Did we invade Syria? WTF?

[lala_rawraw]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05292/590727.stm

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

As I suspected six months ago, U.S. military and Bush administration civilian officials confirmed last week that U.S. forces have invaded Syria and engaged in combat with Syrian forces.


An unknown number of Syrians are acknowledged to have been killed; the number of Americans -- if any -- who have died in Syria so far has not yet been revealed by the U.S. sources, who by the way insist on remaining faceless and nameless.

The parallel with the Vietnam War, where a Nixon administration deeply involved in a losing war expanded the conflict -- fruitlessly in the event -- to neighboring Cambodia, is obvious. The end result was not changed in Vietnam; Cambodia itself was plunged into dangerous chaos, which climaxed in the killing fields, where an estimated 1 million Cambodians died as a result of internal conflict.




On the U.S. side, no declaration of war preceded the invasion of Syria, in spite of the requirements of the War Powers Act of 1973. There is no indication that the Congress was involved in the decision to go in. If members were briefed, none of them have chosen to share that important information with the American people. Presumably, the Bush administration's intention is simply to add any casualties of the Syrian conflict to those of the war in Iraq, which now stand at more than 1,970. The financial cost of expanding the war to Syria would also presumably be added to the cost of the Iraq war, now estimated at $201 billion.

[fleabert]

1. WTF is right...

I'd like to have more details before I let myself get really freaked out and more angry than I usually am. this seems pretty damning though.

[The Doctor.]

54. I agree...

One would think such a thing would spread like wildfire across the networks. I'll have to see more to believe it.

I would not put it past this administration to outright invade a sovereign nation to distract from its' incompetence.

I just hope the sheep aren't fooled this time.

[strategery blunder]

2. One more charge to add to the long list of articles of impeachment

:puke:

[lala_rawraw]

3. I am checking to verify this, but if this is right, we have a problem

That goes beyond impeachment. Now we can assume that 8.8 billion missing went to fund this war, our money!!!

[cynatnite]

7. I agree...more verification is necessary...

I'm normally not an alarmist, but this certainly needs pursued.

WASHINGTON - The chief Pentagon agency in charge of investigating and reporting fraud and waste in Defense Department spending in Iraq quietly pulled out of the war zone a year ago - leaving what experts say are gaps in the oversight of how more than $140 billion is being spent.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/krwashbureau/20051018/ts_krwashbureau/_usiraq_oversight_exclusive

There's enough to fund a secret war with the unnaccounted money.

[Coexist]

40. un-friggin-believable - we can't find money for our own citizens -

victims of a killer hurricane in our southern states, but we can fund another unnecessary war.

I am speechless. Thanks, Lala.

[Marie26]

65. Seems sketchy...

Wouldn't the Syrians complain about an invasion? Why aren't they protesting to the UN & speaking out to the public? It's not like Syria is an ally - they wouldn't hesitate to publicize such an action by US forces. I couldn't find anything to confirm this besides this guy's article. And even his article is very sketchy - just the one vague sentence, without named sources. And it's an opinion column, not a news item. I don't doubt they would invade Syria if they could, but it just doesn't seem there's enough evidence that's being done right now.

[MisterP]

76. the author's a Post-Gazette associate editor

[Marie26]

77. Yeah, that seems to give it some validity

But there's still nothing to back it up. And maybe an editor is able to get a column in with less fact-checking than a lowly reporter qould receive.

[Andromeda]

85. That doesn't necessarily make it accurate.

I would like to see other sources that verify this story before I start making judgments, not that I don't believe that they're capable of doing it---I just think we should be sure.

There are enough scandals in this administration to keep the courts busy for a long time and if this is true they will have to answer for it.

I never thought I would see the day that DeLay would be indicted and booked either so justice may be slow but it is forthcoming.

[Straight Shooter]

83. There's more than that, lala.

Rumsfeld was given a $9.3 billion slush fund in the very first appropriation of funds for the War on Iraq.

http://slate.msn.com/id/2089674

"For all the debate over ... bush's $87 billion supplemental request for military operations and economic reconstruction in Afghanistan and Iraq, no one seems to have noticed that the sum includes a slush fund of at least $9.3 billion, which Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld can spend pretty much as he pleases."

These neocons plan slowly and deliberately. I don't put it past them for Rummy to have been holding on to this money, and then combined with the missing $8 billion plus, that's a nice tidy sum to start another war of aggression.

[sandnsea]

4. Those war powers questions???

Is that what those questions were really about yesterday? Whether Bush had authority to invade other countries? Were they about the fact that Bush had already sent troops into Syria???

WTF is right. What the fucking goddamned hell is that sob doing. Is the Op/Ed writer credible?

[BamaBecky]

38. OMG....What can we do about this?....n/t

[radfringe]

5. I made the same analogy

to Cambodia a few months back when stories were coming out about US forces engaging 'insurgents' at the Iraq-Syria borders

that bushrove** has "unofficially" invaded Syria doesn't surprise me - it's been in the works for quite awhile. Waiting for the Iran invasion next

**bushrove - not sure who really runs things, so I've combined them

[Skittles]

6. hey lala

my friend who just returned from Iraq says all the action is on the Syrian border

[lala_rawraw]

19. Will mention on morning sedition right now... will give shout out if

they let me... but have not slept, calling sources because how is it the MSM is not aware of this?

[raccoon]

51. Or are they aware, but just not covering it like the cowardly,

disgusting, synchophant poodles that they are?

(apologies to four-legged poodles.)

[Skittles]

73. my source says the media has no idea what is going on

he says they don't report most of what goes on there

[LynnTheDem]

8. Links here...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2168965

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

9. What an amazing pile of shite.

No sourcing whatsoever.

"Some guy told me we invaded Syria."

No quotes. No attribution. Nothing.

If we were in Syria, the Syrian government would be screaming its head off in every available venue.

Fighting near border with Syria does not equal invading Syria.

I'm not saying that it isn't likely to happen, but this article is a pile of rubbish!

[cynatnite]

10. Try this:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20051015/wl_mideast_afp/ussyriairaq_051015100944

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/15/politics/15syria.html?pagewanted=print

LynnTheDem provided some valid links here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2168965#2168980

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

11. Thanks.

Legitimate reporting is always appreciated.

[lala_rawraw]

21. Yep, I agree

And this we have heard already a great deal and a while back. I tell you, remember we started bombing Iraq way b4 we "went" to war? I have no clue what we are doing, but perhaps the missing journalists know, eh?

God, I am livid and tired.

[DoYouEverWonder]

41. The bombing of Iraq before the invasion

was in the press on an almost daily basis. It wasn't any sort of secret that we had been bombing them ever since GW1.

In regards to Syria, most of the country is desert. The only real population center is Damascus. It has been known that we are fighting so called 'border' skirmishes with 'insurgents'.

[muriel_volestrangler]

55. There's a lot more to Syria than Damascus

Syria's population is about 18.5 million, and Damascus and its surroundings about 3 million. Aleppo and its governorate has about 3 million people too. It's true that the east is sparsely populated, but the 2 eastern governorates still have over two million people between them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governorates_of_Syria

http://www.aoad.org/AASY23/htms/chap02/tab16.htm

[wrathofkahn]

63. None of that says that we have "invaded" Syria, though

Those articles talk about "clashes along the border," and that's months-old news.

I think Mr. Simpson is using a bit of sensationalism. I'll stick with the "bullshit until truly confirmed" camp on this one.

[symbolman]

12. Don't you have a Hurricane to flee from?

Just making sure that you're alive and well so I'll have some links I can pooh pooh, sounds like a movie, sort of a "Chasing Amy" metaphor -"Pooh Poohing La La." :)

I don't like your methods, but don't want to see any harm come to anyone. Be sure to tell Catwoman that your Kitties are safe..

---Disclaimer: Takebackthemedia.com is Rife with Sarcasm, Cynicism, Bagism, Flagism, etc and not to be taken seriously in many instances, except when we are serious, and if we are, you will know. Sorta.

At the same time we love butterflies and puppies and have been known to actually charm women from the trees, not all as you may see should there be a response to this posting. We have a lot of fun actually, you should come over and hang with us sometime, check out our new shower curtain. But don't touch me. Never, never, touch The Symbolman.---

[lala_rawraw]

27. Whatever works for you

Since you must. And yes, got parents out, cat and hubby leaving today and I fly out Friday. So getting them ready was part of having to flee. Plus, had to secure and board up the house, secure trees in yard, and get supplies.

But if you feel the need to make fun of the very real fear and the very real getting everything secured and everyone safe, then enjoy. I am sitting here waiting for my husband and cats to leave and I will be alone until I leave, assuming that Wilma does not speed up. So thanks for the concern and yes, I assure you, you will have plenty of stories to pooh pooh, because it seems you have anything else to do.

My methods? Wow, you are really out there.

[BamaBecky]

48. Good Luck to you with this approaching storm...

getting ready for a hurricane will wear you out......I'm 80 miles inland......it's a big big job.....best of luck to you!

We here at DU have grown to appreciate your posts and your work!
Bama

[symbolman]

66. Sheesh

Try to be nice to someone..

BTW, my mother Died in a Hurricane, so I'm well aware of the horror..

thanks for reminding me.

[Just Me]

13. I've been worried that they would go forward without notice.

They obtained resolutions for "regime change" in Iran and Syria. I wondered, "Would they be obnoxious enough to treat those as authorization to invade?"

I wish Fitz's case would mature quickly and result in the removal of these crazies from office. I am still concerned about the incitement of something far worse than the clusterfuck in Iraq.

x(

[readmoreoften]

14. recommended and kicked

this is a weird world. i'm not surprised, though.

[jbnow]

15. They think they have the legal right

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6732484/site/newsweek/
By Michael Isikoff
Newsweek
Updated: 5:45 p.m. ET Dec. 18, 2004

Dec. 18 - Just two weeks after the September 11 attacks, a secret memo to White House counsel Alberto Gonzales’ office concluded that President Bush had the power to deploy military force “preemptively” against any terrorist groups or countries that supported them—regardless of whether they had any connection to the attacks on the World Trade Towers or the Pentagon.

The memo, written by Justice Department lawyer John Yoo, argues that there are effectively “no limits” on the president’s authority to wage war—a sweeping assertion of executive power that some constitutional scholars say goes considerably beyond any that had previously been articulated by the department.

<snip>

But neither the White House nor the Justice Department has ever disavowed—or for that matter publicly discussed—the similar assertions of presidential power in Yoo’s Sept. 25, 2001, memo. What is particularly striking is that it goes beyond the joint congressional resolution passed on Sept. 14, 2001, authorizing the president to respond to the terror attacks. Although the White House had initially sought authority for the president to “preempt any future acts of terrorism” without any limitation on those responsible for the attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center, Congress deleted the pre-emption request and narrowed the scope of the president’s authority to attack only those connected with September 11. “The authority granted is focused on those responsible for the attacks of Sept. 11,” Sen. Joe Biden stated on the Senate floor in explaining what Congress intended to authorize.

But Yoo’s memo, written 11 days later, essentially argued that what Congress authorized didn’t matter. “It should be noted here that the Joint Resolution is somewhat narrower than the President’s constitutional authority,” Yoo wrote in the memo, adding that the resolution “does not reach other terrorist individuals, groups or states which cannot be determined to have links to the September 11 attacks.

And hey, Syria being between Iraqi oil and the Mediterranean Sea must qualify as a terror threat.

[klook]

60. In their fantasies

a couple of memos by WH lawyers establishes legal precedent.

Well, I guess that's slightly less disturbing than a president who acts on perceived messages from God (which I think are really coming from the dog Sam next door).

[mod mom]

64. WTF, the neocons know their days are limited so they quickly push their

evil agenda forward? WHERE the F#*! is CONGRESS?

[Rockholm]

16. I am sick of this crap.

Let's just take over the entire ME.

[hang a left]

17. Gives new meaning to Rice's heckler in the gallery yesterday

doesn't it. I don't know how they could have kept this out of the news. We would have heard it somewhere. That British journalist that was kidnapped yesterday was in Bagdad right?

[psychopomp]

80. Did you know the "heckler" is a former US diplomat?

NY Times failed to identify Rice's "heckler" as a former U.S. diplomat

In an October 20 article on Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's questioning before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, The New York Times reported: "The hearing was punctuated by a heckler who called for an end to the war, only to be hustled out." But what one would not know from reading the Times' account was that the "heckler" is a former senior-level U.S. diplomat and former Army colonel. The Washington Post report on the hearing noted:

As Rice testified, former U.S. diplomat Mary Ann Wright stood up and shouted from the audience, "Stop the killing in Iraq. You and Congress have to be responsible." Wright, a senior envoy in the U.S. embassies in Afghanistan and Mongolia, resigned in protest in 2003.

As the Associated Press reported on May 25, 2003, Wright was "former deputy chief of mission at U.S. embassies in Sierra Leone, Afghanistan and most recently Mongolia" as well as "a former Army colonel," who joined two other diplomats in sending resignation letters to then-Secretary of State Colin L. Powell because "they found the Bush administration's case for war unconvincing and its approach toward other countries condescending."
/more
http://mediamatters.org/items/200510200001

[crispini]

18. Syria : Iraq :: Cambodia : Vietnam

In other words, never actually openly "invaded" but the mess sure seems to be spilling over!

[OhioChick]

20. WTH.......???

Why hasn't the MSM media reported on this?

[maddezmom]

22. NYT reported it

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1851126

[xchrom]

23. what main stream media?

you mean there's some left?

[OhioChick]

24. I know,

it shouldn't surprise me.

[lala_rawraw]

30. I keep thinking about the "war b4" the war in Iraq...

The bombings we started...this seems like their MO, start a mess you have to clean up=invade. Perhaps like Iraq, they tried to provoke Syria and it did not work. This is some really unnerving stuff and it has to be verified. But that fact that we have to verify this as opposed to get it from world news is making me really nervous.

[hang a left]

25. I found this with a google search

Diplomats: U.S., France to Target Syria in UN Resolutions
A U.N.-appointed prosecutor probing the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri is due to present his findings to Secretary-General Kofi Annan Thursday. The United States and France are preparing Security Council resolutions that would criticize Syria for interference in Lebanese affairs.

U.S. and French diplomats were consulting other Security Council ambassadors Wednesday about possible action against Syria as German prosecutor Detlev Mehlis put the finishing touches on the Hariri assassination report.

U.S. Ambassador John Bolton declined to discuss the diplomatic contacts or the content of the draft resolutions. Speaking to reporters, he would only say that talks are focusing on what he called "eventualities and contingencies" that could emerge, depending on the conclusions of the Mehlis report.

British Ambassador Emir Jones-Parry said a number of possibilities are being considered.

"I think you'll find that a comprehensive response to a possible report is under discussion. How that breaks down depends crucially on what Mehlis reports, and also what we see by way of behavior, and we'll have to take account of both those factors when we come to draft a resolution or more resolutions. We'll see," Mr. Jones-Parry said.

snip>

http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200510/200510200002.html

[hang a left]

26. This is an Israeli paper , I don't know how credible it is

Syria: Israel turning U.S. against us



Syrian source tells Qatari newspaper el-Watan, ‘Damascus’ relations with previous American administrations have been good, and it the current administration that has created the crisis with Syria due to Israeli pressure’; comments made amid recent reports of discrete talks between Damascus and Washington
Roee Nahmias



Damascus is willing to cooperate with any international organization interested in obtaining proof regarding the inaccuracy of U.S. allegations that Syria is interfering in Lebanese and Iraqi affairs, a Syrian source told the Qatar-based el-Watan newspaper.

Damascus-Washington talks?
Report: U.S. to offer Assad 'Gaddafi deal' / Roee Nahmias
The Times says Bush Administration offers Assad deal to end his regime’s isolation if Damascus agrees to a long list of painful concessions, including full cooperation with investigation into Hariri assassination; cease support for terrorist Islamic organizations such as Hizbullah and Palestinian groups Hamas, Islamic Jihad
Full Story



“Damascus’ relations with previous American administrations have been good, and it is the current administration that has created the crisis with Syria due to Israeli pressure, which is being applied in order to realize the goals and interests of the Zionist lobby,” the source said.



He said the Bush administration has rejected a number of Syrian initiatives to hold constructive dialogue between the sides, so that an amicable solution to the current disagreements may be reached.

snip>

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3156931,00.html

[hang a left]

28. Here is another article, I found respecting Syria.

Syria's Opposition Unites Behind a Call for Democratic Changes

* Sign In to E-Mail This
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By KATHERINE ZOEPF
Published: October 20, 2005

DAMASCUS, Syria, Oct. 19 - As international pressure on Syria rises, the country's historically quarrelsome and divided opposition groups have issued a broad call for democratic change in the form of a statement that is being called the "Damascus declaration."
Skip to next paragraph
Readers
Forum: The Middle East

The Damascus declaration, which was issued on Oct. 16, calls for an end to Syria's emergency laws and other forms of political repression, and for a national conference on democratic change.

The statement comes at a particularly tense time for Syria, which is being pressed by the United States and other Western nations to stop foreign fighters from crossing its eastern border into Iraq and to end its suspected interference in Lebanese and Palestinian affairs.

The statement was published just days before the anticipated release this week of a report by Detlev Mehlis, a United Nations investigator, on the Feb. 14 assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister, Rafik Hariri.


snip>

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/20/international/middleeast/20syria.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1129806964-pSMkbEinV20ZdIDZFFlEQg

[DemonFighterLives]

29. This is getting spooky

Condi on talking about 10 year war in Iraq and the administration at the brink of indictments. It fits their MO with the recent faux terror threats and the start of a new front. When will this hillbilly * be called on his neanderthal actions.

[deminks]

31. Iran accusing British of being involved in recent bombings there.

Bloomberg from October 16

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000102&sid=aRZ6C6pwXpnc

other reports are saying Iran has diffused a bomb of British issue.

http://news.search.yahoo.com/news/search?p=iran+bomb&c=

[sexybomber]

32. Huh? Whuzzat?

Let me read that again after my morning coffee has kicked in. I can't be reading this right. We would have heard about it if we'd invaded. Maybe not from the American MSM, but the BBC would be all over it. Lemme check them.

on edit: The BBC says nothing of the sort, unless this just happened within the past couple hours and they haven't gotten a story out about it yet...

[texpatriot2004]

33. Condi was asked by Chafee if they would get ok from Congress

FIRST before they went into Syria or Iraq; Condi said "NO" or Chafee took her non-answer to mean "NO" she actually said she would not say that the pResident wouldn't use the war powers he has. In other words, she was saying that he has them and he'll use them without asking.

[liveoaktx]

39. VIDEO of that exchange

Rice is insane

[lala_rawraw]

34. Holy shit... are you listening to Scott Ritter on morning sedition?

He said that Clinton and Bush are both guilty, wow!!!

[hang a left]

35. Details? Please.

[lala_rawraw]

36. Impossible to provide short version...

Basically, the WH under Clinton, Bush 1 and II is complicit in all sorts of fabricated crap leading to where we are now. He is very cynical about all of this. He points again to NeoCons as manipulating US gov since Bush 1. I think, don't quote me because am paraphrasing from memory.

[hang a left]

37. thanks.

[mzmolly]

46. If the Neocons manipulated the Gov. how is Clinton to blame?

*piff* Ritter never liked Clinton, he supported Bush and got burned. Too bad Ritter didn't think about neocon control before he supported Bush 1 and 2.

Ritter was right about weapons in Iraq. He was right about the fact that Saddam had them until Clinton took care of the situation in and around 1998. But, he's got his own agenda.

[barbaraann]

50. I''ve lost all faith in Bill Clinton.

http://www.zmag.org/ZMag/articles/mar01herman.htm

[raccoon]

53. "The Clinton Legacy" is a great article.

I wonder if it deserves a thread of its own.

It's easy, given the 3rd world type junta that's in control of the US right now, to look back at the Clinton administration as a better time. But Republicans or Democrats, they both belong to big business and don't give really a rat's ass about average Americans.

[barbaraann]

71. Thanks. I think I'll do that at a good time.

I posted it once before on a thread but it's a pretty emotional thing. I used to be a loyal yellow dog Democrat.

[converted_democrat]

58. Me too......n/t

[endarkenment]

56. He has it about right.

Part of their coup includes control of the leadership of both parties. That way they can just play a shell game with the voting public, when they get sick of corrupt crony capitalism with a theocratic overtone, they will vote the bums out and get corrupt crony capitalism with a green overtone. They are less in control of the Democratic Party, so their preference is the Rethuglican side, but really either one will do and has done.

It is going to take a complete restructuring of the system to set things right, and that will only happen after a truly catastrophic collapse of the current order.

[mzmolly]

45. That's cause he's a Republican who voted for Bush.

He takes half responsibility by blaming Clinton ...

Clinton did not invade Iraq.

[DemReadingDU]

61. Does anyone have a link to this?

thanks

[electron_blue]

42. Okay this explains a lot

Yesterday I kept reading and re-reading testimony by Rice trying to figure out what she was saying about Syria. It seemed as if she was talking about conditions under which we'd quit the invasion of Syria. I thought - no, she means IRaq. I must be reading this wrong.

[texpatriot2004]

44. Condi was asked by Chafee if they would get ok from Congress

FIRST before they went into Syria or Iran; Condi said "NO" or Chafee took her non-answer to mean "NO" she actually said she would not say that the pResident wouldn't use the war powers he has. In other words, she was saying that he has them and he'll use them without asking.

[mzmolly]

43. The Syrian President: Bashar Al-Assad was on the tele with Christine

Amanpour two days ago. He did not mention this. He said that Bush was ratcheting up support for aggression against Syria under false pretense, but he denies any invasion.

Here is the text of the interview:

http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/051013/2005101306.html

Amanpour: Well, what they want is for the insurgency to be closed down. Can I ask you: there is a lot of talk about potentially the United State bombing safehavens and insurgent strongholds inside Syria. Has that happened?

Al-Assad: Never.

Amanpour: If it does happen, would you consider that a hostile act and would you retaliate?

Al-Assad: We will deal with each case when it happens. We cannot say now how we are going to deal with every case. It is difficult for me to answer a hypothetical question now. But they will not find such a stronghold in Syria to bomb. We don't have any camps and we have been fighting such terrorism since the 1970s, and recently we had incidents, clashes between security forces and these terrorists in Syria. This is a general situation caused by the chaos in Iraq.

another interesting snip ...

The Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said if not regime change then behavior change. They want you to change the behavior of the Syrian government. One of these issues is the Iraq insurgency and she wondered whether the Syrian government is smart enough to take that course.

Al-Assad: They didn't say in what direction should we change our behavior, to do what? They only talk about the border which is not true. Can you sum the behavior of a country in a border issue which is trivial, which is not the real problem. The real problem is: what about the peace process in our region? This is the problem. We are interested in making peace and they are not interested. This administration is not interested in making peace. We are interested in a more stable Iraq. They only talk about a stable Iraq but the mistakes they make everyday give the opposite result. This is the difference between Syria and the United States. So should we support more mistakes? This is the question. They should be more specific.


This man is very soft spoken, intelligent and seemingly quite reasonable.

[hang a left]

47. I caught part of that interview last Thursday.

He did seem very reasonable to me. What is our beef with Syria? I know that this admin blames them for harboring insurgents and allowing them to cross their border into Syria. But what is the REAL reason?

[mzmolly]

49. The PNAC agenda i.e. "protecting vital gulf interests" i.e. OIL.

I hope we can stop them this time.

[Jose Diablo]

62. I'd say it's strategic

To supply the troops in Irag AND Iran(when it's launched) I don't think shipping through the gulf will be reliable. It'd be pretty simple to launch a surface to surface missile on freighters bringing supplies. Thus and alternate supply route is needed. From the Med through Israel/Lebanon and Syria. When troop strength is high enough and Iran has been softened with air bombardment, then it's on to Tehran and a link-up with Afganistan/Pakastan forces.

Saudi falls right behind that to capture pretty much all the oil in the middle east.

I'd say we are in WWIII, few understand that yet though. But Russia and China won't sit back and watch Iran fall. In this one though, we are the aggressors. Can the world stop it? I don't know. We don't even have a draft yet. There has to be 20-30,000,000 draftable people in the USA. Thats a good size army. This country is far from being bottomed out in the ability to wage war. Far from it.

Bu$h won't step down, count on it. He will tell Fitz to put a sock in it too. Congress won't do squat about it either.

Sounds crazy? I know.

[cynatnite]

57. He seems reasonable and willing...

They've been isolated for a long time from what my understanding is. There's so little that is known about Syria and I think that's a major part of the problem.

I thought they pulled their military out of Lebanon plus they seemed to take the extra steps necessary for peace.

He is right. Bush and the regime are not in the least bit interested in peace.

Sometimes it feels like bush and regime are pulling us into an abyss and there's nothing anyone can do about it. :(

[mzmolly]

67. We can only hope that the Fitzgerald investigation renders them

unable to pursue more war for profit.

[MADem]

86. Basshar Assad is an EYE DOCTOR

Seriously. Not a politician. Well educated.

He took the job after his daddy died, but he was not "in it" like Saddam's punk kids.

[mzmolly]

89. He seems very gentle and he was fairly elected - as he points out.

I hope he continues to do interviews as Americans will be forced to humanize him if he does.

[legin]

52. Unfortunalty this is dictated by the logic of the situation

I posted an article in Editorials about what is needed to do a successful 'insurgancy', about 12-18 months ago.

One of the most important preconditions for sucess was a totally safe 'home base', like in Vietnam the Viet-Cong in the south constructed a huge tunnel complex to which they could retire, to recuperate.

The 'home base' probably used to be Faluja, until that got trashed, now I would assume it is Syria.

I thus have no trouble in believing the u.s. are now trundling into Syria.

[spanone]

59. Hey, it's more like Vietnam Every fucking day.

Can you say Cambodia???

[dogday]

68. This sounds like something they would do exactly

as it is being done. Sneaky bastards knew we would not approve a war with Syria or Iran, so they engage the enemy and drag them into the war as attacking us during a time of war, then they can do that....

They are some sneaky bastards.........

[Enraged_Ape]

69. I agree. This is a provocative action...

designed to inflate the war and get the monkey king's skinny a$$ out of the fires of public opinion. I don't think it will work. At least, I hope it won't.

[gulfcoastliberal]

70. Must be why Hillary wants 100,000 more army troops

For use as cannon fodder for shit like this.

All empires fall, Hillary. Apparently she never studied any history. What a worthless senator she turned out to be. I hope to god she doesn't make it through the 08 primary. I think it's already getting to be time to leave this country for good.

[Zhade]

72. ???

Add my WTF, too!

[pazarus]

74. Is that what this is referring to?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6099353/site/newsweek/

Deep in the Pentagon, admirals and generals are updating plans for possible U.S. military action in Syria and Iran. The Defense Department unit responsible for military planning for the two troublesome countries is "busier than ever," an administration official says.

Can it be real?

[mokawanis]

75. Dangerous events

Linking these actions to Nixon's shadow war in Cambodia is appropriate. This is dangerous stuff and bush should stay out of Syria, no matter how tempting it may be to go after insurgents taking refuge across that border. As bad as things are in Iraq, expanding the war into neighboring countries will only make it more of a debacle.

[Bouncy Ball]

78. Holy hell.

Take a media blackout for about a month and come back to find THIS out. WTF????

Wow. They're really fucking desperate, aren't they? Figured they'd find some WMDs there, did they?

[bobbieinok]

79. wasn't Cambodian war/invasion secret from public for quite a while?????

[texpatriot2004]

84. Yes, from what I understand they were actually there for some

time before they were "officially" there. In other words, they denied it for awhile. Then, turns out, they were there.

[MADem]

87. Yep. If anyone asked, we weren't there.

But we were.

[Cleita]

90. I knew a Vietnam vet who was part of that secret invasion.

He verified that we were in their fighting a war long before anyone knew about it even the forces in Vietnam, except perhaps the higher brass.

[Tigress DEM]

81. Hmm, can we add it to the indictments?

[Cleita]

82. Lately I have been tackling Bushista moves from a different

angle. We know that there are puppeteers running our government, but no one has suspected the Saudis. We know they have a lot of influence with the Bushes, but I am beginning to believe that we are a vassal state to them. Since I have to get myself up to speed on Saudi Arabia, I am not making any claims but it seems we are taking on all their enemies and fighting their wars for them. Maybe this is tied up with Israel or not, but something hasn't made sense to me in a long time and this is starting to. It's scary.

[MADem]

88. We've always been their mercenary army

They sit on their soft asses, and our poor chumps are the ones with sand in their boots. We are nothing but hired guns for them.

Guess we haven't been doing a good enough job, though. All of Monkey's hand holding and "jawboning" have not done a thing to open them there spigots, despite his promise to do just that WAY BACK IN 2000 (who wouldn't want to go back to THOSE gas prices?).

The Saudis seem to do a better job of paying based on performance than our own government does with their contractors.