WASHPO SAYS SURGE "REMARKABLE SUCCESS" IN SPITE OF EVIDENCE TO CONTRARY

The Washington Post has an editorial today, entitled, "Don't Let The Surge Fail." You can imagine the message without reading one word. The surge is working. Bush and Petraeus deserve credit. The Democrats in Congress trying to stop the war are irresponsible.

Here's the first paragraph:

"THE EVIDENCE is now overwhelming that the "surge" of U.S. military forces in Iraq this year has been, in purely military terms, a remarkable success. By every metric used to measure the war -- total attacks, U.S. casualties, Iraqi casualties, suicide bombings, roadside bombs -- there has been an enormous improvement since January. U.S. commanders report that al-Qaeda has been cleared from large areas it once controlled and that its remaining forces in Iraq are reeling. Markets in Baghdad are reopening, and the curfew is being eased; the huge refugee flow out of the country has begun to reverse itself. Credit for these achievements belongs in large part to U.S. soldiers in Iraq, who took on a tremendously challenging new counterterrorism strategy and made it work; to Gen. David H. Petraeus, the architect of that strategy; and to President Bush, for making the decision to launch the surge against the advice of most of Congress and the country's foreign policy elite."

These are the same WashPo editorial writers that supported Bush's illegal Iraq invasion and occupation back in 2002 and 2003. Now they think the surge is working and Bush and Petraeus should be credit? It is too ludicrous. Consider the following from Reuters today on violence in Iraq. (Thanks to Juan Cole in his Informed Comment for pointing this out.)

"Following are security developments in Iraq at 1430 GMT on Sunday.* denotes new or updated items.*

BAGHDAD - The Iraqi army killed four gunmen and arrested 63 others during the last 24 hours, in different parts in Iraq, the Defence Ministry said.

MOSUL - A parked car bomb killed three people, including a woman, and wounded 16 others, including four policemen, when it targeted a police patrol in central Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.

TIKRIT - A roadside bomb killed an Iraqi army officer and a soldier and wounded another while they were trying to defuse it in central Tikrit, 175 km (110 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.

BAGHDAD - Four bodies were found in different districts of Baghdad on Saturday, police said.

MOSUL - Five bodies, including that of a police captain, were found dumped in different areas of Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, on Saturday, police said.

BAGHDAD - A roadside bomb wounded two people in Ameen district of southeastern Baghdad, police said.

BAGHDAD - A roadside bomb hit a police commandos patrol near al-Tayaran Square in central Baghdad on Saturday, wounding two policemen, police said.

BAGHDAD - U.S. helicopters killed two men planting a roadside bomb south of Baghdad on Friday, the U.S. military said.

BAGHDAD - A roadside bomb wounded two people in Kesra neighbourhood in northern Baghdad, police said.

RUSTUMIYA - Several rockets or mortar rounds landed in Rustumiya neighbourhood in southeastern Baghdad but caused no casualties, police said."

The Washington Post says the surge is "working." The surge is a "remarkable success." Given the casualties listed in Reuters, the surge seems more of the unworkable same. Iraq is a catastrophe caused by the illegal and unjustified Bush war. Far from being a "remarkable success," it is wasting lives, both American and Iraqi, and needs to be stopped and ended. Congress cannot allow this foolishness to go on.

BUSH, THE GREAT HIGH PRIEST OF AMERICA - MORE EXCERPTS

I wrote yesterday April 17, 2007, of the phenomenon of George W. Bush as the new High Priest of United States.

Now today, Dan Froomkin blogs in the Washington Post on what I call Bush's role as HIGH PRIEST for the nation. Froomkin gives the URL for the text of Bush's "sermon" to the grieving students, friends and relatives at Virginia Tech. Froomkin remarks that Bush sounds more like a preacher than a president.

"Here is the text of his nine-minute remarks, in which he sounded more like a preacher than a president.


"In this time of anguish, I hope you know that people all over this country are thinking about you, and asking God to provide comfort for all who have been affected," he said.


"Across the town of Blacksburg and in towns all across America, houses of worship from every faith have opened their doors and have lifted you up in prayer. People who have never met you are praying for you; they're praying for your friends who have fallen and who are injured. There's a power in these prayers, real power. In times like this, we can find comfort in the grace and guidance of a loving God. . . .

"May God bless you. May God bless and keep the souls of the lost. And may His love touch all those who suffer and grieve."

DON'T GIVE DON IMUS A PASS

I had a discussion yesterday at lunch with some lawyer friends about the firing of Don Imus after he was called to account for his racist and sexually demeaning characterization of the Rutgers Ladies Basketball team as a "bunch of nappy-headed ho's."

As readers may know from my previous post, I called for CBS and MSNBC to fire Imus. These comments show Imus to be a bully, a racist and a misogynist. This is not a question of free speech. Imus can say any mean thing he wants, but if he expresses these comments on national air waves, he should expect to pay the price.

This morning in the Washington Post, columnist Colbert I. King takes aim at "prominent media figures who have appeared on Imus's show in the past and who say they would appear on his show again if given a chance." I too voice my displeasure at those big shots in the media and in politics who would too readily let Imus walk without holding him to account. These media and political personalities are in essence enablers. Many of these same people would give Bush and Cheney a pass, merely because they like to be around people with fame and power. These are the very people who would overlook the transgressions of Imus.