Tony Blair Polling Well in Hell’s Eighth Circle: Matthew Barganier

From Matt’s newest column:

    As British opinions on the late war turn frosty, warmer environs must seem appealing to the prime minister. Leaking his resignation to the tabloids at midnight, shafting the BBC, firing a terse last shot from Downing St. (“You won’t have Tony Blair to kick around anymore”), and departing Heathrow for Dulles – who can blame him for dreaming? He’s obviously wasting his talents in a geopolitical backwater.

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“Bogus From the Beginning: Justin Raimondo”

From Justin’s newest column:

    It wasn’t just the possession of WMD that would single Iraq out as the target of our post-9/11 rage: it was the possibility – indeed, given the tone of the administration’s rhetoric, the inevitability – that Osama bin Laden would get his hands on them that impelled us to act. Or so the White House led us to believe.

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Government Doing What It Does Best in Iraq

From the AP:

Holidays established, abolished by new Iraqi governing council

Sunday July 13, 2003

A look at holidays abolished by the new Iraqi governing council in its first official act, and the new holiday declared to mark the ouster of Saddam Hussein:

ABOLISHED HOLIDAYS

February 8: Baath Party first took power, 1963

April 7: Foundation of Saddam’s Baath Party, 1947.

April 17: Commemoration of Iraqi military victory in important battle for Faw during Iran-Iraq war, 1987

April 28: Saddam’s birthday.

July 17: Return of Baath party to power, 1968

August 8: End of Iran-Iraq war, 1988.

NEW HOLIDAY

April 9 The fall of Baghdad and Saddam’s regime.

Expect much squabbling over whether MLK Day should be a paid holiday for state workers.

War is Communism

More from the “New Baghdad Blogger” (an article on him is linked from our page today):

“the military in itself is altruistic…communism…but how else could it possibly operate…selfless service…the good of the whole over the good of the one…the pay…the living conditions…think about it…soldiers are not free to make their own decisions…if they were how could anything difficult be completed…how could a platoon take a machine gun nest…or a war be won…”

Admitted by a man in uniform: Only communism wins wars. Continue reading “War is Communism”

…like Kosovo?

The ”Baghdad Blogger” is a window into the occupation of Iraq. His 7-12 entry discusses a new feature of his Baghdad camp:

    brown and root is on the ground…this always boost soldiers spirits…when those guys show up things start getting nice quick…they start putting up buildings and chow halls so quickly…they hire out local nationals to cook and serve food…the chow is already a step up from A-rats…but that really isn’t that hard to do…

The presence of “brown and root” – a military organization that feeds and houses stationed troops – is an indication that the stay will be long:

    brown and root can be a double edged sword…the quality of life does improve but they usually don’t come in unless an american presence is going to last for years…like kosovo…