It’s past time for Senator Carl Levin to call General Anthony Teguba and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld before the Senate Armed Services Committee to testify about Abu Ghraib. The White House on Sunday insisted that President George W. Bush first learned about abuse at Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison from media reports, contrary to assertions by a former top general that Bush likely knew about the scandal before it broke. “The President said over three years ago that he first saw the pictures of the abuse on television,” said White House spokesperson Scott Stanzel in Crawford, Texas, where Bush is … Continue reading What Did The President Know And When Did He Know It?

Smell it. “The evidence does not suggest that the surge is actually working,” said Alastair Campbell, the outgoing defense attache at the British Embassy in Baghdad May 20. According to Britain’s Sunday Telegraph, Campbell also disclosed that U.S. commanders had decided that the criteria for “success” would be only a reduction in violence to the level prior to last year’s bombing of the al-Askari Mosque in Samarra. That means 800 dead Iraqis a month – a figure that the Telegraph admits “few would regard as anything remotely approaching peace.” Continue reading Progress!

I’m shocked, shocked I tell you: Speaking of Iraq, the Georgetown Hoya newspaper last week quoted a student saying she was “displeased that university officials have not asked” former Pentagon undersecretary Douglas Feith”to return to teach next year.” Asked about Feith’s status, Robert Gallucci, dean of Georgetown’s foreign service school, told us that when Feith was hired — something that caused an uproar among the faculty — it was understood he “was on a two-year appointment.” Any decision not to renew should not be seen as “a judgment on his performance,” Gallucci said, noting that Feith’s students’ “course evaluations were … Continue reading Bye Doug

On Tuesday: BAGHDAD –Iraqi security forces bolstered checkpoints and banned motorcycles from the streets of Baghdad as they prepared Sunday for more violence before this week’s withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from the capital and other cities and towns. Despite the increased checks, a roadside bomb targeting a U.S. convoy in easternBaghdad wounded six bystanders. It was unclear if anyone in the convoy was injured, police said. A car bomb also exploded in the parking lot of a police academy in western Baghdad, killing onepolice officer and wounding six others, police said, speaking on condition of anonymity as they were … Continue reading Leaving

AP Photo. It won’t be over, not for a very long time: So far, more than 200,000 veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan have been treated at VA medical facilities — three times what the VA projected, according to a Government Accountability Office analysis. More than one-third of them have been diagnosed with mental health conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder, acute depression and substance abuse. Thousands more have crippling disabilities such as brain or spinal injuries. In each of the last two years, the VA has underestimated the number of veterans who would seek help and the cost of treating them … Continue reading They’re Finally Throwing Flowers and Candy

Way to go, Leaders of the Free World! BAGHDAD, Feb 25 (Reuters) – U.S. troops have detained the news editor of a television station owned by Iraq’s most powerful political party and his son, who they accused of attacks on U.S. and Iraqi forces, the U.S. military said on Monday. Hafodh al-Beshara, news editor and manager of political programming of the al-Furat television station, was arrested during a raid on the channel’s offices in Baghdad’s central Karrada district late on Saturday night, station officials said. Al-Furat is owned by the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, the biggest Shi’ite party in Prime … Continue reading Is Freedom Reigning Yet?

Little Dougie Feith, who is still insisting he made George W. Bush a perfectly good war and Bush fucked it up: This last problem may be on the way to being solved. In 2004, at the Pentagon’s urging, President George Bush created a new State Department office for civilian stabilization and reconstruction missions. He directed that office to create a Civilian Response Corps (CRC) so the president can mobilize trained civilian volunteers the way he already can mobilize volunteers for the military reserve. President Barack Obama is supporting this effort, and the Corps will receive $323 million if Congress approves … Continue reading People From Whom I Would Not Take Advice

“The Great Wall of Segregation“ On a personal note, we’ve finally decided to leave. I guess I’ve known we would be leaving for a while now. We discussed it as a family dozens of times. At first, someone would suggest it tentatively because, it was just a preposterous idea- leaving ones home and extended family- leaving ones country- and to what? To where? Read the rest Continue reading Riverbend has new post

Arlen wants a cookie. “I would suggest respectfully to the president that he is not the sole decider,” Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pennsylvania, said during a hearing on Congress’ war powers amid an increasingly harsh debate over Iraq war policy. “The decider is a shared and joint responsibility,” Specter said. Good boy, Arlen! Now: roll over. Continue reading Bark! Bark!

Eighty-five US service members have died so far this month in Iraq, the highest body count in Chimpy’s Vanity War since August of 2005. Continue reading 85