So I am walking around the apartment tonight mixing pudding in a bowl while my wife watches Russian television. I was hungry for Pudding, so I decided to make some. I like it, but like my wife says, "watch the puddin', you know what it does to your countenance!" and so she is right: I suffer from Pudding Madness after about the 3rd bowl. I didn't start eating pudding until I was 28, and it definately shows.
The Madness tonight is the same as always. I get pudding rage. The rage is uncontrollable, and it is always directed at the War in Iraq and the unlucky Dude at Kum and Go. The one who works the late shift. I used to rage at the Passing Moon and the olderish woman in the Express Lane at Fareway. Express it is not, and lady, my cat is none of your business. As for now, my wife has taken the remaining Pudding from my hands, so I want to serenade you all with a tale of American Heroics.
In an effort to bring good vibrations to the New Year, raise spirits, and induce a general Good Mood amongst my readers, I thought I would report on
The Iraq Study Group Report. I find this little book to be terrifying. And this is what I thought I would share:
I think about the world a lot as I know most of you do. I find myself almost getting used to the insanity as we kick off a new year of American politics and muscle in regions we do not understand nor try to. And it is this complacency of living with War that I fight as soon as I am aware of it. It's an internal struggle that usually finds no outward release. I wonder what I can do to make a difference? This Middle East situation is difficult because although I do not agree with the way the Bush Administration lied to the American people to secure a military campaign in Iraq, I also understand that there is a need for some kind of change in those provinces. But what Bush has done has only been gasoline to a fire. Nothing less. There is a stalemate in the War on Terror, and this is where the Iraq Study Group positions itself. The report is fair, and it is very critical of US operations. The report is looking toward the future, but in doing so must challenge present leadership and the decisions from Washington.
The report's full title is
The Iraq Study Group Report: The Way Forward--A New Approach. There are 79 recommendations from this committee for Bush and his mentors. The committee is bipartisan. These citizens are educated and well-served. The list of members:
James A. Baker, III-Co-chair: Baker has served in senior government positions under three United States presidents. Baker was the nation's 61st Secretary of State under President George H.W. Bush.
Lee H. Hamilton-Co-Chair: Served for 34 years as Congressman from Indiana. Since January 1999, Hamilton has been the Director of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
Lawrence S. Eagleburger-Member: Was sworn in as the 62nd U.S. Secretary of State by President George H.W. Bush on December 8, 1992, and as Deputy Secretary of State on March 20, 1989.
Vernon E. Jordan, Jr.-Member: Senior Managing Director of Lazard Freres & Co, LLC in New York. Prior to joining Lazard, Jordan was senior Executive Partner with the law firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP, where he remains Senior Counsel. While there Jordan practiced general, corporate, legislative, and international law in Washington, D.C.
Edwin Meese III-Member: Holds the Ronald Reagan Chair in Public Policy at the Heritage Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based public policy research and education institution. Meese also served as the 75th Attorney General of the United States from February 1985 to August 1988.
Sandra Day O'Connor-Member: Nominated by President Reagan as Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court on July 7, 1981, and took oath of office on September 25.
Leon Panetta-Member: Currently co-directs the Leon & Sylvia Panetta Institute for Public Policy, a non-partisan study center for the advancement of public policy based at California State University, Monterey Bay.
William J. Perry-Member: Perry is the Michael and Barbara Berberian Professor at Stanford University, with a joint appointment at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and the School of Engineering.
Charles S. Robb-Member: Robb joined the faculty of George Mason University as a Distinguished Professor of Law and Public Policy in 2001.
Alan K. Simpson-Member: Served from 1979 to 1997 as a United States Senator from Wyoming. Following his term in the Senate, Simpson was elected by his peers to the position of the Assistant Majority Leader in 1984--and served in that capacity until 1994. He completed his final term on January 3, 1997.
The writing of the report is free from party rhetoric. They state the problems and the way out. They also admit US weakness and fallibility when appropriate. Although the report is under 100 pages, I will confine most of the discussion to the first 20. There is just too much important an urgent information in the report to treat here. My hope is that someone will access this report and read it and pass the info on to someone else. These reports put out by bipartisan committees are for us to read. They help us stay informed as Citizens. It is time to wake the fuck up and get us out of this mess which George W. Bush will have on his conscience forever. I hope he never sleeps well again. His lies have infected entire generations of Americans who have not even been born yet; and as the song goes, "[he] ain't worth the blood that runs in [his] veins." So while the pudding rages on I wish you allah Happy New Year!
The following are excerpts from the Study Group Report. I will add comments because I have to. The pudding makes me. REDRUM. I sit here drinking coffee, reading this Report and I cannot beleive what I read. It isn't that the information is new. It isn't. But it gives specifics to a very misunderstood War. It gives a new approach from level-headed people. And my cat ate the book's cover off. So I think Logan is a conservative. It's out. Logan is a right wing nut. I bet my cat hates gay people, too. (Disclaimer: my cat loves gay people. And as far as I know, he doesn't show any interest in politics).
The report begins:
"The situation in Iraq is grave and deteriorating. There is no path that can guarantee success, but the prospects can be improved. In this report, we make a number of recommendations for actions to be taken in Iraq, the United States, and the region. Our most important recommendations call for new and enhanced diplomatic and political efforts in Iraq and the region, and a change in the primary mission of U.S. forces in Iraq that will enable the United States to begin to move its combat forces out of Iraq responsibly" (xiii). The main idea in this report is to give the power to Iraqi forces and to withdraw US presence. But the reality of this is that the Iraqi forces are not ready, and even more interesting, are not willing to cooperate. This lack of cooperation is based on sectarian party lines: Primarily Shia and Sunni. To get American forces out of Iraq will consume the next administration, and it will be the removal of US force that will allow Americans to forget our involvement in the Middle East because we are so susceptible to forgetting the bad (with the television on…). But I am afraid the removal will not be based on Iraqi competency and leadership and rather on a necessity to get done whatever mission we started.
Much is written on the Sectarian problem. The general take is that "the United States cannot achieve its goals in the Middle East unless it deals directly with the Arab-Israeli conflict and regional instability. There must be a renewed and sustained commitment by the United States to a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace on all fronts: Lebanon, Syria, and President Bush's June 2002 commitment to a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine. This commitment must include direct talks with, by, and between Israel, Lebanon, Palestinians (those who accept Israel's right to exist), and Syria" (xv).
The problem isn't the report of the Study Group, but rather the complexity of its information. Bush's campaign of "weapons of mass destruction," which proved very effective in duping the American people with Fear, allowed Bush to engage the US military in a war about protection. To protect the American people from attacks was the main goal so many years ago. Save for the Cynics in the crowd, The American people agreed to that. Who wouldn't? Now, imagine Bush bringing to the American people a well-studied strategy which included the above quotation. Imagine a strategy of such complex proportions. No Sane American would agree to go ahead on that for the fact that the reality of the situation, excuse me, the "War on Terror," is too intricate for any one country to achieve; especially through force. The above quotation demonstrates a divisive reality which, in some cases, is over 1,300 years old. No military will end that division.
Simply put, the sectarian viewpoints are too many and too complex to wage a war against. In order to be effective, the US and Iraqi forces will need to contend with the Shia (the majority of Iraq's population who have gained power for the first time in more than 1,300 years); Sunni Arabs (who feel "displaced because of their loss of traditional position of power in Iraq"); and Iraqi Kurds (who have presented "a united front of two main political blocs: the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union Of Kurdistan"). The Study Group focuses on the fact that Iraq needs a national reconciliation if it is to rebuild itself. This national reconciliation begins but does not stop with "de-Baathification, which prevents many Sunni Arabs from participating in governance and society; providing amnesty for those who have fought against the government; sharing the country's oil revenues; demobilizing militias; amending the constitution; and settling the future of Kirkuk" (18). Good luck with that one. I would rather take on producing a solid K Fed (Fed Ex?)album. The tabloids have taken to calling the chap Fed Ex, but I think he gets a bad run from the public because he has a lot of tattoos and he smokes. Not to mention his ex-wife drops their baby all the time. The Fed Ex obviously has a lot on his mind, not the least of which is a dropping baby, and there is no way you can put out a good rap album under those conditions.
Straight Outta Compton wasn't released with babies on the premises, and Fed Ex's work shouldn't be expected to either. Drop that baby, just leave the guy alone.
To complicate this already convoluted issue (which goes well beyond fighting terror and spreading Democracy and dropping babies!) the Study Group echoes the Bush administration in making Iraq prove its worth. The Report does it to illustrate the complexities involved in our Occupation of Iraq; Bush does it to sound strong and American. A Real Firm Guy. He stays the course. But as you have noticed he has tempered his rhetoric drastically since Christmas; he is now admitting that Iraq is not going as smoothly as he planned, and that changes are indeed forthcoming. I think the manifold program of war is finally catching up to Bush's lies and simple, straightforward speech. There is no longer anywhere to hide as the Death count gets higher.
To ask Iraq to prove its worth not only seems unfair considering Iraq never asked us to invade and occupy their country, but it also demonstrates the lack of support from the Iraqi forces in helping us with whatever we have started in the last several years. The report goes: "The United States should work closely with Iraq’s leaders to support the achievement of specific objectives—or milestones—on national reconciliation, security, and governance. Miracles cannot be expected, but the people of Iraq have the right to expect action and progress. The Iraqi government needs to show its own citizens—and the citizens of the United States and other countries—that it deserves continued support" (xvii). And again, this list is an incredible list. Our own country is still dealing with issues of governance, security, and national reconciliation. How can we pass it on? You gotta get your own house in order. But this whole situation reflects on our country. The report explains that, “because events in Iraq have been set in motion by American decisions and actions, the United States has both a national and a moral interest in doing what it can to give Iraqis an opportunity to avert anarchy” (2). The blood is on us.
In addition to the Sectarian violence in Iraq, the security of military and police force is sub-par. It is inadequate and not doing much to build itself as a reliable alternative to American force.
Crime is everywhere in all walks of life, and the criminals gain authority because they are the ones who are organized and effective. "Organized criminal rackets thrive, particularly in unstable areas like Anbar province. Some criminal gangs cooperate with, finance, or purport to be part of the Sunni insurgency or a Shiite militia in order to gain legitimacy. As one knowledgeable American official put it, ‘if there were foreign forces in New Jersey, Tony Soprano would be an insurgent leader.’"(6). The criminals are thriving and making the already unstable nature of the country even worse. "Approximately 141,000 US military forces are serving in Iraq” (6). These forces are not only draining our own military pool, but are no match for the non-linear war tactics of this region. The Iraqi forces are no match either. The Iraq Army is not much of an Army. The report explains that, "the Iraqi Army is confronted with several other significant challenges: Units lack leadership; Units lack equipment; Units lack personnel; Units lack logistics and support" (9). The report continues with the Iraqi police stating, "The state of the Iraqi police is substantially worse that that of the Iraqi Army…Iraqi police cannot control crime, and they routinely engage in sectarian violence, including the unnecessary detention, torture, and targeted execution of Sunni Arab civilians. The police are organized under the ministry of the Interior, which is confronted by corruption and militia infiltration and lacks control over police in the provinces" (10). These are the Forces our Government is putting faith in, to back us up, and to allow our troops to come home and to be done with this mess. These Iraqis probably don't even know that KFED is single.
No thought was given to this anarchy and lack of stability when the rhetoric of war ran high so many years ago. No mention of this weakness is mentioned by those who still believe we are "fighting terror and spreading Democracy" in a region that has no context for it. The occupation is like a foreign force coming into the United States in the 1950s and using force to make us embrace equal rights. And that situation was only about 200 years old.
As Baghdad Goes, so Goes IraqOne of the most telling moments of the report is its treatment of Baghdad, and the belief that what happens in Baghdad demonstrates how the rest of the country will fall. A proving ground I which we are losing our footing everyday of our occupation. Apparently a major effort to quell violence in Iraq, American Forces joined with Iraqi Forces to establish security in a mission called "Operation Together Forward II," which began in August 2006. Under Operation Together Forward II, US Forces are working with Members of the Iraqi Army and police to "clear, hold, and build” in Baghdad, moving neighborhood by neighborhood. There are roughly 15,000 US troops in Baghdad" (11). The reason this City is revealing of the Iraq situation is that the capital city has more than 6 million people; "Baghdad contains some 25 percent of the country’s population. It is the largest Sunni and Shia city in Iraq. It has high concentrations of both Sunni insurgents and Shiite militias. Both Iraqi and American leaders told us that as Baghdad goes, so goes Iraq" (11).
The report continues: "the results of Operation Together Forward II are disheartening. Violence in Baghdad—already at high levels—jumped more than 43 percent between the summer and October 2006…Iraqi police have been unable or unwilling to stop infiltration and contin [ued] violence. The Iraqi Army has provided only two out of the six battalions that it promised in August would join American Forces in Baghdad…Security Forces will fail unless the Iraqis have both the capability to hold areas that have been cleared and the will to clear neighborhoods that are home to Shiite militias. US Forces can ‘clear’ any neighborhood, but there are neither enough US troops present nor enough support from Iraqi security forces to ‘hold’ neighborhoods so cleared... The same holds true for the rest of Iraq. Because none of the operations conducted by US and Iraqi military forces are fundamentally changing the conditions encouraging the sectarian violence, US Forces seem to be caught in a mission that has no foreseeable end" (12). This whole thing is like pulling a hand out of a bucket of water or sand. No hole is created, no reprieve from the perpetual rebuilding. This passage demonstrates the monomaniacal quest we are on in the region, and the reason why this war was always a mistake. You cannot fight "terror" because it's everywhere and it is nowhere. And once you root it out and destroy it, there is another generation ready to take its place.
I feel frightened by the information in this report for several reasons. One is that the issue in Iraq is so complicated, and yet the American politicians and their followers are not treating it as such. I still hear the same dumb rhetoric: "we are there to spread democracy and defeat the terrorists." That is so completely insane. Not to mention it isn't even true. Bush lied to you. He lied to me. So give it up and quit supporting him. His lies are killing men and women every day while he sits in his White House or relaxes on his ranch in Crawford. He will saunter away in 2008, at the end of his term, as so many politicians have done, and go to bed at night with a huge paycheck from the American people. We will be the ones to deal with what this Dude has done.
This war will slowly consume generations of Americans for some time to come. It isn't enough to simply put Saddam Hussein to death or root out and kill top al-Qaeda officials. As long as there are children burning pictures of American presidents and dancing in streets with AK-47s there will be no rest and no peace. There are generations not yet born who will grow into hatred for us and our War on Terror.
