Taliban, Iraqi Sunnis – Apples, Oranges

What I’m reading about President Barack Obama’s latest pronouncements on turning the tide in the war in Afghanistan makes me uneasy.

There is no doubt that U.S. and NATO fortunes have backslid in Afghanistan, through no fault of our troops on the ground – there just haven’t been enough to pursue any of a number of strategies effectively.  We also know that in many respects the “surge” in Iraq worked to some effect in that war.  The surge was not just about troops, it was also about effective counterinsurgency policy and tactics.  One of those tactics was to co-opt Sunni tribal elders and their followers who had fallen in line with al-Qaeda in Iraq.

Now, as if Afghanistan is just like Iraq, we’re going to surge there as well.  More troops makes sense if those troops are protecting civilians and not leaving them prey to the Taliban.  More troops make sense if we are capturing or killing Taliban.  Paying off Taliban in the way we worked with Sunni leaders in Iraq is a suckers bet, however.

Too many Americans view the Islamic world through a single lens ground from the images of 9/11 and the Bush war on terror.  In this view all muslims are sixth century throwbacks who routinely take to the streets and chant death to America.

The truth is that most muslims want the same things most of us want – peace, prosperity, liberty.  Another part of the truth is that there is a very vocal, in your face segment of Islam, who are grounded in a medieval view of the world.  They are inherently evil.  Their most apparent incarnation is in the Taliban and al-Qaeda.

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Full Text: President Barack Obama Speech Camp Lejeune – Ending the War in Iraq

(Source: White House Press Office)

Remarks of President Barack Obama – As Prepared for Delivery
Responsibly Ending the War in Iraq
Camp Lejeune, North Carolina
Friday, February 27, 2009

Good morning Marines. Good morning Camp Lejeune. Good morning Jacksonville. Thank you for that outstanding welcome. I want to thank Lieutenant General Hejlik for hosting me here today.

I also want to acknowledge all of our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. That includes the Camp Lejeune Marines now serving with – or soon joining – the Second Marine Expeditionary Force in Iraq; those with Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force in Afghanistan; and those among the 8,000 Marines who are preparing to deploy to Afghanistan. We have you in our prayers. We pay tribute to your service. We thank you and your families for all that you do for America. And I want all of you to know that there is no higher honor or greater responsibility than serving as your Commander-in-Chief.

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Obama Administration Will Allow News Media to Cover Return of the Dead from Iraq/Afghanistan

Being reported by POTUS on Sirrius/XM.  Look for Def Secy Gates briefing later today.  With this move and honestly funding the entire cost of Iraq in the next budget, we’re seeing the veil of lies and secrecy being lifted from the Iraq War.

Obama may be set to announce combat troop withdrawal from Iraq over next 19 months

During the campaign, President Barack Obama talked about an end to combat operations in Iraq within a sixteen month timeframe of his taking office.  Reports tonight from the media, including this one from the Washington Post, are saying the U.S. troop withdrawal may end up on a 19 month timetable.

I was a little surprised to hear a little disappointment from Rachel Maddow tonight on MSNBC over taking an additional three months to extricate our war fighters from Iraq.  She said there could be some outcry from anti-war liberals.  Why?

Three additional months is not much time when measured against a war that is now nearly six years old.  You can’t expect Obama to be bound by a candidate’s promise when this is ultimately a decision which can be made only by a president – with presidential information.  Three additional months is hardly an about face on a promise.

There are lots of us who believe the Iraqi war was folly, but believe it would be doubly so to leave the innocent people in Iraq – for whom we’ve created a climate of danger and instability – left completely in a lawless vacuum created by a hasty withdrawal.

From the Post:

President Obama is expected to announce as early as Friday that he will remove all U.S. combat troops from Iraq by August 2010, three months later than promised during his campaign, U.S. officials said.

Obama has not made a final decision on the matter, but it could come during a trip to give a speech in North Carolina on Friday, the officials said. …

… There are about 142,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, including 14 combat brigades of about 4,000 troops each and tens of thousands of support forces. The Obama withdrawal plan would leave a residual force of as many as 50,000 support troops that would advise Iraqi forces and perform other security missions, the officials said.

President Obama: Day One News Roundup

• On First Day, Obama Quickly Sets Tone – New York Times
• Obama halts prosecutions at Guantanamo – New York Times
• Oath administered once again – New York Times
• Clinton approved, Holder delayed – New York Times
• Obama: New era of openness – Washington Post
• Lobbying rules tightened – Washington Post
• Guantanamo closure faces hurdles – Washington Post
• Inauguration head count: 1.8 million – Washington Post
• Obama asks Pentagon for responsible Iraq drawdown – Associated Press

Transcript: Rahm Emanuel on Meet the Press, January 18, 2009

(Source: NBC’s Meet the Press)

MR. DAVID GREGORY:  Our issues this Sunday:  the transition ceremonies are under way, and in just two days the historic inauguration of Barack Obama as our nation’s 44th president.  He’ll inherit a country in economic turmoil, an ongoing multifront war on terror and renewed violence in the Middle East. What will be his first priority?  And is he already facing his first fight on the Hill, as Democrats and Republicans clash over a proposed stimulus package?

(Videotape)

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH):  Oh, my God.  I don’t even–my notes here say that I’m disappointed.  I just can’t tell you how shocked I am at what we’re seeing.

(End videotape)

MR. GREGORY:  Will Mr. Obama be able to find a bipartisan solution?

Plus, a bump on the road to the Cabinet; Obama’s Treasury pick admits a taxing mistake.  What could this mean for the nomination of Timothy Geithner?  This morning, an exclusive interview with the man who will be by Obama’s side in the office:  the gatekeeper of the president, incoming White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

Then, Inauguration Day will be a time of great significance in this country. How will Mr. Obama capture the moment?  And will his presidency be able to live up to the high expectations?  Insights and analysis from our special roundtable:  NBC News special correspondent Tom Brokaw; columnist for The New York Times David Brooks; presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin; host of PBS’ “Tavis Smiley” and PRI’s “The Tavis Smiley Show,” Tavis Smiley; and NBC News political director and chief White House correspondent Chuck Todd.

But first, incoming White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

Welcome back to MEET THE PRESS.  As we look forward to an historic day, Inauguration Day and the inaugural address, the president-elect has spoken about the need to capture the moment that Americans are in.  What does he want to say on Tuesday?

MR. RAHM EMANUEL:  Well, I, I don’t–at one level, I don’t think it’s different than what you’ve heard over the campaign.  On the other hand, it’s a–the inaugural and the inaugural address is something significant in American history and its culture.  I think the–what you will hear is a time and a place in which we all have an era of responsibility, that too long there’s been a culture of anything goes, and that to do what we need to do as a country, to, to regain America’s greatness and continue to move forward and be an example around the world, that we need that culture of responsibility not just to be asked of the American people, but that its leaders must also lead by example.  And so that for–in both business, in the corporate boardroom, to in government offices, that there has been a culture of–that anything goes and is permissible, and that we want–must once again restore a values system that respects and honors a sense of responsibility, and that we all have something to give to our country and have an obligation to do that, to return it to its greatness.

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Axelrod: Obama to Issue ‘Out of Iraq Order’ on Wednesday

Today on ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopolous, Obama senior advisor David Axelrod said the President-elect will officially direct the Defense Department to begin the process of extracting the U.S. from the Iraqi adventure.

I would embed the video, but ABC does not support such technology.  You can watch Axelrod here.

U.S. Leaflets Promised Iraqis Enjoyment, Stability

If you’ve never been to the Memory Hole, go check it out and prepare to lose an hour or two.  I check in there about once every three or four months and there is usually plenty of new material.  The site’s founder and editor, Russ Kick, says the following in the site’s statement of purpose: “The Memory Hole exists to preserve and spread material that is in danger of being lost, is hard to find, or is not widely known.”  This includes tons of government and corporate documents – the kind of stuff the powerwigs would rather you not know.  Below is a copy of one of the flyers dropped over Iraq during the U.S. invasion in 2003.  It was part of a Freedom of Information Act response by the Defense Department.

Ohio Newsbreak – December 26

• Strickland has cuts, reforms on agenda – Toledo Blade
• Gun sales up over fear of Obama led crackdown – Dayton Daily News
• Justice had more Ohio votes than Obama – Dayton Daily News
• Retail experts predict more closings, layoffs for 2009 – The Plain Dealer
• ODJFS foster child tracking system fully online – The Plain Dealer
• Progress for a Medical Mart in Cleveland still a mystery – The Plain Dealer
• Misuse of campaign funds hard to prove – Columbus Dispatch
• Rejected ballots get sorted out – Columbus Dispatch
• Dann’s office benefited family – Columbus Dispatch
• Ohio guardsmen get Iraq call – Cincinnati Enquirer

U.S. Sunday Papers | December 21

Los Angeles Times

• ‘Lethal Warriors’ in Iraq, linked to string of crimes back home
• Obama ups the ante on economic stimulus
• Op-Ed, Doyle McManus: Obama must spend wisely

New York Times

• Obama expands recovery plans
• Economy tests Obama’s vision of energy efficient auto industry
• White House philosophy stoked mortgage bonfire
• Russian push on treason raises fears
• Canada agrees to its own auto bailout
• Ambush raises unsettling questions in Afghanistan
• Op-Ed, Alan Blinder: Missing the Mark with $700 Billion
• Op-Ed, Tom Friedman: China to the Rescue? Not!
• Op-Ed, Olivier Roy & Justin Vaisse: Winning Islam Over

Washington Post

• Obama expands stimulus goals
• Extradition of terror suspects founders
• Tiny state, huge pain
• U.S. might double Afghanistan force
• Will executive pay packages get slashed?
• Op-Ed, Leonard Downie Jr.: Could we uncover Watergate today?
• Op-Ed, George Will: Executive powerplay makes Congress moot
  

The Significance of Shoe Throwing and the Bush Foreign Policy Bottom

I woke up from a nap today and my wife told me that an Iraqi journalist threw his shoes at President George W. Bush today in Baghdad.

Admittedly, I think Bush has been a fool and he and his administration (ie. DICK Cheney) seemed to have dropped the tranny while the car was in reverse early in his first term.  This topic has been covered here before, and frankly, I’m bored with it.  This shoe throwing, however, deserves some attention.

If you spend any great amount of time outside of the 50-state strip mall we call America, and you’re not a jerk, you’ll pay attention to the cultural mores and taboos of the regions you visit and attempt to conform so as not to piss off the locals.  Eleven years ago I had the opportunity to spend some time in the Persian Gulf region.  I learned that one should mind their feet in the Arab world.

Well into my pints and having a grand time chatting with a Saudi businessman in a Bahraini hotel lounge, this big Arab guy was suddenly looming over me in my overstuffed leather chair, glaring.  My new friend got a flash of “Houston, we have a problem …” in his eyes and nodded toward my crossed leg and right foot propped up on my knee.

I instantly knew I had offended Big Arab Guy – he had sat down in a chair that left the sole of my right foot pointing at him.  I apologized in Arabic, put my foot down, apologized again and Big Arab Guy exchanged some quick words with the Saudi and returned to his seat.

I told my new friend sorry, and he shrugged it off. 

The point is, many Arab men can get their dander up pretty easy over points of honor or respect that wouldn’t even register here.  But feet — those are a level one violation.  The soles of one’s feet are thought by Arabs and many Muslims to be the dirtiest part of the body.  When you enter a mosque, the first thing you do is remove your shoes and socks and wash your feet.  Showing the soles of your feet is considered a grave sign of disrespect.

What Bush got today was the amped up version — you remove your shoes and slap someone with them.  In the case of U.S. heads of state with Secret Service protection, throwing your kicks at the prez will do just fine.

In any event, today’s shoe throwing is Bush’s official foreign policy bottom.  What should have been a quick PR trip to surreptitiously declare “Mission Accomplished” one more time before he leaves office will now be remembered for the shoe throwing incident.

Today I didn’t gloat over Bush getting what he deserves.  I genuinely felt a momentary pit in my stomach.  My how we’ve screwed things up so badly that a President of the United States would be shamed in such a profound way.  The Bushies probably don’t even realize what a low point this was today.

Video: Iraqi Journalist Throws Shoes at Bush

For a little perspective on this incident, see this post.

Sunday Papers – November 9, 2008

New York Times Magazine

• After the Imperial Presidency– Jonathan Mahler
• Payday Lenders, Check Cashers – Redeemed?– Douglas McGray
• Deprogramming Jihadists– Katherine Zoepf

New York Times

• Obama team weighs what to take on first
• Harsh words about Obama? Never mind
• Citing workload public lawyers refuse new cases
• How Merrill fell
• Pelosi, Reid want aid for U.S. automakers
• Op-Ed, Frank Rich: It still felt good morning after
• Op-Ed, Al Gore: The climate for change
• Op-Ed, Thomas Friedman: Show me the money
• Op-Ed, Nicholas Kristof: Obama and the War on Brains
• Rice visits West Bank
• U.S. electricity project in Afghanistan
• Back home, Palin finds landscape changed
• After push for Obama, Unions seek new rules

Washington Post

• Preparing for the Obama era
• Reid, Pelosi urge Treasury to extend aid to automakers
• Self-sufficiency evades Iraqi security forces
• Obama positioned to reverse Bush actions
• Medvedev calls Obama; Kremlin describes call
• Congressional Democrats say economy first priority
• Op-Ed, Rich Lowry: The right needs to get centered
• Op-Ed, Joseph Stiglitz: More pain to come even if he’s perfect
• Op-Ed, Ron Suskind: U.S. has power – it could use authority
• Op-Ed, David Broder: Governors know best
• Op-Ed, George Will: Democratic ironies and Republican Afflictions

Los Angeles Times

• Democrats set sights on Texas
• Public works on the table once again
• Obama relies on a close-knit inner circle
• Op-Ed, Norman Ornstein: The GOP’s deep hole
• Op-Ed, James Rainey: Right-wing media feeds its post-election anger
• Political blogger be nimble, be quick
• Election leaves gay couple feeling isolated

Why I’m Voting for Obama – Reason 2 of 3 – Our Standing in the World

Where you can blame about half of our economic woes on Congress and Clinton-era policies, there is no doubt that our poor standing within the family of nations lies squarely at the feet of Bush and Cheney. Around the world we are either derisively snickered at for being brutish or boorish, or, worse, feared or hated. The tragedy is that sometimes the fear and hate are born of events and rational analysis due to our seeming irrational actions in places like Iraq. Read more

Sunday p.m. – Woodward’s new book, Fannie, Freddie, Prez Campaign, Pakistan

Bob Woodward’s New Book – WaPo Series Kicks Off

• Doubt, Distrust, Delay – Washington Post
• Spying on Iraqi Leader – Worth the Risk? – Washington Post

Watch CBS Videos Online

National & World News

• Palin’s politics and family mix - Washington Post
• U.S. unveils takeover of two mortgage giants – New York Times
• A tangled web with many masters – New York Times
• What the takeover means for your mortgage – Washington Post
• Bhutto’s widower elected Pakistani president – Washington Post
• Talibanistan – New York Times Magazine
• The vanishing Republican voter – New York Times Magazine
• Rival tickets are redrawing battlegrounds – New York Times
• Coming to grips with Russia’s new nerve – New York Times
• Hurricane Ike kills 59 on Hispaniola, headed for Cuba – Chicago Tribune

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