Right Wing Attacks Zakaria For Stating Facts About Ethnic Cleansing In Iraq
Right Wing Attacks Zakaria For Stating Facts About Ethnic Cleansing In Iraq
On ABC’s World News with Charles Gibson on Wednesday, Newsweek International editor Fareed Zakaria said that fears of genocide in Iraq after an American withdrawal are misplaced because large-scale ethnic cleansing has already occurred:
One of the dirty little secrets about Iraq is that Iraq has increasingly been ethnically cleansed. It’s sad to say, but the American Army has presided over the largest ethnic cleansing in the world since the Balkans. When people say bad things are going to happen if we leave, bad things have already happened. Where were you for the last four years?
Retired Gen. Jack Keane, one of the architects of Bush’s escalation plan, attacked Zakaria’s fact-based assertion. “You are really not describing what’s happening in Iraq. I mean, you’re in the past, to be quite frank about it,” said Keane before claiming the “surge” is working. Watch it:
Keane’s response to Zakaria has been heralded by the right wing. NewsBusters championed the “rebuke.” The Media Research Center, NewsBuster’s parent organization, approvingly reprinted the post in a cyber alert. The Washington Times’ Greg Pierce highlighted the exchange today.
None of Keane’s supporters note, however, that Zakaria is correct on the facts when he says “Iraq has increasingly been ethnically cleansed.”
Since the initial invasion of Iraq, more than 4.2 million Iraqis have left their homes, with roughly 2.2 million internally displaced while more than 2 million have fled to neighbouring states. Bush’s escalation, which Keane calls “very very encouraging,” has actually increased the pace of ethnic cleansing.
As the Center for American Progress’ Brian Katulis and Anita Sharma write today, the situation in Iraq now comprises “the biggest refugee crisis in the middle east since 1948.” But you won’t learn that reading right-wing diatribes against Zakaria.
Transcript:
CHARLES GIBSON: If we go through some sort of a reduction strategy, are we opening things up for some kind of genocide, ethnic cleansing, that will go on, and we’ll simply have 50, 60, 70,000 troops standing by and watching this?FAREED ZAKARIA, NEWSWEEK INTERNATIONAL: No, because one of the dirty little secrets about Iraq is that Iraq has increasingly been ethnically cleansed. It’s sad to say, but the American Army has presided over the largest ethnic cleansing in the world since the Balkans. When people say bad things are going to happen if we leave, bad things have already happened. Where were you for the last four years?
RICHARD HAASS, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: But we should be realistic. Iraq is likely to be a messy and slightly dysfunctional country for the foreseeable future.
GEN. JACK KEANE, RETIRED: Both of you are really not describing what’s happening in Iraq. I mean, you’re in the past, to be quite frank about it. The Sunni insurgency has gone through a conversion. They have thrown the towel in. They have now saddled up along side of us, and they want to protect their communities, but they don’t want separate militia to do it. They’re going to do it as members of the Iraqi security forces, which is very, very encouraging.
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None of Keane’s supporters note, however, that Zakaria is correct on the facts when he says “Iraq has increasingly been ethnically cleansed.
Facts....facts are inconvenient. The Republicans don't need any stinking facts, they make up our own facts.
September 7th, 2007 at 1:24 pmThe only way to move forward in Iraq is to back out.
September 7th, 2007 at 1:32 pmWasn't that the entire point of Zakaria's assertion? That, in effect, Iraq has already been cleansed? Past tense.
September 7th, 2007 at 1:33 pmKeane's "response" is completely, er, non-responsive.
The Sunnis that have "saddled up" have done so in regions where there are no Shi'a, because they've been driven off or killed. In other words, ethnic cleansing. And the Sunni are in that region largely because they've been driven out of Baghdad. In other words (h/t George Bush for that handy phrase): ethnic cleansing.
What Keane is saying is largely accurate. To paraphrase: "That's in the past. The ethnic cleansing isn't going on now because it's already occurred."
September 7th, 2007 at 1:33 pmOh, so that is why there are so many deaths there.....could have fooled me....who'd of thought? I thought everyone was just commiting suicide because they were bored.
September 7th, 2007 at 1:34 pm#4, and there never were many Sh'ia in Anbar.
September 7th, 2007 at 1:35 pmnope sorry all Zakaria is clearly wrong... he he neither screaming or flapping his arms around. Every one knows the degree of truthyness is measured by these 2 factors
September 7th, 2007 at 1:35 pmKeane states that the Sunni insurgency has now thrown in the towel and joined our side. Does he then perceive that a few Sunni tribal leaders in Anbar province who have joined us to fight Al-Queda make up the entire Sunni insurgency? No wonder Bush listens to this man...it's the blind leading the blind!
September 7th, 2007 at 1:37 pm"I mean, you’re in the past, to be quite frank about it,â€
said the guy who's trying to prove that we would have "won" in Vietnam if we would have just kept killing and being killed.
September 7th, 2007 at 1:38 pmI really really care about the Iraqis!
Is Iraq somewhere in Central America? Whatever, I need a coffee.
Oh...almost forget...FREE TIBET! Wherever that is.
September 7th, 2007 at 1:38 pmComment by hil — September 7, 2007 @ 1:35 pm
definitely Jake D(ermot)
September 7th, 2007 at 1:39 pmComment by Caring and Loving Liberal — September 7, 2007 @ 1:38 pm
HEhehehehehehehehehe! Thats about the extent of it.
September 7th, 2007 at 1:40 pm"There has been no decrease in civilian deaths in Iraq over the last year"
"Yes but the Surge is working"
"There has been a dramatic increase in U.S. casualties over the last year"
"Yes but the Surge is working"
"Only 3 of the 18 benchmarks have been met"
"Yes but the Surge is working"
"There's still very little electricity, water, or even gasoline for Iraqis"
"Yes but the Surge is working"
"There has been an implosion in the Iraqi government, with a loss of the Sunni representatives"
"Yes but the Surge is working"
"There has been major ethnic cleansing in Iraq"
"Yes but the Surge is working"
September 7th, 2007 at 1:43 pmKeane , as retired General, and has his own consutling firm which deals with military companies,and as advisor to Bush on the surge with Fredrick Kagan cannot be speaking anything that might affect his position..so he contested Zakaria statement.
September 7th, 2007 at 1:45 pmKeane is one of the few who suggested the surge,he even advised the President on keeping these troops to a minimum of 18 months. As a consultant,and ABC analyst..and advisor to Bush on Surge,he had to say what he said..
These scumbags still think the can create their own reality.
September 7th, 2007 at 1:47 pm"The Surge is working, applied directly to the forehead'
"The Surge is working, applied directly to the forehead"
"The Surge is working, applied directly to the forehead"
September 7th, 2007 at 1:48 pmYes, he is describing what has happened over the past four years. What's the argument? That it's okay while we're there, just not when we leave?
September 7th, 2007 at 1:48 pmDamn the facts! Catapult the propaganda!
September 7th, 2007 at 1:48 pm"The surge progress report isnt out yet"
"Yes but the general is a liar"
"You havent yet read the report"
"Yes but the general is a liar"
"You claim lies when you havent heard the report yet"
"Yes but the general is a liar"
"The senate approved the general with no dissenting votes"
"Yes but the general is a liar"
"Harry Reid(D) said we must listen to the generals"
"Yes but the general is a liar"
September 7th, 2007 at 1:48 pmWe all knew back in January when the Decider announced the surge that it will be spun that it will work. I didn't matter what happened on the ground. Decider's goal was to just buy time until Jan 09.
September 7th, 2007 at 1:50 pmI could be wrong about this, but when did the Sunni warlords in Anbar province decide to join the Iraqi security forces, dominated by the Shia? Keane said they don't want to be a separate militia, but want to be part of the Iraqi security force. How true is that?
September 7th, 2007 at 1:50 pmThe only way to move forward in Iraq is to back out.
Comment by r — September 7, 2007 @ 1:32 pm
Spoken like a TRUE COWARD with no ideas, no imagination, no competence and no leadership. Is your last name Bush or Cheney by any chance?
September 7th, 2007 at 1:51 pmHas anybody in TP ever been to Iraq? Then STFU.
September 7th, 2007 at 1:51 pmAbout 500 more days of blood spilling unless we impeach.
September 7th, 2007 at 1:52 pmStrange you should bother with Newsbusters... This is the trailer-park for the dumbest wingnuts on the planet.
Zakaria is correct, he hasn't been attacked by that many rightwingers because they know he is correct. Even Jack Keane chose not to counter his point. Only some particularly dense chucklehead with a modem thought Zakaria didn't have a point.
September 7th, 2007 at 1:52 pmAll of this sound and fury signifying nothing is a distraction from the road to the next war being paved as we write. They are softening us up for the coming bombing of Iran.
"A Syrian official added: "They dropped bombs on an empty area while our air defences were firing heavily at them." Residents said they heard the sound of five planes or more above the Tal al-Abiad area on Syria's border with Turkey, about 100 miles north of the Syrian city of Rakka.
The Israeli army refused to comment on the incident but no casualties or damage were reported. "We cannot discuss military operations," a spokesman said.
"
Israeli Jets "Drop Ammunition" in Sortie Over Syria
By Anne Penketh
The Independent UK
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/090707P.shtml
September 7th, 2007 at 1:55 pmAny takers that Keane will be on all of the Sunday am talk shows? He's like Bush and Cheney, living in an alternate universe.
I don't think the American people are going to tolerate this too much longer. Don't our dear leaders hear what their constituents are telling them?
September 7th, 2007 at 1:55 pmI could be wrong about this, but when did the Sunni warlords in Anbar province decide to join the Iraqi security forces, dominated by the Shia? Keane said they don’t want to be a separate militia, but want to be part of the Iraqi security force. How true is that?
Comment by GeorgiaDem — September 7, 2007 @ 1:50 pm
It doesn't matter! Look, what's important is that they fight al-Qa'ida. As long as they defeat the handful of AQI fighters in Iraq, it doesn't matter what their long-term goals are. So what we need to do is keep arming and funding them, as much as possible. Give them whatever they need, as long as they defeat al-Qa'ida. Then, when al-Qa'ida has been driven from Iraq, we can pack up and go home and let the heavily-armed warlords we've been supporting figure it out.
What could possibly go wrong???
September 7th, 2007 at 1:57 pmThose pesky facts! Shame on them for existing! Shame on someone pointing out reality! sarcasm on
September 7th, 2007 at 1:58 pmBush can't hear or understand anything.
In Australia yesterday, he thanked the Austrian prime minister (he was referring to the Australian pm) for inviting him to the OPEC meeting.
He realized the OPEC mistake. Should have said APAC. But when he corrected it he made another mistake.
He said the pm would be inviting him to OPEC next year. Except the pm of Australia doesn't invite people to OPEC.
September 7th, 2007 at 1:58 pmWar = peace
September 7th, 2007 at 1:59 pmBush can’t hear or understand anything.
In Australia yesterday, he thanked the Austrian prime minister (he was referring to the Australian pm) for inviting him to the OPEC meeting.
He realized the OPEC mistake. Should have said APAC. But when he corrected it he made another mistake.
He said the pm would be inviting him to OPEC next year. Except the pm of Australia doesn’t invite people to OPEC.
Comment by Dermot
____________________
I read that after he finished speaking, Bush went the wrong way and nearly fell off the stage. Howard had to grab him before he fell and point him in the right direction.
September 7th, 2007 at 2:01 pmNew Videotape From Bin Laden; Al Qaeda's No. 1 Still Alive
He wants the US military out of Iraq, just like… oops.
September 7th, 2007 at 2:11 pmthe rude pundit has a great take on Bush's shenanigans from the APEC summit.
September 7th, 2007 at 2:11 pmNew Videotape From Bin Laden; Al Qaeda’s No. 1 Still Alive
He is critical of the US government, just like… oops.
September 7th, 2007 at 2:14 pmHe wants the US military out of Iraq, just like… oops.
Comment by r — September 7, 2007 @ 2:11 pm
Proving that even dead people are smarter than this administration.
September 7th, 2007 at 2:16 pmr sez:
And just in time to give Chimpy a much needed boost, as well as distract everyone from the current bumper crop of malfeasance.
Isn't it funny, how Osama always comes through for Chimpy?
September 7th, 2007 at 2:16 pmIsraeli Jets “Drop Ammunition†in Sortie Over Syria
By Anne Penketh
The Independent UK
My suspicion is that Israel has been designated by Bush as the one to provoke an incident. Then the US will have to get involved to avenge and protect Israel.
If we don't impeach these idiots soon, we may be past the point of no return.
September 7th, 2007 at 2:18 pmDon't mean to burst your bubble R, but Bin Laden has wanted US troops out of the middle east since the first Gulf War, and has been critical of the US government for about the same period of time.
September 7th, 2007 at 2:20 pmDon’t mean to burst your bubble R, but Bin Laden has wanted US troops out of the middle east since the first Gulf War, and has been critical of the US government for about the same period of time.
Comment by Krazny — September 7, 2007 @ 2:20 pm
Just like you, good company.
September 7th, 2007 at 2:22 pmTripMaster Monkey and Dermot want Bin Laden to avoid attacking the US until they can accomplish their shared goal of removing Republicans from power.
September 7th, 2007 at 2:28 pmDermot sez:
Actually, bin Laden isn't living anywhere. He's been dead since December of 2001.
September 7th, 2007 at 2:29 pmjust like you, good company.
Comment by r — September 7, 2007 @ 2:22 pm
No I was pretty much happy with the government up until the invasion of Iraq. I thought it a little strange that the country would want a fake cowboy, but then I remembered Reagan, and it become a little more clear, course the supreme court helped a great deal, but I suppose in your world there was never any question about the Florida recount. BTW, how are the unicorns, and dancing fairies today? At any rate you childish attempts to make it appear Bin Laden, and all liberals are in league with each other, while making for good solid brain dead talk radio, really has no bearing on reality.
September 7th, 2007 at 2:29 pmMy suspicion is that Israel has been designated by Bush as the one to provoke an incident. Then the US will have to get involved to avenge and protect Israel.
Comment by bilbogaggins
_______________________
Thom Hartmann this morning opined that the push for war with Iran will start right after Bush gets his $50 million supplemental funds for Iraq out of the Congress and not until then.
September 7th, 2007 at 2:30 pmr sez:
That is a remarkably retarded sentence.
September 7th, 2007 at 2:30 pmActually, bin Laden isn’t living anywhere. He’s been dead since December of 2001
Bush is brain dead, so maybe he is Bin Laden.
September 7th, 2007 at 2:31 pmThat is a remarkably retarded sentence
Don't insult the retarded.
September 7th, 2007 at 2:32 pmJust like you, good company.
Comment by r — September 7, 2007 @ 2:22 pm
Oh I get it - you're implying that just because UBL happens to agree with Liberals on two key U.S. foreign policy issues, it's like they're one and the same. That's some amazing logic, there, r!
September 7th, 2007 at 2:32 pm#38, Exactly what were Mr. Zakaria's views about the war before it started? Once you find the answer, you'll understand my comment.
September 7th, 2007 at 2:35 pmand it's very, very easy to state something without qualification:
"very, very encouraging" is not a qualifying or quantifying statement.
zakaria did the opposite: he made a provable claim. and he is right.
September 7th, 2007 at 2:39 pm#38, Exactly what were Mr. Zakaria’s views about the war before it started? Once you find the answer, you’ll understand my comment.
Comment by Jeffrey Stewart — September 7, 2007 @ 2:35 pm
Don't be so coy. You made the contention, so provide some documentation.
September 7th, 2007 at 2:40 pmthe administration has made so many contradictory claims about the war, that they have lost all credibility.
and yet the media keeps listening to them.
September 7th, 2007 at 2:41 pmOh I get it - you’re implying that just because UBL happens to agree with Liberals on two key U.S. foreign policy issues, it’s like they’re one and the same. That’s some amazing logic, there, r!
Comment by toasterhead — September 7, 2007 @ 2:32 pm
And bin Laden agrees with something like 70% of Americans on one of those issues as well. Three-quarters of Americans are Islamic fundamentalists! Oy vey!
September 7th, 2007 at 2:41 pmhttp://abcnews.go.com/WN/Story?id=3563247&page=2
Zakaria:
"It's sad to say, but the American Army has presided over the largest ethnic cleansing in the world since the Balkans."
As if the U.S. Army just "let it happen"? Zakaria is full of it.
"If you look at Baghdad, it is essentially a very cleansed city. It is, the Shia and Sunni communities have been separated by the river."
"It doesn't seem that likely that we're going to end up seeing some kind of massive genocide. The ethnic cleansing has happened.
Oh and he is sure that they will stay seperated and mind their own business once we leave before the political situation is solved? Zakaria is delusional. The ethnic cleansing of one city doesn't represent the rest of the situation in the rest of Iraq and for him to suggest the the ethnic cleansing is basically over and that our withdrawl will not likely encourage more of the same is insane on his part. The draw down NOT withdrawal of troops has to coincide and run in tandum with the political progress in Iraq and right now that's pretty much out of the question.
September 7th, 2007 at 2:55 pm“It’s sad to say, but the American Army has presided over the largest ethnic cleansing in the world since the Balkans.â€
I don't think he is saying the Americans presided over the ethnic cleansing in the Balkans. I read the sentence differently.
September 7th, 2007 at 3:04 pmThe right-wing just hates it when their dirty little secrets are exposed.
September 7th, 2007 at 3:07 pmHey! Bin Laden looks alot younger (darkened beard), and blames the democrats for not withdrawing the troops from Iraq!
HeyOOOOooooOOOOOooooOOOOoooo.
September 7th, 2007 at 3:27 pmGet it?
What a nice little boost for the Right!
"See. If the ultimate evil wants our troops gone, we must stay! We don't want to appease the enemy, do we? Oh, and completely erase the fact that our dear leader never even thinks about the perpetrator of the largest attack on our homeland! mmmmkay? thanx! If you don't abide, you're unAmerican! Now go home and cower in your basement! I've got a stall to visit a Men's Restroom...tap tap, tapitty tap"
New Videotape From Bin Laden; Al Qaeda’s No. 1 Still Alive
You mean the guy behind 911 is STILL alive? Now why would he be still alive given that he is the one ultimately behind the attacks on US soil killing 3000+ people? Let's have some accountability here. Oh wait, Bush knows all about showing a lack of accountability - must be letting Bin Laden off the hook to show his leadership skills.
September 7th, 2007 at 3:28 pmComment by TripMaster Monkey — September 7, 2007 @ 2:29 pm
Shut the fcuk up, Monkey. Go suck on your banana!
September 7th, 2007 at 3:39 pmFuk you, Muslimshiteater.
Comment by MASTER p — September 7, 2007 @ 3:30 pm
Assalamu 'alaikom, ya Master P ;-)
September 7th, 2007 at 3:40 pmComment by yikes — September 7, 2007 @ 3:28 pm
Mr. TriponhimselfMonkey doesn't believe Bin Lad to be alive.
Defer to him.
September 7th, 2007 at 3:41 pmComment by toasterhead — September 7, 2007 @ 3:40 pm
Terrorist-sucker.
You and TripSand Monkey would make a dearly fine couple.
September 7th, 2007 at 3:42 pmTerrorist-sucker.
You and TripSand Monkey would make a dearly fine couple.
Comment by michaelIsRetarded — September 7, 2007 @ 3:42 pm
Thanks! I'll keep that in mind next time I feel like taking the relationship advice of a racist bigot. :)
September 7th, 2007 at 3:51 pmCan someone, anyone, get Mr.P into rehab?
His incoherent rants become incredibly rapid when he gets his fix.
Meth.
September 7th, 2007 at 3:52 pmKills.
Period.
As the Center for American Progress’ Brian Katulis and Anita Sharma write today, the situation in Iraq now comprises “the biggest refugee crisis in the middle east since 1948.†But you won’t learn that reading right-wing diatribes against Zakaria.
You also will NOT read or hear about it in the MSM.
TP,
The focus should be on gaining our voices back from the MSM instead of b$tch-slappin' the useless reich-wing Repugniscums. We all know the Repugniscums suck. So does the MSM and that's the REAL PROBLEM!!
September 7th, 2007 at 3:55 pmIf you visits the US Armyofficial wensite for Iraq MNF-I.com, they give a country report which states that there is zero net migration in Iraq in the post Saddam period.
Does this mean that the two million Iraqis that have left the country have been replaced by
September 7th, 2007 at 4:32 pma)
He wants the US military out of Iraq, just like… oops.
Comment by r — September 7, 2007 @ 2:11 pm
Well, Bush listened to him and pulled the troops from Saudi Arabia. Bin Laden owns Bush, so that's that.
September 7th, 2007 at 4:52 pmBoth NPR and Newsweek have done reports on this ethnic cleansing that has occured DURING the Surge in Baghdad. Masked gunmen ordering Sunni families out of their homes, and replacing them with Shiite families....all under the watchfull eyes of the Iraqi Police. These police are so infiltrated with Shiite militiamen, that Gen. Jones thinks they should be disbanded, and started over from scratch.
September 7th, 2007 at 5:08 pmThe Sunni cabinet member have walked out of the Govt., largely due to this injustice.
And what are we giving these Sunni Shieks in Al Anbar in return for their cooperation.Weapons??Training???
And after Al Qaeda is gone, and these Sunni's turn on us...will we be facing our own weapons AGAIN?? Blowback should be a well understood concept by our military by now.
And after Al Qaeda is gone, and these Sunni’s turn on us…will we be facing our own weapons AGAIN?? Blowback should be a well understood concept by our military by now.
Comment by Badger — September 7, 2007 @ 5:08 pm
No, no, no - it's Sunnis all the way down, of course!
September 7th, 2007 at 5:35 pmThe facts have a liberal bias - everyone knows that. Duh.
September 7th, 2007 at 7:28 pmDon’t mean to burst your bubble R, but Bin Laden has wanted US troops out of the middle east since the first Gulf War, and has been critical of the US government for about the same period of time.
Comment by Krazny — September 7, 2007 @ 2:20 pm
actually he even offered to go after saddam in with his,at the time,mujahideen that had just beaten the russians - what really pissed obl off was that the saudis said no and then let ghw set up shop in saudi arabia
September 7th, 2007 at 7:32 pmEthnic cleansing my ass! When we went in, the plan was to be out of Iraq in 90 days, 120 tops. Four years later, what do you think we're still doing in Iraq? We're exterminating the population. Almost a month ago I wrote this cursory accounting of the numbers and guessed we'd exterminated about 20% of the population. The real number is around 50%. The same thing is planned for Iran, but Bush©o™ isn't going to fool around this time. They plan to go straight to nuclear warheads and do the job in three days.
September 8th, 2007 at 3:02 amWe knowingly created and provided the enviroment for "ethnic cleansing" to take place in Iraq. The Bush administrations "Sabra and Shatilla"
September 8th, 2007 at 5:07 pm