Posted September 17, 2003

"Dems on Intel Investigation: That Was Then, This is Now"

Congressman Obey's position on the question of Bush's lying to get approval for his war is illogical and plays into the hands of PNAC. All they have to do now to get Congress to abandon investigations into their fascist activities is to start another outrageous activity.

Where are the brains of these Democrats? Are they just Bush-lites? No wonder Democrats have been as angry at their party as they are at the Republicans!

~ Jerry Lobdill

Jason Leopold replies:

I agree with your statements. Hundreds of thousands of U.S. citizens have written to their Congressional representatives, according to the website MoveOn.org, demanding an investigation into prewar intelligence. Unfortunately, many Democrats in Congress made empty promises to the public they knew they wouldn't be able to fulfill when it came time to put their money where their mouth is. Since 9/11, Democrats have failed their constituents dozens of times. With all of the evidence currently in the public domain about the Bush administration manipulating prewar intelligence all the Democrats needed to do was stay on top of the issue. But their attention spans are worse than a pubescent teenager's.

By abandoning their efforts to investigate the White House's use of questionable intelligence about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, congressional Democrats have once again abandoned their responsibility to the citizens they represent.

Last October they abandoned their Constitutional responsibility in matters of war by ceding their authority to the president. Rather than fully debating the radical policy of preventive war or waiting for proof that Iraq was indeed an imminent threat, most Democrats chose the safer political course and supported the popular "wartime" president. They were trounced in the midterm elections anyway.

When the occupation of Iraq started to turn sour and chinks appeared Bush's political armor, Democrats finally began to raise serious questions. The Bush administration's prewar claims about Iraq's weapons – the primary rationale for the war – have not only turned out to be false, but evidently based on deliberate misrepresentations of intelligence. If true, our rule of law demands that the president and those members of his administration responsible for these high crimes be impeached.

Our elected representatives have a responsibility to uphold the law, but apparently the Democrats have decided they have nothing to gain politically by pursuing the matter. They may be correct in their conclusion that initiating impeachment proceedings or even a formal investigation is impossible in the Republican-controlled Congress. However, their decision to no longer pursue the matter is wrong. It is a tacit endorsement of the illegal abuse of power that led to war, and it is a grave disservice to the American people and to the troops being sacrificed in Iraq.

The explanation that Congress must now focus on the president's request for $87 billion to fund the occupation is a weak excuse for neglecting responsibility. Don't hold your breath for any meaningful debate about the mission in Iraq or a rejection of the president's policies. Our treasury will continue to be drained in this misguided attempt to impose democracy on a Middle East hornets nest, while our own democracy suffers from abuse and neglect.

~ Martin Lolich, Downers Grove, Illinois

"The Lost Terror War"

Another thought provoking article from Nebojsa Malic. Two years into the so called "war on terror" it is indeed interesting to return to the Kosovo conflict, because the actions of Washington remind one of the actions of Slobodan Milosevic, who was stupid enough to fulfill the UCK's greatest dream, i.e., over reacting to UCK tactics by using overwhelming force, in many instances killing scores of innocent people.

I well recall many times western diplomats and politicians giving Milosevic some advice. They were telling him that he was the UCK's chief recruitment officer. The told him that his military actions was radicalizing the Albanian population, leading to more UCK recruits and so on. A charge that was smugly repeated by The New York Times. The Times, in its so called "insiders" account of the diplomacy preceding NATO's aggression, described a meeting between US officials and Milosevic were Robert Gelbard told Milosevic to his face that he was the UCK's lead recruiter. Milosevic is said to have angrily remonstrated with Gelbard and subsequently declared him persona non grata.

How the tables have turned? Those who oppose the "war against terror" point out that the US Government has become Osama Bin Laden's lead recruitment agency, a charge fueled by the invasion of Iraq. I think it is high time the US Government, Tony Blair and The New York Times heed their own advice.

~ Marko B.

Nebojsa Malic replies:

Thank you.

That is, indeed, the biggest quandary of societies afflicted by terrorism: how does one fight those who have no respect for human life, including their own? A satisfactory answer has yet to be produced.

I read your papers since the last winter and really have to say your comments and remarks are clever and very well argumented (also justified), I'm Italian and was terrified by the Balkan recent history.

Since 1995 I understood which were the plans of US imperialism against Jugoslavia and it is disgusting that the Italian PDS (the ex-communists) are still insisting they did a good thing permitting the bombing – they really were fooled so well that they are still sleeping.

~ Dr. Paolo Teobaldelli

Nebojsa Malic replies:

Thank you. Let's hope the sleepers will awaken – in Italy, in the former Yugoslavia, and elsewhere – and soon.

"Countdown to Catastrophe"

Justin Raimondo criticizes an "attack on Dean... because he dared to say that the U.S. must be evenhanded when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict." Dean is indeed wrong in suggesting that the US must be even handed, as this is a nearly impossible goal – even if everyone in the US government were honestly trying to be perfectly evenhanded, both sides would still detect favoritism toward the other. The only reasonable policy is for the US to disentangle itself from the whole mess and keep as far away from this intractable dispute as possible.

No, the US must NOT be "evenhanded" when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict – it must be ABSENT.

~ Kevin S. Van Horn

Justin Raimondo replies:

A very good point.

The medical evacuation figures are odd but I think there may be a happier (albeit highly embarrassing) explanation. Apparently about 15% of the US forces are female. According to David Hackworth "apparently more than half of the women deployed to Iraq are now pregnant" (see http://www.rense.com/general40/using.htm : final paragraph).

If both of these figures are true I calculate that about eight thousand female US service personnel are pregnant. So all the excess medical evacuations could be for pregnancy.

If Hackworth's figure is anywhere near true (more than say one in ten are pregnant) it implies a lot of deliberate or faked pregnancies. Either implies an enormous number of female soldiers who will do just about anything to get home. ....

~ Ian Miller

It's clear that we really don't have a real antiwar person running for President in 2004. I want a choice this year. I can't handle having to vote for the lesser of two evils. What man out there would be bold enough and strong enough to run on a pro-American, limited government, antiwar platform? It has to be Justin! Run Justin Run! Do it for those of us out here who want a real choice in 2004!

~ Shawn James Haff

SB's backtalk

Bush appearing at Walter Reed would surely expose the human cost of this occupation (1450 wounded at last count). Considering Rumsfeld just canceled a talk to US soldiers who are less than happy about their stay in Iraq, I doubt we will see the President at a military hospital any time soon.

~ Michael Ewens, Associate Editor /Student Coordinator, Antiwar.com

Mike Ewens Replies

My wife purchased cards and has written a message for the families of the Americans who died in Iraq and was planning on sending them to General Delivery in each of the towns where it made sense. Do you know of any site or source that might have published home addresses of those that died? I'm sure she would appreciate any suggestions.

~ Tom D.

Mike Ewens replies:

This is the best site for profiles: http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/iraq/casualties/.

It lists each soldier's base location within each profile, which is probably where their families are located. Also, most of the casualties end up at Walter Reed Medical:

6900 Georgia Ave.
NW Washington, DC
20307-5001

Hope that this helps.

I enjoy your website and send links to it to my friends. We protest the hell out of Bush and the war here in Portland, Oregon. Any idea where I might find weblogs of us soldiers on the ground in Iraq? I've been nosing around your site; it would make a nice addition to the home page.

~ Rick B.

Mike Ewens replies:

The best one is: http://turningtables.blogspot.com/.

See his "Links" on the right for more.

Justin Raimondo's reply to Bill Rood's backtalk

The poll numbers may be low for Dennis Kucinich, but they are certainly higher for him than any Libertarian candidate EVER.

That suggests to me that phrenology has much more relevance to popular science than Libertarian philosophy has to politics. (Don't get upset, Justin, it's just a joke.)

~ Kyle McBride, proud Left-Liberal

Justin says that socialism failed. Excuse me? Since when? Most European countries are still socialist and intend remaining socialist.

The EU's constitution even states that it is a socialist organization.

There is a limited argument possible that communism failed – if you can call the system the Soviet Union (or even China) had (or has) communist – more like statist than communist.

I really think that Justin's sideswipes at "leftists" is uncalled for and crass. There are many different people with many different views, all who support the ideas of freedom and an end to corporate control of the world. If the "right" and "left" are going to argue incessantly amongst themselves, then those who are currently running the world have won.

Justin, people don't all agree with you – get over it and learn to handle it with a little less nastiness and a little more understanding. I don't agree with your "libertarian" (rather American Libertarian) views. I am a socialist and will always remain one, but I am certainly not going to call you names (you called Bill Rood humourless, in case you ask what names) because our views differ.

~ Lilly, Johannesburg, South Africa

I know little about Dennis Kucinich, and suspect that his ideological eclecticism, to judge by his supporters, will prove an Achilles' heel (a Thersites' heel?).

Nonetheless, Justin's response to the DK supporter singularly fails to deal with the fact that limited liability companies are a creature of the state and that libertarian theory has to deal with this issue. If I recall Nozick's first book (Anarchy State and Utopia, I think it was called) he fails to address this issue.

~ Ben Cosin

In response to Bill Rood's uninformed screed, let me point out that neither the recent blackout, nor the energy-related problem in California were caused by deregulation. Indeed, even the New York Times (no friend of free markets) ran an article correctly stating that the electric industry was never deregulated, but rather restructured by the regulators. Retail electric pricing is very much regulated, and there has been a dearth of investment in the transmission grid for years, thanks to pricing and rate of return regulations. The US electric market is still heavily regulated at the state and federal levels. The fact that the Bush Second Reich regime-junta and Congress have been calling for federal investigations tells you all you need to know.

The point about corporations being creatures of the state and anti common law is also wrong. The fact that many if not most occupations (doctors, lawyers, cosmetologists, stock brokers, etc.) and lots of activities (such as driving a car) are licensed doesn't mean that they couldn't exist unlicensed in a free market. The only way to attract enough investors to amass large amounts of capital in a firm is through corporations.

If a group of people want to conduct business and limit their liability to their investment in a corporation, this doesn't mean that they have legal immunity from crimes committed as employers and employees. Corporations get sued every day, in case you don't read the papers.

Finally, the assertion of an alleged war between corporate executives and their employees is wrongheaded. While some executives have looted their companies and committed crimes, they represent a very small percentage of all executives. If they are guilty but don't get prosecuted, then maybe that is the fault of the government's monopoly of law and perversion of common law. There is a class war going on, but it's between the State and its net tax consuming New Class parasites, and the private net tax paying citizenry.

~ Bill Stepp, Anarchist Antidefamation League

"Congressman: Wounded troops shouldn't be billed for hospital meals"

Today you put a link to a story about wounded GIs having to pay for meals in military hospitals at the top of your page. To someone not familiar with the military's pay system, this story would seem outrageous. Having been an enlisted man in the Army, this is one occasion I side with Uncle Sam. Soldiers who receive BAS, or "separate rats" (rations), and free meals are double-dipping.

The thing this story does not mention is that single enlisted soldiers who were living in a barracks and eating in a chow hall when they were deployed did not receive BAS then, do not get it when deployed and, if injured will not get it in the hospital. They'll get the free meals, but no extra money.

If a BAS recipient is wounded and ends up in a military hospital and gets free meals, and gets to keep his BAS money, in a sense it'll be the junior enlisted soldier in the next bed who doesn't get any BAS who is cheated.

~ Lloyd G.

Managing Editor Eric Garris replies:

The story (from Stars and Stripes) is clear about that. However, the story is still outrageous. We are not talking about double-dipping bureaucrats. We are talking about soldiers who have been wounded in combat, recovering in the hospital. Are they also required to come up with a co-pay to get their meds?

This story, along with the one below it ("Troops Dig Into Own Pockets to Pay for Gear") show the kind of "support" the government is giving the troops while continuing a conscious policy of overextending America's military.

When is Justin Raimondo's book going to be on the Internet?

~ Fred Porter

Eric Garris replies:

As Justin said in his column of Sept. 10, he was able to find a regular publisher. It will be available for purchase in 2-3 months.

"Iraq Is the Flytrap"

Thanks. I was an Infantryman for 3 years and assure you that the troops know when they are being used as bait. They don't much like it and won't cooperate whenever possible.

The Strategy here reminds me of nothing so much as the strategy for Den Bien Phu: send the whole army out to a remote place where they can be surrounded and attacked; then destroy the enemy. Well, it lead to an exit strategy for the occupying power and its replacement by another presumably under the cover of "UN."

~ Tony L.

"To those Americans who see that there was no connection between Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda, no weapons of mass destruction, no imminent danger, the war is a mystery."

Sorry, but the "war" is NO mystery whatsoever. I can hardly believe you believe this Bush cabal criminal enterprise is/was a mystery.

I wrote seven reasons to various friends why the W Junta would go to war in Iraq earlier this year in January and February – well before the Iraq Massacre II began.

1) Total US control of Iraqi oil until it runs out; the French and Russians are dicked; how long do you think Tommy Franks will put up with the Kuwaitis' slant drilling? (Typically in the old days, people got shot very dead in Texas for doing this.) That Haliburton, Carlyle Group, et. al. will profit fantastically is a no-brainer given.

2) Well positioned to takeover Saudi Arabia, the oil fields first natch. The Saudi Kingdom is extremely unstable. The king's waiting to meet Allah somewhere near Lusanne as I write – with 13,000 (Christ I can't keep track!) princes licking their collective chops at the inheritance, the sides in the coming turf wars are being prepared.

3) In addition to SA, and with Iraq finished off, the US will then be better positioned for the next targets on the PNAC hitlist: Syria and Iran – it's now nearly inevitable. Of course that's if, if, there's no major problem like the Kurds taking on the Turks, etc. (Forget a possible US attack against NKor; Pyongyang's already informed the W Junta through backchannels that Seoul, Tokyo, Okinawa, all theater US military bases, etc. are chem/bio toast if attacked – NKor missiles with chem/bio warheads have that target range/capability NOW.)

4) Will serve as an example to every country in the world who's really running the asylum – and the consequences of noncompliance to the NWO.

5) NOT REPORTED in the states as far as I can tell. This adventure is a frontal assault on European Union autonomy and growing EU power vis-à-vis the euro as it poses a serious direct threat to the petrodollar. Iraq had already converted its frozen accounts into the euros (approx. $10 billion worth) and all transactions under the so-called "Food For Oil" program for the past several years were calculated in euros. Iran had seriously been considering switching to the euro – wonder what the odds are now.

6) Ha'aretz reported last summer that elite Israeli commando units had been scouting where to dump Arafat, et. Al. (dead or dead?), in the wastelands of Jordan or Iraq, when the US attacked Iraq. There will be massive, violent Palestinian roundups and expulsions as part of Israel's slow-motion, now to be speeded up, ethnic cleansing. The US will, perhaps, say something when this goes down, but actionwise will do nothing.

7) This is the first of many resource wars of the 21st century to protect and prolong the sacred American Way of Life – George Kennan's famous forecast and directive of the late 40s still alive today. The US, if successful, vis-à-vis the control of the most vital and diminishing natural resource on earth, will dictate not only to the weaker countries, but to the EU and Russia, and further, potential superpowers India and China. ...

~ Renard Hoover, Berlin, Germany

I'm sure we're getting dizzy with all the changes of justification for this war. Weapons of mass destruction. Imminent danger. Saddam the Bad Guy. Saddam and the terrorist connection. Peace in the Middle East. World peace. Better to attract and fight terrorists in Iraq.

The real reason is pointed to in the Bible, where the Prince of Peace said we would worship Him or money. Look at all the government contracts given to administration cronies without bid process. These companies are interested in a perpetual rebuilding process funded by Iraqi oil. It is not a mistake that the US plan resulted in destruction and chaos.

Bring the troops home.

~ Foster Campbell

Chaos

So we learn from Reuters that Bush said Powell would "carry a message: No free nation can be neutral in the fight between civilization and chaos." I really cannot understand his rhetoric. One could even argue that, since the War on Terror is giving awful results, the real chaos may not be caused by terrorists. If the message he's going to give the world is really that of civilization and chaos fighting, he may well have some very bitter surprises.

~ Alberto Garbino, Udine, Italy

UN

Once again, thank you for Antiwar.com. Outstanding!

I fear that because of the growing outcry for UN involvement in Iraq coming from:
-the neo-cons capitulating to UN involvement
-the Dem. candidates
-the leftist organizations
-the media
-and now sadly even the authors of the letter you posted from surviving
families of 9/11 victims calling for UN takeover.

We're now in grave danger of it escalating into a UN war /occupation – which could be even bloodier and more prolonged than the Bush war would ever be.

Antiwar.com does a great job reminding us of wars in Bosnia, Afghanistan, and others.

I have read Antiwar.com pieces advocating against the UN. But at this critical juncture, we need many more IMO.

People need to know – in no uncertain terms – that the UN has as much blood on its hands as Bush, is to be feared, not welcomed, and opposed just as fiercely.

I hope you agree and will give this story LEGS.

~ Carla Howell, Sponsor of the 2002 ballot Initiative to End the Income Tax in Massachusetts, 2002 candidate for Governor, 2000 candidate for US Senate