the Iranian government is arming Sadr meme with the obvious absense of high tech defensive weapons. An RPG-29 can pop off a tank from miles away and an SA-18 would clear the skies of the choppers that routinely fly over Iraq, not to mention what a C802 would do to the naval patrol boats.

Posted by: Sam | Apr 14 2008 16:28 utc | 11

Is McCain crazy and desperate enough to put an ideaologue into power?
debs, not sure how much mcCain gets to make that decision. if i were him i’d be concerned about living thru my term if lieb was VP, dems hate his guts. if they think it’s going to make mcCain more appealing. god, what a ticket that would be. talk about ugly.

Posted by: annie | Apr 14 2008 16:42 utc | 12

sadr via badger
There will not come a day when you (plural) are not my enemy, to the last drop of blood in my body, and anyone who takes you as a friend, or as a sponsor, or as a reconciliator or as a negotiating partner, him I will cut off until the day of judgment.
this guys really starting to grow on me.

Posted by: annie | Apr 14 2008 17:02 utc | 13

this guys really starting to grow on me.
The whole irony of the Sadr situation is pretty depressing. What we are seeing now is all the big players with dibs on Iraq have formed an international alliance – the United States, Iran, the Maliki/Badr government, the Awakening movement, and the Sunni parties Dialogue and Accord Front – against the singular Iraqi nationalist champion of the disaffected and disenfranchised, Muqtada al-Sadr. Because, like him or not, his movement is the only such movement in Iraq to grow internally from the bottom up. The irony of which is that the self serving meddling of all the above actors have only served to swell his ranks to the brink of usurping their own particular interests.
I guess this is what they mean when they talk about “reconciliation”. An alliance of blood suckers.

Posted by: Anonymous | Apr 14 2008 17:27 utc | 14

me#14

Posted by: anna missed | Apr 14 2008 17:29 utc | 15

The irony of which is that the self serving meddling of all the above actors have only served to swell his ranks to the brink of usurping their own particular interests.
Sadr just welcomed 1,300 well equiped and trained fighters to his troops.
Iraq Dismisses 1,300 After Basra Offensive

The Iraqi government has dismissed 1,300 soldiers and policemen who deserted or refused to fight during last month’s Shiite-on-Shiite battles in Basra, it said Sunday.

Posted by: b | Apr 14 2008 17:49 utc | 16

In theory, a popular backlash against Iran’s military adventurism could be nurtured across the Middle East.

Why yes, yes indeed, it certainly could. And herds of Sparkle Ponies could suddenly turn up in the streets of Baghdad.
6 million Israelis surrounded by 350 million Muslims. Ol’ Fred Hiatt says “It nevertheless is inevitable that Iran’s proxies in Iraq, Gaza and Lebanon will have to be countered in part by military force.” See how easy that was? We just gotta counter Iran’s proxies, simple as that.
Some days I think they’re all just stupid and incompetent, other days I think they’re crafty and evil. And some days I’m just speechless.

Posted by: montysano | Apr 14 2008 19:23 utc | 17

montysano
yes it was this crude maths that apartheid south africa understood finally. but not after – too many lessons. i think the state of israel will only understand after 1,2,3 escapades into lebanon

Posted by: remembereringgiap | Apr 14 2008 19:26 utc | 18

Back to Main