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Powell Tried to Warn Bush on Iraq, Book Says
NY Times ^ | October 1 2006 | JOHN M. BRODER

Posted on 09/30/2006 6:00:05 PM PDT by jmc1969

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To: TexKat

"Does Harry Reid, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, Ted Kennedy, Nancy Pelosi and Dick Durbin have books coming out this month too?"

Doubtful. Even a ghostwriter needs fungible ideas and this group never makes sense.


61 posted on 09/30/2006 7:19:14 PM PDT by Prost1 (Fair and Unbiased as always!)
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To: Cobra64
I use that question all the time when liberal friends of mine bash Bush on the WOT? "So what's your plan? What would you do?" They never have an answer except, "I'd have done it differently." Sounds like Kerry, or any other vocal liberal moron. eh?

I remind them that a few years ago they were saying the solution was to bring in France and Germany. At least they are embarrassed to suggest that anymore.

62 posted on 09/30/2006 7:22:22 PM PDT by Northern Alliance
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To: jmc1969; bnelson44
Because there was no sectarian violence in January 2005.

During the first battle of Fallujah, in the spring of 2004, Sunni insurgents fought alongside some Shiite forces against the Americans; by that fall, the Sunnis waged their resistance alone in Fallujah, and they resented the Shiites' indifference.

But by that time, Shiite frustration with Sunnis for harboring Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the bloodthirsty head of al-Qaeda in Iraq, led some to feel that the Fallujans were getting what they deserved. The cycle of violence escalated from there. When Sunni refugees from Fallujah settled in west Baghdad's Sunni strongholds such as Ghazaliya, al-Amriya and Khadhra, the first Shiiite families began to get threats to leave. In Amriya, Shiites who ignored the threats had their homes attacked or their men murdered by Sunni militias.

This is when sectarian cleansing truly began. Sunni refugees in Amriya seized homes vacated by Shiites. These operations were conducted by insurgents as well as relatives of the refugees. Soon such cleansing had become widespread and commonplace, both out of vengeance and out of its own cruel logic; both sides took part. There was no space left in Iraq for nonsectarian voices. Sunnis and Shiites alike were pushed into the arms of their respective militias, often joining out of self-defense. Shiites obtained lists of the Baath party cadres that were the foundation of Hussein's regime and began systematically assassinating Sunnis who had belonged. Sunni militias that had fought the American occupier became Sunni militias protecting Sunni territory from Shiite incursions and retaliating in Shiite areas. The insurgency became secondary as resistance moved to self-defense. In the Shiite-dominated south, meanwhile, Shiite militias battled each other and the British forces.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/26/AR2006052601578_pf.html

63 posted on 09/30/2006 7:32:31 PM PDT by TexKat (Just because you did not see it or read it, that does not mean it did or did not happen.)
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To: blogblogginaway
Wasn't it Powell who was a gainst doing in Hussein under Bush 1?

No, that was Dick Cheney:
"The question in my mind is how many additional American casualties is Saddam worth? And the answer is not very damned many."~Dick Cheney, 8/14/92
.
64 posted on 09/30/2006 7:37:37 PM PDT by mugs99 (Don't take life too seriously, you won't get out alive.)
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To: TexKat

"When Sunni refugees from Fallujah settled in west Baghdad's Sunni strongholds such as Ghazaliya, al-Amriya and Khadhra, the first Shiiite families began to get threats to leave."

Read between the lines when they talk about "fighters". It was like I said Zarqawi struck the Shia before Fallujah, that mostly stopped when he had a base in Fallujah when it was gone the suicide attacks on Shia started again and al-Qaeda fighters after fleeing Fallujah in early 2005 went to Baghdad and started killing Shia. But, the Badr didn't get into it and this didn't become widespread until late 2005.

However, the Madhi Army didn't get into it until early 2006.


65 posted on 09/30/2006 7:47:01 PM PDT by jmc1969
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To: jmc1969
The media never reported what happened during the August standoff. With Sistani out of the country and on his death bed Allawi saw it as his chance to bring Sadr up on the murder charges that were still against him for killing a cleric in 2003. Some forces got into a firefight near Sadr's compound. He then fled with his militia to Najaf hoping the fact he was in the most holy site of Shia Islam would give him leverage and keep US and Iraqi troops from attacking.

Al-Sistani — who had been in London undergoing medical treatment — has refused to get involved in previous crises and has stayed above the fray, supporting neither al-Sadr nor the U.S. troops and the pro-U.S. government.

He holds the loyalty of a far broader swath of Iraq's Shiite majority than al-Sadr. Al-Sadr's fiery anti-U.S. message has drawn many poorer, disillusioned Shiites but is seen by other Shiites as too radical.

Al-Sadr's followers have set up their own religious courts and arrested hundreds of people on charges including selling alcohol and music deemed immoral.

Al-Sistani's 30-vehicle convoy drove 220 miles from the southern city of Basra to Najaf, joined by at least a thousand cars from towns along the way, where supporters on the street cheered al-Sistani.

A close al-Sadr aide said the militants would listen to al-Sistani's peace plan. "We will listen to him and we hope to see the government listen to him as well," said Yusif al-Nasiri. "They should listen and obey what he is going to say."

Al-Sadr's aides had backed al-Sistani's call for a march on Najaf and urged their followers to join in.

Iraqi Gov't Accepts Najaf Peace Deal - FOXNEWS

66 posted on 09/30/2006 7:51:08 PM PDT by TexKat (Just because you did not see it or read it, that does not mean it did or did not happen.)
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To: Thud

Yep. No doubt. Woodward polishes Powell's apple in return for Powell trashing Bush. You are right. Powell is likely the main source/leaker.


67 posted on 09/30/2006 7:54:52 PM PDT by Obadiah
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To: CyberAnt

Powell was never as much in power as he wanted to be which is his reasoning for all the stupid comments he makes. He's mad because the President didn't really trust him.


68 posted on 09/30/2006 7:55:55 PM PDT by ilovew (I love being a DoD intern...)
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To: jmc1969
However, the Madhi Army didn't get into it until early 2006.

Shirley you jest! :)

Sadr and the Madhi Army in cohots with Iran.

Al Queda, terrorists in cohots with Iran.

69 posted on 09/30/2006 8:01:20 PM PDT by TexKat (Just because you did not see it or read it, that does not mean it did or did not happen.)
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To: jmc1969
Bottom line is the sectarian violence started before it was reported on so freqently. Read my tagline!

Reports of sectarian killings started being reported right after the capture and incarceration of Saddam.

70 posted on 09/30/2006 8:07:34 PM PDT by TexKat (Just because you did not see it or read it, that does not mean it did or did not happen.)
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To: TexKat

"Al-Sistani — who had been in London undergoing medical treatment — has refused to get involved in previous crises and has stayed above the fray, supporting neither al-Sadr nor the U.S. troops and the pro-U.S. government."

I believe that. Not.

TexKat, you won't find the history of the Iraq War written in articles of what Iraqi politicians and religious leaders tell reporters. If one did they would believe Sadr is disarming his militia today. The reality of Iraqi politics is mostly cloak and dagger and never reaches the AP or the NY Times.

Most Iraqis saw this as much a power struggle between Sistani and Sadr as it was a battle between Allawi and Sadr.

By leaving the country and publically supporting neither side early on he was sending a message to Allawi to take him out and he wouldn't stand in his way. But, later Sistani feared what would happen if the most holy site in Shia Islam was destoryed so he stopped the fight.


71 posted on 09/30/2006 8:10:09 PM PDT by jmc1969
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To: TexKat

Shia were killing Shia in gang related violence for power in 2003 and 2004.

When Sadr killed another Shia cleric no one called it sectarian violence. In late 2003 and early 2004 the Badr the the Madhi Army clashed at least once.

Just because Sunnis and Shia clashed before January 2005 doesn't mean it was anything deciently organized by the main players in Iraqi politics. The main players of course were the Badr and the Madhi Army. The Baathists also weren't targeting Shia in an organized way. al-Qaeda was targeting Shia with horrific violence, but it was off and on until 2005.


72 posted on 09/30/2006 8:14:30 PM PDT by jmc1969
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To: TexKat

Shirley you jest! :)

Sadr and the Madhi Army in cohots with Iran.




TexKat, I like that you care about this, but I know what I am talking about.

Sadr was seen by Sunnis as the good Shia who fights the US until Feb. 2006 when the Golden Mosque was destoryed when his militia got into the sectarian violence game and killed hundreds of Sunni civilians in a matter of days. Its been back and forth between Sunnis and the Madhi Army in Baghdad ever since.


73 posted on 09/30/2006 8:19:13 PM PDT by jmc1969
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To: onyx
Powell has a new book too!

Gee. Imagine that! LOL

74 posted on 09/30/2006 8:19:58 PM PDT by BigSkyFreeper (Karl Rove you magnificent bastard!)
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To: onyx; Mo1; Howlin; Laverne; ravingnutter; nopardons; Txsleuth; All
LOL ... I'm shocked ................ N O T ...! They do their damn book script in advance, meanwhile giving US the shaft .. dirty bums.

ALERT! Just heard John Fund on the WSJ Report on FNC saying there was a concerted effort by the intelligence agencies to thwart Bush. He mentioned someone by name I can't recall, BUT THEN MENTIONED M A R Y MC CARTHY BEING ONE OF THE "HELPERS!!"

75 posted on 09/30/2006 8:20:24 PM PDT by STARWISE (They (Rats) think of this WOT as Bush's war, not America's war-RichardMiniter, respected OBL author)
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To: STARWISE

That comes as no shock...we all have suspected as much....all we need are names!


76 posted on 09/30/2006 8:21:51 PM PDT by mystery-ak (My Son, My Soldier, My Hero..............)
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To: STARWISE

Fund was mentioning the candidate who is running against Weldon....can't remember his name (ex-mil, dem candidate). He said that Weldon is in a tight race against this guy, and this guy is being supported by both Mary McCarthy (CIA leaker) and Sandy socks Burgler (the stealer of highly classified documents to protect slick willy from the 911 commission/omission). If Weldon were smart, he would use that against his opponent....do you want to vote for the person who is being supported by a thief and a traitor????? HA!


77 posted on 09/30/2006 8:25:58 PM PDT by Laverne
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To: Howlin

Here's are buddy Powell....we had him pegged a long time ago....


78 posted on 09/30/2006 8:25:59 PM PDT by mystery-ak (My Son, My Soldier, My Hero..............)
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To: RobbyS


Yep, Tony Snow nailed them all with "They should have listened to me>"

Perfect title for all the election time fiction.


79 posted on 09/30/2006 8:25:59 PM PDT by onyx (1 Billion Muslims -- IF only 10% are radical, that's still 100 Million who want to kill us.)
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To: mystery-ak; All

And .. what was the reason again she wasn't prosecuted for
leaking classified information??


80 posted on 09/30/2006 8:26:26 PM PDT by STARWISE (They (Rats) think of this WOT as Bush's war, not America's war-RichardMiniter, respected OBL author)
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