Rumsfeld says violence to grow as Iraq election nears

[Cocoa]

http://www.sltrib.com/nationworld/ci_2411559

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Friday that violence will intensify in Iraq as elections scheduled there for January approach and insurgents try to derail the country's early political process. But he and President Bush's national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, said that the United States is determined to ensure that voting takes place as planned.

''There's no question but between now and the end of the year, the terrorists are determined to try to prevent the elections from taking place, and from taking place on time,'' Rumsfeld said in response to questions after a speech at the National Press Club. ''They're going to be going after coalition countries; they're going to be looking for weak spots; they're going to be going after people who are running for office.''

In an interview on Friday, Rice said that the militants have no alternative to offer but violence. ''I do not think we are going to see a delay in the election,'' she said. ''The important thing is that the insurgents don't have a political program,'' she said, apart from creating chaos and death.

Rumsfeld and Rice both asserted that Iraqi and American forces would regain control of several important parts of central Iraq, like Fallujah and Ramadi, that militants have seized in recent weeks. But neither official offered any specific details or timing.

more...

[zoeb]

1. has Bush's poll numbers dropped again? n/t

[acmavm]

2. New news bulletin: Violence will grow if the sun comes up in the morning.

.

[Disturbed]

7. Fraud.

The so-called Iraqi election will be a fraud. No candidates that are not vetted by the US will be allowed to run for any office. This will be the same thing as the US Puppet Regime that was appointed by the US.

Of course, the Iraqis that have knowledge of the real situation will never approve of this sham. The US can, via these criminal spokespersons, Rice, Rumsfailed et al spout the lies ad nauseum and most Americans will believe the BULLSHIT!

Here is what is really going on:



The Hand-Over That Wasn't: Illegal Orders give the US a Lock on Iraq's Economy
by Antonia Juhasz

Officially, the U.S. occupation of Iraq ended on June 28, 2004. But in reality, the United States is still in charge: Not only do 138,000 troops remain to control the streets, but the "100 Orders" of L. Paul Bremer III remain to control the economy.

These little noticed orders enacted by Bremer, the now-departed head of the now-defunct Coalition Provisional Authority, go to the heart of Bush administration plans in Iraq. They lock in sweeping advantages to American firms, ensuring long-term U.S. economic advantage while guaranteeing few, if any, benefits to the Iraqi people.

The Bremer orders control every aspect of Iraqi life - from the use of car horns to the privatization of state-owned enterprises. Order No. 39 alone does no less than "transition from a … centrally planned economy to a market economy" virtually overnight and by U.S. fiat.

Although many thought that the "end" of the occupation would also mean the end of the orders, on his last day in Iraq Bremer simply transferred authority for the orders to Prime Minister Iyad Allawi - a 30-year exile with close ties to the CIA and British intelligence.

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0805-07.htm

The notion that Iraq today is a sovereign state governed by Iraqis is a grotesque fiction. Every Iraqi citizen, regardless of political views or religious affiliation, is aware of the actual status of the country. And if the BBC carries on in this fashion, its credibility, already at an all-time low, could disappear altogether. Condoleezza Rice, the US national security adviser, declared some months back: "We want to change the Iraqi mind." But the US-funded Arab TV channel called Truth has proved a dismal failure. And now, to prevent any alternative images from reaching Iraqis and the rest of the world, a plucky puppet at the "ministry of information" has banned al-Jazeera TV from reporting out of Iraq - a traditional recipe from an oppressive cookbook.

The "handover", designed largely to convince US citizens that they could now relax and re-elect Bush, was also an invitation to the western media to downgrade coverage of Iraq, which it dutifully did. As Paul Krugman noted in the New York Times.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1859845835/counterpunchmaga newspapers, and largely off TV screens.

Many people got the impression that things had improved. Even journalists were taken in: newspaper stories asserted that the rate of US losses there fell after the hand-off. (Actual figures: 42 American soldiers died in June, and 54 in July)."

http://www.counterpunch.org/tariq08122004.html

[Cocoa]

8. al Jazeera is shut down, for chrissakes

how can this election be anything but a joke when their most popular news outlet is shut down by their puppet government, and with 200,000 forein troops there?

[liberalmuse]

3. The terrorists will try to derail our political process?

They don't have to. Bushco is doing a fine job of that all by themselves.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

4. The catastrophic successes just keep coming n/t

MKJ

[Lefta Dissenter]

9. you said it

a lot better than I was going to! :toast:

[SOS]

5. Violence will increase

as the US prepares to handover "sovereignty" to Iraq.

Oooops. Sorry. That was the Pentagon press release from May 2004.

[Cocoa]

6. also said it when they were drafting the constitution

remember that constitution? It lasted about as long as the stupid flag.

[ScrewyRabbit]

10. The insurgents don't have a political program?

I would say rebellion is a pretty political program!

[The_Casual_Observer]

11. These jerks say violence will increase everytime

something is going to happen in Iraq. This time the excuse is the "election". It will be a cold day in hell when they actually have a real election in Iraq.

[ScrewyRabbit]

12. I think they're just looking for any excuse for the violence

Before it was because Saddam was still at large. They want people to focus on ANYTHING BUT the fact that the Iraqis simply don't want us in their country and they don't want our US puppet regimes, either.

[The_Casual_Observer]

13. Saddam at large

"Handover of soverenty"
Aniversary of takeover
Capture of Saddam
Killing of sons

Probably some I have forgotten about. They name the excuse as though is was a fact everytime on NPR too.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

20. I don't believe they want peace anywhere.... cuz

if they achieve peace in Iraq... and they get their own say (unlikely at best) then they can dictate who gets what contracts and who has what military influence in their country and where they buy their "defense" products from.

It would seem to me... that after the damage that has been done, the last place they are going to spend their money is here.

Another thing... it takes time to privatize and sell off their infrastructure... so getting peace too soon... gives little benefit to the true agenda... which is to economically annex Iraq to the PNAC.

If I am talking out my ass... please advise.

[faithnotgreed]

14. its either the handoff is near or theres an election or whatever they

have to pull out, then thats what theyll say

[Cocoa]

17. they're batting 1.000 on violence increasing

[mbperrin]

15. Thanks for the tip, Rummy!

I wonder what violence Donnie is planning?

(If that SOB is not being paid by the Skeletor people for his likeness, he oughta sue!)

[LeftistGorilla]

16. Looks like Iraqis....

Should get ready for some violence....

[daleo]

18. Rummy knows a thing or two about violence

And how to grow it.

[Jacobin]

19. but but but, I thought RumFucked said we would be greeted

as liberators and that they would throw flowers....WTF happened to that. Now, he's all gloom and doom. Could reality have overtaken the SocioPath Rumfucked beautiful mind?