From the Independent

[http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article1963417.ece|Remembrance Sunday Special: Remember the war of words]

In Iraq, troops fight on as those who sent them beat an ignoble retreat

Published: 12 November 2006

Then (March 2003)
It will mean enforcement of the will of the UN ... to make the world a better place for the removal of Saddam Hussein and ... make the world better for the Iraqis he oppresses.
Now (November 2006)
The thing was a disaster from the moment we invaded ... we need to understand why, why, why we were so mad as to attack without working out the consequences.
Boris Johnson MP AND EX-EDITOR, 'SPECTATOR'

read more of these turn coats, including Bush and Blair at The Independent

I guess Perle, Adelman, etc have turned on Bush as part of a strategic realignment to get a credible non-Bushite candidate propped up for the next presidential election. But you'd have to wonder why they couldn't have kept their mouths shut for a bit longer. Tehran, Damascus, Pyong-yang, Moscow and Beijing won't sit around while the US appears to drift into a state of demoralised paralysis. Perhaps they are trying to sucker the Democrats to round on Bush, too, and prove themselves incapable of setting a new course. If the Democrats are going to set the tone with strong-willed discipline, they'd better be quick about it.

Trap.

From Michael Gawenda, writing for Fairfax in History could repeat horribly after washing of hands:

This was despicable but not surprising. Populist pseudo-defenders of democracy like O'Reilly never did give a damn about the Iraqis and did not really pretend that they did. What was equally despicable, if more surprising, was the revelation in the magazine Vanity Fair that some of the leading neoconservative proponents of the war to rid Iraq of Saddam Hussein seek to deny any responsibility for the consequences. 

We'll be waiting for the AWB worm to pop out of Downer's eye, before we know which way the Howard government is going to squirm out of its responsibilities to Iraq.

From the New York Times

Republicans, [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/12/washington/12cnd-military.html?hp&ex=1163394000&en=6dbdeac1a0d9a5b1&ei=5094&partner=homepage|meanwhile], are concerned that the Democrats will use their new power in Congress to hold a series of aggressive hearings on past policies, that, they say, will undermine the bipartisan spirit that Democrats and the president say they are ready to pursue.
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Gus: "undermine the bipartisan spirit that Democrats and the president say they are ready to pursue?"... So when the Democrats have a few trumps in hand, they have to show a sharing bipartisan approach to politics... when the Republicans have the deck in hand, everyone else can bugger off? Hypocrites!

If the president of the United States had any decent bones (just one would be enough) in his body he would resign his position forthwith and order new presidential elections. He has messed up! Messed up big time and there is no way he can fix it up (even if he hypothetically could, he is seen as the creator of the problem and decent people would not accept "his" way). In this humble process he should also remove the vice-president and the US secretary of state for their dubious role in the affair, both banned from politics forever (give them a honorary chair at a neo-con University in Alaska...) . Yep... 150,000 officially Iraqis dead in operation Iraqi Freedom, probably more likely to be 500,000 dead Iraqis, 3,000 US dead soldiers, more than 25,000 US soldiers maimed for life... a concoction of massive lies to go to war, a stupid "mission accomplished" gesture, a moronic attitude to "good and evil beliefs" that leads to hardening of position that remove any humane solution... a sad ongoing saga with no end in sight... where the presidential rhetoric, after the president has lost his underpants, is still as moronic and belligerent as ever... It should stop forthwith. George W Bush should be banned from speaking publicly... No more speeches. Nada. Zilch utterances.
The US urgently needs a caretaker government, a joint Republican-Democrat committee — with a crash course in what has gone wrong and what should be done about it — should be formed. New presidential election should be organised ASAP like a fire-sale to prompt them a bit faster than the usual circus. Advisers should be banned from participating in any debate or advice. Engineers should take over the projection of expenditures away from economists.
The solution to "that" Iraq problem will become clear as it was in the first month after the "mission accomplished" rigmarole. Pass on the ownership of the problem to the United Nation and the Arab League straight away and pay for the damage bill without trying to "profit" from it. Involve the Iraqi communities in their own sharing welfare — not with a flow of goodies "from the top" that rots the sharing spirit via massive kickback and corruption like sweets rot teeth. Even if this appears a bit too "socialist", let the process take place...
Security would still be tough for a while but as the Iraqi people get involved in their own affairs (even if there is a bit of farting around), including all services from hospital to education and utilities like electricity, a spirit of co-operation and forgiveness should be cultivated — reducing profits and capitalistic ideals of dog eat dog (even if this competition is fought in "good" spirit when people are not about to loose their life for it...).
Of course this "democratic" pathway would be different from what the Americans have wished.
A strong person with humanity, secularity and more altruism than most, might emerge as a leader, a bit like Attaturk in Turkey Adenauer in Germany and or De Gaulle in France... Iraq had such leaders in the wings, though already tainted with the stench brought in by the US might and desires.
At this stage, the only decent solutions for the US are:
* to loose ambition of "capturing" the Iraqi oil,
* being generous to a fault by letting efficient small international organisation use US moneys to properly reconstruct Iraq from the grass roots. not by massive Embassy building which smell of "Kontrol".
* remove their troops slowly, but with no ulterior motive of leaving some behind. Troops like the UK troops and the Australian troops should be removed forthwith.
* Events of national Iraqi unity should be promoted, with the future in mind not the memory of the past...
* Forgiveness of past atrocity should take place rather than official revenge.
* Saddam should be released to go and live in exile under UN supervision.
* Ahmed Challabi, the chief liar for the CIA, should be promoted as a catalyst of moderate Iraqi solidarity, not as a control freak but as a figurehead to "promote" the new Iraq. He would of course need a lot of humility and self-confession of his "lies, crimes" and beg for forgiveness. He has the knowledge, ability and the heritage to bring Iraq out of the doldrums. He has to cut his ties with the CIA completely.
* Iran and the US should have fruitful dialogue to help the region stabilise
* if the US looses a bit of its sabre-sharpness so be it. They would gain a lot more in their own and universal "moral" worth by not trying to impose, profit and control.
* Bin Laden would thus be the only enemy of the Arab and Muslim people. Bin Laden work would have been done.
* Extremists would slowly melt in the moderation around (this is not utopia. Extremism has its roots in resentment and culture of revenge extremism in families, communities... etc. Under the new conditions, the support network would slowly become moderate). Kings, sheikhs and other rulers in Arabic lands should be encouraged (not forced) to have more democratic rulings...

That is the only way to defuse the hatred of the US in the Muslim nations. Unless this hatred is defused, and it will take some time anyway, the alternative for the US (and the west) is to embark on an escalating army building exercise that will have no end but a neo-terminal catastrophic solution.
Thus the humble solution is not an easy pathway, is full of pitfalls but better than whatever is in the pipeline: another 25 years of US occupation, another 25 years of bloodshed. and a likely wipe out. There are no "Good and Evil", just struggles to show who's top dog in the robbery stakes... So then, who's interested in stopping the flow of blood when it's facilitating the flow of oil?... Yes, we have to put a stop to the madness, by kindness.
Who knows, by having less oil available to loot, the US might learn to consume a bit less. Say instead of consuming 27 per cent of the world's resources, they might become more efficient and consume only 24 per cent. a reduction of three per cent and in no time, the US is meeting its Kyoto protocol greenhouse gases emission obligations without having signed the treaty. That would be the true beginning of the understanding of the planet's "needs" — diversity, bio-naturality, preservation would become easier under this regime of lesser consumerism...

Dream on, my dear Gustashian Krakovitch Leonisky...

Well said, Gus.

But, listen here - the people of the US had a choice in '04, and they chose GWB by direct election. Sure, the system in the US narrows the candidates down to the chosen few from about 12 viceregal families, but voting is voluntary. So, what they have, they have, unless he/she commits a crime, and barring death or incapacitation.

The Republicans will find people to advise new tactics for GWB, unless he has totally lost his cookies. Unless they have decided to cut him loose, which is doubtful considering the influence of the Bush clan. We'll see. A wild card in that hand is possible in-depth analysis of the curious events around rescue of certain well-placed Saudis in the hours after the 2001 attacks. If mud is about to be flung, and to stick, the Bush mafia may have to accept that a ritual garrotting is necessary. I'd guess John Howard's self-nomination to join the Carlyle Group, post retirement, is on hold till certain matters are clarified. Howard's push for nuclear plants may be on hold, too, until the US urgers rearrange themselves. Personally, I'd like to see the French running our nuclear industry, just to give a bit of balance in this part of the globe.

If the Yanks were fair dinkum about their obligations, they would do something useful about their own oil (petrol) consumption. They'd tell their useful idiots, in vassal states like Oz, to adopt the same energy conserving policies. They would turn their vast pool of talent and inovation away from lust after the perfect Warplane and send Jimmy Carter to chat with Brendan Nelson. 

But I worry none of that will happen, despite the wealth of similar sentiment among ordinary Americans.  

And, I think John Bolton will stay at the UN, because events in the near future will again demonstrate the impotence of the UN to act as security policeman.  

From Al Jazeera Fresh Iraq violence claims 135 lives

Monday 13 November 2006, 5:48 Makka Time, 2:48 GMT

New [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/B98DD62A-CC80-46EC-982F-31BE9853E723.htm|violence in Iraq] has claimed the lives of more than 135 people, the country's police force has said.

Iraq's security services said that they had found at least 100 bodies dumped in the towns of Baqouba and around Baghdad on Sunday.
Police said that 75 bodies were found dumped behind a regional electrical company in Baqouba, northeast of Baghdad, and 25 others found scattered throughout the capital. It was not clear when the victims, believed to be mostly men, were killed.
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Gus: all this and the previous "stuff happens" are direct consequences of a moronic president not having understood a word about humanity. May he feel the pain of all who died because of his deciderisation — but unfortunately he wont feel a bloody thing even if he says so. If he truly did feel the hurt, he would go and hide in shame of his actions.
Resign now, Mr Bush... Impeach yourself... The world of real people, those who represent the most of living humans, would be grateful for this would-be rare enlightened selfless gesture...

from The Guardian

Blair urges White House to shift focus to Israel-Palestine conflict

· Palestinian peace process 'central to Iraq solution'
· Syria and Iran also have a role to play, says PM

Patrick Wintour and Richard Norton-Taylor
Tuesday November 14, 2006
The Guardian

[http://politics.guardian.co.uk/iraq/story/0,,1947191,00.html|Tony Blair made an open plea] yesterday to George Bush to recognise that a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict lies at the core of any hopes for wider peace in the Middle East, including Iraq. In his annual foreign policy speech, seen as a chance to recalibrate Britain's Iraq strategy, Mr Blair said a solution to the conflict was central to a strategy that "pins back the forces trying to create mayhem inside Iraq".
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Gus: since the Palestinian problem has not been solved in 50 years, what hope have we got unless these guys are booted out and replaced by proper negotiators with no secret agendas and let a few things fall in place even if they are not palatable to the West. The recent decisions by the US to veto the condemnation of Israel for its armies' "technical failures" that killed many people, or to support Israel in its war in Lebanon, to block money supplies to the Palestinian and to supply weapons to Israel (that should be illegal) are all stupid and do nothing to help sort out the problem. The rate of killing — presently more than 70 Palestinian per Israeli — is outrageous. It should be none for none. Syria and Iran are placed in a position in which they have no other option that to support the Palestinian and Hezbollah. Until Israel — the last kid on the block — accepts a few skirmishes without responding with ANY retaliations then the process of peace and acceptance can start in earnest. The tensions will defuse, even if its slowly...
Recognition of Hamas and stopping the butchery, including that of "terrorists" is the first step. It then will take a whole generation during which cool processes take place before that conflict is arrested. Work and nation building would start, but then there is the problem of Israel settlements in occupied (but appropriated territories by "greater" Israel) Palestinian lands. Then solve the problem of Palestine being fragmented... then...

Yes we need some mighty footwork... footwork that the present US president is incapable of, unless he surprises us with the only bright idea of his life...

Yes Gus .....

The "root cause" of the middle east inferno is obvious to anyone willing to see but, unfortunately, in spite of the chorus of voices, bushit & our prime chumster refuse to look, just as they have on so many issues. 

‘A cross-cultural group of 20 prominent world figures has called for urgent efforts to heal the growing divide between Muslim and Western societies.

The chief causes of the rift are not religion or history, they say, but recent political developments, notably the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Their findings were presented to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan at a ceremony in Istanbul on Monday.

No other dispute had such a symbolic or emotional impact on people, he said.

"We may wish to think of the Arab -Israeli conflict as just one regional conflict among many. But it is not," Mr Annan said.

"As long as the Palestinians live under occupation, exposed to daily frustration and humiliation, and as long as Israelis are blown up in buses and in dances halls, so long will passions everywhere be inflamed."

The Alliance of Civilisations, which includes Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu and former Iranian President Mohammed Khatami, dismisses the notion that a clash of civilisations is inevitable, but says that swift action is needed.’

Call To Bridge West-Muslim Divide

From the ABC

Gunmen seize 100 at Iraq ministry
Iraq's Education Ministry says gunmen have kidnapped more than 100 people from one of its buildings in central Baghdad.

Residents have also reported a US raid killing more than 30 people in Ramadi, while authorities say another 10 people have died in a Baghdad market blast.

The Baghdad kidnapping happened in broad daylight, soon after the archive office of the Higher Education Ministry opened.

Around 20 cars, filled with armed militants dressed in blue Iraqi Government security uniforms, drew up outside.

After separating the women from the men and removing their mobile phones, the gunmen rounded up all the men they could find, including local guards and men who had come in to check their records.

The kidnappers took away around 100 men, putting them into cars they found in the car park.

Government forces have been placed on alert and are now searching for the group.

'30 killed in US raid'
Meanwhile, Iraqi medical officials say at least 30 people have been killed in violence overnight in the Sunni insurgent stronghold of Ramadi in what local police say was a US military raid.

In one part of the district, a Reuters reporter saw several bodies of adult men still lying in a street, some being placed in coffins by relatives, and a number of body parts. One small structure was burnt out in that street.

Local residents say US tanks fired into the area and those who died were not militants.

They have criticised the US forces and Shiite-led Iraqi Government.

‘Faced with a cool reception by the authorities in and neighbors of Paraguay, Our Beloved Leader is looking for a cozy retirement home. In that connection, he asked me to draft a letter...

To all World and Opinion Leaders,

Hi there y’all. Are you the head honcho of an economically backward country in need of development and international clout? I have the solution to all your problems!

I’m a fun lovin’, non-drinkin’, devout Christian (with a direct hotline to God) who’s lookin’ for a position as Despot in Exile. What I need is an obscure Third World Nation with a comfortable climate and no extradition treaty with the United States of America or the new International Criminal Court in The Hague. If your country meets these simple requirements, then we can talk turkey!

You see, recent unfortunate developments by subversives are undermining my stature in the United States of America! It might be in my best interest to skedaddle before the donkeys come home to roost. I’m all for staying the course but maybe it’s about time to cut and run.

What I’m lookin’ for is a modest, rural hide-a-way of approximately 100,000 acres with an attached resort villa. It needs to be roomy enough for my family and friends and little ol’ me! I can offer top U.S. dollars and include no-bid, development contracts from U.S. corporations. Just think, you can enjoy the prestige of Halliburton! Kellogg, Brown and Root! Blackwater! FOX News and Diebold! Well hell, ifn’ you’re a fellow democratically elected Despot, I can help you stay that way!’

Wanted: Political Asylum