TPM Points Out The Problem In Afghanistan

Talking Points Memo: by Joshua Micah Marshall September 7, 2006 03:19 PM:

Asia Times: 'With a truce between the Pakistani Taliban and Islamabad now in place, the Pakistani government is in effect reverting to its pre-September 11, 2001, position in which it closed its eyes to militant groups allied with al-Qaeda and clearly sided with the Taliban in Afghanistan. While the truce has generated much attention, a more significant development is an underhand deal between pro-al-Qaeda elements and Pakistan in which key al-Qaeda figures will either not be arrested or those already in custody will be set free.'

Fighting them in Iraq because we're afraid to fight them in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Basically, we're losing this war because we "moved on" too soon. Now our "friends" are stabbing us in the back and returning to old behaviors. They figure we're too distracted with the quagmire in Iraq to do much about it. They may be right.

Help!!!

My Way News - NATO Wants Reinforcements in Afghanistan:

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - NATO's top commander on Thursday urged allied nations to send reinforcements to southern Afghanistan, where resurgent Taliban militants are inflicting heavy casualties on foreign forces and have captured a remote town for the second time in two months.

Gen. James L. Jones said after a trip to Afghanistan that the coming weeks could be decisive for thousands of troops fighting in the south of the country amid the worst upsurge in violence since the hard-line Taliban regime's ouster in late 2001.

So that "agreement" between Islamabad and the Taliban didn't exactly end the violence in Afghanistan, eh?

Even The Generals Protest

Bush terror proposal met with backlash - U.S. Security - MSNBC.com:
"WASHINGTON - The Pentagon’s top uniformed lawyers took issue Thursday with a key part of a White House plan to prosecute terrorism detainees, telling Congress that limiting the suspects’ access to evidence could violate treaty obligations."

Is it just me, or is BushCo's entire world crashing down?

Biden Trash Talks The pRez

Biden Assails Bush's Security Strategy - Politics - MSNBC.com:
"WASHINGTON - Democratic Sen. Joe Biden, a White House hopeful, criticized the Bush administration's foreign policy and national security strategy Thursday as 'a dangerous combination of ideology and some incompetence.'"

And Now For Some Good News

Southern women turning from GOP - Politics - MSNBC.com:

MACON, Ga. - President Bush's once-solid relationship with Southern women is on the rocks.

'I think history will show him to be the worst president since Ulysses S. Grant,' said Barbara Knight, a self-described Republican since birth and the mother of three. 'He's been an embarrassment.'

God bless 'em!

But The Saudis Are Our Friends

My Way News - Saudis Consider Banning Women From Mecca:
"JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) - Officials are considering an unprecedented proposal to ban women from performing the five Muslim prayers in the immediate vicinity of Islam's most sacred shrine in Mecca. Some say women are already being kept away."

Maybe they didn't get the memo. Our friends are supposed to support civil rights and human freedoms, not limit them. Oops.

Things Are Not Getting Better In Iraq

My Way News - Iraq Deaths Multiply in New August Count:

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Updated figures from Iraq's Health Ministry show there was no significant decline in violent deaths in Baghdad last month, but the U.S. military insisted Thursday the murder rate in the capital had fallen by 52 percent.

Baghdad recorded more than 1,500 violent deaths in August, according to final figures released this week by the Health Ministry. The final count was roughly the same as the figure the ministry released for July, before the U.S.-led security crackdown began in the Baghdad area.

The final figure also was nearly three times the preliminary count released by the same ministry last week.

If accurate, the final figures cast doubt on U.S. and Iraqi claims of a significant reduction in the level of violence here since the crackdown was launched Aug. 7.

No Honor Among Thieves

My Way News - Pollster Pleads Guilty to Fraud:

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) - The owner of DataUSA Inc., a company that conducted political polls for the campaigns of President Bush, Sen. Joe Lieberman and other candidates, pleaded guilty to fraud for making up survey and poll results.

[...]

Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Chang said on several occasions when the company was running up against a deadline to complete a job, results were falsified. Sometimes, the respondent's gender or political affiliation were changed to meet a quota, other times all survey answers were fabricated.

And If The Bird Flu Doesn't Get You...

Drug-Resistant TB in South Africa Draws Attention From U.N. - New York Times

This Is Progress?

My Way News:
"BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's leaders have just months to mend their differences or see their country collapse, the speaker of parliament told wrangling deputies on Wednesday after a car bomb caused dozens of casualties in the morning rush hour."Months, of course, means after the November elections here. Then the shit can hit the fan since the Reps won't be around to pick up the pieces. Poor Iraqis. At least they knew what hit them.

D'Oh!

My Way News:

MIAMI (Reuters) - Katherine Harris cinched the Republican party's U.S. Senate nomination in Florida on Tuesday, despite the best efforts of party heavyweights who begged the former election official not to run.

The U.S. congresswoman won about 50 percent of the vote in Tuesday's primary election and will face a tough battle against incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in the November general election.

She trails Nelson by more than 30 points in voter opinion polls, lags far behind him in fund-raising and came under scrutiny after receiving illegal campaign contributions from a defense contractor who admitted bribing another congressional representative.

I just love it when a plan comes together.

Oops! There Goes Another 10,500 Well-paying Jobs

Intel to Cut Work Force by 10,500 - New York Times

Screwed Much?

Leaders of Pakistan and Afghanistan Hold Talks - New York Times:

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- Key U.S. allies Afghanistan and Pakistan must join forces to fight the ''common enemy'' of terrorism and extremism being fanned by al-Qaida and Taliban militants, Pakistan's president said Wednesday.

But visiting President Gen. Pervez Musharraf also said Pakistan would never allow U.S.-led coalition forces -- currently hunting al-Qaida and Taliban fighters on the Afghan side of the border -- into tribal areas on its side.

So here we get more of the details about the "deal" the Pakistan government made with the tribal leaders and Taliban in the North Waziristan region. Looks more like they agreed to protect the militants from outside invasion (i.e., from U.S. and allied forces Afghanistan) in exchange for a promise (crossed fingers!) from them not to wreak havoc in Afghanistan. I think Karzai and friends just got the screw.

Any Your Little Dog, Too!

7 British Officials Resign in Revolt Over Blair - New York Times:
"LONDON, Sept. 6 — Prime Minister Tony Blair sought to face down a revolt within his Labor party today as seven junior aides resigned to protest his refusal to set a date to leave office."

Meanwhile, In That Other Travesty Of Inhumanity...

WP: Attacks increase in Darfur - washingtonpost.com Highlights - MSNBC.com

Will the U.S. and developed nations ever deal responsibly with Africa? Shame! Shame!

Hey, But I Thought...!!

My Way News:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush acknowledged on Wednesday the CIA has run a secret detention program for terrorism suspects overseas and said 14 of those held have been transferred to the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay.

Remember when Condi said we didn't do torture or have secret prisons overseas? Maybe her bosses kept her out of the loop.

Bush said his bill would insist that terrorism suspects cannot use Geneva Convention protections to file lawsuits against U.S. personnel in U.S. courts.

Bush said passing the legislation "ought to be the top priority" of Congress's abbreviated election-year schedule in coming weeks.

"Otherwise," he went on to say, "we'll all get our asses sued off or even wind up in jail!"

Hey! But I Thought...!

My Way News - Army Bans Some Interrogation Techniques:
"WASHINGTON (AP) - A new Army manual bans torture and degrading treatment of prisoners, for the first time specifically mentioning forced nakedness, hooding and other procedures that have become infamous during the five-year-old war on terror."

Remember when Condi said, "The United States does not do torture?" Maybe her bosses forgot to tell her.

I Had A Feeling

Talibanistan: The Establishment of the Islamic Emirate of Waziristan (The Fourth Rail):
"Pakistan's 'truce with the Taliban is an abject surrender, and al-Qaeda has an untouchable base of operations in Western Pakistan which will only expand if not checked"It seems the Pakistanis have a lot to learn about control of information, as well. I'd recommend a chat with Bush and Cheney, et al, but they're having some problems of their own keeping the news of their horrendous failures out of the public's attention.

Pakistan Also Losing War

Pakistan Lets Tribal Chiefs Keep Control Along Border - New York Times:

The agreement, reached a day before a visit by President Pervez Musharraf to Afghanistan, will be presented by the government as proof of Pakistan’s effort to deal with militancy and terrorism. Relations with President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan have been strained this year as the insurgency in southern and eastern Afghanistan has swelled.

The military moved into the tribal areas three years ago in an effort to curb militants who were using the territory as a base for attacks on Afghanistan, but it has faced fierce resistance, losing some 500 soldiers in the fighting.

So, let me get this straight. They couldn't stop the Talibani from invading Afghanistan, so they made a deal with them to stop the raids if they withdrew? I have a feeling the central government in Pakistan needs some lessons in military history and terminology. Can you say, "surrender?"

Just Not Going Well For Them, Is It?

Republican Rift Over Wiretapping Widens:
"Deepening Republican divisions over the future of President Bush's warrantless wiretapping program may jeopardize GOP leaders' hopes of making terrorism surveillance legislation a centerpiece of their final legislative push this month."

They want to make sure "future administrations...don't get out of line." In other words, the next guy will be a Democrat, and we don't want him to be listening in on us. Bwaahaaahhhhh!

More Proof Lieberman Really A Republican

Insight:
"The White House funneled millions of dollars through major Republican Party contributors to Sen. Joseph Lieberman’s primary campaign in a failed effort to ensure the support of the former Democrat for the Bush administration."

I like that part about "former Democrat." You betcha!

Strategery Even A Repuglican Can't Stomach

GOP Senators Differ With President on Military Trials

Mickey Mouse Helps Spin History

9/11 Miniseries Is Criticized as Inaccurate and Biased - New York Times:
"SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 5 — Days before its scheduled debut, the first major television miniseries about the Sept. 11 attacks was being criticized on Tuesday as biased and inaccurate by bloggers, terrorism experts and a member of the Sept. 11 commission, whose report makes up much of the film’s source material."

ABC -- America Broadcasting Conservatism.

And Reps Embrace The pRez -- NOT!

My Way News - Republican Ads Show Distance From Bush

Meanwhile The pRez Showcases New Strategery

Looking to Elections, Bush and Democrats Spar on National Security - New York Times:

The speech employed some of Mr. Bush’s sharpest rhetoric to date. He compared Osama bin Laden to Lenin and Hitler, saying, “Bin Laden and his terrorist allies have made their intentions as clear as Lenin and Hitler before them.”

The president also quoted liberally from Mr. bin Laden, warning that the mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks is still pursuing his vision of “a unified totalitarian Islamic state that can confront and eventually destroy the free world.”

The speech used a classic strategy of Karl Rove, Mr. Bush’s chief political adviser, who specializes in turning a candidate’s weakness into a strength. In this case, Mr. Bush’s weakness is that Mr. bin Laden has not been captured — a point that was quickly picked up by Democrats. Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts said that if Mr. Bush had “unleashed the American military to do the job at Tora Bora four years ago and killed Osama bin Laden, he wouldn’t have to quote this barbarian’s words today.”

That did not stop Mr. Bush from mentioning Mr. bin Laden 17 times in the 44-minute speech, a tactic that seemed intended to emphasize the Republican argument that the nation can trust the president and his party more than Democrats to protect it from attacks.

Which is, uh, to stay the course? Well, yeah, but with emphasis on how screwed up everything is and how the Dems couldn't do it any better? Hmmmm. Maybe they ought to take another look at that.

Meanwhile The pRez Showcases New Strategery

Looking to Elections, Bush and Democrats Spar on National Security - New York Times:

The speech employed some of Mr. Bush’s sharpest rhetoric to date. He compared Osama bin Laden to Lenin and Hitler, saying, “Bin Laden and his terrorist allies have made their intentions as clear as Lenin and Hitler before them.”

The president also quoted liberally from Mr. bin Laden, warning that the mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks is still pursuing his vision of “a unified totalitarian Islamic state that can confront and eventually destroy the free world.”

The speech used a classic strategy of Karl Rove, Mr. Bush’s chief political adviser, who specializes in turning a candidate’s weakness into a strength. In this case, Mr. Bush’s weakness is that Mr. bin Laden has not been captured — a point that was quickly picked up by Democrats. Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts said that if Mr. Bush had “unleashed the American military to do the job at Tora Bora four years ago and killed Osama bin Laden, he wouldn’t have to quote this barbarian’s words today.”

That did not stop Mr. Bush from mentioning Mr. bin Laden 17 times in the 44-minute speech, a tactic that seemed intended to emphasize the Republican argument that the nation can trust the president and his party more than Democrats to protect it from attacks.

Which is, uh, to stay the course? Well, yeah, but with emphasis on how screwed up everything is and how the Dems couldn't do it any better? Hmmmm. Maybe they ought to take another look at that.

Or They Can Act Like Dems

Candidates of Both Parties Turn Criticism of Rumsfeld Into Political Chorus - New York Times:
"WASHINGTON, Sept. 5 — Democrats and at least some Republicans appear to agree on one thing as the election approaches: Attacking Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld is a way to lift them to victory."

Reeling Reps Rely On Xenophobia To Bolster Electoral Chances

In Bellwether District, G.O.P. Runs on Immigration - New York Times

Just A Preview

In Search of Accurate Vote Totals - New York Times:

The most troubling evidence comes from Ohio, a key swing state, whose electoral votes decided the 2004 presidential election. A recent government report details enormous flaws in the election system in Ohio’s biggest county, problems that may not be fixable before the 2008 election.

Cuyahoga County, which includes Cleveland, hired a consulting firm to review its election system. The county recently adopted Diebold electronic voting machines that produce a voter-verified paper record of every vote cast. The investigators compared the vote totals recorded on the machines after this year’s primary with the paper records produced by the machines. The numbers should have been the same, but often there were large and unexplained discrepancies. The report also found that nearly 10 percent of the paper records were destroyed, blank, illegible, or otherwise compromised.

Notice the use of Diebold and the "large and unexplained" discrepancies. Guess which way the counts were off. Just guess.

This is going to be a very interesting year at the polls and afterward. What do you want to bet the Republicans complain about counts and new machines when they start losing more races than they expected? And what about the ones the Dems should win but don't? Will they have the cajones to put up a fight this time? And will any of these problems be solved before the 2008 presidential election? Stay tuned.

Just A Preview

In Search of Accurate Vote Totals - New York Times:

The most troubling evidence comes from Ohio, a key swing state, whose electoral votes decided the 2004 presidential election. A recent government report details enormous flaws in the election system in Ohio’s biggest county, problems that may not be fixable before the 2008 election.

Cuyahoga County, which includes Cleveland, hired a consulting firm to review its election system. The county recently adopted Diebold electronic voting machines that produce a voter-verified paper record of every vote cast. The investigators compared the vote totals recorded on the machines after this year’s primary with the paper records produced by the machines. The numbers should have been the same, but often there were large and unexplained discrepancies. The report also found that nearly 10 percent of the paper records were destroyed, blank, illegible, or otherwise compromised.

Notice the use of Diebold and the "large and unexplained" discrepancies. Guess which way the counts were off. Just guess.

This is going to be a very interesting year at the polls and afterward. What do you want to bet the Republicans complain about counts and new machines when they start losing more races than they expected? And what about the ones the Dems should win but don't? Will they have the cajones to put up a fight this time? And will any of these problems be solved before the 2008 presidential election? Stay tuned.