REVEREND: Is it your plan and Reverend Wrights plan to bring down Sen Obama? It appears to me that Rev Wright is seriously hurting Sen Obama's chances of ever being president.

Wright is basking in public attention at the expense of Sen Obama. You said that what this country needs is Rev Wright as president. Do you see that as what Rev Wright wants?

TO: Reverend Wright, Jr: "Were you equally upset with Rev. Hagee, Falwell or Robertson, when they made similar comments with respect to the cause of the 9/11 attack on America...?"

I would be upset with anyone who made similar statements - SO I am upset with you since you endorse Rev. Wright and everything he says and stands for. Fortunately Rev Wright does not speak for God and neither do you so his prayers (or curses) and your prayers (or curses) for God to damn America will go unheeded.

Am I right that you and Rev Wright want to reinvent America into the United Socialist States with Wright as President and I assume you as Vice President, Rev Al Sharpton as Sec. of State and Louis Farakhan as Sec. of Defense and Michelle Obama as Sec. of Health Education and Welfare

//plainfacto is rather enamored with the CIA,\\ -The Rev

What's this? You have changed your name to Rev C. Solomon?!? What am I supposed to call you - The Rev or Uncle Sol?

I am not enamored by the CIA Rev, my Dad was OSS/CIA - much to the chagrin of Dimitry I suspect. You must understand Rev, that I grew up in this schtick. It rubbed off on me growing up. Dad was a major player in WWII with the Counter Intelligence Corps and the Office of Strategic Services - the forerunner of the CIA. After the CIA was formed, he was also a part of it; so he was in it from the git-go...

There are many intel groups that provide similar services and were formed independantly of the CIA. They all have responsibilities to their asssociated groups. Such as Office of Naval Intelligence to the Navy/Marines, the Counter Intelligence Corps fro the Army. The Defense Intelligence Agency is run by the Dept. of Defense. The Diplomatic Security Service is assigned to the Dept. of State. There are more. It's more than alphabet soup, it's what's for dinner!
Ha!

They all are subject to the Director of National Intelligence, a recent and useful change that coordinates and redistributes the raw info as needed.

My Dear Reverend Wright: "I wonder what all of the women and young girls who were constantly raped and mutilated in the bellum south thought about American Justice?"

I am sure the girls and women and nations who have been raped by American Justice would agree with you that American Justice is selfish, self serving.

Will you pardon the question "So what is your point?"

plainfacto is rather enamored with the CIA,

I have visited about a dozen times myself, and right up the hill at the old PSR/Northrup Grumman Building. Cheney and Rumsfool, neither one respected the CIA - does the name Valerie Blame mean anything.

Or how about the Defense Department creating its own intelligence bureau as par tof the DIA?

Who was that honorable ex-CIA officer in the Nixon Administration? The bald one, you know! Was it E. Gordon Liddy, or Hunt - I forgot his name!

THE REV: " REV - That is an interesting idea -...!

Martin E. Lee,

The Japaneese told American leaders, like the S. Koreans did,to stop interferring in the internal affairs of N. Korea.

The Italians and Germans condemned America's behavior in Iraq. The American Indians were the recipients of numerous broken treaties by the American goverment; and African Americans (many of us often laugh when we hear America leaders talk about justice).

I wonder what all of the women and young girls who were constantly raped and mutilated in the bellum south thought about American Justice?

What's your point?

Rev: Would it be correct to guess that your last name is Wright - as in Reverend Jeremiah Wright - as in G-d D--m the United States?

Martin E. Lee,

It would be my honor to be referred to by that appellation. The Wright Reverend, should be running for President - it would be nice to have an honest person in the White House for once, a man who helped to save the life of late president Lyndon B. Johnson!

Were you equally upset with Rev. Hagee, Falwell or Robertson, when they made similar comments with respect to the cause of the 9/11 attack on America...?

Perhaps we should refer to you as Robert E. Lee, as opposed to Martin E. Lee!

plainfacto: //a CIA operative on the order of President Eshevaria (sp?) of Mexico in the 1960s who was a CIA op even as he was the sitting president of his country\\ -Da Buffalo

How about "Nooooo"?

You need to read more outside your belief system:

National Security Archive
George Washington University
(Who incidentally WILL NOT be renewing Dougie Feith's teaching contract)

LITEMPO: The CIA's Eyes on Tlatelolco

CIA Spy Operations in Mexico

National Security Archive Electronic Briefing Book No. 204

Posted - October 18, 2006

For more information contact:
Kate Doyle
Jefferson Morley

Research Assistance: Jesse Franzblau

" Newly-declassified U.S. government documents and interviews shed new light on what the American Central Intelligence Agency knew--and did not know--about the terrible events of 1968 in Mexico City.

Winston Scott, the CIA's top man in Mexico at the time, was a brash and charming 59-year-old American who operated out of the U.S. Embassy on Reforma. The CIA documents, now publicly available in the U.S. National Archives in Washington, show Scott relied on his friendship with President Gustavo Díaz Ordaz; then-Secretary of Gobernación Luis Echeverría; and other senior officials to inform Washington about the student movement whose demands challenged the government's monopoly on power.

The documents, reported here for the first time, show that Scott recruited a total of 12 agents in the upper echelons of the Mexican government between 1956 and 1969. His informants included two presidents of Mexico, and two men who were later indicted for war crimes."

http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB204/index.htm

To The Rev: "America has never been a just nation itself, from its inception right down unto today!"

Rev: Would it be correct to guess that your last name is Wright - as in Reverend Jeremiah Wright - as in G-d D--m the United States?

THE REV: "America has never been a just nation itself, from its inception right down unto today!" REV - That is an interesting idea - I am certain the Japanese, Italians, Germans, American Indians, and African Americans would agree with you.

//a CIA operative on the order of President Eshevaria (sp?) of Mexico in the 1960s who was a CIA op even as he was the sitting president of his country\\ -Da Buffalo

How about "Nooooo"?
Aw c'mon Buff - are you paranoid about the CIA from what you hear in the press? You are surely showing the signs of it.
Rule One - don't believe the press.
Rule Two - mistrust the press.
Rule Three - that includes ALL press.
Rule Four - learn to 'read between the lines'.
Rule Five - reread the first four rules.

Remember that the US gov't cannot propagandize the people; but that rule DOES NOT APPLY to the press. They rewrite it ALL to their own liking almost ALL of the time. Otherwise, no one would bother to read it if it was so cut-and-dried. That is inclusive of Bill Arkin - too. Read some of the more famous qoutes of Wm Randolph Hearst. It is imperative that every American do so - and THEN you will surely understand the power of the press...

"We are trying to plant a seed of constitutional government in soil hostile to it."

One other thing Joker, using usurpation and conquest in order to impose a system of justice speaks to the reason why America has never been a just nation itself, from its inception right down unto today!

We are trying to plant a seed of constitutional government in soil hostile to it.

The Rev's previous comments to Mr. Lee were intended for 'the Joker'.

Who gave America the right to impose its so called form of constitution government in Iraq, in the manner that it was done in north America? The Iraqis still do not have a constitutional government operating in Iraq, and if they ever get one, hopefully if will work better than this one does.

O that's right one group in Iraq dominates the other just as it is done here, correct? What they really have is an enemy nation's, military sitting in their nation, and a government led by sycophants that don't care what its own people have to say, giving a nod or a sigh to whatever the super-imposed government in Iraq wants to do.

Joker, get in the real world, the one that you live in with Batman and Robin is truly non-existent, or perhaps you are simply joking! I hope so!

Martin E. Lee, get psychological help.

Da' Buffalo,

Perhaps you are being too hard on Mr. Lee. A decade ago a prominent and now considered apostate minister, Bishop Carlton Pearson was an invited guest and keynote speaker at a black history mega church service, that I attended.

The church of thousands was an overwhelmingly white congregation. Carlton during his talk actually thanked the white congregants, who interrupted him and jumped to their feet with racuous applause, for having enslaved black people in Africa.

Carlton, explained that had they not done so, black people would have never found Jesus. The Rev gagged and ignored the nasty stares that he received given the cross look on the Rev's face!

Sadly, I suspect that there will be few Iraqis as ignorant as the Bishop was, among Iraqi citizens. However, 99% of Iraqis know better! If the USA's interest had anything to do with freedom and justice for the Iraqi people, the whole issue would have happened in a different manner, particularly with the cooperation of the Iraqis and the international community.

Bush, Cheney and the Bushtanistas, are no different than Saddam and the Baathists, they also slaughter Iraqis in order to maintain control. Most analysts have already informed us that alQeada did not show up in Iraq en masse, until the USA invaded and started murdering Iraqi citizens!

If anything, it is America's moral obligation to repair the Iraqi infratructure Mr. Lee, its called reparations. How we will restore the deceased children to their parents, I don't know - but using your logic, their parents will likely reason - but look at the nice roads the USA built for us!

Martin E. Lee, get psychological help.

JOKER: "Naive maybe but people of Iraq will not soon forget the heart & goodwill of the American soldier." To which I say "A concept most devoutly to be wished." BUT if we are expecting gratitude from the people of Iraq then we are casting our pearls before children. If we are thinking the people of Iraq will appreciate our sacrifice then I fear our 4,000 will have died in vain. We are there for our own agenda and all we can expect from the people of Iraq is the daily question "What have you done for me lately?" The US is responsible for creating this dependency because we have given of ourselves without any expectations. If parents raise their children that way then the nation will suffer a generation that is irresponsible, ungrateful, unproductive and irreverent. And now we cannot undue what we have done in Iraq and we shall suffer the consequences. The cure if there is one has a name: "Tough Love."

I don't really believe that there's any "meaning" to his appointment other than the hope on the part of a failing White House that a good-looking and popular general will help to write a better last chapter of this sorry saga.

Amen and hallelujah Mr. Arkin. These folks had to try to salvage their 7-years of unquestionable failings somehow. Just consider the number of individuals in the Bush administration (and other Bush sycophants) those in and out of office who were disgraced!

And they are leaving the country in recession, at war, with gas, rice, barley... prices at an all time high, a stifling national debt; also, a once sovereign nation occupied, American citizens unemployed (as the elite class got wealthier - their base), mortgage forecloures and citizens who are unable to procure medical treatment - and allies in limbo.

The good thing about most of the characters in this 7-year wrecking crew is that they are far enough along in age that they won't be able to mount another campaign, say thirty or thirty-five years from now.

That was just about how long it took for Cheney, Rumsfool and others from the days of the Nixon Administration and later the Reagan administration to make a combeback and please include Pat Buchan in with the bunch!

And how did it end, as usual with similar lies, killing, war and humiliation?

Their elegy will be as follows: This generation beat their wives & children, bombed and invaded nations, ignored the common good of all people and the rule-of-law; their solution to every problem was to beat or kill someone.

And guess what their solution failed!

The Regional Commander is as much diplomat as warrrior - perhaps even more so.

Dana Priest, a legitimate national security correspondent for the WP, ( http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Dana_Priest) wrote a well researched and insightful book in 2003 ("The Mission: Waging War and Keeping Peace with America's Military") which is worth the read. ("The Mission", along with David Fromkin's "A Peace to End All Peace", may be one of the two most valuable background books today about warfare in Iraq).

Her characterization of the Regional Commanders as "pro consuls" for the empire tracks well with my own experiences working on, and closely with, regional Commander staffs.

An in-depth review of that book can be read at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1316/is_2_35/ai_98829860

I, for one, have some misgivings with a "celebrity General" in the job of a Regional Commander. I don't know Gen P, but hope he is as humble as he is astute. That part of the world has had quite enough American arrogance to last several lifetimes over.

Joker: "We are trying to plant a seed of constitutional government in soil hostile to it."

It helps when our own constitution isn't under attack:

Feds to collect DNA from every person they arrest

You don't have to be a felon anymore... Just federally accused and arrested.

...and in a country which imprisons more people per capita than anyone else in the world... ...that wouldn't be hard...

Or for that matter, just get arrested for peacefully protesting the illegal invasion of Iraq whilst on Federal government property.

Squat on federal land...

There have to be thousands of things that people do every day that violate federal laws.

(Smoke pot on the local post office steps...)

Also consider

racism...

http://razedbywolves.blogspot.com/2008/04/da-feds-to-collect-dna-from-every.html

Cebelis - NO Iraq-Sadam did not invite USA to invade and occupy Iraq. BUT the roads, schools, hospitals, offices we are building now are not to replace whatever we bombed 5 years ago because we rebuilt those long ago. We are building these now as a ruse to win the hearts and minds of a people who do not have the will, the heart, the mind, the bravery to fight for a democracy, a freedom for which they do not hunger. Freedom, republic, progress cannot be taught it must be a natural spring flowing in the hearts of "the tired, the poor, the huddled masses yearning to breath free." If the Iraqi people ever had that yearning they do not have it now. Can it be rekindled? YES but not by an outside occupying army.

Preparing A 2012 Presidential Candidate..., the Republicans don't have a viable candidate now!

I suspect that the Republicans are grooming General Petraeus for far more than top Commander in the Middle East.

Compared to Larry (I don't care about the allies in Old Europe), Curly (I don't care what the American people think) and Moe (all I care about is my base); this man is a synch to become president of the USA in about 4 years, if he continues to distinguish himself as he has been doing - and wants the job.

Has anyone noted that Dick Curly Cheney isn't running, hasn't been drafted and won't be promoted to anything? Anyone wonder why?

Bob Fliegel - Thanks for correction on Joint Chiefs. Even so the next president should direct the Sec of Def to prepare a plan to withdraw troops starting in 90 days, withdraw systematically so by Jan 10, 2010 all but enough to defend the diplomatic mission.

Xeno77777

All that intellectual fiber you are eating has caused diarrhea of the mouth.

Comparing Generals of symmetrical wars with one of asymmetrical warfare is imbecilic.

The standards placed upon the US military is totally unjustified or insanely schizophrenic.

Kill the enemy hiding amongst the population but do not use undue force.
No collateral damaged allowed.
Respect life and don't become a suicidal bomber.
Destroy the enemy but at the same time help rebuild the community.

America should be proud of the soldiers on the ground.

We are trying to plant a seed of constitutional government in soil hostile to it.

Naive maybe but people of Iraq will not soon forget the heart & goodwill of the American soldier.

Forces against liberty and constitutional government are trying to use this as a stepping stone.

The intellectual space & light you enjoy will be taken away along with the sound of your absurd reasoning.

Reason and freedom to believe will be gone.

P.J. Casey: "I think that putting Petraeus in Central Command may be a big mistake. It may create a MacArthur situation when the new President takes charge."

Maybe that's part of the plan...

Here's my Buffalo nickel's worth:

I've always figured these people's (the neofasc... cons, that's the ticket!) game was to break the government and go to the constitutional conservatives saying "Look! You were right! Big government DOESN'T work!" (without indicating they broke it on purpose) and getting them to follow down the rosy path to... umn... ahem... corporatist fascism, soft fascism if you would.

As a send off for an opposing party's presidency (not 100% a sure thing right now) it beats stealing key caps from the presidential offices typewriters, as previous administration had been wont to do, and will cause continuing turmoil and damage to the already beleaguered US government and it's policies even after GW has exiled himself to Paraguay, and Cheney to Dubai.

Let's call a spade a spade here, World War 2 was the kick off for what quite simply might be called a global battle for which corporatist (Fascist) nation would rule the roost. It just happened that one of them was quite easy to finger and focus on as a genocidal murderer.

Anyway, that fascism is coming home to roost now in the form of despotism, what with the Feds saying they're going to DNA swab EVERY federal arrestee.. Guess that means if I get arrested at an anti-war demo in most areas of Washington DC, I'm going to get DNA swabbed and run through the Federal criminal databases.

The 400+ FLDS children...

Just practicing.

Because perfect practice makes for perfect police states.

That's the totalitarian part of industrial fascism in the 21 century new world disorder, and think about ALL the money the Pharma-Industrial complex... Donald Rumsfeld, is gonna make on those swabs?

A MacArthur-like internal military revolt would be another thing that might occur in a fascist state.

They weren't taught about this stuff like "It's ok to rendit and torture people" in grade school during civics classes and at some level, they must hate it, and only be able to rationalize it minimally due to a mis-allocated sense of patriotism.

Amuhamane: "I LIVED IN IRAQ WHEN SADAM RAN IT!!!"

There's nothing worse for PR than a disgruntled customer Amuhamane.

First, let me note, and if you want, I can reference documents which prove early on in his career with the Baathists, and perhaps almost to the end of his reign, that Saddam was OUR BOY, a CIA operative on the order of President Eshevaria (sp?) of Mexico in the 1960s who was a CIA op even as he was the sitting president of his country.

From MY (U.S.) perspective, and NOT the mainstream one, I'd say the US did what Saddam did, to our indigenous people and the communities of color, and that genocide continues.

Even as I type, the state of TexA*S has legally kidnapped 400 children from a group of Mormon fundamentalists... They call them "a cult", as does our media. There are 10,000 of these 'cult' members scattered around the western US. JUst replace the words "Mormon fundamentalists" with Kurd, or any group you'd care to...

When you rail against Saddam Hussein, you rail against US foreign policy (gone awry).

Don't let your head explode...

I think that putting Petraeus in Central Command may be a big mistake. It may create a MacArthur situation when the new President takes charge. It is the business of the President to make policy, and it is the business of Generals to execute that policy. Petraeus may have a vested interest in a policy that doesn't match that of the new President. If their policies do not match, the President will need to fire him. Some in Congress might scream, but whoever is President must have the guts to do it. But, I am worried, because I don't see a Truman in any of these candidates. There needs to be a clear Chain of Command from the Pentagon on down. The Joint Chiefs of Staff have world wide responsibilities. They need the authority to allocate limited resources and supervise Area Commanders. No shortcuts to the President.

I think that putting Petraeus in Central Command may be a big mistake. It may create a MacArthur situation when the new President takes charge. It is the business of the President to make policy, and it is the business of Generals to execute that policy. Petraeus may have a vested interest in a policy that doesn't match that of the new President. If their policies do not match, the President will need to fire him. Some in Congress might scream, but whoever is President must have the guts to do it. But, I am worried, because I don't see a Truman in any of these candidates. There needs to be a clear Chain of Command from the Pentagon on down. The Joint Chiefs of Staff have world wide responsibilities. They need the authority to allocate limited resources and supervise Area Commanders. No shortcuts to the President.

Who was it that said it's easier to win a war than to win the peace? The US hasn't won a "peace" since the Marshall Plan rebuilt most of Europe. Even then DeGaulle and France hated us.

King David. Am I the only one who picked up on the significance of that? Its up there with Dubya's "crusades." Provocative.

Thanks Bill a page right out of "How to win friends and influence people" Will it be Barack or Hillary

Ending the War that killed more Americans than all others put together, the US Civil War of Emmanuel Kant-John Calhoun Followers Rebellion, after he had killed 99% of the Southern Upper Class 2% of Pre-War Southern Males; General William Tecumseh Sherman; and General U. S. Grant and President Abraham Lincoln; were anxious to make peace and prevent a Guerilla War, and granted very generous surrender terms to do so. To deliberately engage the nation into a long lasting and costly Guerilla War is so Foolish, it amounts to High Treason. The Verbal I.Q. of George W. Bush, is 95, just 20 little points or less, higher than Child Killer John Couey. Bush has killed hundreds of thousands of little Iraqi girls, boys, women and men, needlessly. Does not one recognize that he will Go To Hell, and burn forever in the unquenchable flame, or is one a Bible hating Atheist? General Sherman was the Greatest Strategist since Alexander the Great! Lincoln retired many, many Generals like Petraeus, until he found Grant and Sherman, whose strategy held the United States together to help the democracies win WWI, WWII, and the Stalinist Cold War. Having studied Emmanuel Kant at Yale, John C. Calhoun Slandered Blacks as Emmanuel Kant's Radical Evil.After the Civil
War. Northern followers of Kant-Calhoun, trivialized the problem of their acceptance of an Evil, Neo-Platonist Doctrine, as a public relations problem, so renamed it Social Darwinism, and expanded to include those they considered Poor White Trash, everyone with a Net Worth less than the Super Rich, Fifty Million Dollars as of 1989-1990. The Joke is on those Lessor Net Worth's, who are encouraged to accept Social Darwinism, not knowing that the Upper Net Worth]s secretly dispise and look down on them also. Neo-Platonism's basis is the Irrational Allegorical Method, first popularized by Philo, which can use anything to "prove" anything else; having abandoned rationality, has no means of resolving the inevitable disputes that must arise, so must shun, until ready to launch violent surprise attacks; such as 9/11, firing on Fort Sumpter, Huguenot and Jewish Holocausts, the Communist and Fascist Genocides, and the Clinton's approved to go forward Rwanda Massacres, and so on! The reason for the Vietnam and Iraqi Wars, is to burn up a lot of Oil, keep oil prices high, and prevent the US from turning to the Two Controlled Combustion Cycles for No Octane Gasoline and No Cetane Diesel, allowing Automotive Engines, both Gasoline and Diesel, to burn lightly refined engine fue fuels from Small, Cheap Refineries, that produce Twice the Engine Fuel per barrel of oil, as do the wasteful, polluting Global Warming Causing, High Octane and High Cetane Oil Refineries. Half the crude oil for automotive engines, is burnt by the High Octane, High Cetane oil refineries, Over Refining the other half into High Octane Gasoline and High Cetane Diesel. The Texaco Gasoline and the Mann Diesel, Controlled Combustion Cycles, have no Octane and no Cetane requirements, so when fully implemented in the US Automotive Engine inventories, will cut oil for automotive engine fuels in half. Petraeus is disloyal to the US Constitution, with a misplaced loyalty to the Big 4 International Oil Companies,enabling their continued suppression of the Two Controlled Combustion Cycles, the Texaco Gasoline and the Mann Diesel. Petraeus deserves to be retired in disgrace, just as Lincoln did to so many just like Petraeus.

Ending the War that killed more Americans than all others put together, the US Civil War of Emmanuel Kant-John Calhoun Followers Rebellion, after he had killed 99% of the Southern Upper Class 2% of Pre-War Southern Males; General William Tecumseh Sherman; and General U. S. Grant and President Abraham Lincoln; were anxious to make peace and prevent a Guerilla War, and granted very generous surrender terms to do so. To deliberately engage the nation into a long lasting and costly Guerilla War is so Foolish, it amounts to High Treason. The Verbal I.Q. of George W. Bush, is 95, just 20 little points or less, higher than Child Killer John Couey. Bush has killed hundreds of thousands of little Iraqi girls, boys, women and men, needlessly. Does not one recognize that he will Go To Hell, and burn forever in the unquenchable flame, or is one a Bible hating Atheist? General Sherman was the Greatest Strategist since Alexander the Great! Lincoln retired many, many Generals like Petraeus, until he found Grant and Sherman, whose strategy held the United States together to help the democracies win WWI, WWII, and the Stalinist Cold War. Having studied Emmanuel Kant at Yale, John C. Calhoun Slandered Blacks as Emmanuel Kant's Radical Evil.After the Civil
War. Northern followers of Kant-Calhoun, trivialized the problem of their acceptance of an Evil, Neo-Platonist Doctrine, as a public relations problem, so renamed it Social Darwinism, and expanded to include those they considered Poor White Trash, everyone with a Net Worth less than the Super Rich, Fifty Million Dollars as of 1989-1990. The Joke is on those Lessor Net Worth's, who are encouraged to accept Social Darwinism, not knowing that the Upper Net Worth]s secretly dispise and look down on them also. Neo-Platonism's basis is the Irrational Allegorical Method, first popularized by Philo, which can use anything to "prove" anything else; having abandoned rationality, has no means of resolving the inevitable disputes that must arise, so must shun, until ready to launch violent surprise attacks; such as 9/11, firing on Fort Sumpter, Huguenot and Jewish Holocausts, the Communist and Fascist Genocides, and the Clinton's approved to go forward Rwanda Massacres, and so on! The reason for the Vietnam and Iraqi Wars, is to burn up a lot of Oil, keep oil prices high, and prevent the US from turning to the Two Controlled Combustion Cycles for No Octane Gasoline and No Cetane Diesel, allowing Automotive Engines, both Gasoline and Diesel, to burn lightly refined engine fue fuels from Small, Cheap Refineries, that produce Twice the Engine Fuel per barrel of oil, as do the wasteful, polluting Global Warming Causing, High Octane and High Cetane Oil Refineries. Half the crude oil for automotive engines, is burnt by the High Octane, High Cetane oil refineries, Over Refining the other half into High Octane Gasoline and High Cetane Diesel. The Texaco Gasoline and the Mann Diesel, Controlled Combustion Cycles, have no Octane and no Cetane requirements, so when fully implemented in the US Automotive Engine inventories, will cut oil for automotive engine fuels in half. Petraeus is disloyal to the US Constitution, with a misplaced loyalty to the Big 4 International Oil Companies,enabling their continued suppression of the Two Controlled Combustion Cycles, the Texaco Gasoline and the Mann Diesel. Petraeus deserves to be retired in disgrace, just as Lincoln did to so many just like Petraeus.

Ending the War that killed more Americans than all others put together, the US Civil War of Emmanuel Kant-John Calhoun Followers Rebellion, after he had killed 99% of the Southern Upper Class 2% of Pre-War Southern Males; General William Tecumseh Sherman; and General U. S. Grant and President Abraham Lincoln; were anxious to make peace and prevent a Guerilla War, and granted very generous surrender terms to do so. To deliberately engage the nation into a long lasting and costly Guerilla War is so Foolish, it amounts to High Treason. The Verbal I.Q. of George W. Bush, is 95, just 20 little points or less, higher than Child Killer John Couey. Bush has killed hundreds of thousands of little Iraqi girls, boys, women and men, needlessly. Does not one recognize that he will Go To Hell, and burn forever in the unquenchable flame, or is one a Bible hating Atheist? General Sherman was the Greatest Strategist since Alexander the Great; to use Old Army Sargent's Lingo, Petraeus would not make a pimple on the rumps of Sherman, Grant, nor Lincoln. Lincoln retired many, many Generals like Petraeus, until he found Grant and Sherman, whose strategy held the United States together to help the democracies win WWI, WWII, and the Stalinist Cold War. Having studied Emmanuel Kant at Yale, John C. Calhoun Slandered Blacks as Emmanuel Kant's Radical Evil.After the Civil
War. Northern followers of Kant-Calhoun, trivialized the problem of their acceptance of an Evil, Neo-Platonist Doctrine, as a public relations problem, so renamed it Social Darwinism, and expanded to include those they considered Poor White Trash, everyone with a Net Worth less than the Super Rich, Fifty Million Dollars as of 1989-1990. The Joke is on those Lessor Net Worth's, who are encouraged to accept Social Darwinism, not knowing that the Upper Net Worth]s secretly dispise and look down on them also. Neo-Platonism's basis is the Irrational Allegorical Method, first popularized by Philo, which can use anything to "prove" anything else; having abandoned rationality, has no means of resolving the inevitable disputes that must arise, so must shun, until ready to launch violent surprise attacks; such as 9/11, firing on Fort Sumpter, Huguenot and Jewish Holocausts, the Communist and Fascist Genocides, and the Clinton's approved to go forward Rwanda Massacres, and so on! The reason for the Vietnam and Iraqi Wars, is to burn up a lot of Oil, keep oil prices high, and prevent the US from turning to the Two Controlled Combustion Cycles for No Octane Gasoline and No Cetane Diesel, allowing Automotive Engines, both Gasoline and Diesel, to burn lightly refined engine fue fuels from Small, Cheap Refineries, that produce Twice the Engine Fuel per barrel of oil, as do the wasteful, polluting Global Warming Causing, High Octane and High Cetane Oil Refineries. Half the crude oil for automotive engines, is burnt by the High Octane, High Cetane oil refineries, Over Refining the other half into High Octane Gasoline and High Cetane Diesel. The Texaco Gasoline and the Mann Diesel, Controlled Combustion Cycles, have no Octane and no Cetane requirements, so when fully implemented in the US Automotive Engine inventories, will cut oil for automotive engine fuels in half. Petraeus is disloyal to the US Constitution, with a misplaced loyalty to the Big 4 International Oil Companies,enabling their continued suppression of the Two Controlled Combustion Cycles, the Texaco Gasoline and the Mann Diesel. Petraeus deserves to be retired in disgrace, just as Lincoln did to so many just like Petraeus.

Ending the War that killed more Americans than all others put together, the US Civil War of Emmanuel Kant-John Calhoun Followers Rebellion, after he had killed 99% of the Southern Upper Class 2% of Pre-War Southern Males; General William Tecumseh Sherman; and General U. S. Grant and President Abraham Lincoln; were anxious to make peace and prevent a Guerilla War, and granted very generous surrender terms to do so. To deliberately engage the nation into a long lasting and costly Guerilla War is so Foolish, it amounts to High Treason. The Verbal I.Q. of George W. Bush, is 95, just 20 little points or less, higher than Child Killer John Couey. Bush has killed hundreds of thousands of little Iraqi girls, boys, women and men, needlessly. Does not one recognize that he will Go To Hell, and burn forever in the unquenchable flame, or is one a Bible hating Atheist? General Sherman was the Greatest Strategist since Alexander the Great; to use Old Army Sargent's Lingo, Petraeus would not make a pimple on the rumps of Sherman, Grant, nor Lincoln. Lincoln retired many, many Generals like Petraeus, until he found Grant and Sherman, whose strategy held the United States together to help the democracies win WWI, WWII, and the Stalinist Cold War. Having studied Emmanuel Kant at Yale, John C. Calhoun Slanmdered Blacks as Emmanuel Kant's Radical Evil.After the Civil
War. Northern followers of Kant-Calhoun, trivialized the problem of their acceptance of an Evil, Neo-Platonist Doctrine, as a public relations problem, so renamed it Social Darwinism, and expanded to include those they considered Poor White Trash, everyone with a Net Worth less than the Super Rich, Fifty Million Dollars as of 1989-1990. The Joke is on those Lessor Net Worths, who are encouraged to accept Social Darwinism, not knowing that the Upper Net Worths secretly dispise and look down on them also. Neo-Platonism's basis is the Irrational Allegorical Method, first popularized by Philo, which can use anything to "prove" anything else; having abandoned rationality, has no means of resolving the inevitable disputes that must arise, so must shun, until ready to launch violent surprise attacks; such as 9/11, firing on Fort Sumpter, Huguenot and Jewish Holocausts, the Communist and Fascist Genocides, and the Clinton's approved to go forward Rwanda Massacres, and so on! The reason for the Vietnam and Iraqi Wars, is to burn up a lot of Oil, keep oil prices high, and prevent the US from turning to the Two Controlled Combustion Cycles for No Octane Gasoline and No Cetane Diesel, allowing Automotive Engines, both Gasoline and Diesel, to burn lightly refined engine fue fuels from Small, Cheap Refineries, that produece Twice the Engine Fuel per barrel of oil, as do the wasteful, polluting Global Warming Causing, High Octane and High Cetane Oil Refineries. Half the crude oil for automotive engines, is burnt by the High Octane, High Cetane oil refineries, Over Refining the other half into High Octane Gasoline and High Cetane Diesel. The Texaco Gasoline and the Mann Diesel, Controlled Combustion Cycles, have no Octane and no Cetane requirements, so when fully implemented in the US Automotive Engine inventories, will cut oil for automotive engine fuels in half. Petraeus is disloyal to the US Constitution, with a misplaced loyalty to the Big 4 International Oil Companies,enabling their continued suppression of the Two Controlled Combustion Cycles, the Texaco Gasoline and the Mann Diesel. Petraeus deserves to be retired in disgrace, just as Lincoln did to so many just like Petraeus.

Ending the War that killed more Americans than all others put together, the US Civil War of Emmanuel Kant-John Calhoun Followers Rebellion, after he had killed 99% of the Southern Upper Class 2% of Pre-War Southern Males; General William Tecumseh Sherman; and General U. S. Grant and President Abraham Lincoln; were anxious to make peace and prevent a Guerilla War, and granted very generous surrender terms to do so. To deliberately engage the nation into a long lasting and costly Guerilla War is so Foolish, it amounts to High Treason. The Verbal I.Q. of George W. Bush, is 95, just 20 little points or less, higher than Child Killer John Couey. Bush has killed hundreds of thousands of little Iraqi girls, boys, women and men, needlessly. Does not one recognize that he will Go To Hell, and burn forever in the unquenchable flame, or is one a Bible hating Atheist? General Sherman was the Greatest Strategist since Alexander the Great; to use Old Army Sargent's Lingo, Petraeus would not make a pimple on the rumps of Sherman, Grant, nor Lincoln. Lincoln retired many, many Generals like Petraeus, until he found Grant and Sherman, whose strategy held the United States together to help the democracies win WWI, WWII, and the Stalinist Cold War. Having studied Emmanuel Kant at Yale, John C. Calhoun Slanmdered Blacks as Emmanuel Kant's Radical Evil.After the Civil
War. Northern followers of Kant-Calhoun, trivialized the problem of their acceptance of an Evil, Neo-Platonist Doctrine, as a public relations problem, so renamed it Social Darwinism, and expanded to include those they considered Poor White Trash, everyone with a Net Worth less than the Super Rich, Fifty Million Dollars as of 1989-1990. The Joke is on those Lessor Net Worths, who are encouraged to accept Social Darwinism, not knowing that the Upper Net Worths secretly dispise and look down on them also. Neo-Platonism's basis is the Irrational Allegorical Method, first popularized by Philo, which can use anything to "prove" anything else; having abandoned rationality, has no means of resolving the inevitable disputes that must arise, so must shun, until ready to launch violent surprise attacks; such as 9/11, firing on Fort Sumpter, Huguenot and Jewish Holocausts, the Communist and Fascist Genocides, and the Clinton's approved to go forward Rwanda Massacres, and so on! The reason for the Vietnam and Iraqi Wars, is to burn up a lot of Oil, keep oil prices high, and prevent the US from turning to the Two Controlled Combustion Cycles for No Octane Gasoline and No Cetane Diesel, allowing Automotive Engines, both Gasoline and Diesel, to burn lightly refined engine fue fuels from Small, Cheap Refineries, that produece Twice the Engine Fuel per barrel of oil, as do the wasteful, polluting Global Warming Causing, High Octane and High Cetane Oil Refineries. Half the crude oil for automotive engines, is burnt by the High Octane, High Cetane oil refineries, Over Refining the other half into High Octane Gasoline and High Cetane Diesel. The Texaco Gasoline and the Mann Diesel, Controlled Combustion Cycles, have no Octane and no Cetane requirements, so when fully implemented in the US Automotive Engine inventories, will cut oil for automotive engine fuels in half. Petraeus is disloyal to the US Constitution, with a misplaced loyalty to the Big 4 International Oil Companies,enabling their suppression of the Two Controlled Combustion Cycles, the Texaco Gasoline and the Mann Diesel. Petraeus deserves to be retired in disgrace, just as Lincoln did to so many just like Petraeus.

Why are you using a biblical name and acting like George did when he mentioned crusades?
Are you utterly insensitive or deliberately misleading people?
Don't connect religion and war!
Some innocent kids believe they're doing this for God and country instead of for money for Cheney, Halliburton, KGB, GE etc.

1. 1,200,000 Iraqis dead under the American occupation
2. Millions displaced
3. 80,000 'stop-loss' victims -
kids who bought the patriotism/propaganda and signed up
forced to do multiple tours of duty against their will
That's not voluntary.

What does it take to get someone impeached?
Abu Ghraib, torture, 1,200,000 dead not enough?
Really?

Arrest the war profiteers and war mongers.
Arrest BUSH/CHENEY/CONDI/ROVE/ADDINGTON/FEITH/ RUMSFELD/ and all the other greedy, heartless liars.

This country is in a state of diabolical manipulation and criminal denial.

INSANE and spineless politicians,
try to recover a sense of perspective and decency and justice here.

As for this article's value - yeah, you lost me too at 'King David'
SHAME!!!

Mr. Arkin doesn't know much about the culture of the military for a national security writer. To say that no one else wanted the CENTCOM job is just silly. Every 3 or 4-star in the Marines or Army would love to have this major fighting command. This is the job everybody wants, if they are a warfighter!

Mr. Arkin doesn't know much about the culture of the military for a national security writer. To say that no one else wanted the CENTCOM job is just silly. Every 3 or 4-star in the Marines or Army would love to have this major fighting command. This is the job everybody wants, if they are a warfighter!

Steve - FORCING ON THEM!!! Look at what SADAM did. You must be extremely uneducated with the history of the middle east. I have studied the way the middle east has been run for 30 years. (by the way I lived in Iraq for 20 out of those 30 years). Believe me Its better now than when Sadam was in power. I LIVED IN IRAQ WHEN SADAM RAN IT!!!

Ending the War that killed more Americans than all others put together, the US Civil War of Emmanuel Kant-John Calhoun Followers Rebellion, after he had killed 99% of the Southern Upper Class 2% of Pre-War Southern Males; General William Tecumseh Sherman, General U. S. Grant and President Abraham Lincoln were anxious to make peace and prevent a Guerilla War, and granted very generous surrender terms to do so. To deliberately engage the nation into a long lasting and costly Guerilla War is so Foolish, it amounts to High Treason. The Verbal I.Q. of George W. Bush, is 95, just 20 little points or less, higher than Child Killer John Couey. Bush has killed hundreds of thousands of little Iraqi girls, boys, women and men, needlessly. Does not one recognize that he will Go To Hell, and burn forever in the unquenchable flame, or is one a Bible hating Atheist? General Sherman was the Greatest Strategist since Alexander the Great; to use Old Army Sargent's Lingo, Petraeus would not make a pimple on the rumps of Sherman, Grant, nor Lincoln. Lincoln retired many, many Generals like Petraeus, until he found Grant and Sherman, whose strategy held the United States together to help the democracies win WWI, WWII, and the Stalinist Cold War. Having studied Emmanuel Kant at Yale, John C. Calhoun Slanmdered Blacks as Emmanuel Kant's Radical Evil.After the Civil
War. Northern followers of Kant-Calhoun, trivialized the problem of their acceptance of an Evil, Neo-Platonist Doctrine, as a public relations problem, so renamed it Social Darwinism, and expanded to include those they considered Poor White Trash, everyone with a Net Worth less than the Super Rich, Fifty Million Dollars as of 1989-1990. The Joke is on those Lessor Net Worths, who are encouraged to accept Social Darwinism, not knowing that the Upper Net Worths secretly dispise and look down on them also. Neo-Platonism's basis is the Irrational Allegorical Method, first popularized by Philo, which can use anything to "prove" anything else; having abandoned rationality, has no means of resolving the inevitable disputes that must arise, so must shun, until ready to launch violent surprise attacks; such as 9/11, firing on Fort Sumpter, Huguenot and Jewish Holocausts, the Communist and Fascist Genocides, and the Clinton's approved to go forward Rwanda Massacres, and so on! The reason for the Vietnam and Iraqi Wars, is to burn up a lot of Oil, keep oil prices high, and prevent the US from turning to the Two Controlled Combustion Cycles for No Octane Gasoline and No Cetane Diesel, allowing Automotive Engines, both Gasoline and Diesel, to burn lightly refined engine fue fuels from Small, Cheap Refineries, that produece Twice the Engine Fuel per barrel of oil, as do the wasteful, polluting Global Warming Causing, High Octane and High Cetane Oil Refineries. Half the crude oil for automotive engines, is burnt by the High Octane, High Cetane oil refineries, Over Refining the other half into High Octane Gasoline and High Cetane Diesel. The Texaco Gasoline and the Mann Diesel, Controlled Combustion Cycles, have no Octane and no Cetane requirements, so when fully implemented in the US Automotive Engine inventories, will cut oil for automotive engine fuels in half. Petraeus is disloyal to the US Constitution, with a misplaced loyalty to the Big 4 International Oil Companies,enabling their suppression of the Two Controlled Combustion Cycles, the Texaco Gasoline and the Mann Diesel. Petraeus deserves to be retire in disgracem, as Lincoln did to so many just like Petraeus.

Why are you using a biblical name like George did when he mentioned crusades?
Are you utterly insensitive or deliberately misleading people?
Don't connect religion and war!
Some innocent kids believe they're doing this for God and country instead of for money for Cheney, Halliburton, KGB, GE etc.
1. 1,200,000 Iraqis dead under the American occupation
2. Millions displaced
3. 80,000 'stop-loss' victims -
kids who bought the patriotism/propaganda and signed up forced to do multiple tours of duty against their will
That's not voluntary.

What does it take to get someone impeached?
Abu Ghraib, torture, 1,200,000 dead not enough?
Really?

Arrest the war profiteers and war mongers.
Arrest BUSH/CHENEY/CONDI/ROVE/ADDINGTON/FEITH/ RUMSFELD/ and all the other greedy, heartless liars.

This country is in a state of diabolical manipulation and criminal denial to judge by the media.

INSANE and spineless politicians,
try to recover a sense of perspective and decency and justice here.

As for this article's value - yeah, you lost me too at 'King David'
SHAME!!!

Arkin already has his "Welcome Taliban Overlords" poster ready. Quisling is a label that comes to mind.

"King David"? Only the Post would pay you for this type of commentary.

DWIGHT DAVIS - I would have to disagree!
I Know for a FACT that world domination can still be had. The fact is if America was to promote the expansion of Isreal to the highest degree as well as establish a new government in Iraq with US Intrests (which by force is very easily achievable)then the oil could be devided with the US and Iraq. Under the United States government control of the oil gas prices would then drop dramatically. After that its simple. Half of the territory that was taken over by Isreal would then be divided with America for United States agricultural purposes. Step three would be to secure ties with china by giving them a stake in the oil that we claim in the middle east. To make a long story short there are still many methods the United States could use to become the next permanent ROME and let me tell you my friend NO ONE COULD STOP US!

Stand Up/Stand Down
VERY well put by Mr. Lee. Couldn't agree more.

You warmongers need a new tagline. The tired, "we fight to protect our nation" and "we fight there so we don't have to fight here" bullcrap is running thin. It reminds me of the amulet I wear around my neck to ward off tiger attack. It works, I haven't been attacked by a tiger since I put it on. Oh course tigers don't roam in San Diego, but never mind, just as your reasoning is that invading a country that hadn't and couldn't harm us is good dipolmacy, my amulet is just being wise.

I agree with a lot of what is said in this article. I mean, basically, the main reason Fallon "retired" is because he's not just a yes man willing to fight for an unworthy cause. And to all of you that fly blindly behind your college frat boy of a President, wake the hell up. Think about your own personal morals and ask yourself if innocent people deserve what we are forcing on them.

wow. I mean WOW. Pathetic absolutly pathetic. I don't know why the Post has him. I know its an editorial, but usually they have to pass certain standards. Mostly...not being full of bull. Man. This may be the worst thing I have read in a long time.

And about this thing on Iran. WE dont need to nuke. If Iran starts down that road, Israel will do it for us. If they will invade airspace to stop a nuclear reactor, they will preemptivly nuke to stop an attack on themselves.

Finally I wish to state my dissapointment with those who say Bin Laden has won, or that we have lost. I would also like to know where you get you awesome knowledge and ability to read the future from, cause I've got a lottery ticket burning a hole in my pocket. If you know so much about what is going on over there, and whether or not we've won, with you're willingness to share, surely you can help me win the lotto

Anyone? Bueller?

Petraeus isn't my king!

Petraeus is a STOOGE, at best!

Hail Ahmadinejad!

GOVNN.COM

Conservatives viewing evidence and reason as having bias is becoming a proverb!
Arkin doesn't even float that much conjecture, but rather has presented a history of readily verifiable points. Notice that an informed analysis provoking such comments as Arkin's, suggests there might be something to it!

I'd also like to point out that our ongoing, 5-year victory in Iraq necessitated the deployment of an extra 40K troops in its fourth year. This surge was such a complete sucess, that we can't draw down as early as planned, and the most glowing results are "fragile and reverseable".

There is no military solution to Iraq. What a mess this world is in! To the Iran protagonists: You must be in complete isolation in white suburbia if you think that America can bomb Iran and that Islam will bend over for you. That would drive them in a bigger state of desperation.

The United States is NOT a system of government which either acknowledges or conforms to titles of monarchy anywhere within its legislative, judicial, or executive functions. Though a U.S. citizen and not subject to monarchy rule, my genetic chronology descends from the ancient lines of King David. Don't you dare de-class my history with this hog mire!

Mr. Arkin seems tired of the war and bereft of understanding and respect for civilian/military command.

The body/ spirit and possibly the soul of American is or has been attacked.

The defense of our liberty is a constant struggle both internal & external.

The military and civilian appartus so constructed has chosen a different approach to the Middle East.

A change in parties and/or leadership does not change the fact that elements external to the U.S. plan us harm.

A change in U.S. foreign policy may change how other people THINK of us but not how they act toward us.

The military is a force of will just as a theocratic people. In a theocracy power is not shared with women or reason.

Be happy we are in a dfferent place. And defend it. Count your blessings that you are able to critize so easily.

Cheer up but don't lose your mind, foresight & wisdom.

November won't change the important things but wars usually have lasting effects good or bad.

The soldiers are our best diplomats.

Gee Bill I can see that you have been to a
real war zone in the middle East....
Question is- Do you want terrorism on our soil or thiers ? David knows what he is doing, We are to nice to nuke the area but we do have convencial stuff that will do the trick

A question for Martin E. Lee

Did Iraq ask for the United States to go and destroy their roads, schools and hospitals?

If they did, I bet they like US Dollars A LOT and The UNITED STATES don't mind to give away some.

This crappy little blog makes me think more about the wild challenges that journalism faces rather than the sneering content on the page. Continuing in the tradition of Woodward and Bernstein, WP brings you the snotty comments of advocacy lightweights like Mr. Arkin. This is good journalism? This is speaking truth to power? This is the public good?

WP is playing it like American Idol where the editors are Simon, Randy, and Paula and the contributors are the contestants. WP is racing to the bottom and offering up the performance from anyone who shows up at auditions.

It isn't journalism and it isn't good.

This article is ridiculus. General Patraeus has done an unbelievable job in Iraq and all this liberal snob can do is mock and belittle his accomplishment. This guy will never do anything more substantial than writing dumb editorials like these and he feels he is worthy to look down on other people. Unbelievable.

I really am surprised somebody actually pays you to write this drivel. The Post really needs to drop you like a bad habit.

You lost me at "King David".

Regardless of who gets the post or what they do it was a monumental blunder to go to Iraq. Let's face it Zawahiri and his sidekick Bin Ladin were completely accurate about their assessment of us. "Arrogant and blind". They couldn't have been luckier in their timing. With a Bush as president and a Rummy for a sidekick. I recall the earlier days of his press conferences when with complete disdain and arrogance Rummy assessed the opposition as "dead enders". Where the hell did he come up with that term? Eastside comedy?

Bin Ladin has won. He has defeated the US profoundly and completely humiliated this nation and show us for what we really are arrogant and deadly bullies.

Our economy is in shambles, 2.4 trillion dollars spent for a war that was started by Bin Ladin for couple of thousand. Gasoline prices through the roof, cost of living a nightmare, housing in the toilet and the one candidate that had a clue Ron Paul made a mockery off. A clueless McCaine for the retards as a candidate, and Hilary Clinton, and Obama Change whatever that means on the opposing side. We are definitely in a sorry state regardless of Petraeus.

So what do we do. We are still trying to spin like we have won, a winner in Petraeus so I agree with you meaningless.

sd

Re Martin Lee's comment about the chain of command, the Joint Chiefs of Staff are not part of that operational chain. Authority flows from the president and through the SECDEF to the unified combatant commander, in this case CENTCOM.

I would have to agree with JGIBS. No matter what people think a nuclear strike on Iran would be a most terrible thing but I dont think that any other country would try and retaliate against us. I also think that if it got to that level of conflict that we would just take what we needed in oil by force.

It's loaded with your own opinion, but William, that's a d@mned fine writing style you've got yourself.

Gen. Betraeus???

President Bush has an Iraq plan: "As they stand up we will stand down." SO They will never "stand up" because the Iraqi people - leaders and voters - want US dollars and US protection so they have no incentive to "stand up." If we leave then we stop using US dollars to build their roads, their schools, their hospitals. If I say to my 25 year old son "I will pay your rent, food, car while you look for a job but as soon as you get a job ("stand up") I will stop ("stand down") supporting you." How long do you think it will take for my son to get a job. It doesn't take a four star general to see that "stand up-stand down" will never work because it fosters dependence. We must force independence. Gen Pretraeus wants to be Chairman of the Joint Chiefs so he must obey orders, so he can keep his job so the next president will appoint him Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.

Phrase your comments correctly please:

"A U.S. nuclear strike..." should be "A NEOCON nuclear strike..."

"the might of the United States..." should be "the might of the NEOCON agenda..."

Murdering innocent people and stealing their oil fields is definitely NOT my agenda.

Those that posulate that instilling fear in the Middle East through a low-yeild or other non-conventional means toward Iran are missing one fact. The fact, is that is always intellectually gratifying to some to be couch commanders, yet in the real theater of combat all formulas of success are of questionable outcome.
Iraq and Afganistan are recent examples of intellectual combat and invasion built on intellectual masterbation on a seriously complex set of real life conditions.
War or the fear of war can unlease conditions on a regional and geopolitical level that can unlease an horrific and far reaching destablizing set of conditions worldwide. A set of conditions that may destroy the author of the attack. The world is now a global interconnected organism. There are no Super-Powers, Roman Empires, but a gobal connected economic alliance of markets that no longer can be controlled by military hillbillism.
Get a competitive edge by talking to your socalled enemy. Its cheaper and my even keep you from destroying yourself.

Draft 2 million men. Invade Iran. Surround and blockade Pakistan to give up its nukes. As long we don't have a ground supply line to Afghanistan that we control, Pakistan and Iran think our forces in Afghanistan are hostages. Both use that to build their nuclear capacity.

Pakistan was in on the terrorism from the Aug 98 embassy bombings to present. So was Saudi Arabia. Wake up to the war we are fighting. Iraq was no more the end than Iow Jima. Iraq is just a base to help us defeat our enemy.

Do you think that General Petraeus would ever think of performing a nuclear attack on Iran??? If so I honestly think that All the countrys of the world would go into shock. I dont think anyone would try to defy the USA for a long long time.

==A U.S. nuclear strike on Iran would show the entire Muslim world that it is useless to resist America's will. Neocons say that even the most fanatical terrorists would realize the hopelessness of resisting U.S. hegemony. The vast multitude of Muslims would realize that they have no recourse but to accept their fate.In fact a revised U.S. war doctrine concludes that tactical or low-yield nuclear weapons cause relatively little "collateral damage" or civilian deaths, while achieving a powerful intimidating effect on the enemy. The "fear factor" will dishearten the enemy and shorten the conflict.==

I will make a wild guess - you go to church every Sunday, think that "Gay Agenda" is the biggest national threat since communism and consider Jesus to be your "personal savior".

King of what? The remnants of the invasion and destruction of another country? An occupation with no end in sight? Setting up a "war" in another country so thousands of our countrymen and tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of their civilians can die needlessly?

After years of Nothing Accomplished, we get the "surge". Now the "surge" has become the "pause". Which actually makes the surge a long term troop increase, which actually reflects the advice of many military and non military experts over the last 5 years.

We know that the only Generals that the Bush administration will put up with are those who toe the line and give the correct canned answers to the Congress and the public. I have not seen any difference, in tactics or accountability, in Gen.Petraeus.

So go ahead, hang onto your dreams of past conquests and the American ideal.

Others choose to deal in the real world.

' Trust me? ' Are you real?

Generals must follow their chain of command and Central Command must follow the Joint Chiefs and Joint Chiefs must follow their Commander in Chief President Bush and President Bush will not withdraw. Gen Petraeus is bright and smooth and he can have his own ideas but he must follow orders. Adm Fallon had his own ideas and he advanced those ideas but to his own peril. SO The only way for the US to reduce troop numbers in Iraq is for the next president to direct the Joint Chiefs to prepare a plan for systematic withdrawals, for the withdrawals to begin in 90 days, for the withdrawals to be not less than a certain number of troops each month, and for the final number of troops that will remain in Iraq to be only enough to protect the diplomatic mission in the country.

There is nothing the military can do to win in Iraq. There are too many groups that are bound and determined to kill each other. Our troops are just an obstacle between them.

The Pentegon has plans to withdraw and plans to remain. It's up to the next President to make the choice.

nice propaganda chode smocker

What does CENTCOM have to do with formulating policy towards IRAN? The military, even the 4 star types, do not decide national strategy.

The military is civilian run. CENTCOM can only provide orders for operations the President has already approved.

Promotion for Petraeus makes sense: the President was in a jam, he asked Petraeus to fix it, and he did. Solving problems for your seniors gets military officers promotions at any rank. He's not a King, he's just a soldier following orders well. We should expect no more from our military than that.

A U.S. nuclear strike on Iran would show the entire Muslim world that it is useless to resist America's will. Neocons say that even the most fanatical terrorists would realize the hopelessness of resisting U.S. hegemony. The vast multitude of Muslims would realize that they have no recourse but to accept their fate.In fact a revised U.S. war doctrine concludes that tactical or low-yield nuclear weapons cause relatively little "collateral damage" or civilian deaths, while achieving a powerful intimidating effect on the enemy. The "fear factor" will dishearten the enemy and shorten the conflict.

I guess Bill Arkin doesn't have an opinion on Zinni.

I'd personally support Zinni over the ones Arkin choose to comment on.

haha the new Rome. Remember what happened to Rome.

I believe that a nuclear attack on Iran would have intimidating force throughout the Middle East and beyond. Iran would not dare retaliate against U.S. ships, U.S. troops in Iraq, or use their missiles against oil facilities in the Middle East.
I have also concluded that a U.S. nuclear strike on Iran would show the entire Muslim world that it is useless to resist America's will. I say that even the most fanatical terrorists would realize the hopelessness of resisting U.S. hegemony. The vast multitude of Muslims would realize that they have no recourse but to accept their fate.By the way Revised U.S. war doctrine concludes that tactical or low-yield nuclear weapons cause relatively little "collateral damage" or civilian deaths, while achieving a powerful intimidating effect on the enemy. The "fear factor" would disheartens the enemy and shorten the conflict. America is the new Rome, only more powerful than Rome. We genuinely believe that no one can withstand the might of the United States and that America can rule by force alone.

Small men always resent, well, MEN. It's amazing Arkin assigns "being careful" as a qualification for becoming a four-star general. Taking over the Iraq operation with the promise that Petraeus' counter-insurgency tact will work - the man's name was on the plan - is hardly at all "careful". What a shame that an army of such tiny men like Arkin have the propaganda-power to subvert the greatest army the world has ever seen. God forbid, Bill, that we might succeed over there. Wouldn't that just suck having to acknowledge improvements in Iraq over Pinot Grigio at your neck Soho salon gathering. General Betrayus really is just a conniving politico after all.

Knows his history...
Good analytical mind
Perhaps a bit too sceptical.
If not he should be writing some revisionist story for NYT liberals.

Get a life

a U.S. nuclear strike on Iran would show the entire Muslim world that it is useless to resist America's will. I say that even the most fanatical terrorists would realize the hopelessness of resisting U.S. hegemony. The vast multitude of Muslims would realize that they have no recourse but to accept their fate. Revised U.S. war doctrine concludes that tactical or low-yield nuclear weapons cause relatively little "collateral damage" or civilian deaths, while achieving a powerful intimidating effect on the enemy. The "fear factor" disheartens the enemy and shortens the conflict. America is the new Rome, only more powerful than Rome. I genuinely believe that no one can withstand the might of the United States and that America can rule by force alone.

Adm. Fallon was purged to make way for the boss's favorite.

http://www.gopcatholics.blogspot.com

Bryan - your thoughts echoed! Petraeus seems to have the midas touch, with the help of diplomacy and tact. As far as Iran, we can make a bad decision, or a worse decision. Not a lot of good decisions right now. These are different times. Hey Arkin - it's easy to be a pessimist! Anyone can do that.

Can't think of a better man in Command than David Petraeus, and he is a hero for many reasons to Our Troops, The Iraqi People looking for the day of real freedom to live and to America. Mr. W. Arkin you do sound very negative in a growing positive outcome, sorry for you. Sometime when you have a few minutes watch a few reports from The Heritage Foundation instead of being critical. Could I ask what you have done for Victory in Iraq and Afghanistan lately? Go David! God Bless Our Troops, really.... America the real one I grew up in, is behind you. My opinion on the news media reporting of the most difficult assignment Our Troops have had in years. STILL Free in America.

Considering how you railed against General Boykin for framing America's conflict in the Middle East in religious terms, it seems curious that you now refer to General Petraeus in a way that draw parallels to the second King of Israel.

One might question your agenda.

Mr. Arkin is undoubtly one of the most biased national security writers I have ever read. It is evident from the title of the piece that no General can do right where he is concerned. If a new president changes the policy of Bush then General Petraeus will get the last two words "Yes Sir" and implement the policy as he is directed to do. Either that or he will resign. I am truely disgusted with this type of article. Stick to facts and keep your "personal" bias out of the paper.

Ditto:
Bitter, venemous, vapid, transparent,...jealous?

Truly... you are laughable. Do you get paid for writing such tripe?

Bitter, venemous, vapid, transparent,...jealous?

We encourage users to analyze, comment on and even challenge washingtonpost.com's articles, blogs, reviews and multimedia features.

User reviews and comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions.