<p>I did read it; they are STRONG supporters of the Maliki government. </p>
<p>Of course, these are the same leaking “intelligence” operatives who gave us WMD, and then told us that the French, Germans, British, Italians, and Upper Slobovians (whoops, sorry, Lower) had found the same thing.</p>
<p>Did you read YESTERDAY’s article about the tens of thousands of confiscated weapons, and they found exactly one made in Iran?</p>
<p>
Not true, the shaped explosives used in IEDs to pierce armored vehicles is coming from Iran. Again, I find it truly amazing that we should treat those who are out to foment violence against civilians and our military as some sort of person with diplomatic immunity. And to paint Bush as the sabre rattler for trying to stop this? Pathetic!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Why aren’t we targeting Saudi Arabia?</p>
<p>The Sunni insurgents and Arab foreign fighters have been, by far, the greatest threat to US forces in Iraq. Where do you think these groups are getting their support?</p>
<p>Hint: It’s not the Iranian Shiia.</p>
<p>If we find Saudis in Iraq doing what the Iranians are doing, absolutely they should be targeted. If you can find documentation of that happening and of a US policy that lets them get away with it I will be just as furious as I would be if we let Iranians get away with it.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, based on what we know about the extended patterns of lies, deceit, and cheating, why does ANYONE believe ANYTHING that comes out of a U.S. intelligence “leak”? How many times do you want to be snookered? Is it simply,</p>
<p>Stay the course?</p>
<p><scoff> at the idea that the House of Bush will ever compomise the gravy train relationship it has with the House of Saud.</scoff></p>
<p>Mini, it is quite apparent that you will believe ANYTHING that is written that makes the US the bad guy and believe that ANYTHING that the US says is nothing but lies. I could write a very simple algorithm to do a “mini-parse” of the news.</p>
<p>How many times do you have to be lied to before you get it? Is this the way you would conduct yourself in your personal life? Exactly what have they done recently that earns your trust?</p>
<p>(that’s not a rhetorical question)</p>
<p>mini, I must not share the paranoid tendencies of you that “they” are some sort of ubiquitous conspiracy of government/military/corporations out to perform some nefarious plot by pulling the wool over my eyes. However, if I did start to have those feelings, I think I would seek some counseling - or at least write it down as a movie script.</p>
<p>The question is, can you point to some concrete things this administration has done in the last 3 or 4 years that inspire you to have confidence in their statements?</p>
<p>Well, on the specific topic at hand - the issue of Iranian source of weaponry used against our troops, I have heard it from enough sources in the military and the intelligence community to have no cause to disbelieve it. The thing is that much of this type of information comes from so many different sources that to conclude that they are ALL lying is delusional.</p>
<p>I don’t conclude that they are all lying; I conclude that the administration and many of its sources are untrustworthy. They may be telling the truth some of the time, but since I can’t tell when, I have to be skeptical about all of it.</p>
<p>I have no problems with skepticism but to come out and claim that the CIA was lying with respect to the quote in #300 with nothing to support that allegation and then to have a history, as mini does, of parroting everything negative about the US … well, if I had to choose which view is closer to realty, mini’s or Hayden’s, Hayden wins by a mile.</p>
<p>“everything negative about the US” </p>
<p>NO it is negative about the Administration…</p>
<p>And guess some who would not accept this kind of representing of the “truth” from their own children will acceept if from this man who has put us in a mess that has no end</p>
<p>so FF, send your kids over there, encourage them to sign up… walk the walk already, are your kids to good to fight your man’s war</p>
<p>I’m still waiting to see the Bush twins in Iraq. For a man with such amazing conviction that he’s doing the right thing by sending other people’s children to kill and be killed, I don’t see him offering his own good-time girls up for sacrifice.</p>
<p>ps- Iraq wasn’t in Iran until we let them in, and we did…because we had not plan</p>
<p>gosh, does Bush have any responsibility for anything that went wrong</p>
<p>guess some treat him like he is omnipotent and it is really strange</p>
<p>seeing that 3 times as many people see that he is doing a crappy job as those that think he is wonderful, while is sad as it is true, at least shows that American’s get it</p>
<p>“if I had to choose which view is closer to realty, mini’s or Hayden’s, Hayden wins by a mile.”</p>
<p>Well, thank you! Oh, wait, did you mean General Hayden? And there I thought I had a convert :)</p>
<p>hayden, I tend to believe you as well … just that I don’t always agree with you. ;)</p>
<p>
As far as I know, mothers/fathers do not sign their permission on the dotted line when their 18+ year old sons/daughters decide to enlist. I continue to be astounded as to how demeaning this is to the brave men/women who are serving our country in Iraq. I also continue to have no respect (shoot me) for the people here who look for any excuse to drag this country’s name through the mud.</p>
<p>In the meantime, as I did during the Vietnam war (not a trendy stance at that time, believe me), I will continue to <em>really</em> support our troops; meaning that what’s done is done; Bush has authorized a troop surge, I am all in favor of “winning” however that is presently defined, and I’m not going to spend my time badmouthing the U.S. to show how much I “support our troops.” Guess what: they don’t interpret it that way–ask any Vietnam vet.</p>
<p>“so FF, send your kids over there, encourage them to sign up… walk the walk already, are your kids to good to fight your man’s war”</p>
<p>CGM, I would say the same thing to you as I do to Michael Moore who uses childish logic such as this - grow up.</p>