Shlonkom Bakazay?

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. intervention in Iraq was hampered early on by a lack of adequate forces and efforts to contain looting after the ouster of Saddam Hussein, according to the former U.S. administrator in Iraq.

"We paid a big price for not stopping it because it established an atmosphere of lawlessness," Paul Bremer said in a speech reported by The Washington Post on Tuesday. "We never had enough troops on the ground."

No shit Sherlock. And that whole disbanding of the army thing was a splendid idea that has no bearing on the current violence.

Another case, of using hindsight 20/20 to be a false prophet...or seem like a smart-guy.

***

Also, here's confirmation of the KBR rip-off scam from an employee of KBR. And some other letters of dissatisfied soldiers.

From: Anonymous
Sent: Thursday April 15 2004 12.41am
Subject: From KBR truck driver now in Iraq

Mike, I am a truck driver right now in Iraq. Let me give you this one small fact because I am right here at the heart of it: since I started this job several months ago, 100% (that's right, not 99%) of the workers I am aware of are inflating the hours they claim on their time sheets. There is so much more I could tell you. But the fact is that MILLIONS AND MILLIONS of dollars are being raped from both the American taxpayers and the Iraqi people because of the unbelievable amount of greed and abuse over here. And yes, my conscience does bother me because I am participating in this rip-off.

It's hard work looking like a complete idiot in the debate. It's hard work for Bush to not use complete sentences. It's hard work to get the "Moooolahs" to cooperate. But it's not so hard if you're the president.

Juan Gonzalez, of the NY Daily News, broke the story about Army National Guard Spec. Gerard Darren Matthew's daughter being stricken with deformities from what seems is from depleted uranium. He was sent home after he himself was struck with an illness suddenly. He then tested positive for uranium contamination.

"My husband went to Iraq to fight for his country," Janice Matthew said. "I feel the Army should take responsibility for what's happened."



Welcome to Nuclear War. In the interest of logic, anytime a cell's nucleus is deformed through depleted uranium...that is a clear and definable form of nuclear war. It is not what we conventionally identify as nuclear war, but it is nonetheless.

The tragedy cascading upon this single tragedy is that millions of Iraqis have been subjected to the horror, the pure horror, of DU contamination. Yes, even children the same age as Gerard and Janice Matthew's. And what's more is that the land that the DU was exploded upon has been ruined for millions of years. There will be no crops for DU contaminated land.

On the plate: 1) Abu Ghraib and other prison torture and sexual abuse 2) Lies about WMD and connection with Al Qaeda (Rumsfeld has helped me out on both today.) 3) Depleted Uranium Exposed as Nuclear War 4) Samarra and the many new Fallujahs to come according to this administration, that will go nowhere in solving Iraq's ills 5) More art and fun to make the pill of reality easier to swallow 6) And the two elections that will mean little to Iraq (though we're all in trouble if the NeoCons don't get the boot in D.C. in November.) 7) And I'm sure I'll include some other random and shocking things

there is NO HARD evidence that he was in Iraq before the war. Iraq invasion = Zarqawian Violence

If you ask me, I'm very skeptical it is just one man. It is from the Epic of Giglamesh, really. You need a scapegoat...to hold within him/herself all the ills of society, to be ostracised from society...Zarqawi could possibly be a phantom scapegoat that will not leave society (or be captured...and I mean possibly, I'm not saying this for sure.) He's made more real when 25 million dollars are put on his head or capture. Money and reporters saying, "that man with the black mask on is Zarqawi...and he is actually the one that beheaded that American"...makes him even more real. And it allows the current administration to say that Zarqawi was connected to Saddam when it is frankly a lie. It's very basic distortion of the collective psyche of American and westerners. Cold and calculating...and meant for consumption by ahistorical Americans in an election year. Many Iraqis, living inside of Iraq, do not buy this...and I can guarantee you this.



How do you like them apples?

In front of an audience in New York, Mr Rumsfeld was asked about connections between Saddam and Osama Bin Laden. "To my knowledge, I have not seen any strong, hard evidence that links the two," he said

First, ALL New Yorkers practically are a step ahead of you...you moron. So, you're not divulging anything new to New Yorkers.

Second, yes now that they see the fact that they have to deal with Bush trying to think on his feet two more times...some concessions are in order. So, a few of them that were formerly so persistant about this false connection have to shift the policy of the president--and yes, FLIP-FLOP--in order to make half-sense to people in the next debate.

Lastly, it is in perfect time for the election. And, Rumsfeld could probably stay if Bush is re-elected, because he's such the champion for truth all of the sudden.

Bottom line: These lying bastards are going to do whatever it takes to get re-elected. Even back-pedal. But expect Cheney to remain saying that Saddam harbored Al- Qaeda (Al-Ansar connection that Saddam repeatedly bombed) and that was a good enough reason to invade. Notwithstanding the fact that Cheney and Co. basically invited terrorist inside Iraq in a suspiciously deliberate manner (to perhaps give them an excuse to stay and continue destroying Iraq?), the damage has been done. And Iraq is a mess directly because of misguided and foolish policy concerning Iraq...and you'll see, once and if this receives more exposure, somebody will have to back-pedal on the continued Cheney crazy-talk eventually, too.

Will the truth come out in time for it to make any difference?

Update: SEE? The method of sending mixed messages creates psychological torment and confusion among the American populous. And Rumsfeld did it yet again. I'm not surprised. In NY, to win some votes for Bush/Cheney, he said the above. Once he left (i'm guessing he left NY), and on the night of the Cheney/Edwards debate, he goes back to the Cheney line...to reenforce,what I imagine will be some pretty belligerent bs coming out of Cheney's mouth tonight. Rove has this thing all planned out. Keep sending those mixed signals to the American people. It worked before, and there's no reason why it won't work again. Pure psychological manipulation through fear-mongering and constant retractions.

Reality is something most of the NeoCons have lost complete touch with.

But you can't deny Bush cannot think on his feet. And there is reason for Rove to panic. That's a good thing.

I like Nader much more than either of them. Apparently, he didn't accept GOP help in Michigan like I said and thought before...I'm too tired to explain it, but he's the only one with the slightest bit of integrity and clear purpose. And if he debated Kerry and Bush, he would destroy them both with words. So, although, Michael Moore and Bill Maher begged him to step out...more and more I'm convinced that American democracy is in danger if a third part candidate cannot be taken seriously by this stagnant two-party system. WHERE in the Constitution does it say it has to be a two-party system?

That's all...Don't buy all the FLIP FLopping Rumsfeld, Bush, and Cheney are doing. And that is precisely what they're doing and accusing Kerry of doing at the same time.

One of my favorite directors is Chris "Magic" Marker for a number of reasons. First, he says his name is Marker after 'Magic Marker'. Second, I can relate to his non-ness in terms of being, seeing, living, and breathing ...u know, consciousness. Maybe I was born in Mongolia, too. And at times I feel I'm from a different planet. So, I had an immediate connection with him from the first moment I saw one of his films and before I knew any details about him personally. I was moved. And it wasn't La Jetée that turned me onto him, his most reknown film I guess...the story that the, yeah, the movie 12 Monkeys was inspired by...Anyway, he's one of the most thought provoking people alive. And sure, Antonioni is pleasurable to type, and Fellini at his best is a force of nature, but Marker is the man, the shiznit, if you will.



So, please please if you get a chance see Sans Soleil and Le Joli mai

A lot of his work is really hard to come by, but you should have no problem finding Sans. I could go on about him, but I'll let you see him (or if you've already seen his work then go ahead) and comment on him yourselves.

I'm completely losing it over Martin Wolf Wagner's photographs. Please visit his website and check out some fantabulous minimalist macular generation.


Other things I'm enjoying at the moment are copy-art.net

Of course, eyeBeam in NY is great, but they can be kind of stuck-up self-righteous art snobs that live in some super-strata artworld fantasy. Some of them are really really nice, though... but check them out regardless of my opinion. Actually, I have a superficial gripe with only one of them...so I should back-off judging myself. They're quite the influential bunch, but one could use a dose of modesty, though. Alex Galloway's book Prototype is a must read. He's a class act, too. ..so, guys, no offence aight? I nub you guys/gals, you know I do. But since you probably couldn't even begin to guess who I am in my incognito persona, it really doesn't matter now does it?

And check their reBlog. Tom Moody just left reBlog...and I've grown extremely fond of his own blog.

Wooster Collection in Paris, per esempio...a taste of what's on Tom's Blog


Zentai woman (via)


Bifurcated Rivets is text only that takes you to places you would probably never go to otherwise...

...and take a peek and ars electronica's site

one more thing...is the artsfeed blog that aggregates some dope feeds all in one special place for your viewing pleasure.

and JUST one more, space and culture...yes, oh yes...you must check this...

The lesson is...there's more to the internet than news. So all you news-junkies try something new because your brain will rot otherwise.

lim.

First, read the story "How the White House Embraced Disputed Arms Intelligence" by David Barstow

I proceed with this as an echoBlog post of the nytimes coverage on this matter + some other pictures.


"We know we have a part of the picture. And that part of the picture tells us that he is, in fact, actively and aggressively seeking to acquire nuclear weapons." --Vice President Dick Cheney
"Meet the Press," Sept. 8, 2002

Right, you lie and lie like it's goin' out of style. You lied us into a war of choice. And you deserve the wrath of informed voters on November the 2nd


Alex Wong/NBC

American centrifuges in the Oak Ridge plant stand much higher than those used in Europe
These are the ones we have to enrich uranium. Cool, huh? We could blow up the world with the amount of uranium enriched in Oakridge.



Aluminum tubes accumulated by Iraq were often stored outside and had to be coated to resist the weather. That coating made them unsuitable for use in centrifuges that could have refined uranium into bomb material.
Now look at the Aluminum tubes Iraq was supposed to be able to enrich uranium with and destroy the "civilized" world with...I think they could use these for building the new national council tents. So, they don't go to complete waste, you know?

The International Atomic Energy Agency

Now, I realize it doesn't benefit the Iraqi psyche for me to post the following pictures. I feel it's necessary to confront the ills and without these pictures existing we cannot claim that these abuses happened. So, this is for the record. And herein are some of those responsible for the abuse that have yet to be held accountable. Namely, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld. General Karpinski is pictured with Rumsfeld below at Abu Ghraib. Do you notice that look of complete horror on her face? She has spoken out, as many know, that her orders came from higher up on the food-chain. I wonder who those gluttonous gorgers of food were...Cheney, Rumsfeld??? And I'm sure there are plenty others that were in on this clear violation of human rights and the Geneva Convention. I'll try to paint a clearer picture with the help of those like General Taguba and Seymour Hersh. I'm sure others will come forward--in time--no matter how much of a gag-threat they place on persons through methods they applied to the likes of Ambassador Joseph Wilson. So here you go...apologies if you don't wish to see it...but if you don't, you don't wish to accept the reality that heinous acts did, in fact, take place and now few scapegoats are being hushedly ostracised so that Bush and Cheney's re-election hope remains alive. One or two more whistleblowers could end their hopes to retain the White House in a heartbeat and they know it.




Now, I don't know what looks more evil than this...

General Karpinski, please get some rest...you look like a walking zombie. And Donald, iron your pants...look a little more presentable to the tortured prisoners in Abu Ghraib.


Update: My, the time off writing editorials did Thomas Friedman some good. I'm amazed at his forceful voice. And Bush Inc. better be worried because they lost one of their staunchest allies for the war at the NY Times. And that ain't no joke.

PDFs:
Here's the original (3.3 MB)
Here's a text version, and another, and yet another, and the memory hole's version

Note: the MSNBC version is not the complete version. Names are redacted out of privacy, but the entire report is not included (to my knowledge)...funny, huh?

Profiles of Maj. Gen. Antonio M. Taguba: 1, 2, 3

(thought i'd get more up , but maybe later...something came up)

North-African Soldiers cooking their meal in a village in Oise, France, 1917
(Autochrome color picture by Jean-Baptiste Tournassoud)

This is one of the few real color photographs of the First World War: a group of Spahis, Algerian soldiers, who fought with the French on the European battlefields.

This is a fascinating look into this war in color. Click the pic for plenty more.

This is a re-post from earlier with some new additions to come The one that I am very happy about now is the Kathim link at the bottom.


I'm going to try to collate some articles about Iraqi artists. Come back to this post for more.

'Iraqi Drama in Crisis'
Art Imitates Iraqi Life in All Its Chaos and Misery
Leading Iraqi artist dies
Looted Iraqi Art Displayed Online
Kathem Al Sahar
Punk Rock in Iraq
Iraqi Elvis
AfroPop Worldwide Interview of Kazem
Iraqi Theatre Struggles for Normality
on Iraqi Cinema, 'baghdad blues'



some websites:

IraqiArt.com
Rahim Al Haj, Iraqi oud player's website
oriental tunes.com
belly dance museum Check out my favorite, Taheya Carioca!!!
songs of assyria
ilham al madfa3y's streaming music
on Old Iraqi music

LA MUSICA:

Kathim Al-Saher

A lot of music, by the beloved Kathim...both streaming and
download'able

Fairuz, while you drink your tea in the morning: She was something else (wink, wink) , Maah'shallah!

Some streaming Iraqi music...tons of artists! Sometimes the quality is sketchy, but well worth your time.

The interview is both entertaining, informative, short, and sweet.

Also, this is a humorous prelude to the research I'll be doing about Abu Ghraib and other situations that have to do with abuse and torture in Iraq. It will include other things, too, that I find pertinent when it comes to the collective amnesia settling amongst the American population. I don't expect millions of people to absorb whatever I end up coming up with, but at least it will be in the public domain.

From time to time, I'll scatter some comic relief amidst the depressing and missing details yet to be adumbrated to a degree that's sufficient for the unacceptable nature of these matters. I don't promise anything new, though I'm sure new things will be unearthed as time passes. I just promise to create a catalog or space on the web of items in a format that is more accessible to the average reader and web-surfer.

More on this later...I have a lot of catching up to do with real-world stuff and I'll be in touch with everybody I've emailed and heard from about this and other things soon. So, please, pardon the delay and thank you for the support and kindness. I look forward to any collaboration that might spring forth. :)

Liminal

Update: Other daily show interviews and clips of note...Ambassador Joe Wilson, Senator Joe Biden, Bush debating Bush, ...more later?

While I realize it's a personal thing (or not at all) to put an image, color, or pattern on one's desktop...every once and a while I'll put up what I've got on mine. I have no idea why I've decided to do this, but here's what's on mine at the moment. Any guesses where this is? More often than not, they'll be of picures (altered or not) that I have taken...like this one. Of course, I gave it a photshop halftone pattern with some wicked colors, but I'll supply you with the original if you're so interested.

Oh, I guess I've done it before with the abstract photos with the Kant excerpts. But I'll try to make it a habit now. :)

here, you decide who looked more like a parroting fool.

Let me be completely clear. Iraq will not be a better place with either Bush or Kerry. As far as foreign policy goes, they are almost carbon copies of one another. The matter is whether we're going to keep following the failed neo-conservative vision for the Middle/Near East or if we're going to try to take a bit more multilateral approach to the region and world.

Besides, getting that cold and calculating group of Neo-Cons out of Washington shall be to the benefit of all. And change is never negative when matters continue to be exacerbated by assymetrical policies in place that plunder the liberties and values that should be trademark of a free society.

In otherwords, lets nix the Orwellian coma.

Update: Ed Helms and John Corddry of The Daily Show give their analysis of the debate.

Update II: Juan Cole has some important remarks about the debate and Chalabi.

I plan on doing some serious digging about Abu Ghraib and the NO, no wmd situation...yes, history is upon us. And I'm going to grasp it now before it is erased.

All these wedge issues / distractions of bush's service in vietnam must be obliterated.

The first debate is today. And I want to hear something real come out of one of their mouths. So I'll hold myself to the same standard of focusing on what the hell has happened to this country and Iraq in the process of the past couple years. Abu Khaleel just mentions that it needs to be described before we ahve the solutions.

And I'm in full agreement of his methodology and logic. You must describe a problem before solving it.

But in the back of my mind, I'm afraid without any reconciliation for what tragic events that have unfolded, that we'll be running in place with any solution we could possibly come up with. (But more power to you AK)

I'm going to go on describing to Americans especially what has taken place. Because there seems to be an amazing attention deficit disorder or collective amnesia setting in here.

So...I'm going to do my part with the blog and with other ways to get people's memories jogged.

Pace,
lim.

Here TIS.

slashdot rocks the body

I expected a bit more of this from him, but finally he says something again. (via La Times, via Juan Cole)

Drawing a parallel between U.S. tactics in Iraq and Israeli actions in the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, President Ghazi Ajil Yawer said the U.S. strikes were viewed by the Iraqi people as "collective punishment" against towns and neighborhoods.

Footage of injured and dead women and children being pulled from bombed buildings "brings to mind Gaza," Yawer said in an interview on CNN.

And is justice being delayed by the Bush admin.? Guess who explains it.

Wordsworth along with MF Doom are two of my favorite rappers. These two pack the illest rhymes on the planet. Now, Check out SlamBush.Net...a project that Wordsworth hailin' outta Brooklyn is taking part in. Here's his debate with bush. (low bw) There's a national rhyme contest and other cool things you should check out. Enjoy.

Get the vote out. It's the end of September and all my friends and colleagues doing the pre-election freak-out.

LOVE OER FEAR

The article first appeared on lewrockwell.com and is called "Why We Cannot Win"

Don't you love freedom of speech?

Here's a follow up article on lewrockwell.com written by Karen Kwiatkowski, a former USAF lieutenant colonel.

Al Lorentz is former state chairman of the Constitution Party of Texas and is a reservist currently serving with the US Army in Iraq.

Send him an email to support him! alorentz[at]truevine.net

Bush talking about "practicing love".

Ah, heck, he's just suring up the female vote. And you wonder how he really got ahead with women.