One Little Victory

In case you haven’t gotten your personal copy yet, here is the letter from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the people of the United States of America. My reaction follows:

November 29, 2006

Message to the American People

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

O, Almighty God, bestow upon humanity the perfect human being promised to all by You, and make us among his followers.

Noble Americans!
Were we not faced with the activities of the US administration in this part of the world and the negative ramifications of those activities on the daily lives of our peoples, coupled with the many wars and calamities caused by the US administration as well as the tragic consequences of US interference in other countries; Were the American people not God-fearing, truth-loving, and justice-seeking, while the US administration actively conceals the truth and impedes any objective portrayal of current realities; And if we did not share a common responsibility to promote and protect freedom and human dignity and integrity;

Then, there would have been little urgency to have a dialogue with you.

While Divine providence has placed Iran and the United States geographically far apart, we should be cognizant that human values and our common human spirit, which proclaim the dignity and exalted worth of all human beings, have brought our two great nations of Iran and the United States closer together.

Both our nations are God-fearing, truth-loving and justice-seeking, and both seek dignity, respect and perfection.

Both greatly value and readily embrace the promotion of human ideals such as compassion, empathy, respect for the rights of human beings, securing justice and equity, and defending the innocent and the weak against oppressors and bullies.

We are all inclined towards the good, and towards extending a helping hand to one another, particularly to those in need.

We all deplore injustice, the trampling of peoples’ rights and the intimidation and humiliation of human beings.

We all detest darkness, deceit, lies and distortion, and seek and admire salvation, enlightenment, sincerity and honesty.

The pure human essence of the two great nations of Iran and the United States testify to the veracity of these statements.

Noble Americans!
Our nation has always extended its hand of friendship to all other nations of the world.

Hundreds of thousands of my Iranian compatriots are living amongst you in friendship and peace, and are contributing positively to your society. Our people have been in contact with you over the past many years and have maintained these contacts despite the unnecessary restrictions of US authorities.

As mentioned, we have common concerns, face similar challenges, and are pained by the sufferings and afflictions in the world.

We, like you, are aggrieved by the ever-worsening pain and misery of the Palestinian people. Persistent aggressions by the Zionists are making life more and more difficult for the rightful owners of the land of Palestine. In broad daylight, in front of cameras and before the eyes of the world, they are bombarding innocent defenseless civilians, bulldozing houses, firing machine guns at students in the streets and alleys, and subjecting their families to endless grief.

No day goes by without a new crime.

Palestinian mothers, just like Iranian and American mothers, love their children, and are painfully bereaved by the imprisonment, wounding and murder of their children. What mother wouldn’t? For 60 years, the Zionist regime has driven millions of the inhabitants of Palestine out of their homes. Many of these refugees have died in the Diaspora and in refugee camps. Their children have spent their youth in these camps and are aging while still hoping to return to their homeland.

You know well that the US administration has persistently provided blind and blanket support to the Zionist regime, has emboldened it to continue its crimes, and has prevented the UN Security Council from condemning it.

Who can deny such broken promises and grave injustices towards humanity by the US administration?

Governments are there to serve their own people. No people wants to side with or support any oppressors. But regrettably, the US administration disregards even its own public opinion and remains in the forefront of supporting the trampling of the rights of the Palestinian people.

Let’s take a look at Iraq. Since the commencement of the US military presence in Iraq, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have been killed, maimed or displaced. Terrorism in Iraq has grown exponentially. With the presence of the US military in Iraq, nothing has been done to rebuild the ruins, to restore the infrastructure or to alleviate poverty. The US Government used the pretext of the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, but later it became clear that that was just a lie and a deception.

Although Saddam was overthrown and people are happy about his departure, the pain and suffering of the Iraqi people has persisted and has even been aggravated.

In Iraq, about one hundred and fifty thousand American soldiers, separated from their families and loved ones, are operating under the command of the current US administration. A substantial number of them have been killed or wounded and their presence in Iraq has tarnished the image of the American people and government.

Their mothers and relatives have, on numerous occasions, displayed their discontent with the presence of their sons and daughters in a land thousands of miles away from US shores. American soldiers often wonder why they have been sent to Iraq.

I consider it extremely unlikely that you, the American people, consent to the billions of dollars of annual expenditure from your treasury for this military misadventure.

Noble Americans!
You have heard that the US administration is kidnapping its presumed opponents from across the globe and arbitrarily holding them without trial or any international supervision in horrendous prisons that it has established in various parts of the world. God knows who these detainees actually are, and what terrible fate awaits them.

You have certainly heard the sad stories of the Guantanamo and Abu-Ghraib prisons. The US administration attempts to justify them through its proclaimed “war on terror.” But everyone knows that such behavior, in fact, offends global public opinion, exacerbates resentment and thereby spreads terrorism, and tarnishes the US image and its credibility among nations.

The US administration’s illegal and immoral behavior is not even confined to outside its borders. You are witnessing daily that under the pretext of “the war on terror,” civil liberties in the United States are being increasingly curtailed. Even the privacy of individuals is fast losing its meaning. Judicial due process and fundamental rights are trampled upon. Private phones are tapped, suspects are arbitrarily arrested, sometimes beaten in the streets, or even shot to death.

I have no doubt that the American people do not approve of this behavior and indeed deplore it.

The US administration does not accept accountability before any organization, institution or council. The US administration has undermined the credibility of international organizations, particularly the United Nations and its Security Council. But, I do not intend to address all the challenges and calamities in this message.

The legitimacy, power and influence of a government do not emanate from its arsenals of tanks, fighter aircraft, missiles or nuclear weapons. Legitimacy and influence reside in sound logic, quest for justice and compassion and empathy for all humanity. The global position of the United States is in all probability weakened because the administration has continued to resort to force, to conceal the truth, and to mislead the American people about its policies and practices.

Undoubtedly, the American people are not satisfied with this behavior and they showed their discontent in the recent elections. I hope that in the wake of the mid-term elections, the administration of President Bush will have heard and will heed the message of the American people.

My questions are the following:

Is there not a better approach to governance?

Is it not possible to put wealth and power in the service of peace, stability, prosperity and the happiness of all peoples through a commitment to justice and respect for the rights of all nations, instead of aggression and war?

We all condemn terrorism, because its victims are the innocent.

But, can terrorism be contained and eradicated through war, destruction and the killing of hundreds of thousands of innocents? If that were possible, then why has the problem not been resolved? The sad experience of invading Iraq is before us all.

What has blind support for the Zionists by the US administration brought for the American people? It is regrettable that for the US administration, the interests of these occupiers supersedes the interests of the American people and of the other nations of the world.

What have the Zionists done for the American people that the US administration considers itself obliged to blindly support these infamous aggressors? Is it not because they have imposed themselves on a substantial portion of the banking, financial, cultural and media sectors?

I recommend that in a demonstration of respect for the American people and for humanity, the right of Palestinians to live in their own homeland should be recognized so that millions of Palestinian refugees can return to their homes and the future of all of Palestine and its form of government be determined in a referendum. This will benefit everyone.

Now that Iraq has a Constitution and an independent Assembly and Government, would it not be more beneficial to bring the US officers and soldiers home, and to spend the astronomical US military expenditures in Iraq for the welfare and prosperity of the American people? As you know very well, many victims of Katrina continue to suffer, and countless Americans continue to live in poverty and homelessness.

I’d also like to say a word to the winners of the recent elections in the US:

The United States has had many administrations; some who have left a positive legacy, and others that are neither remembered fondly by the American people nor by other nations.

Now that you control an important branch of the US Government, you will also be held to account by the people and by history.

If the US Government meets the current domestic and external challenges with an approach based on truth and justice, it can remedy some of the past afflictions and alleviate some of the global resentment and hatred of America. But if the approach remains the same, it would not be unexpected that the American people would similarly reject the new electoral winners, although the recent elections, rather than reflecting a victory, in reality point to the failure of the current administration’s policies. These issues had been extensively dealt with in my letter to President Bush earlier this year.

To sum up:

It is possible to govern based on an approach that is distinctly different from one of coercion, force and injustice.

It is possible to sincerely serve and promote common human values, honesty and compassion.

It is possible to provide welfare and prosperity without tension, threats, imposition or war.

It is possible to lead the world towards the aspired perfection by adhering to unity, monotheism, morality and spirituality and drawing upon the teachings of the Divine Prophets.

Then, the American people, who are God-fearing and followers of Divine religions, will overcome every difficulty.

What I stated represents some of my anxieties and concerns.

I am confident that you, the American people, will play an instrumental role in the establishment of justice and spirituality throughout the world. The promises of the Almighty and His prophets will certainly be realized, Justice and Truth will prevail and all nations will live a true life in a climate replete with love, compassion and fraternity.

The US governing establishment, the authorities and the powerful should not choose irreversible paths. As all prophets have taught us, injustice and transgression will eventually bring about decline and demise. Today, the path of return to faith and spirituality is open and unimpeded.

We should all heed the Divine Word of the Holy Qur’an:

“But those who repent, have faith and do good may receive Salvation. Your Lord, alone, creates and chooses as He will, and others have no part in His choice; Glorified is God and Exalted above any partners they ascribe to Him.” (28:67-68)

I pray to the Almighty to bless the Iranian and American nations and indeed all nations of the world with dignity and success.

OLV’s Comments:

Well, the dear president does seem to understand what words to say, which is more than we can say for our own Dear Leader. However, this letter seems aimed, instead of driving progress toward normalized relations, at driving a wedge between President Bush and the American people.

Thank you, President Ahmadinejad, but we really don’t need your assistance with this; we are already there.

Many of us in America understand that our president has illegally invaded Iraq.

Many of us in America understand that our president had no plan for improving the nation of Iraq or the lives of its people.

Many of us in America understand that our president has intentionally committed war crimes and granted himself national immunity for these crimes.

Many of us in America understand that our president lied to drag our nation into this war, and that he is in denial about the situation which our military, and our nation, now find ourselves in.

But frankly, President Ahmadinejad, we don’t need you to point out these things.

I am a believer that people should call others into question only when they are prepared to be questioned themselves. Thus, until you are prepared to discuss the oppression of the Iranian people by the Ayatollahs of your land, perhaps you want to be careful about daring to moralize to us.

I recognize that the United States has meddled in the politics of Iran, supporting the rise of the Shah and his oppressive regime. I recognize that in general U.S. foreign policy has been less than visionary and has been limited to short-term thinking. And I recognize that Iran has little reason at this time to trust the United States of America.

None the less, I do hope for a time when we see normalized relations between our two nations.

But I am not naive, nor are most Americans.

We are well aware of what your regime represents.

We are aware of your torture and mistreatment of ethnic Arabs.

We are aware of your denial of a higher education to anyone holding views contrary to that of the government.

We are aware of your torture of a human rights activist who utilized the internet to call for a more open and democratic society in Iran.

We are aware of your use of the death penalty for those whose political views are contrary to the government, as well as your use of capital punishment against youth under the age of 18.

We are aware of your imprisonment of those whose religious views differ from that of the Ayatollahs.

We are aware of your police’s beating of hundreds of people gathered to advocate for women’s rights.

We are aware of the arrest of laborers who were arrested for striking to improve their own lives.

We are aware of your imprisonment and execution of gays in your society.

We are aware of your executions of Kurdish protestors.

I could go on, but I believe the point has been made. Those who live in glass houses should be very careful about throwing stones.

The fact of the matter, President Ahmadinejad, is that within a democracy, we the citizens are free to express our disapproval with our government, as well as to vigorously protest against it. Our Constitution and our laws assure our protection in an open and free society. And while President Bush has done damage within the United States as well as outside of it, the fact remains that we are free to conduct our struggle in public, and to elect people who will turn this nation in the direction that we desire.

Do not pretend that the same can be said of Iran.

Do not pretend to able to moralize to us.

Do not pretend that the government of Iran is noble, or that it is just.

Do not pretend that you do not have ambitions that would be advanced without an American military presence in the region.

The conflict in Iraq is a regional one, and will require regional participation to resolve. But no matter how much we hate Mr. Bush, please don’t ever confuse that with our desire to abdicate the region to your influence. We are aware of your ambitions and will protest an expanded Iranian military presence far more vigorously than we oppose our own.

Don’t make the mistake of believing that just because one inept president miscalculated the situation in Iraq, that we will be content to abide by the Shi’ia oppression of Sunni Islam.

You see, Mr. President, in this nation we not only have freedom of religion, but we have freedom from religion as well. We separate church and state, believing that oppressive societies arise where religion is a forced choice. Your nation seems to represent a good example of what we mean.

President Ahmadinejad, mind your own country while we mind ours, and let’s hope that we can come together on issues of mutual interest, to evetnually become partners in the world.

Here is a great article from Truthdig:

Time to Face Facts in Iraq

Posted on Nov 30, 2006
By Joe Conason

As someone who has never displayed any great aptitude with words, President George W. Bush shouldn’t become preoccupied with the proper terminology to describe the ferocious communal violence in Iraq. Whether the chaotic situation that he and his government have created in that country is or is not called a “civil war” by newspapers and broadcasters matters very little. Whether the president can bring himself to pronounce those words matters even less.

What matters is that when even the war’s most enthusiastic proponents can no longer avoid acknowledging the disastrous result of their cherished crusade, the president cannot face failure honestly. Instead, he continues to speak in pat phrases and stale excuses.

In his most recent pronouncements, he still clings to old illusions about the upwelling of democracy across the Middle East and the possibility of stabilizing Iraq if only we stay the course (although he no longer utters that pat phrase).

To reject these illusions is to be accused by the president of “pessimism.” Yet if there is any way to prevent a total conflagration in Iraq—and there may not be—then he certainly will not find it unless he confronts the war’s realities and abandons policies that have not worked. Those realities include more than the depressing toll of bombings, assassinations and militia attacks around Baghdad that have increased so rapidly.

The “coalition of the willing” is heading for the exits. The United Kingdom has announced another sharp reduction of its forces, while Poland and Italy are withdrawing altogether—even as the Bush administration considers a substantial increase in U.S. troops. Conditions in the Sunni-dominated provinces outside the capital are deteriorating beyond our capacity to control or even influence them. The shaky Maliki government depends on the patronage of radical Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr. Efforts to train and deploy an effective Iraqi national army and police force have served to arm the sectarian militias and death squads.

As the president averts his gaze from this deadly maelstrom, he awaits the policy recommendations of a committee chaired by James Baker III and Lee Hamilton. Meanwhile, Bush will ask Nouri al-Maliki, the hapless Iraqi prime minister, for proposals to quell the sectarian bloodletting. We don’t have a plan, but we hope that the Iraqis do.

Actually, the Baghdad government revealed its plan this week, when President Jalal Talabani visited Tehran to plead for help in reducing violence and combating terrorism. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad happily responded that his government would gladly assist its “brothers” in Iraq. That initiative followed the resumption of diplomatic relations between Iraq and Syria, more than two decades after those ties were broken during the Iran-Iraq war.

The United States does not speak directly with either of those nations, whose governments are targets of “regime change” for the neoconservative policymakers in the Pentagon and the White House. American policy toward both Tehran and Damascus has been shaped by the same mindset that declared Iran, Iraq and North Korea to be an “axis of evil” beyond the pale of diplomacy. The consequences of that stupid approach include a radical alliance between Syria and Iran; an ineluctable trend toward nuclear proliferation in Iran and North Korea; and a military quagmire in Iraq that has damaged our military, bankrupted our treasury and discredited our international reputation.

But the results are absurd as well as awful. The government that we are spending American lives and dollars to prop up in Iraq is seeking assistance from Iran, which has exercised enormous influence over that government from the outset. We won’t speak with the Iranians or the Syrians, yet we are subsidizing the Iraqis, who talk to them every day.

The Bush administration’s diplomatic quarantine of Iran and Syria has defeated our own purposes in the region. In the aftermath of 9/11, the Syrians worked with Western intelligence services against al Qaeda, which was rightly regarded by the Baathist government in Damascus as an enemy. In the months following the March 2003 invasion of Iraq, the Iranians secretly sought to open negotiations with the U.S. on a broad range of issues, from terrorism to proliferation to trade. Our own brand of “rejectionism” only radicalized those regimes, notably with Ahmadinejad’s election in 2005.

Rumor in Washington indicates that the Baker-Hamilton commission will urge the president to end his aversion to talks with Iran and Syria as part of a broader strategy to negotiate our way out of Iraq. The question is whether he will remain deaf to such sane advice.

Here’s a short but interesting set of developments today, which I draw my own conclusions on at the end. Enjoy; it’s been a hell of a news day!!

Colin Powell says Iraq in a ‘civil war’

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CNN) — Former Secretary of State Colin Powell said Wednesday that Iraq’s violence meets the standard of civil war and that if he were heading the State Department now, he might recommend that the administration use that term.

Many news organizations and analysts are calling the Sunni-Shiite sectarian warfare that exploded this year, killing thousands and causing widespread displacement, a civil war.

Powell’s comments — made in the United Arab Emirates at the Leaders in Dubai Business Forum — are significant because he backed the war and was the top U.S. diplomat when the United States invaded Iraq in 2003.

Bush has avoided using the term “civil war” to describe the situation in Iraq.

Tuesday, he called the latest violence in Iraq “part of a pattern” of attacks by al Qaeda in Iraq to divide Shiites and Sunnis and vowed, again, he won’t support the removal of U.S. troops “before the mission is complete.”

“There’s a lot of sectarian violence taking place, fomented in my opinion because of the attacks by al Qaeda, causing people to seek reprisal,” he said.

Iraqi leader under fire from U.S., Shiite supporters

(CNN) — Iraq’s prime minister saw his support erode on two fronts Wednesday as a White House memo questioned his leadership and a powerful political bloc suspended participation in Iraq’s government.

The classified memo by President Bush’s national security adviser Stephen Hadley questions whether Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki can end the bloody sectarian violence in Iraq, and especially whether he can rein in the Mehdi Army militia loyal to anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

Hours after details of the Hadley memo first appeared in Wednesday’s New York Times, Cabinet ministers and members of the Iraqi parliament loyal to al-Sadr underscored al-Maliki’s shaky position, saying they would stop participating in his government.

The al-Sadr supporters had said earlier they would take such action if al-Maliki went ahead with a meeting with Bush on Thursday in Jordan.

There are about 30 lawmakers loyal to al-Sadr in the 275-member parliament, and six Cabinet ministers from his bloc.

Bush and al-Maliki are expected to discuss political and security strategies for Iraq during talks Thursday. The two had been expected to meet Wednesday evening, but the State Department said talks would begin Thursday.

The Hadley memo outlines steps the United States could take to strengthen al-Maliki, including sending more U.S. troops to boost security in Baghdad.

“We should waste no time in our efforts to determine [al-]Maliki’s intentions and, if necessary, to augment his capabilities,” the memo said.

A senior administration official confirmed the memo’s authenticity for CNN, but said the leak of the memo was “not helpful.”

U.S. moving 1,600 troops into Baghdad

WASHINGTON (CNN) — The U.S. military plans to move at least three more battalions of soldiers into Baghdad in an attempt to restore security in the Iraqi capital, a senior Pentagon official said.

An Army official said about 1,600 troops will be involved. Some of the troops are already in the Baghdad area and will be moved into the city.

Other troops will be moved from areas where it is relatively more peaceful — such as northern Iraq where there are Stryker battalions — the Pentagon official said.

The highly mobile Stryker units are based around an eight-wheeled lightly armored vehicle named for two Medal of Honor recipients in World War II and Vietnam.

The Pentagon official said the troops will not include Marines based in Sunni-dominated Anbar province, where there has been fighting along the Euphrates River corridor between troops and insurgents.

The troop shifts won’t require an increase in total forces in the country, the official said.

As sectarian violence rages in parts of Iraq, securing Baghdad has been the top priority in the U.S. strategy to bring democracy to the country.

Lawyer wrongly arrested in bombings: ‘We lived in 1984′

PORTLAND, Oregon (CNN) — The U.S. Justice Department said Wednesday it is paying $2 million and apologizing to an Oregon lawyer wrongly accused of being involved with the 2004 train bombings in Madrid, Spain.

Brandon Mayfield was arrested in Portland on a material witness warrant in May 2004, less than two months after the bombings.

According to an FBI affidavit at the time, his fingerprint was identified as being on a blue plastic bag containing detonators found in a van used by the bombers.

The FBI’s fingerprint identification was wrong, however, and Mayfield was released several days later.

The bombings of four commuter trains March 11, 2004, killed 191 people and wounded more than 1,800.

Mayfield charged he was a victim of profiling because the Portland-area attorney was a Muslim convert.

He and his family later sued the U.S. government for damages.

“We lived in 1984,” Mayfield told reporters Wednesday. “I’m talking about the George Orwell, frightening brave new world in which Big Brother is constantly watching you.”

“I, myself, have dark memories of stifling paranoia, of being monitored, followed, watched, tracked,” he said, choking back emotion.

“I’ve been surveilled, followed, targeted primarily because I’ve been an outspoken critic of this administration and doing my job to defend others who can’t defend themselves, to give them their day in court, and mostly for being a Muslim.”

The government refused, he said, to tell him where they put their cameras and surveillance devices, leaving his family wondering if their private conversations and intimate moments were on display.

“The days and weeks and months following my arrest were some of the hardest and darkest that myself and my family have ever had to endure,” he said.

“And all because of this government’s ill-conceived war on terror. … What I really want is for this not to happen to anyone else.”

Wednesday’s settlement includes not only a $2 million payment and an apology, but also an agreement by the government to destroy communications intercepts conducted by the FBI against Mayfield’s home and office during the investigation.

The written apology reads:

“The United States of America apologizes to Mr. Brandon Mayfield and his family for the suffering caused by the FBI’s misidentification of Mr. Mayfield’s fingerprint and the resulting investigation of Mr. Mayfield, including his arrest as a material witness in connection with the 2004 Madrid train bombings and the execution of search warrants and other court orders in the Mayfield family home and in Mr. Mayfield’s law office.”

A Justice Department statement released Wednesday said Mayfield was not targeted because of his Muslim faith and that the FBI had taken steps to improve its fingerprint identification process “to ensure that what happened to Mr. Mayfield does not happen again.”

“Mr. Mayfield and his family felt it was in their best interest to get on with their lives,” said Mayfield’s attorney, Elden Rosenthal.

“No amount of money can compensate Mr. Mayfield for being held as a prisoner and being told he faced the death penalty [for the Madrid bombings].”

Mayfield said his suit was not about money.

“It’s about regaining our civil rights, our freedom and most important, our privacy,” he said.

He and his attorneys said the settlement will allow him to continue the portion of his lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Patriot Act.

Mayfield contends that his home was searched under provisions of the Patriot Act.

Defense secretary nominee subtly chides Iraq handlers

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former CIA Director Robert Gates, the nominee for U.S. defense secretary, criticized the handling of the war in Iraq and said he will improve Pentagon postwar planning if he is confirmed.

Gates also endorsed the idea of engaging Iran and Syria for help in stabilizing increasingly violent Iraq, an opinion that President George W. Bush does not share.

Gates made the comments in response to a questionnaire from the Senate Armed Services Committee, which is to hold a confirmation hearing next week.

“War planning should be done with the understanding that the post-major combat phase of operations can be crucial,” Gates said in a 65-page written response submitted to the committee Tuesday.

“If confirmed, I intend to improve the department’s capabilities in this area,” he said in response to a question about what he would have done differently. “With the advantage of hindsight, I might have done some things differently.”

Gates also appeared to subtly criticize the invasion of Iraq.

“I believe the use of pre-emptive force should be based on very strong evidence,” he said when asked about incorrect intelligence saying that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. “It is a decision that must not be taken lightly,” Gates added.

He also said that “hard questions” must be asked about intelligence.

Asked whether the United States should engage Iran and Syria for help in stabilizing Iraq, Gates endorsed the idea but said talks need not be on a one-on-one basis.

A bipartisan commission led by former Secretary of State James A. Baker III and former Rep. Lee H. Hamilton is widely expected to call for regional talks as part of its recommendations for a way forward in Iraq.

“Even in the worst days of the Cold War, the U.S. maintained a dialogue with the Soviet Union and China, and I believe those channels of communication helped us manage many potentially difficult situations,” the nominee said of proposals for talks with Iran.

Al-Maliki-Bush meeting postponed for a day
Iraqi officials then cancel three-way meeting with Jordan in surprise move

(MSNBC) AMMAN, Jordan - President Bush’s high-stakes summit with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was put off Wednesday amid political unrest in Baghdad and public disclosure of U.S. doubts about the Iraqi leader’s capacity to control sectarian warfare.

The White House said Bush and al-Maliki would meet on Thursday to discuss how Iraqi forces can assume more security responsibilities faster.

The postponement was announced shortly after Bush arrived here for talks with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and al-Maliki. Bush’s meeting and dinner with the king proceeded on schedule at Raghadan Palace.

Iraqi officials balked at the three-way meeting after learning Abdullah wanted to broaden the talks to include the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, according to Redha Jawad Taqi, a senior aide of top Shiite politician Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, who also was in Amman. On Sunday, Abdullah had said the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was a core issue.

Two senior officials traveling with al-Maliki, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information, said the prime minister had been reluctant to travel to Jordan in the first place and decided, once in Amman, that he did not want “a third party” involved in talks about subjects specific to the U.S.-Iraqi relationship.

“We insisted that the meeting be canceled,” said one of the officials.

The change of plans appeared to surprise some members of Bush’s entourage. Boarding the motorcade for the trip to the palace, White House press secretary Tony Snow said there were still discussions about whether a photo op Wednesday night would include al-Maliki.

The Iraqi prime minister faced political pressure at home about the summit. Thirty Iraqi lawmakers and five cabinet ministers loyal to anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr said they were boycotting participating in Parliament and the government to protest al-Maliki’s presence at the summit.

A statement from the 30 lawmakers and six Cabinet ministers said the meeting constituted a “provocation to the feelings of the Iraqi people and a violation of their constitutional rights.” The statement did not explain that claim.

The support of the Sadrist bloc in the 275-member parliament was crucial to al-Maliki’s election as prime minister this year, a fact that many see reflected in his reluctance to take action against the Mahdi Army, a militia loyal to al-Sadr and known to be behind much of the sectarian violence in Iraq.

OLV’s Comments: Summing It All Up…

So let’s see if I’ve got this right, within a 24 hour period the White House leaked a memo embarrassing Prime Minister al-Miliki. In return, and because he is worried about losing support of al Sadr, al-Miliki snubbed Dubya at a summit. In the meantime, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, the one rational person to ever serve in Dubya’s administration, came out and said that Iraq is in a civil war, despite administration denials.

But wait; it gets better! In the meantime the U.S. pulls troops into Baghdad, prepping for a major final push in that city while still fighting a losing war in the Anbar Province. Then the Secretary of Defense nominee essentially comes out and questions the entire “strategy” in Iraq. Oh and, by the way, in the meantime the U.S. has had to settle with a Muslim-American attorney that it falsely accused of being a terrorist.

And then, just to top off a perfect day, word got out that Senator-Elect Jim Webb put Dubya in his place at a White House reception, essentially telling Bush to frak off when Bush inquired on how Webb’s son, who is currently serving in Iraq, was doing.

Could it have been a worse news day for Dubya?

Here’s the scoop, folks. The Saudis have now stated that they will enter Iraq in order to protect the Sunni population if the United States fails to do so. So, I was somewhat wrong in painting this as a civil war yesterday. It is a civil war that is now bordering on becoming a regional conflict between Sunnis and Shi’ia.

Now al Sadr has withdrawn his support of al-Maliki’s government. The end of his government is in sight. No matter what collaborative statement is put out by al-Maliki and Bush tomorrow, be prepared for a coup d’etat in the near future.

Can anyone truly tell me with a straight face that invading Iraq was the “right” thing to do?

We are now preparing for a major last offensive in Baghdad, since our diplomatic efforts are failing and this administration has no frakking clue what it is doing. This ILLEGAL invasion is now coming full circle. Bush not only ignored international law and ruined (if not ending) the lives of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, but now, because he could not begin to comprehend even the most basic post-overthrow contingencies, is now precipitating a regional conflict. I have said before that it is going to take us a couple of decades to clean up Dubya’s mess and restore national and international credibility and prestige to our nation. I was wrong in thinking that. At this point, I am not sure that a century will undo this damage.

George, George, George. You are not just the worst president in the history of our republic, but you are one of the worst leaders of any nation to have ever served. You have ruined our prestige abroad while working to undermine the most precious of documents; the Constitution of the United States of America. You are a traitor to this nation, and a failure as not only a president, but as a human being as well.

One Delusional Mother Frakker

George W. Bush is out of his frakking mind. No, really, the man is certifiable. Democrats have demanded a change of direction in Iraq. Republicans have demanded a change of direction in Iraq. The American people demanded a change of direction in Iraq during the mid-term elections.

So what did we hear from the Dipshit today?

- The sectarian violence is being caused by al Qaeda.

Really? All that violence caused by 1,500 (estimate of US military) terrorists? The same al Qaeda that last week the military said was incapable of instigating violence on this level?

- We will stay until the mission is done.

Which mission would that be, Dipshit? Would that be finding the weapons of mass destruction? The nuclear technology they were developing? Perhaps it’s to remain until democracy is firmly entrenched? Like that is ever going to happen now.

- It is not a civil war.

Actually, this conflict meets every component of the definition of civil war. Oh and, by the way, this is a civil war that you frakking started.

Your delusion and incompetence defies explanation.

I think this idiot truly believes that if he says it often enough, we will all eventually buy it, just because he has come to believe it. Wrong. Dead wrong.

All that is being accomplished right now is the continued loss of American military personnel, Iraqi civilians, the fanning of flames of civil war, and the development of a fertile breeding ground for future terrorists.

Which actually, when you stop and think about it, is exactly what Dubya is counting on.

Why? So that he can use fear to strengthen his grip on power. So that he can systematically continue to dismantle the protections of the Constitution. So that he can somehow create a legacy of success out of the worst blunder in American military history so that he won’t go down in history as the miserable failure that he actually is.

Bullshit, Dubya. We are on to your act. We have been for some time. You are, in fact, the worst president in the history of this republic, which is really saying something after the likes of Herbert Hoover and Calvin Coolidge.

A Slightly Less Delusional, But Just as Evil Mother Frakker

So Newt Gingrich is at an event honoring the First Amendment when he tells those gathered that we need to think differently about our right to free speech, indicating to the audience that websites need to be shut down and our freedom of speech curtailed so that we don’t lose a city by terrorist attack.

I’ve got news for you, Newt, once we give up our freedom of speech and allow our websites to be shut down, we have sacrificed all of our cities.

If this man becomes president, please… if you are reading this and living in New Zealand or Australia, find me a job down there in higher education, because I will be more than ready to give up my U.S. citizenship. I’ve survived six years of Dubya, but I don’t think my sanity would be able to handle Newt.

While We Are Dealing With Stupid Mother Frakkers…

…here is the latest from that brain surgeon Rush Limbaugh:

On the November 27 edition of his nationally syndicated radio show, in response to claims made by King Abdullah II of Jordan on the November 26 edition of ABC’s This Week that “we could possibly imagine going into 2007 and having three civil wars on our hands,” Rush Limbaugh said: “[W]ell, let’s just have them. Let’s just have the civil wars … because I’m just fed up with this.” Limbaugh then asserted: “Fine, just blow the place up. Just let these natural forces take place over there instead of trying to stop them.” Additionally, Limbaugh claimed: “[E]verbody comes to us. … So we go and try to fix it and our own people, Democrats and the left in our country do their best to sabotage our efforts, and then we get blamed for trying to clean up the messes that these people start.”

His elevator doesn’t make it off the ground floor, does it?

Well, that’s enough of this for tonight; otherwise you’ll think I’m on a rant.

Well, here it is. Thanks to Billy at You Tube for posting and allowing embeds. Warning: this is NOT a pretty thing.

So, is it a civil war? Hell, there’s nothing civil about this war. Great report from Michael Ware of CNN:

Wolf Blitzer interviews Dubya. Our lunatic president still doesn’t get it. Then, Soledad O’Brien shows that Bush is “divorced from the Iraqi reality.”

From a lighter side:

Hell, even Jon Stewart can get frustrated. This clip is GREAT!

Finally, if you want to debate the term “civil war”, here is a great Daily Show clip that shows the absurdity of this debate.

Baltimore (9-2) at Cincinnati (6-5)
	Are the resurgent Bengals up to beating out the dominant Ravens? At home on a Thursday night, I’m going to go out on a limb and say yes. Bengals 24-20.
Arizona (2-9) at St. Louis (5-6)
	Rams try to regain momentum to make a push for the playoffs against the one-dimensional Cardinals. St. Louis 30-13.
Atlanta (5-6) at Washington (4-7)
	Good luck picking this one. The unpredictable Redskins against the inconsistent Falcons. I’ll go with Washington 23-17.
Detroit (2-9) at New England (8-3)
	For the Patriots’ sake, this game should not be close. New England 38-9.
Indianapolis (10-1) at Tennessee (4-7)
	The Titans gave the Colts fits last time around and this game is being played in Nashville. An upset in the making? I’ll go way out on a limb and give Jeff Fischer the benefit of a doubt. Tennessee 28-27.
Kansas City (7-4) at Cleveland (3-8)
	Chiefs good in close games and have motivation to win. The Browns are about the opposite. Kansas City 31-16.
Minnesota (5-6) at Chicago (9-2)
	Look for the Bears to run their frustrations out against the Vikings. Chicago 23-10.
New York Jets (6-5) at Green Bay (4-7)
	Yes, it’s in the frozen north, but the Jets can be a foul weather team. And in this case, they are simply the better of the two teams. New York 19-17.
San Diego (9-2) at Buffalo (5-6)
	The Bills actually have a shot in this game, but I expect the Chargers to win an ugly contest. San Diego 16-13.
San Francisco (5-6) at New Orleans (7-4)
	The Saints move closer to a division crown. New Orleans 30-24.
Houston (3-8) at Oakland (2-9)
	The official “Who Cares?” game of the week. Oakland 14-13.
Jacksonville (6-5) at Miami (5-6)
	Both teams have big games coming up the following week… the Jaguars against the Colts and the Dolphins against the Patriots. The Jaguars won’t look ahead and will take care of business. Jacksonville 17-13.
Dallas (7-4) at New York Giants (6-5)
	Consider this the official collapse of the 2006 Giants. Dallas 30-20.
Tampa Bay (3-8) at Pittsburgh (4-7)
	The Steelers keep their slim mathematical hopes alive for one more week. Pittsburgh 23-7.
Seattle (7-4) at Denver (7-4)
	The resurgent Seahawks against the Jay Cutler-led Broncos. Let the second-guessing of Mike Shanahan begin. Seattle 21-17.
Carolina (6-5) at Philadelphia (5-6)
	I’m sure the schedule maker thought that this would be a great Monday Night match-up. Not so much. Philadelphia 16-14.
Last Week: 13-3 Season: 109-67 (66%)

I know that many people have been coming here looking for a Junior Seau video. The video has been made available and is posted above. I also found this picture series (below). I left the citation to the original source, but removed a caption that I found to be somewhat inappropriate given the situation.

More information on the Patriots-Bears game, as well as Junior’s status, can be found below.

Please do feel free to stick around the blog and check out my other postings on sports and politics - the two great American pasttimes.

- Rick

I have changed the settings on this blog so that anyone is welcome to leave comments. I do hope you will leave at least a first name, but I have noticed that people are shying away from signing up for a free Blogger account.

However, to screen out hapless trolls, I am now moderating messages being left.

Of course, rules of civility and decency apply, and it’s my sense of civility and decency that we are speaking of. I welcome your thoughts but will remove inappropriate comments.

Two tidbits first: Jay Cutler officially taking over for Jake Plummer, and Mike Vanderjerk, I mean Vanderjagt, cut by the Cowboys today.

NFL STANDINGS Through Week Twelve
AFC EAST
New England		8	3	0	253		144
New York		6	5	0	203		228
Buffalo		5	6	0	191		225
Miami		5	6	0	197		198
AFC NORTH
Baltimore		9	2	0	249		147
Cincinnati		6	5	0	277		233
Pittsburgh		4	7	0	239		254
Cleveland		3	8	0	170		238
AFC SOUTH
Indianapolis		10	1	0	308		231
Jacksonville		6	5	0	235		164
Tennessee		4	7	0	201		277
Houston		3	8	0	176		256
AFC WEST
San Diego		9	2	0	347		216
Kansas City		7	4	0	229		215
Denver		7	4	0	195		165
Oakland		2	9	0	132		219
NFC EAST
Dallas		7	4	0	309		188
New York		6	5	0	245		232
Philadelphia		5	6	0	267		239
Washington		4	7	0	199		250
NFC NORTH
Chicago		9	2	0	295		137
Minnesota		5	6	0	198		208
Green Bay		4	7	0	209		286
Detroit		2	9	0	195		266
NFC SOUTH
New Orleans		7	4	0	276		241
Carolina		6	5	0	189		190
Atlanta		5	6	0	203		236
Tampa Bay		3	8	0	142		252
NFC WEST
Seattle		7	4	0	237		243
San Francisco		5	6	0	199		285
St. Louis		5	6	0	222		253
Arizona		2	9	0	187		264
Week Twelve Scores Miami 27 Detroit 10 Dallas 38 Tampa Bay 10 Kansas City 19 Denver 10 New York Jets 26 Houston 11 Baltimore 27 Pittsburgh 0 St. Louis 20 San Francisco 17 Washington 17 Carolina 13 Cincinnati 30 Cleveland 0 Buffalo 27 Jacksonville 24 New Orleans 31 Atlanta 13 Minnesota 31 Arizona 26 New England 17 Chicago 13 Tennessee 24 New York Giants 21 San Diego 21 Oakland 14 Indianapolis 45 Philadelphia 21 Seattle 34 Green Bay 24
Rick’s Power Rankings – After Week #12
1.	San Diego Chargers (9-2) - On a neutral field this team would beat the Colts, so they get a narrow #1 this week.					+1
2.	Indianapolis Colts (10-1) - The offense can take them a long way; the defense will eventually kill them.					+1
3.	Baltimore Ravens (9-2) - The Ravens won a Super Bowl with as good a defense and a lesser offense.					+1
4.	New England Patriots (8-3) - Gutsy performance against the Bears; now it’s time to run the table.					+1
5.	Chicago Bears (9-2) - The offense can’t stay with the best teams, and the defense can be punched in the mouth.					-4
6.	Dallas Cowboys (7-4) - Perhaps the best team in the NFC right now; Romo is for real.					+2
7.	New Orleans Saints (7-4) - The win against the Falcons was the gut check this team needed. It’s time to get on with business and take the division.					E
8.	Kansas City Chiefs (7-4) - Good win against the Broncos; looking more and more like a playoff team.					+5
9.	Seattle Seahawks (7-4) - They woke up in the second half against the Packers and suddenly started to look like they did last year. Let’s see if it lasts.					+2
10.	Denver Broncos (7-4) - Tell me all the quarterback talk isn’t going to be a distraction, especially when the running game is not consistent and the defense has come back to earth. Going to Cutler at this point in the season is likely to be disastrous.					-4
11.	Cincinnati Bengals (6-5) - A convincing win over the woeful Browns; this team is definitely looking to make a run.					+5
12.	Carolina Panthers (6-5) - This was the week to play well and it didn’t happen. This is not the team many people (including me) picked to go to the Super Bowl.					-3
13.	Jacksonville Jaguars (6-5) - Yes, it was a road game against an improved team (Buffalo), but any team with realistic post-season hopes would have found a way to win that game.					-3
14.	New York Jets (6-5) - Still in the hunt; this team not looking like it will fade away.					+3
15.	New York Giants (6-5) - This should be an interesting week in the Giants’ clubhouse. I don’t see Tom Coughlin being Head Coach here next year.					-3
16.	Atlanta Falcons (5-6) - This team is a mess. Great, now Michael Vick will flip off my blog.					-2
17.	Philadelphia Eagles (5-6) - Garcia played well, but unless he can stop the other team running the ball, Philly is done.					-2
18.	San Francisco 49ers (5-6) - Poor coaching decision taking the field goal at the end of the game. If your team can’t get 6 inches, you don’t deserve to win anyhow.					E
19.	Buffalo Bills (5-6) - Nice win over the Jags; still a dark horse for the playoffs, though 8-8 is looking pretty good.					E
20.	Miami Dolphins (5-6) - They’ve climbed back into the pack, but the pack is still way behind the leaders.					E
21.	St. Louis Rams (5-6) - Good final drive to save a game they shouldn’t have won.					E
22.	Minnesota Vikings (5-6) - They found their offense for a week. They are still alive in the playoff race, but that’s only because they are in the NFC.					+2
23.	Tennessee Titans (4-7) - I picked them to win. But I never thought that it would happen like it did. Great poise from the Titans.					+3
24.	Green Bay Packers (4-7) - Win or lose, Brett is still exciting.					-1
25.	Pittsburgh Steelers (4-7) - Mathematically alive, but not for long.					-3
26.	Washington Redskins (4-7) - Who can predict the NFL these days? Who knew the ‘Skins had a defense?					+2
27.	Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-8) - The Bucs are shipwrecked.					-2
28.	Houston Texans (3-8) - Shouldn’t they be looking like something other than an expansion team by now?					-1
29.	Cleveland Browns (3-8) - Ugly loss to the Bengals shows this team has just about given up on the season.					E
30.	Oakland Raiders (2-9) - Their defense has only allowed 219 points and yet they are 2-9. Guess which side of the ball they have problems on.					E
31.	Arizona Cardinals (2-9) - Leinart “coming out” party gets pooped on by the Vikings.					E
32.	Detroit Lions (2-9) - Still has the inside track on the #1 pick; this team is awful.					E