Comments on: Is $300K enough to become next Iraqi prime minister?

By: al-weareallequal

al-weareallequal — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 19:10:06 +0000

Allawi – — Batista, Trujillo, Strossner, Duvalier, Pinochet –who cares? It is to our advantage and, we (not the American people) will do it as long as it is required; end of story.

By: Probus

Probus — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 08:42:35 +0000

Replacing Allawi with Maliki didn’t change anything before. And replacing Maliki with Allawi will also do nothing to change the lack of political progress in Iraq. Change in leadership will also do nothing to end the bloodshed in Iraq.

By: tr

tr — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 02:06:19 +0000

al-douri was saddam’s right hand man and will eventually be the iraqi leader. the baathists will be back and america can’t do anything to stop them.

By: pete

pete — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 18:46:52 +0000

FIX YOUR EFFING SITE TP!

By: DutchHenry

DutchHenry — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 17:12:05 +0000

Al Sadr is going to sit back & let a sectarian barbarian who is backed by the great Satan come to the top ?

By: Dermot

Dermot — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 16:40:44 +0000

Edwards speech does touch on important, critical points. However I am mistrustful. Perhaps I am incorrect. Perhaps Edwards can be trusted to do as he preaches.

But my biggest hesitation is the fact that ending the IRaq war is not the first item on his list. Universal health care is. While I am in favor of universal health care, ending the IRaq war is the most critical and must be addressed first. The trillions of dollars flowing out the door under the guise of fighting terrorism is destroying our country.

My second biggest hesitation on Edwards is the lack of concrete steps he would take to end the war and to institute universal health care.

He talks in a high-minded way. What we need is practical, on the ground strategies for tackling these issues.

The candidate I vote for will need to commit to strategies now, even if they don’t work out.

I have no faith in high-minded platitudes and emotional waxing eloquencies.

By: Krazny

Krazny — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 16:37:22 +0000

I think Kucinich gets it as well. Problem is, the ones who get it, won’t get air time to actually change anything.

By: jeffbinnc

jeffbinnc — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 16:29:13 +0000

Isn’t this exactly what John Edwards is talking about, that the entire political system in Washington is rigged by big money and lobbyists?
http://www.johnedwards.com/news/speeches/20070823-hanover-speech/
It’s time for the big change that, among the presidential candidates, only Edwards seems to get.

By: Jackie

Jackie — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 16:26:45 +0000

The White House is doing it PRO-BONO. Yes the White House is paying the Lobbyist for fee. Another plan that wont work but it is the taxpayers money their spending.

By: Krazny

Krazny — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 16:22:02 +0000

My favorite quote by Jello Biafra “I am tired of a one party state masquerading as a two party state”

By: Dermot

Dermot — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 16:17:51 +0000

The administration and the Congress and both parties are only about business – what we have now is a syndicate running the country. This gang of politicians, lobbyists, military contractors, spies, and Wall Street investors are swimming in tax dollars – trillions are being syphoned away from the public accounts.

This is the real conspiracy – it isn’t a right-wing conspiracy as Hilary claimed – it is a broad conspiracy that includes Repubs and Dems. We are knee deep in the big muddy.
The sub-prime mortgage collapse is just one example of how in every quarter of our economy – the money is being stolen.

If they can’t privatize the governmental function, they will steal it some other way. Nothing will stop them.

All we can do is prepare for the collapse. Join together in a community that recognizes the truth. All the lies being told to us in both the Republican and Democratic debates would make even a mafia don choke.

By: david

david — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 16:07:36 +0000

So, this is the kind of democracy Bush has been exporting: Rovian democracy. So, becoming Iraq PM is like becoming a US Attorney: All one has to do is lobby for it.

By: Dermot

Dermot — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 16:01:07 +0000

According to Haley Barbour, who was sworn in as the Governor of Mississipi in January 2004, the firm was sold to the Interpublic Group of Companies in 1999. Part of the sale deal was that the name remain the same even though Barbour no longer had a financial stake in the company. [4]
Who is behind Barbour, Haley and Rogers?

“… in June 2004 O’Dwyers PR Daily reported that BG&R was discussing buying a controlling interest in itself back from Interpublic. It reported that “the former Republican National Committee chairman has put his stake in BG&R into a blind trust. He has said that he isn’t sure whether he will return to BG&R after he leaves office.” [5]

In a September 2003 article on his blogsite, Josh Marshall wrote that New Bridge Strategies – a company established to help clients win Iraq reconstruction contracts – “looks an awful lot like an outgrowth of Barbour Griffith and Rogers”. [6]

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Barbour_Griffith_%26_Rogers

By: Gregor Samsa

Gregor Samsa — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 15:57:53 +0000

Aahh… isn’t democracy a wondrous thing?

/sarcasm off

By: Dermot

Dermot — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 15:56:08 +0000

Who’s Behind “Allawi-for-Iraq.com”?
IraqSlogger reports that on August 17, White House-connected lobby powerhouse, Barbour Griffith & Rogers (BGR), purchased a domain name, Allawi-for-Iraq.com.* http://www.motherjones.com/mojoblog/archives/2007/08/5274_whos_behind_all.html

And Toasterhead – You told me to shut up, which I won’t do. I will tell you the truth whenever and wherever I can, and you will listen, and some day you will be able to handle the truth. You’re not mature enough yet. So don’t tag along on my coattails. Come up with your own quotes and sources.

By: dlet

dlet — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 15:53:02 +0000

Comment by toasterhead

Saddam, Allawi, Noriega, Luis Posada Carriles,etc….etc…etc. Animals and all in the name of freedom. Yeah right.

By: toasterhead

toasterhead — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 15:45:47 +0000

http://www.mindfully.org/ Reform/ 2004/ Allawi-CIA-Baghdad23jul04.htm

Comment by Dermot â€” August 24, 2007 @ 11:40 am

Oops! Looks like the CIA trained Saddam Hussein – our other operative in Iraq – a bit too well.

By: dlet

dlet — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 15:45:38 +0000

Allawi probably got some of that money from the wallets of the men he handcuffed and shot in the head. Someone should tell him that shooting people in the head is a qualification for being Vice-President not Prime Minister.

By: Dermot

Dermot — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 15:40:55 +0000

“According to Samuel Berger, Clinton’s security adviser, Allawi had succeeded, unlike Chalabi, in gaining the confidence of Arab powers in the region, was well considered by those who mounted the operation, and seemed less interested in self-aggrandisement than his cousin. By mid-January 1996 the operation was up and running. The CIA came up with $6m, as did Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Jordan provided the venture’s rear base. The coup would be carried out by the army.”
http://www.mindfully.org/Reform/2004/Allawi-CIA-Baghdad23jul04.htm

By: Dermot

Dermot — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 15:37:45 +0000

Allawi is CIA

Ayad Allawi:
The CIA’s Main Man in Baghdad
PATRICE CLAUDE / Guardian Weekly (UK) 23jul04

http://www.mindfully.org/Reform/2004/Allawi-CIA-Baghdad23jul04.htm