LOST IN TRANSLATION

Very often, politicians desperate to keep themselves out ahead of the opinion of the electorate make elaborate missteps. H.R. 861 was one such misstep aimed at uninformed and generally afraid American cicitzens. I will attempt to clarify.

RESOLUTION

Declaring that the United States will prevail in the Global War on Terror, the struggle to protect freedom from the terrorist adversary.


Yet another "Mission Accomplished" statement which is horribly premature. That aside I am most concerned with the vaugue notion of "freedom" for if the current US government wanted freedom in Iraq US soldiers would not be dying there propping up the Iraqi government it installed.

Whereas the United States and its allies are engaged in a Global War on Terror, a long and demanding struggle against an adversary that is driven by hatred of American values and that is committed to imposing, by the use of terror, its repressive ideology throughout the world;

The tone here of a "forever war" is evident. I would wonder how many Americans today feel their country is on a "war footing"? Save for those that have sent loved ones to Iraq I would imaging very few outside of defense contrators like Custer Battles who as we used to say in my heyday are "cleaning up." I ahve said many times before it is the policies of America chief of which is its support of Israel in all its actions that are the chief reason for hatred of the US in the wider Muslim world, not any such "American values" which I fear few neocons could rationally define.


Whereas for the past two decades, terrorists have used violence in a futile attempt to intimidate the United States;


This does make sense and for nearly five decades Palestinians and their helpers have been doing this to Israel to no avail.

Whereas it is essential to the security of the American people and to world security that the United States, together with its allies, take the battle to the terrorists and to those who provide them assistance;

I do miss the global level of cooperation in the period immediately after September 11, 2001.

Whereas the Taliban, Al Qaeda, and other terrorists failed to stop free elections in Afghanistan and the first popularly-elected President in that nation’s history has taken office;

Once again the might of the US military when used effectively is evident.

Whereas the continued determination of Afghanistan, the United States, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization will be required to sustain a sovereign, free, and secure Afghanistan;

Granted. Coalitions good, unilaterism is folly. Ask Gorbachev about this one.

Whereas the steadfast resolve of the United States and its partners since September 11, 2001, helped persuade the government of Libya to surrender its weapons of mass destruction;


Possibly the only foreign policy coup of the Bush presidency.

Whereas by early 2003 Saddam Hussein and his criminal, Ba’athist regime in Iraq, which had supported terrorists, constituted a threat against global peace and security and was in violation of mandatory United Nations Security Council Resolutions;


There is little evidence that Hussein's government supported terrorists of the Al Qaeda variety. he did support terrorist organizations will to attack his enemies in Turkey and Iran. The USA did support Augusto Pinochet in Chile and bankrolled Hussein in his war of attrition against Iran from 1980-89. Hussein's government was, however, in violation of several UN Resolutions.

Whereas the mission of the United States and its Coalition partners, having removed Saddam Hussein and his regime from power, is to establish a sovereign, free, secure, and united Iraq at peace with its neighbors;


Good luck with this as Iraq is a political figment held together as Tito's Yugoslavia wa, by force, composed of a triumvirate of peoples who despise each other.

Whereas the terrorists have declared Iraq to be the central front in their war against all who oppose their ideology;

Iraq has become a focal point where Shi'ites know they can kill Sunnites at will and while they are at it kill despised Americans, whom they call "crusaders".

Whereas the Iraqi people, with the help of the United States and other Coalition partners, have formed a permanent, representative government under a newly ratified constitution;

And this was quite a success, however, without massive US troop protections this would have never taken place.

Whereas the terrorists seek to destroy the new unity government because it threatens the terrorists’ aspirations for Iraq and the broader Middle East;

This is a fallacy. These people wish to kille ach other because they have deep seated religious and politcal beefs with one another. They also see the American installed government as illegitimate. In other words they TRULY would like the right to govern themselves and fight with arms to see who controls that government.

Whereas United States Armed Forces, in coordination with Iraqi security forces and Coalition and other friendly forces, have scored impressive victories in Iraq including finding and killing the terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi;

That strike on Zarqawi was impressive. however, the killing hasn't stopped. It hasn't even been slowed.

Whereas Iraqi security forces are, over time, taking over from United States and Coalition forces a growing proportion of independent operations and increasingly lead the fight to secure Iraq;

Members of the Iraqi government this week said they are ready to assume control over most of the nation.

Whereas the United States and Coalition servicemembers and civilians and the members of the Iraqi security forces and those assisting them who have made the ultimate sacrifice or been wounded in Iraq have done so nobly, in the cause of freedom; and

The American forces have done the best they could under the circumstances while fighting a politcally motivated war.

Whereas the United States and its Coalition partners will continue to support Iraq as part of the Global War on Terror: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives–

(1) honors all those Americans who have taken an active part in the Global War on Terror, whether as first responders protecting the homeland, as servicemembers overseas, as diplomats and intelligence officers, or in other roles;

A broad pandering patriotic brushstroke.

(2) honors the sacrifices of the United States Armed Forces and of partners in the Coalition, and of the Iraqis and Afghans who fight alongside them, especially those who have fallen or been wounded in the struggle, and honors as well the sacrifices of their families and of others who risk their lives to help defend freedom;


Can all of you see what damage the rifts caused by Vietnam cause in the body politic now another immoral war hinges on American patriotism and the desire not to "betray the troops". America lost in Vietnam not because the people at home"burdened" the troops, but that they realized the war was ignoble. You are currently seeing the redux.

3) declares that it is not in the national security interest of the United States to set an arbitrary date for the withdrawal or redeployment of United States Armed Forces from Iraq;


True. Also it is not politically in the GOP's best interest to state they should have an American force in Baghdad indefinitely as was the case for decades in Germany as a buffer against the Soviets.

(4) declares that the United States is committed to the completion of the mission to create a sovereign, free, secure, and united Iraq;

This by the very nature of Iraq is impossible. Iraq is three sovereign nations that had been held together by a strongman. Remove the totalitarian government and a desire for independence and real freedom comes to the fore. The so called insurgency is no different from the Green Mountain Boys of thwe American revolution the most successful "insurgents" in modern warfare.

(5) congratulates Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki and the Iraqi people on the courage they have shown by participating, in increasing millions, in the elections of 2005 and on the formation of the first government under Iraq’s new constitution;


And now a man who despite the blood and treasure expended to keep him in power al maliki will not denounce hezbollah as a terrorist organization because such a statement would bring down his government around his shoulders.

(6) calls upon the nations of the world to promote global peace and security by standing with the United States and other Coalition partners to support the efforts of the Iraqi and Afghan people to live in freedom; and

A robust UN force in Iraq would help, but then when could they leave?

(7) declares that the United States will prevail in the Global War on Terror, the noble struggle to protect freedom from the terrorist adversary.

Somehow this has the ring of people who have declared defeat, or at least feel that things are going wrong.

Here is is list of questions you are supposed to ask your representatives that did not vote for this resolution as taken from New America Citizen:


How they [the Democratic party] plan to protect American citizens around the World when the Islamo-fascists, emboldened by our defeat in Iraq, take the initiative and step up their efforts?

With the same robust application of the CIA and FBI as is being done today.

How they plan to protect American families when the terrorists in Iraq follow our troops home?
How they plan to deal with a depressed economy that will surely follow a defeat in Iraq?

I highly doubt if the democrats will disband ICE or open the US border to waves of undocumented immigrants that is unless they float to Florida from Cuba.

If the going gets tougher in Afghanistan, and by all indications it will, how quickly will they withdraw troops from that country?

Afghansitan is only the city of kabul the rest is literally a vast amalgamation of territory held by warlords. The nation looks more like Somalia than Iraq.

How they plan to defend the country against a nuclear armed Iran once the Iranians realize America doesn’t keep its promises?

Simple, it cannot. And that is due to a stubborn willfulness on the part of the current administration. If America would talk to Iran directly through back channels much of this could be resolved. The current administration is perfectly happy not having dialogue with Iran or Syria for its own reasons.

How they plan to deal with a re-armed Libya and the extremist takeover of the government in Pakistan?

While Libya as long a Qadaffi is in power is little threat a fundamentalist Pakistan is a greater nightmare than a nuclear Iran. Fortunately, India is sitting right there as quite the deterrent.

How they’ll sleep at night knowing that Iraqi civilians are being slaughtered by anti–government Sunni Arabs in retaliation for cooperating with the coalition, as had happened to the Shia after the first Gulf war?

I know this blogger wished he had never put this on his site. Because this is exactly what is happening on Bush's watch with controll of Congress in the hands of the GOP. That question is better directed at Rumsfeld, Cheney, Rove, Rice, and the POTUS.

Clark Clifford, O.B.R.E., K.C.B.G.R & S.,
Special Counsel to
Her Imperial Hellac Majesty
Ang'ki Hoor I
87 Low Lux Negro 1 AS

Social Bookmark

Get a Blogger Social Bookmarker

[HOME] اجرة الخطيئة هي الموت.