Operation Horse's Head

US Raid Sends Message on Iraq "Agreement"
Sunday, 29 June 2008
Chris Floyd
http://www.chris-floyd.com/content/view/1549/135/

As we know from The Godfather -- that seminal work of American political philosophy which serves as the Bible for policy-making in the Bush Administration -- a horse's head in the bed can be highly effective tool in difficult contract negotiations. Last Friday, Bush went his fictional mentors one better in the "negotiations" over an agreement setting out the public terms of a de facto permanent American occupation of the conquered land: he laid the corpse of a kinsman on the doorstep of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

McClatchy Newspapers reports that U.S. Special Forces launched a deadly raid in al-Maliki's home province -- which has supposedly been returned to the full control of the Iraqi government. Without any warning to Iraqi forces, the American unit stormed the rural town of Janaja at dawn on Friday with 60 troops and in the course of the raid killed Ali Abdulhussein Razak al Maliki, one of the prime minister's many relatives in the area, where he was born and where his tribe is based.

No Iraqi authority was notified of this heavily armed raid -- complete with jets and helicopters -- on supposedly "sovereign," supposedly Iraqi-controlled territory. Certainly the prime minister himself knew nothing of the impending attack on his hometown. And once the operation was over, Iraqi military officers -- trained, funded, armed and embedded with U.S. forces -- said that "the Americans had acted on faulty intelligence."

The raid comes at what appears to be a delicate juncture in the on-going talks to establish a "status of forces agreement" for the American military presence in Iraq. Iraqi government officials have publicly balked at some of the most howlingly sinister, moustache-twirling proposals of the Bush Administration: 50 American bases! Complete legal immunity from Iraqi law! Right to launch deadly attacks anytime, anywhere in the country! Right to launch attacks on other nations from Iraq! Total control of Iraqi airspace! and so on. The Bush Administration has made a show of "recalibrating" some of its demands and, in the end, will probably modify a few of them: 30 permanent bases, say, instead of 50, or, as has already been suggested, putting Iraqi guard posts outside the gargantuan U.S. military plantations and pretending they are actually Iraqi bases with a few invited guests inside.

But the openly stated goal of the Bush Faction -- even before they seized power in 2000 -- has always been to reduce Iraq to a client state with a permanent American military presence and a kicked-down "open door" for exploitation by Western corporate interests. This overarching goal of the entire American enterprise in Iraq has been abundantly clear from the very beginning. That's why the occupation has seemed so haphazard and chaotic: because the Bushists literally don't care how the deal gets done -- as long as they get what they want in the end. The details -- nor the human cost -- of installing and maintaining a pliable "government" in Baghdad didn't matter: sectarian war, painting schools, rampant terrorism, passing out candy, mass roundups, civics lessons, the decimation of whole cities, building a soccer field, surges, ceremonies, a million people dead -- who cares? Try anything and everything, as long as you keep your eyes on the prize: a client state and forward bastion in the American empire of military bases -- with the second biggest oil reserves in the world.

In the al-Maliki government, the Bushists have their best shot at nailing down the ultimate prize down at last. So it's going to be hardball in the "negotiations" of the "status of forces agreement" (which even the corporate media recognizes as a transparent sham to avoid a Congressional vote on America's acquisition of a new colony. Although given the track record of the Democratic "opposition," it's hard to see why the Bushists would be too worried about pushing a formal treaty down the collective throat of Congress. Can't you hear Barack Obama now, announcing, in solemn tones, that although he does not agree with every aspect of the Iraq treaty, "it represents the best hope for bringing this tragic conflict to a close, ensuring the future of the Iraqi people and honoring the sacrifices of our fallen soldiers. Therefore I will support this measure.")

As Kurdish legislator Mahmoud Othman noted, the raid was a "big embarrassment" for al-Maliki, "because he was in that area two days before the incident, telling his people that we are the masters in our country and the decisions were ours to make." Clearly, the attack on al-Maliki's hometown and the killing of his kinsman were intended to send a double message. First, that any notion of Iraqi "sovereignty" is and always will be a joke, whatever pious verbiage gets spouted for the rubes back home. And second -- well, it goes something like this: "Hey, Nouri, see Cousin Ali here? You're next, pal, if you don't play ball!"

No doubt there will be a passing "political crisis" in Iraq over this hit job -- as there have been about so many other incidents before, from Haditha to Ishaqi to the Blackwater killing spree -- but it won't matter in the end. The cobbled-together conglomeration of collaborators and corruptocrats in the Baghdad "government" know they cannot survive without direct and massive American military support. The most they can hope for is to kick the negotiations down the road a bit, and see if they can get a slightly better deal from the next administration in Washington. (Obama, being such an "anti-war" candidate and all, would probably settle for, oh, 25 long-term "leases" on military bases for the tens of thousands of troops he intends on keeping in Iraq to carry out "counter-terrorism operations," train Iraqi forces and provide security for "American interests" throughout the land, including the bristling, sprawling "Fortress America" embassy in the heart of Baghdad.)

But Friday's operation was a strong indication that the Bushists might not be willing to let al-Maliki dally too much longer over an agreement. To avert once more to that seminal work: either al-Maliki's brains or his signature will be on that sheet of paper before the final credits roll.

no difference

This Day in History

In 1977, John N. Mitchell became the first former U.S. attorney general to go to prison as he began serving a sentence for his role in the Watergate cover-up. (He was released 19 months later.)

1981 Mark David Chapman pleaded guilty to killing rock musician John Lennon.

and, in 1970, President Richard Nixon signed a measure lowering the voting age to 18.
So, VOTE. It’s your future we’re talking about here.


The Real State of Iraq
[…]
As for the Iraqis killed by Americans, like the 24 civilians in Haditha, the survivors are not going to be pro-American any time soon. The US can always find politicians to come out and say nice things on a visit to the Rose Garden. But the people. I don't think the people are saying nice things in Arabic behind our backs.

The wars of Iraq-- the Iran-Iraq War, the repressions of the Kurds and the Shiites, the Gulf War, and the American Calamity, may have left behind as many as 3 million widows. Having lost their family's breadwinner, many are destitute.
[…]
http://tmars.iwarp.com/theMagazine/archive/08/Real-State-of-Iraq.html

oil drilling

So, the lickspittle little johnny, he of the rictus grin, and the ass-kisser charlie, he who wants to be the number two, have decreed that they want more areas opened up for drilling. They were joined in this by the enlightened one, our own king little georgie. This will cause the magical drop in gas prices. They promise. They really mean it this time.

Of course, what they won’t tell you is this:
Rahall to Big Oil: Use It or Lose It
June 12, 2008
CONTACT: Allyson Groff or Blake Androff, 202-226-9019
http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=389&Itemid=1

Washington, D.C. - In an effort to compel oil and gas companies to produce on the 68 million acres of federal lands, both onshore and offshore, that are leased but sitting idle, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick J. Rahall (D-WV) today introduced legislation that gives Big Oil one option - either "use it or lose it."

"Big Oil, as many Americans already suspect, are perfectly fine with high gasoline prices at the pump while they hold back domestic production on federal leases and enjoy world record profits. I am calling them on the carpet. I am calling their bluff. We are not going to continue to allow them to speculate and profiteer with public resources to the detriment of the American people," Rahall said.

The Responsible Federal Oil and Gas Lease Act of 2008 (H.R. 6251) is a direct response to the facts outlined in the recent House Natural Resources Committee Majority Staff report, "The Truth About America's Energy: Big Oil Stockpiles Supplies and Pockets Profits", (PDF) that illustrate how energy companies are not using the federal lands and waters that are already open to drilling. The legislation is co-sponsored by Reps. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Ed Markey (D-MA), and John Yarmuth (D-KY).

The 68 million acres of leased but inactive federal land have the potential to produce an additional 4.8 million barrels of oil and 44.7 billion cubic feet of natural gas each day. This would nearly double total U.S. oil production, and increase natural gas production by 75 percent. It would also cut U.S. oil imports by more than one-third, reducing America's dependency on foreign oil.

more at the link

habeus corpus restored

Well, we’ve been kinda busy here at the guerrilla campaign, you could say. Some folk were pleased, and a whole bunch are still pissed off, or will be soon. What fun.

And we’re also starting to layout the site for the presidential campaign ahead.


The Supreme Court, by a narrow 5-4 decision, restored habeus corpus.
http://supremecourtus.gov/opinions/07pdf/06-1195.pdfd

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/washington/12cnd-gitmo.html

Of course, the corrupt scalia, roberts, alito, and the totally inept thomas dissented. Apparently, they still believe that their Lord, the Decider and Enlightened One, the little georgie, should be allowed to strut about some more like a little emperor.

Still, it’s a victory in the sordid story of torture, kidnap, rape, and murder, that’s the story and legacy of the bush administration.


Oh, hey, did you know that it was a molotov cocktail that got tossed into the Texas governor’s mansion, according to the ATF. A molotov cocktail of all things.
http://www.keyetv.com/content/news/topnews/story.aspx?content_id=a9424331-8097-4e22-9506-bb230f4f8ed1