once out of office, Bill Clinton was asked why he had used the Oval Office for the Lewinsky affair.....his candid reply: "because I could".
This now appears to be the only real reason Bush became the War President and invaded Iraq......because he could. And because he could, over 2300 Americans are dead and thousands more seriously injured. Because he could. Did he knowingly lie to the American public? Yes. Because he could, thanks to GOP Media control.
Electricity, water, sewer systems, public health infrastructure, and security, well, those things would have to wait until after the Oil Ministry was secured
Note during the intial few weeks of Shock'n'Awe, human rights and aid groups kept close tabs on the bombings of just those facilities quoted above. Intentionally bombing civilian infrastructure is against the Geneva Convention. The DoD maintained that these had military applications, so bombs away.
As in all other issues of why this invasion would unleash incalculable suffering on Iraqis (and create havoc in the region), the warnings of anti-war Cassandras were ignored (except to ridicule by those oh-so strutting war pornographers in politics and media who really REALLY wanted to ride this train to glory.)
We all saw the impact busted electricity, water and other civilian services for months on end had politically. Would religious groups who stepped up as community leaders have been able to grow that powerful had the beaurocracy and army UNDER the Ba'ath rulers not been dispersed by Rummy, treating Iraq like his personal acquisition?
.
Was the Iraq war nothing more than an Afghanistan "cookie cutter" in the mind of Bushco? If Afghanistan would have been a Russian style slog, would there have even been an Iraq edition?
Would a tougher Taliban have been a Bush-pesticide for "I keep the fundies down" Sadaam?
Posted by TIKI AL at March 27, 2006 09:36 AM...Bush talked about several ways to provoke a confrontation, including a proposal to paint a United States surveillance plane in the colors of the United Nations in hopes of drawing fire, or assassinating Mr. Hussein.
Ya know I really shouldn't be shocked, but to this, THIS is just over the top. To even think of such a thing reveals the true moral morass that is Bush's brain.
Additionally, using an assasination for grounds for invading is... jeebus h...fuck it. Nevermind.
Posted by Simp at March 27, 2006 09:59 AMSimp, it was obvious at the time that Bushco was trying to provoke a response by stepping up flights over the no fly zones, and bombing supposed targets. It was obvious to Saddam, who apparently wasn't going to fall for it.
Posted by iamcoyote at March 27, 2006 10:35 AMSometimes I think that proof enough that there is no benevolent Creator (G*d, if you will) is this administration and pResident...they should all me courtmartialed and frogmarched to the Hague for sentencing.
Posted by John B. at March 27, 2006 11:09 AMthat's be, not me...
Posted by John B. at March 27, 2006 11:10 AMImc,
Of course I realize that. But I didn't think that even Bush would consider coopting UN colors to do it.
Note to editors: Double check on spam prevention. I think my previous double post was due to me not putting in the letter, hitting "post", then prompted for it and hitting "post" again.
Posted by Simp at March 27, 2006 11:17 AMSimp, as much as the bushies hate the UN, I have no trouble seeing them do whatever they could to start war. But, the UN colors are light blue and white, aren't they? What other country's colors are blue and white, I wonder...
Too clever for their own good, you think?
Posted by iamcoyote at March 27, 2006 11:57 AMI've read that Blair and/or his wife are real Xtian folk, real true believers, which would be the only way to rationalize his behaviors. And if that memo is accurate, this is completely unfathomable:
Mr. Bush predicted that it was "unlikely there would be internecine warfare between the different religious and ethnic groups." Mr. Blair agreed with that assessment.
Based on what experience and demonstrated expertise, george, given the past few thousand years of civilization in the Cradle of Civilization, would make any thinking primate buy that stupid, nonsensical assertion?
And Blair agreed? Koresh, I always thought that Blair was smart enough, but jeebus on a flaming trampoline, this only makes you think that the Iraqi's were truly only incidental to what these assholes were up to, namely hegemony on a great big lake of oil.
I think I saw at Digby's last week someone suggesting that it wasn't to secure the oil supplies so much as keeping Iraq from pumping too much oil and driving down prices that was the real concern of bushco, and the more I think about it, the more likely it sounds.
I have no idea what Blair’s motivation was for being Bush’s poodle on Iraq these last four years, as it was thought that Blair was at least intelligent and able to see the bigger picture. Yet these memos make Blair look as inept and stupid as we already knew Bush was.
It's as though a "Cone of Stupidity" descends over anyone who gets within reach-around distance of Dubya. Who knew that this would be the "Maxwell Smart Administration"? Is Condi "Agent 99"?
Posted by Basharov at March 27, 2006 03:15 PMYou do the agent 99 character a great diservice.
Posted by TIKI AL at March 27, 2006 04:35 PMYeah, Basharov, Agent 99 was smart, patient, beautiful, and very loving. Taint none of those apply to that feckless cretin ruining the State Department!
But I like the Cone of Stupidity part, that rings quite true!!!!
Posted by Duckman GR at March 27, 2006 04:41 PMYes on the "cone of stupidity", Daffy biped, and the "shoe phone" was the predecessor of Reid's footwear of choice, the "shoe bomb".
Posted by TIKI AL at March 27, 2006 05:23 PMCooked evidence in order to support a war! Where have we heard that before? Czech? Poland? Wouldn't surprise me to hear of some "terrorist" incident on home soil (WMD's? through the ports perhaps?) in order to prolong the reign into another term - sorry folks, we need these curfews and bans on assembly and a term extension for at least four more until things calm down don't you agree Senate? House? Justice? ..."One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them, one ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them"
Posted by sparafucilli at March 27, 2006 07:43 PM