Earlier this month on the 100th anniversary of the declaration of war that was to become the first world war we were reminded of the chaos that prevailed in European capitals about what to do after the assassination of the Austrian archduke. The decisions on what to do were in the hands of people who, according to the Peter Principle, had reached their levels of incompetence. What we appear to be witnessing in Washington and the Middle East today suggests 1914 Europe was a model of enlightenment.
Presumably, we can depend on tomorrow's (Sunday's) talk shows to feature oracles from John McCain and Lindsey Graham on what we should do. Waging war on the "Islamic State" will probably mean postponing their desired wars on Russia and China.
If al-Maliki's replacement feels sufficiently threatened by IS and asks/pleads for US military assistance, Washington will have another sockpuppet on its team.
Without the benefit of a poll, it is probably fair to say that many people who are offended by "death to the Arabs" are just as offended by "death to the Jews."
Among the many problems we have in the United States are two that are fundamental. One is the tradition of talking out of both sides of our mouths; the other is that we don't have an ethics ethic.
With regard to the first, consider the Pledge of Allegiance. I don't know of any other nation with a better concept. Imagine a nation with "liberty and justice for all." How many times is that pledge taken by how many people? Now hands up anyone who believes we are "one nation, ...., indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Watch C-Span when Congress is in session, and a few minutes after the pledge is mumbled representatives and senators will sally forth and perpetrate some injustice that denies countless people their liberty.
Then there is the human condition that ensures that most nations with power and wealth will have authoritarian figures who are motivated by a lust for more power and avarice to accumulate more wealth. The only antidote for both of these defects is vigilance among the citizenry. The current lack of such vigilance among the American people is a fourth problem.
" Has the Right finally Repealed the Civil Rights Act?"
Perhaps not 100%, but the Right is working on it and the rest of their agenda to make this a fascist nation. Where is Smedley Butler now that we need him - again?
Eric Margolis observes Maliki to be an American sock puppet? Based on what?
My recollection of the time frame when al-Maliki became prime minister it was with influence from Washington with the intent that he be their man. Many events have taken place since then. Al-Maliki was considered a weakling for a time and didn't look like he would last long. He managed to survive which probably meant he acquired obligations to other forces that pushed him to the actions that led to the departure of the US military. It is also probable that he figured how the system worked and amassed power that he learned to use and became something of another American Frankenstein.
Then, again, there were comments from President Obama taking pride in extracting the US military out of Iraq. Now, he wouldn't BS us, would he?
"If Senator John McCain had his way, we'd be arming ISIS in Syria and fighting them on-the-ground after they cross over the border into Iraq.
"It's enough to make you wonder why television news shows have him on so often.
"Last year, as President Obama considered arming Syrian rebels fighting against President Bashar al-Assad, Senator McCain snuck into the country to meet with opposition leaders. While he was there, he paused for some photos -- including some with ISIS militants.
"Today, just over a year later, he wants to fight ISIS in Iraq - ostensibly against the weapons he wants to provide them in Syria.
"It's sad to say, but John McCain has exhausted his last measure of credibility."
It seems you are basing that decision on what will punish America or Barack Obama more.
I'm at a loss to understand how you came to that conclusion. America deserves some form of punishment for its role in creating the current chaos - despite warnings from knowledgeable people - by initiating the war in 2003, but it is more important just now to focus on reducing that chaos.
My understanding from reliable reporters is that ISIS got its weapons and money to buy them from a number of sources. It wouldn't surprise me if some of those weapons were supplied directly by the US.
"In an article published by the Independent under the title “Syrian ‘moderates’ aren’t so moderate in Iraq”, Fisk said “Well, God bless Barack Obama – he’s found some ‘moderate’ rebels in Syria. Enough to supply them with weapons and training worth $500m. Congress wants to arm these brave freedom fighters, you see. “
“And Obama,” he added, “having sent his 300 elite Spartan lads to Iraq to help [Iraqi PM] Nouri al-Maliki fight the rebels there, needs to send help to the rebels in Syria.” http://www.sana.sy/en/?p=4766
Eric Margolis, one of our more astute observers, is not impressed.
"US Armed Humanitarianism 2.0: 'They pulled me back in...'" by Eric Margolis - http://www.commondreams.org/views/2014/08/17/us-armed-humanitarianism-20 ... "Meanwhile, the White House has ousted its Shia sock puppet in Baghdad, Nuri al-Maliki, in favor of a newer, even more obedient satrap. Maliki was foolish enough to actually believe he was prime minister of Iraq and refused to allow US troops to stay there indefinitely."
"The first is that the Israelis thirsting for reprisals are simply echoing their politicians and religious leaders whose statements for vengeance surpassed even the ugly grandstanding of Hamas, which had praised the Israeli teenagers’ abduction."
As a majority in the government goes so, apparently, do a majority of the people.
Perhaps, Mr. Zanoli should have told the embassy to relay his honor to the Israeli people.
If they had integrity similar to that displayed by Henrik Zanoli, there are many Americans, civilian and military, who would return their medals to the White House and the Pentagon.
"As Jewish survivors and descendants of survivors and victims of the Nazi genocide, we unequivocally condemn the massacre of Palestinians in Gaza and the ongoing occupation and colonisation of historic Palestine. We further condemn the United States for providing Israel with the funding to carry out the attack, and western states more generally for using their diplomatic muscle to protect Israel from condemnation. Genocide begins with the silence of the world."
Given the depth of the hole and the histories of the hole diggers and their continuing involvement there is no cause for optimism. There is cause for hoping for some form of civilized behavior, but this may be another case of too little to late unless the main culprits conclude there is more to be gained from stability than chaos..
Nouri al-Maliki, who is seeking a third term as prime minister of Iraq in the teeth of widespread opposition, abruptly began acting like a strongman on Sunday night
Perhaps he is polishing his resume to become a client of the Obama administration.
They’re not genocidal. Illegal, immoral, inhumane–yes, you could plausibly argue that.
"Genocidal" is debatable. There doesn't appear to be an Israeli plan to kill all the Palestinians, but the right-wing Israelis are not above killing large batches of Palestinians to complete the Zionist plan of transferring all Palestinians out of the former Palestine Territories. As for "illegal" there have been many valid accusations applied to a variety of acts by Israel's right wing that denounced those acts as illegal.
Bill – Surely you are not equating the Nazi concentration camps with the U.S. internment camps during WWII.
John: I'm not saying they were the same or even similar, but they were both on the same side of the moral divide. One was in the neighborhood, the other was beyond the pale.
Robert Fisk seems to think this intervention is all about the oil. I find that hard to believe when our President Obama has said it is for humanitarian reasons. He wouldn't lie to us, would he. Fisk asks how long this "humanitarian" intervention will take. I suggest another Friedman Unit - and another - then another - and (well you get the picture)..
I don't recall all of the events about Saddam's invasion of Kuwait, but there was some confusion involving what the US ambassador was alleged to have told him.
Then there were the blatant lies in Congress that involved the Kuwaiti ambassador's daughter's story about babies being tossed out of incubators aided and abetted by Representative Tom Lantos (D-Israel first then California).
As for the massacre of the Shia, that might not have happened if Bush the Father hadn't encouraged them to rise up against Saddam and abandoned them when Saddam attacked them.
There is nothing new with America talking about both sides of its mouth regarding humanitarian aid in Iraq. The United States was placed on a moral pedestal at the end of World War Two based on its role in overthrowing the dictatorships in Germany, Italy and Japan. Fair enough - up to a point. Conveniently ignored were the dictators the US had previously installed throughout Latin America and the Philippines. Ignored were the black soldiers who helped to free people in Europe and who returned to the oppression of Jim Crowism and segregation in the Deep South and racism elsewhere. While there was much said about freeing survivors from German concentration camps little was said about Japanese-Americans, Italian-Americans and German-Americans being freed from American concentration camps. Then came the overthrows of democratically-elected officials in Iran and Guatemala who were replaced by vicious dictators. Later ditto in Chile. And, most recently, we have become aligned with fascists and neo-fascists in Ukraine. Psychiatrists have terminology for people like that, but it isn't anything you would want on your resume.
I’m perfectly certain that many committed Zionists are atheists, and that many practicing religious Jews are appalled by the pro-violence nationalism of their Israeli leaders.
The United States has vetoed nearly one hundred resolutions condemning Israel. As a moral and legal power the United States is totally discredited by its own unilateral behavior in Iraq, Chile, etc., etc.
Over 70 percent of Congress voted for the war on Iraq. Polls showed a similar percentage of the American people supported that war.
Congress gave 100% support for the Israeli aggression against Gaza. Some members probably "held their noses" on that vote, but only 20-some percent of the American people were strongly opposed according to polls.
We in the United States are not in a position to be self-righteous about moral decay in Israel.
"Likening Palestinians to blades of grass: From the Archive: As Israel’s Operation Protective Edge winds down with more than 1,700 Gazans – mostly civilians – dead, Israeli leaders may feel they’ve finished a recurring chore, “mowing the grass” to eliminate troublesome Palestinians," as ex-CIA analyst Elizabeth Murray observed in 2012. - http://consortiumnews.com/2014/08/05/likening-palestinians-to-blades-of-grass-2/
...the perfidious betrayal of our nation’s principles to a deplorable barbarism.
That "deplorable barbarism" began with importation of slaves and was followed with the attempted ethnic cleansing of the indigenous Indians and has continued ever since in some form of aggression against others. Presumably, by "nation's principles" you are referring to the minority among us who genuinely believe that all people are created equal with a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and believe in the concept of "one nation, ... , indivisible with liberty and justice for all."
Are Israelis and Zionists really talking about a Final Solution of the Palestinian Problem?
The Israelis and Zionists are continuing the original Zionist policy, as explained in Benny Morris's "Righteous Victims," of transferring (ethnic cleansing) all non-Jews out of the Palestine Territories AND Trans-Jordan.
On June 16, 1976, some 20,000 students rose up to protest in the slum of Soweto on the outskirts of Johannesburg.
But we apparently can't get one senator or one representative in Congress out of a total of 535 to be a profile in courage and oppose the crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Don't limit your comments to this website. Let your (sic) representative and senators know what you think. They will probably respond with lines from Frank Luntz's propaganda manual.
Unfortunately, this and similar comments are more likely to be proved as wishful thinking.
At least in the short term. The moral rot is already embedded in the governing powers in Israel and the United States so in the long term the decline and fall of both nations could be inevitable.
I believe we are witnessing the true end days for Israel, the tide of world opinion CAN turn against Zionism.
Unfortunately, this and similar comments are more likely to be proved as wishful thinking. People with sufficient power can commit the worst of crimes against humanity and do so with impunity. Think Chile and Iraq's estimated half million children who died because of the sanctions and the untold numbered who were slaughtered and maimed in the illegal war on that nation. Many of the promoters of those crimes are honored and admired by many people and remain in positions of influence.
The problem for the Israelis is that they would have to terminate the Zionist program of ethnic cleansing they have been working on for generations. They are not about to do that.
Well said. These unanimous votes make the senate and the house complicit in the slaughter in Gaza. Instead of calling for a diplomatic resolution, Congress essentially said, "Go ahead and do your thing" knowing full well what Israel's "thing" would be.
MSNBC hired Cenk Uygur, but when he showed some ethics and backbone he was fired. The days of Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite are long gone in the mainstream media.
No surprise there. McCain would feel a kinship with any warmonger whose friends donate to his political campaigns. Then there was the time when his father helped to cover up the attack on the USS Liberty by the Israelis.
The problem is not only that pro-Likud people and their allies get so much face time on television, but it is compounded by complicity of anchors who let Israel's mouthpieces get away with their distortions. Has any anchor on the fawning corporate media ever responded to "Israel has a right to defend itself" with "Don't the Palestinians have a right to resist oppression"? Or, "What would the people of Israel do if they were under the jackboot of some repressive regime"?
Maher lost me a long time ago when he said he admired Colin Powell - after Powell's contemptible speech at the UN on February 5, 2003 and the subsequent carnage from shock and awe in Baghdad.
We might all hope that your prognosis for a better future proves to be true, but I wouldn't bet on it. Shakespeare had Hamlet say, "Frailty, thy name is woman." It would have been more accurate if he had said, "Frailty, thy name is humankind." As long as the mainstream media are owned by supporters of Israel's right wing, there is little cause for optimism for future prospects.
You always wonder where John Kerry the anti-Vietnam War activist went, who compared the US campaigns in Southeast Asia to the predations of the Mongols. It turns out he is still in there somewhere, just not allowed to appear before the cameras.
John Kerry's body and mouth are obviously still around. The question is, "Where did his soul go?" Or, perhaps, "To whom did he sell his soul?"
Make that in the short term. CNN has been running a series on the Sixties (1960s, that is) in which the civil rights struggles were featured. There were many blacks in the South who believed nothing would change, but they proved to be wrong even if the job isn't complete.
In those episodes there were scenes of brutal violence being inflicted on the blacks by the bigots. Those scenes were shocking, but they were minor compared with what the Israelis are inflicting on the Palestinians and have been inflicting on them for decades.
One way to help make a change would be for some profile in courage to rise and emulate Joseph Welch at the McCarthy hearings in 1954 who said to that abysmal senator, "Senator, may we not drop this? We know he belonged to the Lawyer's Guild... Let us not assassinate this lad further, Senator; you've done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?"
We would do well to start by posing that question to our politicians in the White House and Congress, " At long last, have you left no sense of decency?"
The Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 should have been given to the doctors and other medical staff in Iraq who coped with the carnage there. The Nobel Peace Prize in 2015 should be given to the doctors and other medical staff in Gaza now coping with the consequences of Israel's vile, obscene and criminal barbarism.
That is, NBC just called the Israeli military bald-faced liars, because there were no Hamas militants on that beach, just children playing.
I guess better late than never. One interesting aspect of this is the abhorrence provoked by the killing of these boys. There were "only" four boys killed. What about the dozens of children killed before them in this latest assault? And what about the hundreds killed during Operation Cast Lead?
As for Israeli "intelligence" that is one of the most overrated qualities attributed to the Israelis. A few have had the sense to warn Israel it is on the path to bringing about its own demise, but the mass of Israelis go along with their mad leaders. This could end like Nazi Germany's end, but instead of the leaders committing suicide they might just make releasing their atomic bombs their a final act.
After the second Second World War there were no innocent Nazis there were only Nazis who were useful or no longer useful in the conflict that was about to develop between other two somewhat less nasty alternatives to the Nazis.
There is room for debate on this point. There were Germans who were offended by the Nazi party but joined it to survive. Probably, many of them avoided practices they found offensive if they could. Oskar Schindler was a member of the Nazi party. No doubt Schindler and others in the party who avoided practicing immoral acts were in a small minority.
I agree, but on domestic issues he at least puts up an appearance of adhering to the Constitution more than Bush2 did or Obama is doing. On Israel, unfortunately, he recently let the lobby know he was on their side. But, as I said, he would be the least evil - not the best choice.
If a poll were taken now among people capable of thinking for themselves, Rand Paul would have a very good chance of being considered the least evil of all likely early contenders - and that includes Hillary.
"Israel’s war crimes in Gaza: Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu knows he has Official Washington so deeply in his pocket that he can get away with almost anything including the stealing of Palestinian land and the slaughtering of civilians in Gaza. Whatever his war crimes, Netanyahu will be excused, as Marjorie Cohn notes." - http://consortiumnews.com/2014/07/15/israels-war-crimes-in-gaza/
Identify all the crimes against humanity committed by Israel and in many, if not most, cases you will find America complicit even, as in the case of the USS Liberty, when the victims were Americans and the crime was covered up by Americans at the highest level who sold the victims down the Mediterranean.
...the US has paid and continues to pay for those crimes.
The US has paid to some extent in the form of blowback, but I submit the punishment has been lighter than the crimes might call for - something like the slaps on banksters wrists for their crimes.
An estimated half million children in Iraq died as a consequence of US-crafted and -maintained sanctions and the administrators at the highest levels are admired by many people, especially Washington's and korporate Amerika's elite - and raking in lots of loot.
As vile as the histories of Netanyahu and his predecessors are they come up short on crimes against humanity when compared with Uncle Sam. Four hundred years of slavery, ethnic cleansing of Native Americans, banana republics south of the border, on through Iraq sanctions and wars, with no end in sight.
As if that old calumny has any purchase for anyone who knows something serious about the actual views of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu or Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, more bigoted persons than whom would be difficult to find.
But if we look at Congress and the fawning corporate media nothing would be easier than to find equally bigoted lackeys.
I would have expected President Obama to call Israel and tell them to stop,
Surely, you must be facetious or sarcastic. Accomplices rarely ever, if ever, try to change the way of arch criminals they align themselves with. And with elections coming up very few in Congress will risk the wrath of the Israel lobby.
Not possible. A theocracy is supposedly governed by "divine guidance" that is not given to considering the wishes of the people - as is supposed to be the case in a democracy. A theocracy is much less tolerant of the people than even our ruling oligarchy.
That ended in 2005. Also, native Gazans do not experience settlement of any confiscated land of theirs from any Israeli colonists, as there are no settlers in Gaza presently (again, ended in 2005).
That's wonderful. So other than the stranglehold (low calorie allowances, restricted movement, etc.) Israel exerts what do the Gazans have to complain about?
The Zionists planned to take over the Palestine Territories long before the Holocaust. The Holocaust became an event Israelis used to bolster their agenda of transfer of Palestinians out of their homeland.
The point is that firing rockets is a provocation that requires a severe response.
If the Israeli responses over the years had been proportional, Israelis would not have been so vehemently criticized. It is because their response is so often in the order of you-kill-one-of-us-we'll-kill-a-hundred-of-yours that the international community - at least it's civilized members - are so hostile to Israel. The 100-to-1 formula was considered a war crime at Nuremberg.
As for the "provocation" part is it not reasonable to see the oppressive occupation of Gaza as a provocation?
Consider that Iraq under Saddam Hussein didn't attack the US but Iraq was nevertheless viciously attacked only on the basis of lies generated by our neocon community who are now advising us on what to do about the Middle East and Ukraine. As for attacks coming from south of the border it is surprising in a way this hasn't occurred other than through the drug cartels if we consider how horribly and for how long the people of Central and South America have been abused by the United States - possibly much more than the United States has done to people in the Middle East.
Could be either. There was an incident several years ago when a former beauty queen was transitioned into a media person. She asked for an opportunity to interview "that Gandhi woman" who at the time was the late Indira Gandhi.
This article indicates some people were aware of the apparent theft and other forms of corruption in Iraq so why was nothing done about it? Potential whistleblowers aware of what happened to Bradley/Chelsea Manning?
Guerrillas need resources and admire winners, so groups with more resources that have more victories will pick up allies over time even if they are horrible groups.
Nothing new there. In his history of the Peloponnesian War, Thucydides noted that the smaller and weaker towns would align themselves with the side they considered the more powerful
Anyone else noticing how many of the Iraq war pushers are making it back on MSM outlets with amazing ease.
There has always been a continuing presence of Iraq war promoters on television and in the mainstream media with some of the more prominent culprits invited to give commencement speeches at so-called institutions of higher learning.
Jim Lobe has noted a waning of influence in the neocon camp: "Neo-cons, hawks fail to gain Iraq traction: US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in the Middle East just as Sunni insurgents in Iraq extended their reach and captured a key border post with Syria. Back home, the hawks who propelled the US into war in Iraq 11 years ago are falling short in their efforts to persuade the public and Congress that the troops need to return. Click here for the latest news developments on Iraq." - http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/MID-02-230614.html
Earlier this month on the 100th anniversary of the declaration of war that was to become the first world war we were reminded of the chaos that prevailed in European capitals about what to do after the assassination of the Austrian archduke. The decisions on what to do were in the hands of people who, according to the Peter Principle, had reached their levels of incompetence. What we appear to be witnessing in Washington and the Middle East today suggests 1914 Europe was a model of enlightenment.
Presumably, we can depend on tomorrow's (Sunday's) talk shows to feature oracles from John McCain and Lindsey Graham on what we should do. Waging war on the "Islamic State" will probably mean postponing their desired wars on Russia and China.
An interesting perspective that the ostriches in Washington and the mainstream media apparently haven't considered: "The Beheading of James Foley: Are We Not Savages Too?" by GARRY LEECH - http://www.counterpunch.org/2014/08/22/the-beheading-of-james-foley/
If al-Maliki's replacement feels sufficiently threatened by IS and asks/pleads for US military assistance, Washington will have another sockpuppet on its team.
...Israel a “sick” society
Come to think about it the same diagnosis could be applied to the United States.
It is worth repeating: Gideon Levy considers Israel a "sick" society.
"Gideon Levy, journaliste critique d'une société israélienne « malade »" Par Hélène Sallon - http://www.lemonde.fr/proche-orient/article/2014/08/07/gideon-levy-journaliste-critique-d-une-societe-israelienne-malade_4467830_3218.html
Without the benefit of a poll, it is probably fair to say that many people who are offended by "death to the Arabs" are just as offended by "death to the Jews."
Among the many problems we have in the United States are two that are fundamental. One is the tradition of talking out of both sides of our mouths; the other is that we don't have an ethics ethic.
With regard to the first, consider the Pledge of Allegiance. I don't know of any other nation with a better concept. Imagine a nation with "liberty and justice for all." How many times is that pledge taken by how many people? Now hands up anyone who believes we are "one nation, ...., indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Watch C-Span when Congress is in session, and a few minutes after the pledge is mumbled representatives and senators will sally forth and perpetrate some injustice that denies countless people their liberty.
Then there is the human condition that ensures that most nations with power and wealth will have authoritarian figures who are motivated by a lust for more power and avarice to accumulate more wealth. The only antidote for both of these defects is vigilance among the citizenry. The current lack of such vigilance among the American people is a fourth problem.
" Has the Right finally Repealed the Civil Rights Act?"
Perhaps not 100%, but the Right is working on it and the rest of their agenda to make this a fascist nation. Where is Smedley Butler now that we need him - again?
Eric Margolis observes Maliki to be an American sock puppet? Based on what?
My recollection of the time frame when al-Maliki became prime minister it was with influence from Washington with the intent that he be their man. Many events have taken place since then. Al-Maliki was considered a weakling for a time and didn't look like he would last long. He managed to survive which probably meant he acquired obligations to other forces that pushed him to the actions that led to the departure of the US military. It is also probable that he figured how the system worked and amassed power that he learned to use and became something of another American Frankenstein.
Then, again, there were comments from President Obama taking pride in extracting the US military out of Iraq. Now, he wouldn't BS us, would he?
This is from an e-mail from VoteVets.org:
"If Senator John McCain had his way, we'd be arming ISIS in Syria and fighting them on-the-ground after they cross over the border into Iraq.
"It's enough to make you wonder why television news shows have him on so often.
"Last year, as President Obama considered arming Syrian rebels fighting against President Bashar al-Assad, Senator McCain snuck into the country to meet with opposition leaders. While he was there, he paused for some photos -- including some with ISIS militants.
"Today, just over a year later, he wants to fight ISIS in Iraq - ostensibly against the weapons he wants to provide them in Syria.
"It's sad to say, but John McCain has exhausted his last measure of credibility."
It seems you are basing that decision on what will punish America or Barack Obama more.
I'm at a loss to understand how you came to that conclusion. America deserves some form of punishment for its role in creating the current chaos - despite warnings from knowledgeable people - by initiating the war in 2003, but it is more important just now to focus on reducing that chaos.
My understanding from reliable reporters is that ISIS got its weapons and money to buy them from a number of sources. It wouldn't surprise me if some of those weapons were supplied directly by the US.
Robert Fisk (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_fisk) on Syria and al-Maliki and Obama:
"In an article published by the Independent under the title “Syrian ‘moderates’ aren’t so moderate in Iraq”, Fisk said “Well, God bless Barack Obama – he’s found some ‘moderate’ rebels in Syria. Enough to supply them with weapons and training worth $500m. Congress wants to arm these brave freedom fighters, you see. “
“And Obama,” he added, “having sent his 300 elite Spartan lads to Iraq to help [Iraqi PM] Nouri al-Maliki fight the rebels there, needs to send help to the rebels in Syria.” http://www.sana.sy/en/?p=4766
And where did ISIS get its weapons? From the US shipments to 'moderate' rebels in Syria.
Eric Margolis, one of our more astute observers, is not impressed.
"US Armed Humanitarianism 2.0: 'They pulled me back in...'" by Eric Margolis - http://www.commondreams.org/views/2014/08/17/us-armed-humanitarianism-20 ... "Meanwhile, the White House has ousted its Shia sock puppet in Baghdad, Nuri al-Maliki, in favor of a newer, even more obedient satrap. Maliki was foolish enough to actually believe he was prime minister of Iraq and refused to allow US troops to stay there indefinitely."
Gideon Levy, one of the most respected of Israeli journalists (outside Israel), doesn't appear to have a favorable opinion of Israelis.
"Gideon Levy, journaliste critique d'une société israélienne « malade »" Par Hélène Sallon - http://www.lemonde.fr/proche-orient/article/2014/08/07/gideon-levy-journaliste-critique-d-une-societe-israelienne-malade_4467830_3218.html
"Cultures of Hatred: Israelis, not Palestinians, Excel at Vengeance: by JONATHAN COOK - http://www.counterpunch.org/2014/07/09/cultures-of-hatred/
"The first is that the Israelis thirsting for reprisals are simply echoing their politicians and religious leaders whose statements for vengeance surpassed even the ugly grandstanding of Hamas, which had praised the Israeli teenagers’ abduction."
As a majority in the government goes so, apparently, do a majority of the people.
Perhaps, Mr. Zanoli should have told the embassy to relay his honor to the Israeli people.
If they had integrity similar to that displayed by Henrik Zanoli, there are many Americans, civilian and military, who would return their medals to the White House and the Pentagon.
"As Jewish survivors and descendants of survivors and victims of the Nazi genocide, we unequivocally condemn the massacre of Palestinians in Gaza and the ongoing occupation and colonisation of historic Palestine. We further condemn the United States for providing Israel with the funding to carry out the attack, and western states more generally for using their diplomatic muscle to protect Israel from condemnation. Genocide begins with the silence of the world."
"Gaza propaganda machines": http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/15/gaza-propaganda-machines
Given the depth of the hole and the histories of the hole diggers and their continuing involvement there is no cause for optimism. There is cause for hoping for some form of civilized behavior, but this may be another case of too little to late unless the main culprits conclude there is more to be gained from stability than chaos..
Nouri al-Maliki, who is seeking a third term as prime minister of Iraq in the teeth of widespread opposition, abruptly began acting like a strongman on Sunday night
Perhaps he is polishing his resume to become a client of the Obama administration.
No. They are not blind. They know perfectly well what they are doing. Operating on double standards.
They’re not genocidal. Illegal, immoral, inhumane–yes, you could plausibly argue that.
"Genocidal" is debatable. There doesn't appear to be an Israeli plan to kill all the Palestinians, but the right-wing Israelis are not above killing large batches of Palestinians to complete the Zionist plan of transferring all Palestinians out of the former Palestine Territories. As for "illegal" there have been many valid accusations applied to a variety of acts by Israel's right wing that denounced those acts as illegal.
Illegal: Intl Law Experts Condemn "Collective Punishment" of Gaza's Civilian Population: Joint Declaration signed by nearly 150 legal scholars and human rights experts say no justification exists for mass killing of innocent people who have no means of escape by Jon Queally, staff writer - http://www.commondreams.org/news/2014/07/29/intl-law-experts-condemn-collective-punishment-gazas-civilian-population
Immoral: British gov’t minister resigns over ‘morally indefensible’ Gaza policy, urging Palestinians to go to international criminal court by Philip Weiss - http://mondoweiss.net/2014/08/indefensible-palestinians-international.html
War Crimes: How US Leaders Aid and Abet Israeli War Crimes: Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity by MARJORIE COHN - http://www.counterpunch.org/2014/08/08/how-us-leaders-aid-and-abet-israeli-war-crimes/
Bill – Surely you are not equating the Nazi concentration camps with the U.S. internment camps during WWII.
John: I'm not saying they were the same or even similar, but they were both on the same side of the moral divide. One was in the neighborhood, the other was beyond the pale.
Robert Fisk seems to think this intervention is all about the oil. I find that hard to believe when our President Obama has said it is for humanitarian reasons. He wouldn't lie to us, would he. Fisk asks how long this "humanitarian" intervention will take. I suggest another Friedman Unit - and another - then another - and (well you get the picture)..
Iraq crisis: West’s ‘mandate’ is limited by national borders – and don’t dare mention oil: President Obama says ‘problem’ will not be solved in weeks. So how long will it take, asks Robert Fisk - http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/iraq-crisis-wests-mandate-is-limited-by-national-borders--and-dont-dare-mention-oil-9660393.html
I don't recall all of the events about Saddam's invasion of Kuwait, but there was some confusion involving what the US ambassador was alleged to have told him.
Then there were the blatant lies in Congress that involved the Kuwaiti ambassador's daughter's story about babies being tossed out of incubators aided and abetted by Representative Tom Lantos (D-Israel first then California).
As for the massacre of the Shia, that might not have happened if Bush the Father hadn't encouraged them to rise up against Saddam and abandoned them when Saddam attacked them.
Not surprisingly, Glenn Greenwald eviscerates the claim of humanitarianism in bombing Iraq: "U.S. “Humanitarian” Bombing of Iraq: A Redundant Presidential Ritual" by Glenn Greenwald - https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/08/08/us-bombing-iraq-redundant-presidential-ritual/
There is nothing new with America talking about both sides of its mouth regarding humanitarian aid in Iraq. The United States was placed on a moral pedestal at the end of World War Two based on its role in overthrowing the dictatorships in Germany, Italy and Japan. Fair enough - up to a point. Conveniently ignored were the dictators the US had previously installed throughout Latin America and the Philippines. Ignored were the black soldiers who helped to free people in Europe and who returned to the oppression of Jim Crowism and segregation in the Deep South and racism elsewhere. While there was much said about freeing survivors from German concentration camps little was said about Japanese-Americans, Italian-Americans and German-Americans being freed from American concentration camps. Then came the overthrows of democratically-elected officials in Iran and Guatemala who were replaced by vicious dictators. Later ditto in Chile. And, most recently, we have become aligned with fascists and neo-fascists in Ukraine. Psychiatrists have terminology for people like that, but it isn't anything you would want on your resume.
I’m perfectly certain that many committed Zionists are atheists, and that many practicing religious Jews are appalled by the pro-violence nationalism of their Israeli leaders.
For example:
"Israel has broken my heart: I’m a rabbi in mourning for a Judaism being murdered by Israel: I've always been proud of Israel, but the brutal Gaza assault requires Jews worldwide to be honest, not nationalist" by Michael Lerner - http://www.salon.com/2014/08/04/israel_has_broken_my_heart_i%E2%80%99m_a_rabbi_in_mourning_for_a_judaism_being_murdered_by_israel/
More from Uri Avnery: "Hamas and Israeli paranoia: Metro Gaza" - http://www.counterpunch.org/2014/08/08/hamas-and-israeli-paranoia/
"Gaza Crisis: 'The Real Danger to Israel Comes from Within': Israel pulled out of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, but left behind death and destruction. Israeli sociologist Eva Illouz tells SPIEGEL that her country is gripped by fear and is becoming increasingly suspicious of democracy". Interview Conducted by Julia Amalia Heyer - http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/interview-with-sociologist-eva-illouz-about-gaza-and-israeli-society-a-984536.html
The United States has vetoed nearly one hundred resolutions condemning Israel. As a moral and legal power the United States is totally discredited by its own unilateral behavior in Iraq, Chile, etc., etc.
And in no position to claim moral superiority.
The US government DOES NOT REPRESENT AMERICANS!
Over 70 percent of Congress voted for the war on Iraq. Polls showed a similar percentage of the American people supported that war.
Congress gave 100% support for the Israeli aggression against Gaza. Some members probably "held their noses" on that vote, but only 20-some percent of the American people were strongly opposed according to polls.
The US government DOES NOT REPRESENT AMERICANS! It represents the corrupt Billionaires and their puppet millionaires.
But the voters keep reelecting the same politicians that keep getting it wrong.
We in the United States are not in a position to be self-righteous about moral decay in Israel.
"Likening Palestinians to blades of grass: From the Archive: As Israel’s Operation Protective Edge winds down with more than 1,700 Gazans – mostly civilians – dead, Israeli leaders may feel they’ve finished a recurring chore, “mowing the grass” to eliminate troublesome Palestinians," as ex-CIA analyst Elizabeth Murray observed in 2012. - http://consortiumnews.com/2014/08/05/likening-palestinians-to-blades-of-grass-2/
It is interesting that only one high-ranking government official, as far as I know, has had the integrity to resign in protest.
"British gov’t minister resigns over ‘morally indefensible’ Gaza policy, urging Palestinians to go to international criminal court" by Philip Weiss - http://mondoweiss.net/2014/08/indefensible-palestinians-international.html
...the perfidious betrayal of our nation’s principles to a deplorable barbarism.
That "deplorable barbarism" began with importation of slaves and was followed with the attempted ethnic cleansing of the indigenous Indians and has continued ever since in some form of aggression against others. Presumably, by "nation's principles" you are referring to the minority among us who genuinely believe that all people are created equal with a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and believe in the concept of "one nation, ... , indivisible with liberty and justice for all."
Are Israelis and Zionists really talking about a Final Solution of the Palestinian Problem?
The Israelis and Zionists are continuing the original Zionist policy, as explained in Benny Morris's "Righteous Victims," of transferring (ethnic cleansing) all non-Jews out of the Palestine Territories AND Trans-Jordan.
Gordon has a backwards understanding of who is threatening to whom.
According to recent polls there are sizable segments of the American people who think similarly. Same goes for some people in the mainstream media.
Obama could have stopped these wars as soon as he took office in Jan. 2009.
Except for Obama's pledging fealty to Israel and its lobby at the AIPAC convention in 2008.
On June 16, 1976, some 20,000 students rose up to protest in the slum of Soweto on the outskirts of Johannesburg.
But we apparently can't get one senator or one representative in Congress out of a total of 535 to be a profile in courage and oppose the crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Don't limit your comments to this website. Let your (sic) representative and senators know what you think. They will probably respond with lines from Frank Luntz's propaganda manual.
Here are a very revealing question and answer: Question: Which crowded cities can you fire into? Answer: http://mondoweiss.net/2014/07/which-crowded-cities.html
Unfortunately, this and similar comments are more likely to be proved as wishful thinking.
At least in the short term. The moral rot is already embedded in the governing powers in Israel and the United States so in the long term the decline and fall of both nations could be inevitable.
I believe we are witnessing the true end days for Israel, the tide of world opinion CAN turn against Zionism.
Unfortunately, this and similar comments are more likely to be proved as wishful thinking. People with sufficient power can commit the worst of crimes against humanity and do so with impunity. Think Chile and Iraq's estimated half million children who died because of the sanctions and the untold numbered who were slaughtered and maimed in the illegal war on that nation. Many of the promoters of those crimes are honored and admired by many people and remain in positions of influence.
Israel Bombs Gaza back to Stone Age:
and drags the United State deeper into a cesspool of barbarism.
"US Only Country To Vote No On UN Resolution Against Killing Civilians In Gaza" By: DSWright - http://news.firedoglake.com/2014/07/24/us-only-country-to-vote-no-on-un-resolution-against-killing-civilians-in-gaza/
The problem for the Israelis is that they would have to terminate the Zionist program of ethnic cleansing they have been working on for generations. They are not about to do that.
Better link for Obama and AIPAC - http://www.electionspeeches.com/barack_obama_AIPAC.htm. Also try a search for "obama aipac speeches" for more
Obama has many levers to use, if he had the will. Instead, we continue to enable this horror, as we have done for decades.
Check Obama's speeches before AIPAC and you'll understand why he goes along with Israel's right wing. - http://americanrhetoric.com/barackobamaspeeches.htm
...you’ll get your rights and your freedom if and when Israel decides to give them to you,..
Or when some Arabs outbid the Israel Lobby for the favors of the political courtesans in Congress.
Gaza War Devastates Israeli Tourism Revenue,...
If Israeli tourism revenue is affected badly enough, the lobby will just have to shake Congress for more aid.
Well said. These unanimous votes make the senate and the house complicit in the slaughter in Gaza. Instead of calling for a diplomatic resolution, Congress essentially said, "Go ahead and do your thing" knowing full well what Israel's "thing" would be.
MSNBC hired Cenk Uygur, but when he showed some ethics and backbone he was fired. The days of Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite are long gone in the mainstream media.
... the extremely pro-Israel John McCain.
No surprise there. McCain would feel a kinship with any warmonger whose friends donate to his political campaigns. Then there was the time when his father helped to cover up the attack on the USS Liberty by the Israelis.
The problem is not only that pro-Likud people and their allies get so much face time on television, but it is compounded by complicity of anchors who let Israel's mouthpieces get away with their distortions. Has any anchor on the fawning corporate media ever responded to "Israel has a right to defend itself" with "Don't the Palestinians have a right to resist oppression"? Or, "What would the people of Israel do if they were under the jackboot of some repressive regime"?
Tariq Ali notes pro-Israel bias in the British and French media: Blinded by Israel, Visionless in Gaza: The Power and the Ignominy by TARIQ ALI - http://www.counterpunch.org/2014/07/22/blinded-by-israel-visionless-in-gaza/
I actually think NBC is better than some others on this issue,
Make that "NBC is not as bad as others."
Apropos from Mondoweiss:
Dear American media, I’m asking you to simply tell what’s happening in Gaza by Emily Manna - http://mondoweiss.net/2014/07/american-simply-happening.html
and
CNN headline: “100 people killed today in Israel, Gaza fighting” by Adam Horowitz - http://mondoweiss.net/2014/07/headline-israel-fighting.html
Maher lost me a long time ago when he said he admired Colin Powell - after Powell's contemptible speech at the UN on February 5, 2003 and the subsequent carnage from shock and awe in Baghdad.
We might all hope that your prognosis for a better future proves to be true, but I wouldn't bet on it. Shakespeare had Hamlet say, "Frailty, thy name is woman." It would have been more accurate if he had said, "Frailty, thy name is humankind." As long as the mainstream media are owned by supporters of Israel's right wing, there is little cause for optimism for future prospects.
And she is a university graduate. Clearly, U of NM didn't do much in moral enlightenment.
You always wonder where John Kerry the anti-Vietnam War activist went, who compared the US campaigns in Southeast Asia to the predations of the Mongols. It turns out he is still in there somewhere, just not allowed to appear before the cameras.
John Kerry's body and mouth are obviously still around. The question is, "Where did his soul go?" Or, perhaps, "To whom did he sell his soul?"
No honest broker there!
No honest broker anywhere.
"NBC News Pulls Veteran Reporter from Gaza After Witnessing Israeli Attack on Children" by Glenn Greenwald - https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/07/17/nbc-removes-ayman-mohyeldin-gaza-coverage-witnesses-israeli-beach-killing-four-boys/
It looks like Mohyeldin in doubling down and may become persona non grata with the mainstream media for telling the turth.
"‘Hamas… is putting their own people at risk’ — State Dep’t on Israel killing 4 boys on Gaza beach
Philip Weiss " - http://mondoweiss.net/2014/07/putting-people-killing.html ...
Nothing will change.
Make that in the short term. CNN has been running a series on the Sixties (1960s, that is) in which the civil rights struggles were featured. There were many blacks in the South who believed nothing would change, but they proved to be wrong even if the job isn't complete.
In those episodes there were scenes of brutal violence being inflicted on the blacks by the bigots. Those scenes were shocking, but they were minor compared with what the Israelis are inflicting on the Palestinians and have been inflicting on them for decades.
One way to help make a change would be for some profile in courage to rise and emulate Joseph Welch at the McCarthy hearings in 1954 who said to that abysmal senator, "Senator, may we not drop this? We know he belonged to the Lawyer's Guild... Let us not assassinate this lad further, Senator; you've done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?"
We would do well to start by posing that question to our politicians in the White House and Congress, " At long last, have you left no sense of decency?"
The Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 should have been given to the doctors and other medical staff in Iraq who coped with the carnage there. The Nobel Peace Prize in 2015 should be given to the doctors and other medical staff in Gaza now coping with the consequences of Israel's vile, obscene and criminal barbarism.
That is, NBC just called the Israeli military bald-faced liars, because there were no Hamas militants on that beach, just children playing.
I guess better late than never. One interesting aspect of this is the abhorrence provoked by the killing of these boys. There were "only" four boys killed. What about the dozens of children killed before them in this latest assault? And what about the hundreds killed during Operation Cast Lead?
As for Israeli "intelligence" that is one of the most overrated qualities attributed to the Israelis. A few have had the sense to warn Israel it is on the path to bringing about its own demise, but the mass of Israelis go along with their mad leaders. This could end like Nazi Germany's end, but instead of the leaders committing suicide they might just make releasing their atomic bombs their a final act.
After the second Second World War there were no innocent Nazis there were only Nazis who were useful or no longer useful in the conflict that was about to develop between other two somewhat less nasty alternatives to the Nazis.
There is room for debate on this point. There were Germans who were offended by the Nazi party but joined it to survive. Probably, many of them avoided practices they found offensive if they could. Oskar Schindler was a member of the Nazi party. No doubt Schindler and others in the party who avoided practicing immoral acts were in a small minority.
The vindictive and unfair treatment of Germany after WW I
Clemenceau + Foch = Netanyahu + Avigdor Lieberman
I agree, but on domestic issues he at least puts up an appearance of adhering to the Constitution more than Bush2 did or Obama is doing. On Israel, unfortunately, he recently let the lobby know he was on their side. But, as I said, he would be the least evil - not the best choice.
If a poll were taken now among people capable of thinking for themselves, Rand Paul would have a very good chance of being considered the least evil of all likely early contenders - and that includes Hillary.
The only good idea Perry came up with was to have Texas secede from the Union.
Add this to Bibi's rap sheet:
"Israel’s war crimes in Gaza: Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu knows he has Official Washington so deeply in his pocket that he can get away with almost anything including the stealing of Palestinian land and the slaughtering of civilians in Gaza. Whatever his war crimes, Netanyahu will be excused, as Marjorie Cohn notes." - http://consortiumnews.com/2014/07/15/israels-war-crimes-in-gaza/
@Chester C: Using "k" in "korporate Amerika" is a way of expressing dissent similar to flying a flag upside down. I'm in good company when I do it.
You are ignoring lessons that can be learned from the past.
Identify all the crimes against humanity committed by Israel and in many, if not most, cases you will find America complicit even, as in the case of the USS Liberty, when the victims were Americans and the crime was covered up by Americans at the highest level who sold the victims down the Mediterranean.
...the US has paid and continues to pay for those crimes.
The US has paid to some extent in the form of blowback, but I submit the punishment has been lighter than the crimes might call for - something like the slaps on banksters wrists for their crimes.
An estimated half million children in Iraq died as a consequence of US-crafted and -maintained sanctions and the administrators at the highest levels are admired by many people, especially Washington's and korporate Amerika's elite - and raking in lots of loot.
As vile as the histories of Netanyahu and his predecessors are they come up short on crimes against humanity when compared with Uncle Sam. Four hundred years of slavery, ethnic cleansing of Native Americans, banana republics south of the border, on through Iraq sanctions and wars, with no end in sight.
As if that old calumny has any purchase for anyone who knows something serious about the actual views of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu or Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, more bigoted persons than whom would be difficult to find.
But if we look at Congress and the fawning corporate media nothing would be easier than to find equally bigoted lackeys.
I do not know what the internal or external trigger event will be that causes the US to completely screw Israel,
How about campaign finance reform?
I would have expected President Obama to call Israel and tell them to stop,
Surely, you must be facetious or sarcastic. Accomplices rarely ever, if ever, try to change the way of arch criminals they align themselves with. And with elections coming up very few in Congress will risk the wrath of the Israel lobby.
A democratic theocracy?
Not possible. A theocracy is supposedly governed by "divine guidance" that is not given to considering the wishes of the people - as is supposed to be the case in a democracy. A theocracy is much less tolerant of the people than even our ruling oligarchy.
That ended in 2005. Also, native Gazans do not experience settlement of any confiscated land of theirs from any Israeli colonists, as there are no settlers in Gaza presently (again, ended in 2005).
That's wonderful. So other than the stranglehold (low calorie allowances, restricted movement, etc.) Israel exerts what do the Gazans have to complain about?
The Zionists planned to take over the Palestine Territories long before the Holocaust. The Holocaust became an event Israelis used to bolster their agenda of transfer of Palestinians out of their homeland.
How does the “civilized world” (UN, US, EU, etc.) allow Israel to get away with this?
The UN, US and EU are part of the civilized world?
Just a reminder that there are some Israelis who are still civilized.
Why I'm on the brink of burning my Israeli passport: I can no longer stand by while Israeli politicians like Ayelet Shaked condone the deaths of innocent Palestinian women and children by Mira Bar Hillel - http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/why-im-on-the-brink-of-burning-my-israeli-passport-9600165.html
Unfortunately, none appear to be in the leadership.
How many more children must die before this barbarism is brought to an end?
Gaza-Israel conflict: The terrible price children are paying for Israel’s war with Hamas by Kim Sengupta - http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/gazaisrael-conflict-the-terrible-price-children-are-paying-for-israels-war-with-hamas-9601391.html
Apropos of this topic:
On Israel, Ukraine and Truth: The Return of George Orwell and Big Brother’s War by JOHN PILGER - http://www.counterpunch.org/2014/07/11/on-israel-ukraine-and-truth/
CNN: Palestinians Want to Die: Covering for Israeli War Crimes by DAVID SWANSON - http://www.counterpunch.org/2014/07/11/cnn-palestinians-want-to-die/
The point is that firing rockets is a provocation that requires a severe response.
If the Israeli responses over the years had been proportional, Israelis would not have been so vehemently criticized. It is because their response is so often in the order of you-kill-one-of-us-we'll-kill-a-hundred-of-yours that the international community - at least it's civilized members - are so hostile to Israel. The 100-to-1 formula was considered a war crime at Nuremberg.
As for the "provocation" part is it not reasonable to see the oppressive occupation of Gaza as a provocation?
Consider that Iraq under Saddam Hussein didn't attack the US but Iraq was nevertheless viciously attacked only on the basis of lies generated by our neocon community who are now advising us on what to do about the Middle East and Ukraine. As for attacks coming from south of the border it is surprising in a way this hasn't occurred other than through the drug cartels if we consider how horribly and for how long the people of Central and South America have been abused by the United States - possibly much more than the United States has done to people in the Middle East.
Operation Cast Lead in 2008-2009 cost the Israeli government $1 billion for the military invasion...
If I recall correctly, Congress rushed through a special measure to replenish the spent weaponry used by Israel to slaughter 1,300-plus Gazans.
She had to know. Or is a total numb skull.
Could be either. There was an incident several years ago when a former beauty queen was transitioned into a media person. She asked for an opportunity to interview "that Gandhi woman" who at the time was the late Indira Gandhi.
Given the competence of US attempts to build a democratic Iraq, there is no cause for optimism anywhere we are involved in the Middle East.
Veterans not surprised Iraq's Army collapsed: Veterans who built, trained and advised the Iraqi Army explain why it crumbled so fast - http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/america-tonight/articles/2014/6/28/how-did-iraq-s-armycollapsesoquickly.html
This article indicates some people were aware of the apparent theft and other forms of corruption in Iraq so why was nothing done about it? Potential whistleblowers aware of what happened to Bradley/Chelsea Manning?
Guerrillas need resources and admire winners, so groups with more resources that have more victories will pick up allies over time even if they are horrible groups.
Nothing new there. In his history of the Peloponnesian War, Thucydides noted that the smaller and weaker towns would align themselves with the side they considered the more powerful
Anyone else noticing how many of the Iraq war pushers are making it back on MSM outlets with amazing ease.
There has always been a continuing presence of Iraq war promoters on television and in the mainstream media with some of the more prominent culprits invited to give commencement speeches at so-called institutions of higher learning.
I really wish her voice of reason was more prevalent ...
Flynt and Hillary Mann Leverett are frequently featured at http://www.consortiumnews.com. Some of their work is archived at http://original.antiwar.com/Leveretts/?a=1
"... and the Neocons are still trying to sow."
Jim Lobe has noted a waning of influence in the neocon camp: "Neo-cons, hawks fail to gain Iraq traction: US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in the Middle East just as Sunni insurgents in Iraq extended their reach and captured a key border post with Syria. Back home, the hawks who propelled the US into war in Iraq 11 years ago are falling short in their efforts to persuade the public and Congress that the troops need to return. Click here for the latest news developments on Iraq." - http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/MID-02-230614.html
And, when Fox Newz challenges Cheney, we could be in for a brief spell of sanity or lessened insanity: "The Dick Cheney Problem: What Megyn Kelly Should Have Asked" by GARY LEUPP - http://www.counterpunch.org/2014/06/23/the-dick-cheney-problem/
But John Kerry, after his resounding success with the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, will now bring peace and reconciliation to Iraq.
And they are still given prominent stages to voice their unrepentant opinions.