Escalation in Pakistan

The war in Afghanistan is seven years old and for the past several weeks we have read reports of our drones attacking Taliban and al Qaeda targets with missiles inside Pakistan.  Why now seven years into the war and not before?  What is behind these recent attacks?  We always knew the Taliban/al Qaeda were there in that region.

 

The answer lies in the type of person we have as President.  Mr. Bush's performance and reckless behavior in fighting the war on terror is dismal.  He faces the prospect of leaving office in a few months with the lowest approval rating of any President in recent memory.  The reason for the recent attacks in Pakistan is a political decision by Bush to finally try to get bin Laden before he leaves office to improve his rating and salvage his Presidency.  One will remember it was Mr. Bush himself shortly after 9-11 who said bin Laden was wanted dead or alive but then failed to pursue him. 

 

Seven years of war in Afghanistan and almost six years of war in Iraq have already been recorded in history.  Those years can not be rewritten and history will not be kind to Mr. Bush.  The American people gave Mr. Bush two chances to serve and uplift America a its people, but he lacked the wisdom, character and humility to serve as President.

A Legacy Of Shame

The defense budget has doubled since George Bush became President, yet a report out of Washington Thursday shows the ugly hand of this President's incompetence.  The Commission on the National Guard and Reserve was charged by Congress to recommend changes in law and policy concerning the Guard and Reserve.

 

Their latest report says the U.S. Military isn't ready for a catastrophic attack on the country, and National Guard forces don't have the equipment or training they need for the job.  Even fewer Army National Guard units are combat ready today than were nearly a year ago when the commission on the National Guard and Reserves determined that 88% of the units were not prepared for the fight.  Right now we don't have the forces we need, we don't have them trained, and we don't have the equipment, Chairman Arnold Punaro said in an interview with the Associated Press.

 

The money this President has wasted on Iraq in an unnecessary war is truly astounding.  Our Guard and Reserves have been depleted by on going tours in Iraq and this report says they are still not trained nor so they have the proper equipment at home.  If we are not ready for a catastrophic attack on the country like the Commission says, after all the money appropriated and knowing what we know about 9-11, and all the so called tough talk by Bush, that is truly tragic. 

 

By his deeds, this President is no supporter of our men and women in uniform.  Through the continuing reckless behavior of this President, the American people can now understand why the worst foreign terror attack on U.S. soil happened on his watch.  The warning the CIA gave to then National Security Adviser Condi Rice and to Mr. Bush prior to 9-11, that something big was going down, is glaring when the whole picture of this administration is put together.  Our country, our people, and our men and women in uniform have witnessed first hand the right wing conservative ideology of this President and the Republican controlled Congress that rubber stamped his reckless decisions.  Another year in office is to long for America to endure.  The President and Vice President should resign for the good of the country.

The Absence of Competence

We now learn from a report by the New York Times that Mike McConnell, Director of National Intelligence, and General Michael Hayden, Director of CIA went to Pakistan secretly on January 9 to try and reach an agreement with Pakistan President Musharraf to allow America greater latitude to operate in the tribal areas where Al Qaeda and Taliban militant groups are active.  The report noted that Musharraf rebuffed their proposals to expand any U.S. combat presence in Pakistan, covertly, unilaterally, and/or by joint operation with Pakistan.

 

The war in Afghanistan is past the 6th year and we have failed to find Bin Laden.  Worst of all, our invasion of that country, with the mission to destroy the Taliban and Al Qaeda, failed to seal the area off where we believe Bin Laden and al-Zawahri are hiding, the tribal area bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan.  Instead of fighting the war concerning the people who struck the U.S. on 9-11, Bush's attention was, and still is, on Iraq.  The troop level necessary to fight the war in Afghanistan and seal off the enemy's escape was never there.  It would be hard to choose what war Bush has been more incompetent on, Iraq or Afghanistan. 

 

The U.S. is now getting ready to send more troops to Afghanistan and trying hard to get NATO to respond.  Many military people are saying we are losing the war.  Why is the President, after 6 years of war, and in his last year in office, finally making a push to find Bin Laden?  The answer is that this President is such a small person and has been so reckless in his behavior, that he thinks capturing Bin Laden will erase all the mistakes he has made during his tenure as President.  However, Bush will be remembered as the President who started a war and occupation in Iraq over WMD that did not exist, and a President who failed to fight the real war against the people who harmed our country on 9-11.  Six years later he is trying to find his groove in Afghanistan.  It is hard to absorb the real cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan along with all the loss of life and the area concerned is less stable now then before the wars.  The tragic story is that the American people can not even  be told or explained what our objectives are.  The President and supporters of both wars keep changing the story of why we are there. 

Rudy Giuliani----My Take

If there is only one person America should be fearful of having as its next President, it's Republican Rudy Giuliani. The term "Bush-Cheney lite" has been used often in this campaign, but let me assure you that Rudy is certainly not "Bush-Cheney lite". He is Bush-Cheney on steroids.

Rudy Giuliani is the most unqualified candidate to be President from either side of the isle. What exactly did this man do anyway? All he is known for is 9/11, but even that record is not as great as Rudy wants people to believe. Rudy wants to be seen as the hero of America; as "America's Mayor", but the fact is that Rudy is truly neither. If anything, Rudy can be blamed for some of the casualties on 9/11 for his failure to properly prepare for what many knew was an almost certain future attack. In 1994, it was determined that the FDNY's radios were faulty and failed to work properly under rough conditions. Knowing this problem and receiving many complaints from firefighters prior to 9/11, Rudy failed to equip the FDNY with working radios. Those brave first-responders were consequently unable to hear the call to evacuate the WTC and were buried under the rubble when the buildings collapsed. Rudy is also to blame for the illnesses of hundreds of 9/11 clean up workers who were not provided with the proper protective gear while working at Ground Zero. America's Mayor? The hero of 9/11? I think not.

And now that Rudy is running for President, he is looking to even further exploit his supposed heroism on 9/11 for political gain. If you ask me, it is absolutely sickening for Rudy to try to and succeed in making political gain off of the tragedy that was 9/11. Rudy Giuliani wasn't the hero. The first responders who went selflessly into harm's way to save lives are the heroes, as are those who stayed at Ground Zero searching for survivors. I even challenge the claim that Rudy is responsible for "uniting the city and the country on 9/11". Al Sharpton was absolutely correct when he said, "You didn't bring us together, our pain brought us together and our decency brought us together. We would have come together if Bozo was the mayor." The disgust for Rudy is even more evident when you go where people know him best-----New York City itself. Rudy can say what he wants, but the citizens of NYC, who were there pre-9/11, there on 9/11, and there today, want the country to know something---Rudy is a fraud: "Giuliani has exaggerated the role he played after the terrorist attacks, casting himself as a hero for political gain." Perhaps still what is the most disturbing fact is the personal gain that Rudy has earned from "cashing in" on his fame gained on 9/11. On 9/11, Rudy was worth about $2 million. But since that tragedy, Rudy is worth more than 30 times that amount with most of that money being made from speaking appearances concerning 9/11 as well as other 9/11 related events. Now maybe its just me, but if Rudy really cared about those affected by 9/11, wouldn't he have donated most of that money to the 9/11 relief fund or to the families who lost loved ones? But no, Rudy used and continues to use the tragedy of 9/11 for his own gain, thinking nothing of the people who were actually affected.

When you look at his foreign policy, Rudy is even more of a neoconservative warmonger than Bush and Cheney. Giuliani practically lights up whenever he is asked about Iran and gets to respond that he is ready to attack if necessary and that he would not talk to Irani leaders. The fact is though, that if you refuse to negotiate and talk with Iran, then you leave yourself no option but war. And to make Rudy's policy towards Iran even more radical, he has said that he is not sure if conventional weapons would be enough. I can understand saying that nothing should be taken off the table, but Rudy makes it sound as if he looks forward to getting his hands on the U.S.'s nukes and blowing Iran apart.

Giuliani has also been Bush's biggest supporter concerning the Iraq War. Just a few days ago, Rudy said that he thinks President Bush handled the war perfectly and that he would have acted the same way. To say that it was handled without a single flaw is ridiculous and outrageous. Even avid war supporters like John McCain have criticized Bush's handling of the war.

The final thing that irks me about Rudy is his sudden change of position on key issues. As Mayor, Rudy was an unequivocal pro-choice politician, but now that he is running for President, Giuliani says that he would appoint pro-life judges to the Supreme Court who would ultimately like to overturn Roe v. Wade. Giuliani can't have it both ways---he either supports a women's right to privacy or he doesn't. It's the same case with Rudy's immigration policy. While Mayor, he was a strong advocate for sanctuary cities, but now he says that he wants an immediate end to illegal immigration and wants harsh punishments for undocumented workers. Another perfect example of Rudy straddling the line is his stance on gun control. While Mayor he was strongly pro-gun control, but now he says that he fully supports every individual's right to own a weapon. As far as I'm concerned, this "wishy-washy" stance on issues is even worse and more annoying than Romney's flip-flopping. At least when you flip-flop you end up with just a single position, but Rudy is trying to have his cake and eat it too.

So if there ever was a candidate that Democrats, and for that matter sane Republicans, need to stand up to, its Rudy Giuliani. America doesn't need a President who uses tragic events for personal and political gain. America doesn't need a President who would rather nuke a country than negotiate for peace. America doesn't need a President who can't admit when he was wrong. America doesn't need Rudy Giuliani.

Photo credit: Phelan M Ebenhack/AP

Bin-Laden to speak soon

There is breaking news today that Osama bin-Laden, the man behind the 9/11 terror attacks, will be releasing a new web video addressing the U.S. within the next 72 hours. This will be the first time bin-Laden has been seen on video in nearly three years. Here's my take on this disturbing piece of news:

The GOP is going to try everything to use this to their advantage. They are once again going to try to instill fear in Americans and lie by saying that they are the only ones who can be trusted to keep this nation safe. But I would hope Americans remember, its been six years after 9/11 and we are not even close to finding and killing bin-Laden. And why? Because George Bush lied to the Congress, lied to Americans, and lied to the world and got us into Iraq. By going needlessly into Iraq, we turned our focus from fighting al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and onto Iraq. This allowed bin-Laden and other al-Qaeda members to escape. Now, the latest reports show that since we shifted out attention away from fighting terrorism, al-Qaeda has been able to regroup and regain strength, possibly even stronger than pre-9/11. This should be seen as a warning to those who think republicans can handle national security. They are the ones who let bin-Laden slip through their finger-tips. I would be willing to bet, that if we didn't get into Iraq, we would have found bin-Laden by now and he would be dead. We would have drastically demolished al-Qaeda and therefore greatly decreased the chance of a terrorist attack on our great country. I hope that the American people see this and, in the next election, vote for leaders who want to protect America and not those who want to continue avoiding the problem.

People unhappy with Guiliani 9/11 ceremony role

This year, at the annual 9/11 commemoration ceremony in New York City, former Mayor Rudy Guiliani is scheduled to speak. Some people though are very unhappy about this:

-“I think it’s disgraceful that he’s going to be there,” said James Riches, a deputy fire chief who lost his son Jimmy in the attacks, and who said that he faulted Mr. Giuliani as not giving firefighters the proper equipment before or after the attacks. “It’s a photo-op for him.”

-Sally Regenhard, whose son, Christian, a firefighter, was killed in the World Trade Center attack, said: “I’m still very shocked and I’m very, very upset, for two reasons. Number one, the majority of firefighters and their families have made it clear how they feel about Mayor Giuliani. The second reason is that it’s totally unorthodox to have someone running for major elected office in the United States to have a forum like this.”

I must agree with the above sentiments. Rudy Guiliani has no place reading at the ceremonies. It is indeed nothing but a photo-op for him, a chance for him to make people remember his supposed heroic efforts on 9/11. Firefighters and policeman do not want the former mayor there. They were there on 9/11 and say Guiliani had left the FDNY and NYPD completely un-prepared for such an event. They also criticize his recovery efforts, stating that Guiliani used the tragedy to further his political career. The most disturbing piece of information that the firefighters present is the fact that Rudy called off the search for the remains of their lost friends as soon as he had found a vault with silver and gold in it that he had been looking for. Coincidence?....one would think not. Perhaps my favorite quote about Guiliani's "legacy" is when a New Yorker was asked by a conservative radio personality: "do you support Rudy Guiliani for president?" The man responded "no." He was then asked, "Why not, you're a New Yorker, you know what he did on 9/11" In reply, the New Yorker said, "Thats exactly why I don't support him, I am a New Yorker, I know what really happened"

FreedomWatch.org---a $15 million lie

Freedomwatch.org, a conservative, pro-war organization has just spent over $15 million on an ad pressing the need for support for this war. Now while I do respect the opinions of all people, I do not respect those who straight up lie in order to try to make a point. In this television ad, there is a graphic of the 9/11 attacks, with the airplane flying into the World Trade Center. While this graphic is being displayed, the following statement is read about Iraq:

"They attacked us on 9/11 and they will again"

See, this is what I hate about the republican party, twisting facts in order to fool the American people iton supporting a war that is unnecessary. It has been proven that Iraq had absolutely nothing to do with the 9/11 terrorist attacks. To say that they did is a complete and utter lie. There was not one Iraqi on the hijacked planes. Saddam Hussein had no contact with Osama bin Laden. The "they" that attacked us on 9/11 was al-Qaeda. They were and are still in Afghanistan. By going into Iraq we have done the exact thing that this ad warns us against, just not in the way freedomwatch.org sees it. By focusing our attention onto Iraq, it left Afghanistan to be re-populated with thousands of new al-Qaeda members. By going into Iraq, we let the man who orchestrated the 9/11 attacks, bin-Laden, escape. If the Republicans truly wanted to fight terrorism and keep America safe, they would support the re-deployment of our troops into areas, such as Afghanistan, where there ARE men who ARE planning to attack us again.

Update: Guiliani compares himself w/ the Rescue Workers

As former New York Mayor Rudy Guiliani hits the campaign trail for his White House bid in 2008, he has been using his 9/11 record as his groundwork for becoming president. Last week when asked why he didn't warn of the health conditions posed to rescue workers working at Ground Zero, Rudy had this to say:

"I was at Ground Zero...I was exposed to the same stuff... so I'm one of them"

Well time for a fact check. Rudy spent 29 hours at or near Ground Zero the three months following the terrorist attack. Thats compared to the 12 hours a day rescue workers spent there for months. Rudy can boast about his 9/11 record all he wants, it means nothing. He uses self-serving statements to further his political career. The true 9/11 heroes, the rescue workers and responders, are being over shadowed by Rudy. He uses their hard work, claims it as his own, then turns around and uses that to get votes. Its pathetic when your one supposed qualification for running for the most important office in the world, is based on a lie. Once voters see who the true Rudy is, the one who will use anyone or anything to build his career, I pray to God they won't vote for him. We need a leader, not someone who pretended and continues to pretend to be a leader.

1994: "Invading Baghdad would create Quagmire"

Wondering who made that seemingly psychic prediction? Well the answer may surprise you, it was one of the principle authors of the Iraq War: Vice President Dick Cheney! In an interview with the American Enterprise Institure in '94, Dick Cheney had this to say,

"If we go go Baghdad it would be us all alone, it would be a U.S. occupation of Iraq....When you take down Saddam's government, what are you going to put in its place? Thats a very volatile part of the world and if you take down the central government of Iraq, you can easily start seeing pieces fly off. Syria and Iran would want to claim parts of Iraq....Another thing is casualties....(in the Gulf War the deaths of soldiers was limited)..but for their families it was too much. The question is how many dead Americans is Saddam worth and the answer is not too many."

Wow, this interview actually shocked me. Dick Cheney actually knew what would happen if we invaded Iraq. So why did America do it? What a difference a decade makes. I agree with everything he said in this interview, so why did he and the President lie to the American people and Congress in order to get this war started? Why did they so strongly put forth the need for us to go into Iraq? They lied about Weapons of Mass Destruction, they lied about al-Qaeda in Iraq, and they lied about Saddam Hussein being involved in 9/11. Maybe if Dick Cheney told the truth to Congress, Congress wouldn't have authorized this War. Maybe if Cheney would have told the American people the truth there wouldn't have been wide-spread support for this war. But a maybe is just a maybe, and now we are in this war and neither Cheney nor Bush want to get us out. They continue to lie to us, with Bush recently saying, "the same people who attacked us on 9/11 are in Iraq." Another blatant lie. The 9/11 hijackers were Saudis. Al-qaeda is based in Afghanistan. If Bush and Cheney truly wanted to get who attacked us on 9/11, and I believe they should, why did we take our eye of Afghanistan where bin-Laden and al-Qaeda was and go into Iraq? We could have found bin-Laden and broken up al-Qaeda by now, but instead we are in the middle of an Iraqi civil war. And now we are at greater risk than ever before of another terrorist attack because bin-Laden and al-Qaeda have been able to reform in Pakistan. Bush and Cheney are right on one thing, Iraq does have something to do with national security, but not as they say. The longer we stay in Iraq, the less safe we are here in America, because the longer we're there, the less time we're spending fighting the islamic extremists who want us dead!

America's Mayor with yet another self-serving statement:

When Rudy was asked in Ohio yesterday about the air quality at ground zero and him not properly preparing or warning of such a thing, "America's Mayor" had this to say,

"I was at Ground Zero...I was exposed to the same stuff... so I'm one of them"

What a self-serving statement to make. When I read this I immediately thought of Romney comparing his sons who are campaigning for him to those brave men and women serving their country in Iraq. Is this the best the GOP can do? They have to make themselves look like heros and reduce the true heroes to being equal to political campaigners and a Mayor that used 9/11 to propel his own political future and fortune. Its really sad and again I say that if you want to get the true story listen to the people who were there. Listen to the firefighters who were at Ground Zero. Listen to the hundreds who today have serious health problems that doctors say are directly related to the air quality at Ground Zero.

The myth that is "America's Mayor"

Most of the presidential candidates, democrat or republican, are running because they have something to show for their hard work and would like to work even harder by serving the American people as president. Regardless of political views, that is admirable. However there's one man who is running on a lie. That man is the republican frontrunner, Rudy Guiliani and the sad part is, most people trust and like this guy.

Rudy is basing his entire campaign on one event: 9/11. He is using what he did on 9/11 as his reason to be president. But I ask, what did Rudy do that was so great? He appeared visibly upset on TV, ok, big deal, everyone was upset. That was it. Rudy became the face of 9/11 because he was on TV so much, its that simple. The question has to be asked though--what did he do before 9/11 and what did he do beginning on 9/12?

Before 9/11, his only claim to fame was reducing crime. Yet he alone didn't magically reduce crime. Crime had been steadily decreasing before he came into office. What about after 9/11? Well I prefer to listen to the people who were there instead of drawing my own conclusion. The NYPD, FDNY, and WTC victims all say that Guiliani used this tragedy for political gain. One story particularly upsets me. Rudy called off the search for the remains and possible survivors in the rubble as soon as he found gold and silver from the WTC vaults. He has harmed the health of thousands of brave rescue workers by downplaying the negative health effects of the air quality near Ground Zero. Rudy could have saved many lives of firefighters as well, if he had just done what he knew needed to be done years before---upgrade the FDNY radios. And how about Rudy supposedly knowing oh so much about Iraq and is going to do the right thing there. Well, that could be more believable if he had attended just some of the Iraq Study Group meetings instead of making speeches for his profit. And speaking of profit, if you still don't believe Rudy uses 9/11 for political gain: Before 9/11 he was worth $2 million. Now after giving speeches about 9/11, he is estimated to be worth 30 times that amount. And what does he do with that money??? Yo guessed it, run for president and further promote himself.