Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Drumbeats of War

According to Time Magazine, the Navy has been told to "Prepare to deploy", to be ready to move by Oct 1. The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), asked for a review of long-standing U.S. plans to blockade two Iranian oil ports on the Persian Gulf.

Gen. John Abizaid, commander of the U.S. Central Command, said military leaders would consider adding troops or extending the Iraq deployments of other units if needed. With the current troop level at 140,000 and hopes for a reduction in those numbers to about 100,000 by year end are a distant thought. "If it's necessary to do that because the military situation on the ground requires that, we'll do it," Abizaid said of longer deployments. "If we have to call in more forces because it's our military judgment that we need more forces, we'll do it." Of course they will. Rising sectarian violence and slow progress of the Iraqi government are the reasons today. Who says things are going well in Iraq?

Air Force Col. Sam Gardiner (Ret.) said, “We are conducting military operations inside Iran right now. The evidence is overwhelming.”

And the president of our United States is disingenous when he stands before the assembly of the United Nations today and says At the start of the 21st century, it is clear that the world is engaged in a great ideological struggle between extremists who use terror as a weapon to create fear and moderate people who work for peace. Five years ago I stood at this podium and called on the community of nations to defend civilization and build a more hopeful future. This is still the great challenge of our time. It is the calling of our generation. I'd like to know what he means when he uses the word "Peace"

What's that you say? I can't hear you; the drumbeats of war are way too LOUD!!! There is no coincidence that we are 7 weeks before the midterm election.

2 comments:

Chancelucky said...

It might not be an accident that the Pope's controversial quote was a reply by the Emperor of the Byzantine Empire to an unnamed "educated" Persian.

Our adventure in the Middle East has some odd parallels to the Fourth Crusade.

Anonymous said...

Two days ago I talked to a mother whose Marine son's 2nd tour was extended from Thanksgiving to February and already to next April. She said with that unbearable barely detectable quaver, "I don't know if I can pace myself anymore with all these changes."

I said I knew it was awful, that I had a friend with a son in Iraq. I didn't say that her beloved son didn't make it back.