On the 13th anniversary of the Iraq Invasion
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Thirteen years ago today, the United States invaded Iraq.
So it's not without a small amount of irony that this was one of today's headline.
A detachment of US marines has been deployed on the ground in Iraq to support operations against Islamic State, says the American military....
On Saturday, a US marine was killed and several others were wounded at a northern Iraqi base after it was targeted in a rocket attack by IS militants near Makhmur.
Yesterday, the second U.S. soldier was killed in combat in Iraq since we re-invaded. What made the announcement more notable than usual was buried deep is the release.
The Marine killed in an ISIS rocket attack in Iraq on Saturday was at the first American firebase that had only become operational a few days earlier CNN has learned.
The existence of the firebase had not been made public.
A firebase is a place for field artillery. This particular one is being operated only by American soldiers.
This is a far cry from having "no boots on the ground" in Iraq like President Obama promised repeatedly.
By coincidence, yesterday was also the fifth anniversary of the U.S.-led bombing of Libya that led to regime change, and then a bloody civil war that allowed ISIS to take over a large chunk of the country.
Libyans celebrated the anniversary with a bloody clash between rival militias, while Europe discussed what to do about the flood of refugees from Libya.
Libya's chaos spilled over the border into Tunisia just two weeks ago, and now some worry that the war in Libya could bring down the Tunisian government.
Egypt's dictator Sisi has warned the west that a military invasion of Libya is risky, but the United States and Britain already have special forces in Libya as we gear up for a coming invasion.
Meanwhile, Hillary continues to use the ironic term of 'Smart Power' for what was obviously an epic disaster that she lobbied for.
Anniversaries are a good time to reflect on how little we've learned from our mistakes, and our unflinching determination to do them over and over again.
Comments
Thanks for writing this up.
Mentioned the situation today in the OT, but it can always use more attention and analysis.
Mosul is a freaking nightmare, and my memories of the place are overwhelmingly negative. 13 damn years. Longer than Vietnam, and somehow the media just treats it as business as normal.
We have always been at war with Eastasia.
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
I fear we have learned
I fear we have learned nothing.
Tallyrand.....
"They have learned nothing and forgotten nothing."
"Just call me Hillbilly Dem(exit)."
-H/T to Wavey Davey
This is horrible, gjohnsit.
I feel sick over many things. The lies, the omissions, and the lack of accountability supported by the government. How many trillions of dollars are unaccounted for now? How many lives lost?
It certainly feels, to me, like the government is our enemy. Actually, it seems like they are everyone's enemy.
Thank you for keeping me informed.
'Well, I've wrestled with reality for thirty five years, Doctor, and I’m happy to state I finally won out over it." Elwood P. Dowd "
I didn't include this in the essay, but this was interesting
Remember Maliki?
This is interesting for two reasons. 1) Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani was on our State Department terrorist list, yet we used him anyway, and 2) Getting rid of Jaafari meant the extreme sectarian Maliki took over, dooming the country to sectarian conflict ever since.
I know your question is rhetorical...
But I've read our little adventures in Iraq and Afghanistan will cost us 4 to 6 Trillion dollars. At that price, we could install solar panels on every home in the US and still have enough left over to hand out nice checks to every family.
Democrats, we tried to warn you. How is that guilt and shame working out?
Good to see you, RichM.
Especially if you're the RichM from the Great Orange Satan.
"Just call me Hillbilly Dem(exit)."
-H/T to Wavey Davey
I am...
And likewise.
Democrats, we tried to warn you. How is that guilt and shame working out?
Sorry about the delayed acknowledgement Just saw
your reply. I came over last Friday and I'm still learning my way around. Not knowing someone has responded to one's post unless you go to your own account and look through all of your comments is a bit daunting. Also, I wish I knew who rec's my comments. And I finally figured out that when posting, hitting "Save" doesn't save, it posts! Only took a 2X post or two for me to get it. But damn, even if the mechanics of this site don't get any better at all here, the discourse and style around these parts is, IMO, light years ahead of TOP (The Other Place).
"Just call me Hillbilly Dem(exit)."
-H/T to Wavey Davey
(bangs head on desk, repeatedly)
Holy cow.
How is a person supposed to follow all of the underhanded deals and betrayals?
It isn't as confusing as it used to be, but I'm still confused.
I don't want to be cynical, just not uninformed.
'Well, I've wrestled with reality for thirty five years, Doctor, and I’m happy to state I finally won out over it." Elwood P. Dowd "
IraqNam. Even now, some on the Reich side
Are proud of W for invading.
That concept boggles the dnim.
Of course in reality it's more like 26 years if you count
the G. H.W. Bush led Iraq war in 91 and the Clinton led sanctions in the 90's (sanctions are an act of war) that led to half a million children dead.
This is a disgusting testament to the American government, the American people and the left in general for not actively protesting.
We've had practice
Pretty soon we'll be able to invade Iraq with our eyes closed.
Oh, wait.
I have done it in my sleep.
"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X
Wait, what?
There were plenty on the Left who saw beyond the propaganda on widely-available media, and who actively protested a number of different things in a large way, in the last 15-20 years, including that decision to go to "war". There was lots of war protest, and protest in general that got cracked down on by government. OWS? That was a coordinated crackdown by the Obama administration, the DHS and the freakin' FBI, along with local LE wherever the protests were happening.
The whole thing is a disgusting testament to our government, period.
I'm talking about the left that became neutered with
it's support of Obama and has been largely silent since late in the Bush years about the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and the war OF terror. Even with OWS the focus was on Wall Street, not the wars. The people hold some blame in all this too, and like I said, particularly the left who largely profess to be antiwar. Even now with Sanders the focus is on Wall Street and incrementally improving our lot, not on stopping any wars.
Hi Big Al ! Long time no see.
Huh, not my experience but ymmv.
In every OWS action I participated in there was always a push back on the wars by at least a few participants.
Massive numbers, no, but the left has continued to oppose imo, even after some leaders got hauled in early by the Obama FBI.
Guess being on the list serve of United for Peace and Justice Coalition I see more related news?
There is a big opportunity for mass action coming up soon, hope to see you all there!
A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.
Hi d.o.
Good to see you here.
You know me, I'm always pushing. It's never enough until it's enough. I think that was Yogi Berra.
Thanks for the link, that's awesome.
Thanks for saying so. For years at TOP I sometimes
felt you were about the only one.
Then I discovered there was a whole nest of ya'll dfhers over in the What's Happenin' / Evening Blues joint !!!
I realize you took some time off for a while and I respect you for it. So important to reclaim one's peace from time to time.
A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.
the "left" started crumbling in February 2009
a bunch of us saw what Obama was doing and said "wait a minute! That's wrong!" and we were told "he's only been in office two weeks. Sorry you didn't get your pony yet."
But it was already clear he'd pulled a bait and switch. Emanuel, Geithner, Summers. But it was ok because Obama was so wonderful, so inspiring, such a transformational candidate and President. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
So now, 7 years +....is that long enough for us to say "wait a minute!"? No, because it's too late. We were right in the beginning. But it is incredibly depressing to see 98%, or whatever it is, of liberals falling in line with eternal war, worsening economic conditions ("oh no, it's better, just look at the Dow!") and all the other Cheney/Republican style innovations that Obama has continued.
One of these days I will post my TOP post...
That ALMOST got me banned. It compared being a fan of Obama with being a fanboy of either the XBOX or PS2. Essentially, I was suggesting that we were only supporting him because we'd spent our money and wanted to defend our purchase.
That did NOT go well.
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
Sounds like it's still applicable now.
I used to think that the mass forgiveness Republican voters tended to give to R-politicians for actions that went against stated party standards wasn't so bad on the Democratic side, but this election cycle definitely disabused me of that notion.
Hi, Shahryar, I don't watch television, but I happened to be at
a friend or relatives house when Obama was campaigning in Florida and brought in Bill Clinton. I felt like vomiting.
During that segment Clinton said some things that set off alarms in my head. I thought at the time that this would not turn out well.
Anyway, here's a vid if you can stand it.
He claimed the President would do what was in his plan....
But look, throwing things will not really help anything. Or, on second thought, if you have a shoe ... /s
A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.
Did you forget the link for the video ?
There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?
Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.
Hi, and thanks snoopydawg, yes, apparently so. Hmmmmm
President Clinton, Barack Obama First Campaign Rally in Kissimmee, Florida 10/29/2008
A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.
Oh barf!
And then he went back on every campaign promise he made.
Calling the Clintons for economic advise when it was Bill that deregulated the banks and set things up for Bush to finish.
There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?
Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.
What is it about us?
In 1969, PFC Hatch from Omaha said this: "One thing about the draft is that it took Joe Dokes off the block and stuck him in here where the talk is shown to be lies. I will never trust the government again." I held fast to that belief as it was one of the only things I had when I got out. We were the "unwilling doing the unnecessary for the ungrateful". Thirty-two years later we were doing it again. When I heard that we were going into Iraq the hair stood up on my head. I had thought that surely MY generation wouldn't be fooled again! I was wrong. And if anybody believes that about this next generation they are wrong. In the Army, the guy that stayed home and took your gal and your job was known as "Jody". We would double time to thoughts about him. ("Do not bother to call home...Jody got your telephone" and a hundred variations.) Everyone knew that GW was Jody and we followed him anyways.
“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” Voltaire
Irony is that "Jody's" are banned now.
Cadences that "Affect Morale" are not allowed in the Army anymore.
Like some other places, the truth is not to be spoken.
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
Must be cyclical
I remember them being banned in 1981.
"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X
hmmm...
wonder if they do it every time a Jody gets elected?
“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” Voltaire
Twenty five years, two months, and three days ago...
We (I) invaded it again.
Edit: Sorry, I see now that Big Al just brought that up.
"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X
I haven't really known what to write about
since I got here. Now I do.
"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X
I've long argued that the time period itself should
tell people the purpose is not to win a war, same with Afghanistan and the War OF Terror. Compare it to WWII, the Korean war, and Vietnam. What is becoming comparable as time passes is the Indian wars relative to American involvement. And what was the purpose of those wars? Everybody knows that one.
Absolutely true.
"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X
Agree with you on that.
We also should be able to see that the party LOVES them come campaign cash from the war and security profiteers.
A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.
And it was televised while it was happening
All I could think about was how many innocent civilians were being killed. And for what?
Most other regime changes were done by the CIA. Why did it take the whole fucking military and other countries to overthrow Saddam?
And those poor people were already suffering because of the sanctions Clinton put on them. Sanctions never hurt the leaders of the country and they know that. They only hurt the people who have already suffered under the tyranny of the leader.
But I'm sure many Americans watched it and cheered.
There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?
Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.
Why didn't Bush invade Saudi Arabia
Since 15 of the 19 terrorists were Saudis? What was the Bin Laden family doing in the US during September 2001?
This is one the reasons they attacked Afghanistan. The Taliban had almost wiped out the poppy fields, but the CIA needs the opium and heroin to fund their many interventions. Starting with the Vietnam war they have been flying plane loads of drugs in to this country.
The article starts off showing pictures of the troops guarding the poppy fields.
At the bottom of the article, the CEO from Unocal goes in front of congress to tell them what needs to happen to make it safe for his company to install a oil pipeline.
http://whatreallyhappened.com/WRHARTICLES/dyinginafghanistan.php
What our children are dying for in Afghanistan. That war is the longest war and it won't end until 2017 according to Obama. But i doubt it will end then. Remember that they found trillions in resources there.
There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?
Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.
Experience is a wonderful thing
Experience is a wonderful thing. It means you can recognize your mistakes when you make them again. Hillary's experience is overrated.
Iraq veterans can lead the way in opposing the return of US forces. Been there, did that, got the t-shirt!
"We've done the impossible, and that makes us mighty."
Experience is a wonderful thing
Experience is a wonderful thing. It means you can recognize your mistakes when you make them again. Hillary's experience is overrated.
Iraq veterans can lead the way in opposing the return of US forces. Been there, did that, got the t-shirt!
"We've done the impossible, and that makes us mighty."
Elsewhere, could US be close to another Korean
'conflict' ? 300,000 (count 'em) S Korean troops with Americans in an exercise just now, just after the N Koreans launched some missles. What could possibly go wrong?
A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.