Remembering Iraq.
By on Jul 14th, 2006 at 4:36 pm
Remembering Iraq.
Last fall, the Senate declared that 2006 would be “a period of significant transition” for Iraq. We have now passed the halfway mark. Recall this statement and other key events in our updated Iraq war timeline.
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It is a transition - into utter and complete chaos.
July 14th, 2006 at 4:40 pmI think the next 6 months are going to be crucial in Iraq.
-Tom “Master of Oblivious” Friedman
July 14th, 2006 at 4:47 pmYep. 2006 helped transistion the entire region around Iraq into one vast Christian Loving Amaggedon Playground.
The End Times are not upon us. But it’s sure difficult to tell this from looking at what the Bush Cabal as done in the region.
Hey. If you’ve got Prescott Nazi Bush as a grandfather, what will you learn? Certainly not to think, act, or behave like a Nazi. Right?
July 14th, 2006 at 4:50 pmYeah, this year has transitioned all right - right from the frying pan into the fire.
July 14th, 2006 at 4:55 pmBUSBY/BILBRAY HAND RECOUNT LATEST FROM BRADBLOG
CLICK
July 14th, 2006 at 4:55 pmHa! GSD
July 14th, 2006 at 4:59 pmI had forgotten how many times Friedman said “the next six months.”
Yes, the choir all have the same hymnal, but they never told the organist.
And the congregation is still waiting.
What did you think would come from the lie. Bush said he is a President with war on his mine. Look at the current problem he all for it the more war the happiest he is. Now more crooks will steal and corrupt while the world looks the other way. Bush will support anyone who is at war he’s a sick person and cares nothing for human life just the bottle. Now if one where to cut of alcohol there’s going to be a big problem. Bush is living large he has his mistress with him for you know what, he has his alcohol, the American people are believing his lies, he’s stealing from the US Treasury and he’s causing chaos around the world. Bush is making his leader proud Satan is glad he picked Bush is do the job. All those religious folks have been fooled again and you thought it wouldn’t happen again after Jesus well it did. The religious people followed Satan again and were blinded by the propaganda. History always repeats itself.
July 14th, 2006 at 5:05 pmWe are turning another corner. Some 50,000 Iraqi and coalition forces are ensuring the safety of Baghdad against the insurgents. The increase in sectarian violence in and around Baghdad is proof that the insurgency is in its last throes.
Besides, a civil war in Iraq is a significant transition.
And since when has a Senate declaration ever meant anything anyways? Didn’t the Commander in Chief say it would be up to some future President to get the United States out of Iraq?
July 14th, 2006 at 5:05 pmAnd so, it has come to this.
And here’s the kicker: things can only get worse, especially seeing as how we’re allowing criminals and degenerates into the armed forces (and acting surprised when they comport themselves like…well…criminals and degenerates).
Oh, and also…the Middle East is on fire.
Between these issues, the next 2.5 years are bound to be intensely interesting (and not ‘interesting’ in the good way, either…but ‘interesting’ in the old Chinese curse way).
July 14th, 2006 at 5:07 pmBy the way…I forgot:
Nice tmeline, TP….mad props.
Is it going to be updated over time?
July 14th, 2006 at 5:11 pmI guess a Bush’s democratically elected Iraqi government didn’t quite set off a frenzy of sprouting democracies hoped for in the Middle East by the neocon’s. Looks like it’s back to the old drawing board for the nation-building wing of the GOP.
July 14th, 2006 at 5:14 pmbut ‘interesting’ in the old Chinese curse way).
Comment by TripMaster Monkey — July 14, 2006 @ 5:07 pm
As in wishing someone an ‘interesting’ life? I always thought that was pretty sharp…
July 14th, 2006 at 5:16 pmIraq’s old news. The right is focused on the impending bombing of Iran, so that means all politicians must be as well. No “transition” will ever occur in Iraq.
Want proof? Go to http://www.sunstateactivist.org/ssablog.php for an extremely rare look at the just released Iraq spending report for 2006. This report is not widely available to the public, but shows a likely scenario that has U.S. troops in Iraq until at least 2015.
That’s right, 2015. By 2015, half the U.S. force will be dead. That’s the truth.
http://www.sunstateactivist.org/ssablog.php
July 14th, 2006 at 5:27 pmThe latest Iraq spending report and a new Valerie Plame book deal.
Only on SSA Blog.
http://www.sunstateactivist.org/ssablog.php
To quote the suddenly relevant Mr. T: Pity the fool who finds himself in Assclowns of the Week: #41 (and I got a lot of them from Think Progress this week)!
July 14th, 2006 at 5:42 pmThis Isreal kicking off is george Bushes new plans to Attack Iran -
July 14th, 2006 at 5:52 pmI don’t understand why there is no thread on the Israeli/Lebanon/Hezbollah conflict.
July 14th, 2006 at 6:07 pmWhat does Fearless Fosdick have to say about the escalation in the middle east?
President Bush rejected Lebanon’s calls for a cease-fire in escalating Mideast violence on Friday, saying only that Israel should try to limit civilian casualties as it steps up attacks on its neighbor.
(Of course, that didn’t apply to the US as it invaded Iraq illegally.)
“The president is not going to make military decisions for Israel,” White House spokesman Tony Snow said. (No, we will simply supply them with additional armament.)
Lebanon’s prime minister asked Bush, during a phone call Friday, to pressure Israel for a cease-fire. But Bush told Prime Minister Fuad Saniora that Israelis have a right to protect themselves. (You and your democratic government are on your own, guys.)
Hmmm… So we’re “transitioning” with another 100Bn give or take? Oh wait, we’ve turned another corner or some such. But, with the latest middle-east violence, Iraq won’t be in the news much while we’re turning those corners. Of course, with the Fox War Network, we’ll get the play to play “news” about the whole situation, “fair and balanced”. /sarcasm
July 14th, 2006 at 6:08 pmMarie, look here:
http://thinkprogress.org/ 2006/ 07/ 14/ middle-east-violence/ #comments
July 14th, 2006 at 6:13 pmOne of Ann Coulter’s predictions several years ago was that liberals wouldn’t give Bush credit for transforming the mideast. So let’s oblige her and give Bush all the credit he deserves.
July 14th, 2006 at 7:03 pm#18 BnF
July 14th, 2006 at 7:37 pmDoh! I am slapping the side of my head now. I skipped right over it!!
thanks :)
Why all the violence in Irak ?
Iraq’s speaker of parliament have this to say:
“Some people say, ‘We saw you beheading, kidnappings and killing. In the end we even started kidnapping women who are our honor,’” al-Mashhadani said. “These acts are not the work of Iraqis. I am sure that he who does this is a Jew and the son of a Jew.”
It’s bad…. very bad…
July 14th, 2006 at 8:04 pmIraq is going to get worse, because Israel might set off a war with Iran, which means about 250,000 Iranian troops would pour across the Iraqi border to attack the American troops! Also the Shia in Iraq would join the Iranians, so all the British troops would probably be wiped out! Also the Iranians would attack Kuwait and kill the Emir probably! Looks very bad everyone! Thank Israel and Bush for igniting WWIII!
July 14th, 2006 at 9:17 pmMy guess is that Israel attacks Syria then Iran joins the battle–in doing so, they need to cross Iraq–that’s when Bush needs to be the strong leader he now pretends to be. Iran will be a real army with tens of thousands of fanatical troops with only Bush between them and Israel. In the pre-9/11 days, Iraq and Hussein acted as that barrier. Fighting the Iraqi insurgents in ones and twos will not compare to the throng Iran will unleash on Rumsfeld’s Folly.
July 14th, 2006 at 9:34 pmMy dad has discovered the miracle of email. I’m sending him that timeline. He won’t like it, but I’m sending it anyway. ;)
July 14th, 2006 at 10:09 pm19–funny stuff!
July 14th, 2006 at 10:12 pmthis statement, from TP’s timeline, is an absolute stunner:
“There are some who feel like — that the conditions are such that they can attack us there. My answer is, bring them on.” [Bush, 7/2/03]
This was outrageous when Bush said it. Now it looks like false bravado wrapped in idiocy.
July 14th, 2006 at 10:16 pm“There are some who feel like — that the conditions are such that they can attack us there. My answer is, bring them on.†[Bush, 7/2/03]
These kind of bully talk means only one thing: SMALL DICK
July 14th, 2006 at 10:35 pmit has also meant 2500 dead Americans and thousands of dead Iraqis
July 14th, 2006 at 10:39 pmAPRIL 19, 2004: Bob Woodward reveals CIA Director George Tenet said there was a “slam dunk case†against Iraq
just the other night, someone (?), was it on the daily show?, said that Tenet says he can’t remember actually making that comment…
can someone jog my memory? is that another CYA?
also, has anyone formally/officially tied the Green/rape case with this - JUNE 20, 2006: Mutilated bodies of two U.S. soldiers who were kidnapped four days earlier are found dead?
July 14th, 2006 at 10:56 pmseems they were all in the same company (?) - a retaliation for the rape/murder?
Why isn’t there a THinkProgress headline about Israel’s assault on Lebanon? Not one mention. What kind of freaking human beings are you people? You’re going to sit here and calmly discuss the latest news - except not mention Lebanon - you guys are not progressives - i don’t know what you are but you are not progressives - you are pathetics in denial. You can’t handle the truth.
July 14th, 2006 at 11:12 pmit was Ron Suskind on Colbert…
“George doesn’t actually remember saying ’slam dunk’”
a funny: “if we waiated, we wouln’t have invaded…
that’s true because it rhymes” -colbert
a scary: “suspicion is plenty of threshold for action”
July 14th, 2006 at 11:26 pmfor this administration - suskind
“if we waited…”
July 14th, 2006 at 11:27 pmGutless snivelling scaredy freakin cats - you won’t even discuss Lebanon - cause it intersects your bs dissection of the world into American bs hegemony and bringing democracy and all that fn crapola
You won’t even talk about the destruction of Lebanon for the Israeli leader’s vanity
You don’t have the guts to confront the truth
You guys suck
July 14th, 2006 at 11:48 pmYou don’t think progress - you think hegemony - and you don’t have the integrity or guts to discuss it - you just hide and pretend - while children get blown to bits for what> for what YOU call PROGRESS
July 14th, 2006 at 11:50 pmHey Katy
July 14th, 2006 at 11:54 pmWait this…
Tell that to the children blown up in southern lebanon, or the people waiting in the Beirut airport while bombs drop on them - freak you and anyone who calls themselves progressive who turns a blind eye to this
America and Israel are the terrorists and all the bs progressive academic university white paper crap you can spew out won’t remove the stain
July 14th, 2006 at 11:55 pmcmw > I have discussed the war on Lebanon on several TP threads, and I believe Israel is totally to blame for escalating the conflict! In a few days I think they might attack Syria and then it will get very ugly thereafter!
July 14th, 2006 at 11:57 pmJay
Although I do not want war - I must say I want hizbollah to defend the palestinians - the Israelis have been beating up on the Palestinians the way the US treats the Abu Graib and Gitmo prisoners - finally, finally, someone is standing up to to those nazi bastardsd - it is sickening what the Israeli army does to the defenseless palestinians - it’s one thing to fight soldier to soldier, but the Israeli army bulldozes women, children, and houses without differntiating - and now to bomb Lebanese people saying they are responsible for Hizbollah
It would be like Native Americans returning to America after hundreds of years and reclaiming land and bombing everyone who fights to try to keep their land.
The only thing Israelis and Bush understand is a show of force. They don’t understand anything else.
July 15th, 2006 at 12:04 am31 thanks for the link!!!
July 15th, 2006 at 12:04 amBriseadh na Faire
July 15th, 2006 at 12:07 amYour signature is in Irish but you are silent about warfare. Of all people the Irish know what it is to be bombed for no reason, yet you are silent.
Jay
July 15th, 2006 at 12:09 amI want to know why THink Progress has the audacity to avoid the entire topic of Lebanon. How the hell can this website call itself Think Progress - where’s the thinking and where’s the progress?
cmw > I believe that Bush and PM Olmert of Israel are playing some kind of horrible game in Lebanon to entice Syria/Iran to retaliate in some fashion, so both of them have an excuse to bomb the crap out of those nations, like they have planned on doing for months!
July 15th, 2006 at 12:13 amJay
Yes. They want to keep warfare going - the Masters of War always need more money -
According to Greg Palast - they want to keep the IRaqi oil in the ground to control the price of oil by controlling the supply.
According to me - They want the middle east to explode in conflagration - people slaughtered so they can reap billions on scant oil supplies and sub-par armaments produced by war profiteering companies. Meanwhile Cher tries to gain visibility by pushing helmets rather than pushing to bring the soldiers home.
The craven cowardice of the American people is only surpassed by the craven greed of the oilygarchy
July 15th, 2006 at 12:20 amcmw scroll down on TP > they have a couple of threads on the subject of Lebanon and Israel! The subject is a bit touchy because the GOP is ultra pro Israel, along with CNN and FOX News, so Democrats in DC are a bit gun-shy to criticise Israel! I sent a fax to some members of Congress about it, and I am probably in the dog house for calling Israel a barbaric nation! Israeli lobby has a lot of sway in DC unfortunately!
July 15th, 2006 at 12:20 amJay
July 15th, 2006 at 12:22 amF”k the democrats. They are worthless war-mongering scum. and they don’t have the guts to admit it. At least the GOP scum reveal themselves.
What happened in Iraq today?
Today is the first day I haven’t heard anything about Iraq from the MSM.
July 15th, 2006 at 12:26 amSnowcraft
July 15th, 2006 at 12:28 amWhat happened in Iraq? People died, some were tortured, some were blown up quickly, some were raped, and then their families were killed to hide the crime. Some children had their legs blown off below the knee. Others had a hand blown off. One man lost his entire family. A young woman had her unborn child killed by shrapnel.
Oh and Snowcraft
An entire apartment block was blown up by mistake and 50 people died including a family of 12, but one small child survived. His entire family is dead and he is left alone on a street in Baghdad. That’s what happened in Iraq today.
July 15th, 2006 at 12:30 amcmw > after Israel became a nation, they learned how to control the politicians in DC to help them > after the early 1970s our government started giving them massive amounts of monetary aid > then Israel figured out they could take some of that aid money and pay it back to members of Congress as bribes masked as campaign donations > good trick because they practically own about 2/3 of the Senate and House membership now!
Bush and Olmert want war on Syria and Iran, so I guess not much we can do to stop it!
July 15th, 2006 at 12:33 amJay
Staying silent and watching it happen is doing alot. The people on this website who talk on and on year after year about progress and democracy are full of sh’t. and it’s time they stopped. Blood is on our hands now.
It crosses political lines - dem repub - there is no difference - i imagine many of the visitors here are CIA - their hands are dirty too - overthrowing governments, sitting back and working to undermine economies, watching the little people die - all to further WHAT - DEMOCRACY? well Bush has proved that’s a lie - we don’t have democracy here -
That’s one thing Bush has done for this country - he’s proved that we are as phoney as a 2 dollar bill as they used to say.
July 15th, 2006 at 12:37 amBush was never interesting in spreading democracy in the Middle East > he just wants the Islamic nations citizens to be good obediant slaves! For some unknown reason he does not understand that groups like Hezbollah will never surrender! So the killing may never end?!
July 15th, 2006 at 12:43 amhow can you leave off Bush’s appointee explaining the reconstruction would only cost 1.7 billion dollars?
http://www.oldamericancentury.org/hoopla.wmv
The guy goes on national television and says, “what are you STUPID? it’ll only cost 1.7 billion.”
July 15th, 2006 at 12:43 aminterested not interesting > typo lol.
July 15th, 2006 at 12:49 am#29 katy
July 15th, 2006 at 1:09 amI recently heard that also. Did Ron Suskind say it on the Colbert Report?
#29 katy
July 15th, 2006 at 1:11 amI cannot provide a link - but I certainly heard that the two soldiers were killed and mutilated in retaliation for the rape and murders. I think we suspected as much early on, but I read it maybe on the CNN web site or another news site.
Slightly OT:
Buzzflash: “Just Remember, Hamas and Hezbollah are No Boy Scouts. What is Happening is a Tragedy, but Israel Didn’t Start This One. 7/15″
Really! I guess you also haven’t heard about the precipitating cause, namely that ISRAEL ABDUCTED TWO CIVILIANS FROM GAZA the day before the first Israeli soldier was captured.
Probably the least reported story of the last two weeks.
–
CHOMSKY: “Gaza, itself, the latest phase, began on June 24. It was when Israel abducted two Gaza civilians, a doctor and his brother. We don’t know their names. You don’t know the names of victims. They were taken to Israel, presumably, and nobody knows their fate.
“The next day, something happened, which we do know about, a lot. Militants in Gaza, probably Islamic Jihad, abducted an Israeli soldier across the border. That’s Corporal Gilad Shalit. And that’s well known; (the) first abduction is not.
Then followed the escalation of Israeli attacks on Gaza, which I don’t have to repeat. It’s reported on adequately.”
http://www.democracynow.org/arti…06/07/14/ 146258
July 15th, 2006 at 1:45 ammarie - yes it was suskind…see link at #31
so, a lot of drum banging and screaching when those 2 soldiers were “kidnapped” and then found murdered… but when the story of the rapes and murders comes out, with barely a mention that those two incidences were connected, and the mongers go, “…oh… (grumble-mumble-froth-n-choke)…um…”
July 15th, 2006 at 10:31 amimagine that…
paul - it’s always something… how far back do ya go?
July 15th, 2006 at 10:35 amwe/US have really created a monster, this time…
All of your contributions, not just the invaluable Iraq Timeline, aare greatly appreciated.
July 15th, 2006 at 10:43 am“paul - it’s always something… how far back do ya go? –katy
H’yeah, katy, YOU GO BACK EXACTLY ONE DAY.
And then you have the actual timeline, which shows that Israel is ONCE AGAIN LYING THROUGH ITS TEETH ABOUT WHY IT IS DISMANTLING THE WEST BANK
(and starting Bush’s regional war, aka WW III, though I think the Shitehouse numbers it as IV).
Primary cause? The U.S. airbases are READY. Time to trigger the conspiracy.
“I think I’m going to get to SLICE THE PIG.” — Mass-murderer GFH Bush
July 15th, 2006 at 11:17 amU.S. accused of kidnappings in Iraq
Congress has demanded that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld hand over a raft of documents to Congress that could substantiate allegations that U.S. forces have tried to break terror suspects by kidnapping and mistreating their family members. Rumsfeld has until 5 p.m. Friday to comply.
But, Provance said, interrogators grew frustrated when the boy’s father, Zabar, wouldn’t talk, despite a 14-hour interrogation. So they stripped Zabar’s son naked and doused him with mud and water. They put him in the open back of a truck and drove around in the frigid January night air until the boy began to freeze. Zabar was then made to look at his suffering son.
July 15th, 2006 at 11:29 amBUSH IS STARTING A MAJOR WAR WITH THE HELP OF ISREAL - GOODBYE EVERYBODY -
because he cannot get to iran throught the UN or illegal war
July 15th, 2006 at 11:31 amto steal the oil - come on america get out and stand on the streets and be counted
Snowcraft
What happened in Iraq? People died, some were tortured, some were blown up quickly, some were raped, and then their families were killed to hide the crime. Some children had their legs blown off below the knee. Others had a hand blown off. One man lost his entire family. A young woman had her unborn child killed by shrapnel.
Comment by cmw
===========
Yes.
The reality of this “war”.
NOT mere statistics.
Death,agony,and horror.
July 15th, 2006 at 12:12 pmThere is a scene in Clueless when Alicia Silverstone’s character, Cher, is watching the news and she has a confused look on her face. Someone asks what she is wondering about and she replies, “But I thought they declared peace in the Middle East.” The comedic value of this moment is priceless: the character, who understands very little about her own environment, let alone the global arena, is bewildered at the situation in the Middle East.
Eleven years later, the joke still works, and it looks as though the situation has gone from bad, to worse, to devastating, but the bitterness is recognizing just how much of a role we have played in the travesty.
July 16th, 2006 at 3:28 am200X US driven out of Iraq. Bush and Republicans blame Democrats for disaster. Cut medicare and social security saying “this cut would not be needed if Democrats hadnt helped the terrorists and prolonged the war”
200X Iraq joins Iran in creating one giant Sheite state. Bush claims vindication of his policies saying ” Now at last they are free to choose” Republ;icans applaud his foresight and courage.
August 13th, 2006 at 5:56 pmIs “Turn the corner” the same as ” Light at the end of the tunnel”? or am I just showing my age?
August 14th, 2006 at 6:00 pm