Posts Made By: Rod Kaufman

Well, the army, in it's infinite wisdom, has relieved the commander in charge of the platoon that refused to participate in a convoy in Bush's land of optimism. Furthermore, the army has also "reassigned"(dispersed) soldiers from the reluctant platoon to other units. Yup, that will fix the problem...

Well, just when we thought the problem had been solved, 843 soldiers failed to comply to get back into uniform to report for duty in Afghanistan and Iraq. The army is said to be trying to resolve these cases "quietly".
At least one former captain, however, isn't being quiet about being ordered to report back to Iraq. Captain Jay Ferriola resigned in June after completing his agreed-upon term of service sued the government on Friday for trying to force him back into duty in what his lawyer is describing as a back-door draft. The case names Rumsfeld and others as defendants.The suit charges the army's orders violate Ferriola's constitutional rights against involuntary servitude and is a breach of contract with the military. An emergency hearing has been set for Sunday.
I just don't understand why all these guys don't want to go. Afterall, Pat Robertson said Bush told him there weren't going to be any casualties and Bush has, at the very least, professed his optimism on Iraq while stating Afghanistan is an "arising democracy." So what if all of this disrupts the lives of the reservists and those who have already served. So what if the CIA says civil war is probable in Iraq. So what if a former national security adviser to Bush senior has recently called Afghanistan and Iraq a "failing venture." So what if he says Bush junior only co-operates with our allies in Iraq "out of desperation." What do the CIA and a former national security adviser know about it anyway?

Bush doesn't say how he will eventually pay for the programs he may eventually propose but he doesn't want to commit in the first place. He did make reference to some type of private plan at a luncheon paid for by some well-heeled republicans about a month ago which did not appear to be geriatric-friendly. Kerry's ad may not be a lie, it may in fact be prophetic. As good as factcheck.org is, it can't predict the future and with Bush at the helm, anybody has alot of worrying to do about their retirements...

The excuses from the Bush camp are as insane as the problem of the missing explosives. The Bush people now say the responsibility of the security of the explosives belonged to the interim government of Iraq. This is the same interim government that acknowledges the presence of insurgents in their own security forces. It is also the same interim government that acknowledges insurgents in their forces massacred 50 iraqi servicemen a few days ago. And Bush claims we are all safer because of our invasion and occupation of Iraq. As other leaders have said, "the world is less safe as a result of the war in Iraq."
During the debates, Bush stated Iraq has one hundred thousand personnel trained to maintain security in Iraq but factcheck.org stated it was only fifty thousand and many of them are poorly trained. We now see the results of the inept security forces of Iraq and of our failed policies of the Bush administration in Iraq.
Stumping for votes, Bush now has a military helicopter land him into the voter-getter states in his version of shock and awe to wow the ignorant masses, if only they knew...

The LA Times poll reported yesterday that Bush and Kerry were tied in the key battle-ground states with Kerry slightly ahead in Pennsylvania.
I do anticipate a Bush victory based upon his status as an incumbent president and on the ignorant masses who are unaware of the issues in this election. One in ten voters are said to be "undecided" even at this late stage and it's difficult to fathom they can't make-up their minds if they are informed on the issues...

A newscrew traveling with the troops taped images of the explosives with, as conventional weapons expert David Kay notes,"the damming thing is the atomic energy seals are seen on the tape".This means the explosives were looted AFTER the invasion, despite claims by the Bush administration that they may have disappeared prior to the invasion.

The CNN website is reporting the Bush administration has approved oil drilling in the sensitive alaska environment including an area designated as a wildlife preserve. Nevermind you can't drill your way out of an oil shortage since the supply is finite; conoco/phillips is going to try anyway.
It's no wonder the LA Times reported a non-partisan environmental group gave Bush an "F" for his handling of the environment.
The oil companies are making money hand over fist, ie profiteering at the expense of the rest of us. Too bad the Bush administration continues to lead the way...

During the morning commute, KNX news radio stated insurgent attacks on Iraqi and US targets have increased to 80 or more PER DAY, despite the military action in Fallujah. The report also stated, "US officials had hoped" the military incursion into Fallujah would have diminished the attacks and that a "decrease in American troop strength would not be likely to occur".
It appears the US occupation of Iraq will continue with the presence US troops on an ongoing basis since the US "victory" in Fallujah has evidently failed to stabilize the region of the Sunni triangle. It appears the insurgents set-up shop in neighboring cities and continue unabated in their attacks.
It appears the US troop levels will not be decreased and we are stuck there for a long, long time...

News item overheard on KNX radio: An Iraqi insurgent hideout was found packed with explosives with two chevy suburbans parked outside. The chevrolet suburban is the vehicle of choice utilized by public officials in Iraq and probably by a number of contractors as well. The inference is that the insurgents were going to pack the suburbans with explosives and drive them to their targets which would be a "perfect" terrorist plot as these vehicles would fit right in with the others already being used by public officials.
I question how these insurgents got their hands on these vehicles in the first place. Either public officials in Iraq provide them or perhaps they get them custom-ordered through Saudi Arabia. Where else are they going to get them?

The LA Times reported today that the Iraqi Shiite province of Maysan "underscores uncertainty over Iraq's future as a viable state." It supports this statement with the following: "Brig. Abdul Mahmoud Badar arrived in the desolate moonscape of Maysan province from Baghdad last week to take command of the newly formed 73rd Brigade of the Iraqi national guard. Then he had a visit from three local men. Go back to Baghdad, they told him. Or we'll kill you. The brigadier fled the same day."
This region, unlike the sunni triangle, is composed of 400,000 people, primarily sunnis, that distrust fellow sunni interim leader Allawi and "underscores a growing uncertainty over Iraq's future as a viable state."
This appears to be further evidence that the CIA report of the probability of civil war in Iraq is evidently true, in contrast to what our president believes...