Robert Fisk: Iraq is imploding

[Carolab]

'Can't Blair See that this Country
is About to Explode? Can't Bush?'
By Robert Fisk
The Independent UK

Sunday 01 August 2004

The Prime Minister has accused some journalists of almost wanting a disaster to happen in Iraq. Robert Fisk, who has spent the past five weeks reporting from the deteriorating and devastated country, says the disaster has already happened, over and over again.

The war is a fraud. I'm not talking about the weapons of mass destruction that didn't exist. Nor the links between Saddam Hussein and al-Qa'ida which didn't exist. Nor all the other lies upon which we went to war. I'm talking about the new lies.

For just as, before the war, our governments warned us of threats that did not exist, now they hide from us the threats that do exist. Much of Iraq has fallen outside the control of America's puppet government in Baghdad but we are not told. Hundreds of attacks are made against US troops every month. But unless an American dies, we are not told. This month's death toll of Iraqis in Baghdad alone has now reached 700 - the worst month since the invasion ended. But we are not told.

Full article: http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/080204E.shtml

[Swamp Rat]

1. Yes, this is a tragedy of epic proportions.

I wonder if Bush&Co intend to just kill them all in the end?

[gasperc]

16. booknotes with McCain was interesting this morning

McCain spoke about Truman and his courage especially regarding the firing of McArther. McCain said Truman was very courageous to do this, his poll numbers plummetted, he was derided by many of his officers but history has shown he was right to do it. MCARTHUR WANTED TO USE NUCLEAR WEAPONS AGIANST CHINA. McCain went on to say image where we would be in the world now if Truman had gone along. McCain commended Truman for calling McArthur on his insubordination.

So as we watch Iraq go into a death spiral, and defense hawks press for nukes to crush the will of the popular uprising in Iraq, I hope this post has no historical relevance and that cooler heads prevail. If nuclear weapons are used in the middle east for whatever atrocity that we or the world may face, what other conclusion can one draw than what an abject failure the Bush administration's policy has been!

[Petrodollar Warfare]

25. Ummm, not sure about that nuclear weapon reference...

<<<<If nuclear weapons are used in the middle east for whatever atrocity that we or the world may face>>>>

...they would soon be overshadowed by teh global metldown of the entire Post-War II economy. Anything otherthan the smallest tactical nuke detonated way out in some far corner of the Iraq would likely result in a panic on global oil prices, perhaps spiraling up to $100 for a short internval. That event would be long enough for the Japanese to be forced to divest their U.S. Treasuey holdings in order to prop up the yen as the Japanese central banks struggle with debilitating energy costs. Should these banks collaspse under the high oil prices, or sell off $400-$500 billion in U.S. debt, the U.S. financial system would hyper-inflate, and lots of folks here would go broke in short order. The Global Economy would go into "melt-down" scenario. I would expect the EU and Chinese to weather the storm better than the rest, but they too will have some hard times..but us and Japanese would have it the worst.

So, I don't think we'll ever see any nukes being used in Baghdad or elsewhere in the Middle East...unless Bush et al is as crazy as some have suggested. All that talk about "nuke em" and "Let God sort them out" is just simplisitc right-wing insanity, as the economic aftershocks would unhinge the US economy - right quickly I might add. Just my 2cts worth.

[Swamp Rat]

26. I saw a bit of the McCain spot in CSPAN

I think we can already say what an abject failure the Bush administration's policy has been. If they resort to using those nifty new RNEPs we'll eventually reap the whirlwind. Imagine New York and Chicago looking just like Dresden and Leipzig in 1945...

More Americans need to read Soro's "The Bubble of American Supremacy."

[Zhade]

2. Rather grim news for a would-be Kerry administration.

From Fisk's earlier reports, the situation in Iraq tragically resembles Afghanistan - we (mostly) control Baghdad...and that's just about it.

So, essentially, our role there is much like our role in Afghanistan: propping up a puppet government. One which will be torn down five minutes after we leave (be it willingly or as we're being forced out).

[lottie244]

17. Kerry/Edwards may be glad if they don't win.

I know Gore is very happy the they stole it from him.

[Frances]

24. ?????

If the election had not been stolen from Gore, we wouldn't be in this mess in Iraq!

And I trust Kerry/Edwards to figure a way to get us out of this mess. It's certain Bush will only make it worse.

Think about it--Kerry was injured in battle, but turned his boat around and crawled back on deck to pull an injured man aboard, all the time under fire.

On 9/11 Bush got out of harm's way, as he put it.

Which man is better in an emergency? Don't make me laugh.

[T Bone]

21. Do we really 'control' Baghdad ?

The number of attacks and incidents in Baghdad itself doesn't tell me we 'control' Baghdad. It doesn't pass the laugh test when you think about it. Problem is, no one really thinks about it, and it is not really a laughing matter, so maybe that is why no one applies the laugh test to it.

[GHOSTDANCER]

3. 700 more dead? And thats just in Baghdad? WTF??

[Carolab]

4. Yeah and read the rest of it

about Hussein's "closed" trial...

[opihimoimoi]

5. Chaos and Confusion is the result of Pubs Plans gone awry

[Dover]

6. A HELL HOLE...

Will be interesting if the alleged support of troops from the Saudis and Russians that will likely be announced prior to Nov. 2, will become a reality on the ground (regardless of who wins election). I think it's likely just a bogus gesture that won't last beyond the first week in Nov.

[Matilda]

7. Thank God for Robert Fisk!

You know you can trust him - he's there, and he's out and about,
not sitting in the hotel bar waiting for the next press conference
from the Coalition.

But of course all this will never make the mainstream newspapers,
or television, so most people in most countries will never know
just how bad things really are. Frustrating, to say the least.

[xchrom]

8. imagine that -- you create murder, chaos and mayhem

and you get murder chaos and mayhem.
who'd a thunk it?

[HysteryDiagnosis]

9. imagine that -- you create murder, chaos and mayhem

And half of your country still supports you. What does that country deserve? Imagine doing the same thing that has created terrorism in the first place... and expecting less terrorism and or resistance. Imagine not being able to think clearly... being unable to forsee the consequences of your actions... being unable to listen to good advice... being what you claim to despise... imagine being driven by power and wealth... just where does that road lead..... exactly where we are.

[gasperc]

18. somebody got some Obama rubbed off on them

very good

[HysteryDiagnosis]

20. somebody got some Obama rubbed off on them

Actually... I have not heard the man speak.... however I am SURE I would support his ideologies from what I have heard in here already...

Four More Wars!!! Oh yeah....

[skip fox]

10. Damned fine article. Thanks for posting.

What is not mentioned, but should be, is that Fisk is a writer. Very solid, stands-on-its-own-feet prose. "tearing at the vertebrae of an American in Iraq with a knife" was the most viseral phrasing, but the entire (from diction to structure) was solid writing AND journalism. One rarely finds these together these days, but there was a time in tyhe not too distant past, when. . . .

[leftchick]

11. Why aren't the journalists reporting this?....

good question.....

<snip>
When suicide bombers ram their cars into hundreds of recruits outside police stations, how on earth can anyone hold an election next January? Even the National Conference to appoint those who will arrange elections has been twice postponed. And looking back through my notebooks over the past five weeks, I find that not a single Iraqi, not a single American soldier I have spoken to, not a single mercenary - be he American, British or South African - believes that there will be elections in January. All said that Iraq is deteriorating by the day. And most asked why we journalists weren't saying so.

[Barrett808]

28. Fisk mentions this in the Democracy Now interview

The journalists are all staying in the Baghdad hotels; it's too dangerous to venture into the rest of the country.

He doesn't fault them for this, but he does fault them for not telling this to their readers.

[Doosh]

12. Here's your reality check

I really fear for this guys safety.

[Barkley]

13. This one incredible article!

Thanks Carolab!
:kick:

[IndianaGreen]

14. "Stay the course" in Iraq. "We broke it, we fix it"

An updated version of Nixon's "Peace with Honor" that will have the same predictable results.

[redqueen]

27. It's not updated, even... same rhetoric, diff generation

Why they CHENEY does it still work?

:cry:

[gasperc]

15. ohhh....the surprise....ohh....gosh...noooo

how could this happen? Against all the might and ingenuity of the Bush administration? no of us here could have predicted such a thing...


in other news, if this same article is posted on freeperville, does it immediately get yanked??

[tlcandie]

19. Fisk's words....

"The war is a FRAUD. I'm talking about NEW lies. Our governments warned us of threats that did NOT exist, now they hide from us the threats that DO exist."

Very powerful journalism. Fisk is the reality on the ground; otherwise, we would have about zero.

Now the trucks from Turkey with goods will not be coming into Iraq, so I wonder what they will do now to fix that LITTLE problem?

Very sad indeed for everyone in Iraq!!

[enough]

22. "tuning into Planet Mars"

From the article:

"Indeed, watching any Western television station in Baghdad these days is like tuning in to Planet Mars. Doesn't Blair realise that Iraq is about to implode? Doesn't Bush realise this?"


I suppose Bushco is just hoping that they can keep the reality out of the media for three more months until November, after which Iraq will cease to exist for Americans. (And if it doesn't exists for Americans, it doesn't exist.)

[PATRICK]

23. Media appeasement of the US people

Just as the natural opposition to the war was suppressed, deflected and labeled treason by the blindly cheerleading US media, so too they march lockstep as always, as dumb puppies with the new deadly illusion designed solely to permit the election of Bush.

Only one good purpose I can think of by the Iraqification(and fake invisibility) of the war would have been to set AlQaeda or other troublemakers against each other and the Baathist insurgents. No, the main thing is to cluster as much as possible in crusader castles and let the Iraqi police soak up the bombs and bullets. Let easy targets with no help until inevitably, like the Christian Churches this Sunday, get bombed with impunity, tsk, tsk.

The Clear Channel and others downplay casualties. Orwell is consulted for newsspeak and doubletalk. Mainly report causalities like the weather. Always always let the listener assume now it is all in the free hands of the Iraqis without wondering why we are still their ineffective as always.

Typical Bush strategy. Quiet it down. Declare victory or credit for nothing. When hell breaks loose blame some other sucker. No lie is too big no truth too big to hide, noting too big not to steal or take advantage of. The media is directly complicit or naturally, stupidly collaborative. The victims at ground Zero wonder how this could be? The rest of the sheeple snooze to nice musak and droned routines.

[BlueEyedSon]

29. *kick* (just got this via email from the Dog Skin Report)

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