By Larry Johnson
http://www.tpmcafe.com/node/27552
So, is there a civil war in Iraq? Let's ask the Generals.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, "Perfect" Peter Pace (a moniker bestowed on him by his superiors in the Marine Corps) says things are swell. When asked by Tim Russert how Iraq was doing Pace responded:
QUOTE
I’d say they’re going well. I wouldn’t put a great big smiley face on it, but I would say they’re going very, very well from everything you look at, whether it be on the political side where they’ve had three elections, they’ve written their own constitution, they’re forming their government. You look at the military side where this time last year there were just a handful of battalions in the field, Iraqi battalions in the field. Now there are over 100 battalions in the field. They had no brigades—that’s about 3,000 men each. Now they’ve got about 31 brigades. No matter where you look at their military, their police, their society, things are much better this year than they were last.
OK. Good start. Let's ask Iraqi General, Maj. Gen. Mubdar Hatim Hazya al-Dulaimi, the top commander of the Iraqi army division in Baghdad, what he thinks. General, wazz up?
Whoops! Sorry folks, the General is unavailable.
It seems the good General was killed in an ambush Monday when his car came under small-arms fire while traveling through Baghdad. Well, I am sure that if General Dulaimi was still alive he'd agree with Perfect Peter that things are, well, perfect.
Meanwhile, back in beautiful, peaceful, non-civil war Baghdad on Monday, according to the Washington Post:
QUOTE
At least four car bombs exploded, killing four people and injuring 24, police said. Another four people were killed and 10 wounded when three car bombs detonated in the town of Mahmudiyah, about 15 miles south of the capital, security officials said.
In the worst attack of the day, seven people, including five children, were killed and 17 were injured when a car bomb exploded in a crowded market in central Baqubah, about 35 miles northeast of Baghdad, police said.
In the worst attack of the day, seven people, including five children, were killed and 17 were injured when a car bomb exploded in a crowded market in central Baqubah, about 35 miles northeast of Baghdad, police said.
Could it be that our old friend, Baghdad Bob, has been brought back as an advisor to the US Joint Chiefs of Staff? What else could explain such delusional nonsense. No Civil War? My ass!!
Actually, my ass is not on the line. But, over 100,000 of our brave sons and daughters are in harms way and led by a man who thinks things are going great. They are bleeding and dying while Perfect Peter Pace sits in his perfect world saying perfectly preposterous things. General. Up for a walk about in Baghdad sans body armor? If not, shut the hell up!
