Iraq dog-and-pony show

A few days ahead of the September 15th deadline for the third and final report or as the article calls it - General Petraeus' Iraq dog-and-pony show - read Alternet's reality check.

Remember:

In July 2007, Petraeus released his interim report on Iraq indicating that coalition forces had made satisfactory progress on 6 of 18 benchmarks set by Congress. On August 15, 2007, the LA Times reported that, according to unnamed administration officials, the report "would actually be written by the White House, with inputs from officials throughout the government."

Also this from the WaPo on August 30, 2007:

Iraq has failed to meet all but three of 18 congressionally mandated benchmarks for political and military progress, according to a draft of a Government Accountability Office report. The document questions whether some aspects of a more positive assessment by the White House last month adequately reflected the range of views the GAO found within the administration.

If you are confused now about how many benchamarks are really met...worry not - the lawmakers are busy examining the report and debating it. Are you still worried? Firstly, are you with us or with them? You one of those mistrustful unpatriotic guys? You probably do not believe the violence is down either!
(Do read the article . Incredulous!)

"If a bullet went through the back of the head, it's sectarian," the official said. "If it went through the front, it's criminal."

What part of the Iraq strategy "is working" do you not understand?

"The terrorists and the Baathists loyal to the old regime will fail because America and our allies have a strategy, and our strategy is working." - President Bush, November 1, 2003

"Our strategy is working." - Vice President Cheney, September 28, 2004

"That's our strategy. And it is working and it is going to work, for the good of the country." -
President Bush, June 24, 2005

"Our strategy is working." - White House's "National Strategy for Victory in Iraq", November 30, 2005

"This approach is working." - President Bush, December 7, 2005

"It is a concrete example of how our strategy is working." - Frm. White House spokesman Scott McClellan, March 20, 2006

"It took time to understand and adjust to the brutality of the enemy in Iraq. Yet the strategy is working." - President Bush, March 20, 2006

If nothing else, the Republicans sure are good at repetition. And this is another nightmare that just won't go away...

Terror mastermind Osama bin Laden plans a new video addressing the American people regarding the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, terror monitoring groups said Thursday.

After you recover from the sense of dejavu all over again, here are some other related articles.

Even supporters of the Bush administration criticise its incompetence and the dysfunctional political system behind it, writes Timothy Garton Ash

Someone called Hunter blogs at Dailykos, opines: "American lives continue to be the cold commerce of foreign policy failures, the spent loose change of patriotism."

And if all this isn't discouraging... this guy may be the next liar-in-chief...er..commander-in-chief of the country!

Brought to you by Brave New Films and TheREALRudy.org, here are seven minutes of video that will cure you of any delusions about Rudy Giuliani being the "hero" of 9/11.

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We are the people who run this country. We are the deciders and we need to raise hell. - Molly Ivins (God bless her soul - she's probably up there raising a rucus :))