Magnet For Evil (Dowd alert)

The New York Times ^ | 08/20/03 | Maureen Dowd

[Pokey78]

WASHINGTON

The Bush team has now created the very monster that it conjured up to alarm Americans into backing a war on Iraq.

Rushing to pummel Iraq after 9/11, Bush officials ginned up links between Saddam and Al Qaeda. They made it sound as if Islamic fighters on a jihad against America were slouching toward Baghdad to join forces with murderous Iraqis.

There was scant evidence of it then, but it's coming true now.

Since America began its occupation, Iraq has become the mecca for every angry, hate-crazed Arab extremist who wants to liberate the Middle East from the "despoiling" grasp of the infidels.

"Increasing numbers of Saudi Arabian Islamists are crossing the border into Iraq, in preparation for a jihad, or holy war, against U.S. and U.K. forces, security and Islamist sources have warned," The Financial Times said yesterday, quoting a Saudi dissident who noted that Saudi authorities are concerned that "up to 3,000 Saudi men have gone `missing' in the kingdom in two months."

One of the things the terrorists in Baghdad and Jerusalem blew up yesterday was the credibility of the Panglossian Bush version of what's happening in the Middle East.

The administration's optimism was exposed as a fantasy when the two efforts it holds most dear — the reconstruction and democratization of Iraq, and advancing the Palestinian-Israeli peace process — both went up in smoke yesterday, literally.

Before the Iraq war, the Bush team inflated the threats to America; since the war, the Bush team has deflated the threats to America.

In yet another spun-up government document on Iraq, the White House listed 100 ways that things were going great in the 100 days we've been on the scene. The report burbled with gimcrackery about the "10 signs of better infrastructure" — days before an oil pipeline and then a water pipeline were blown up — and about soccer balls and science textbooks.

"Most of Iraq is calm, and progress on the road to democracy and freedom not experienced in decades continues," it said. "Only in isolated areas are there still attacks."

Even the Bush people, who tend to look at excruciatingly difficult problems and say no prob, were shaken by yesterday's carnage, which delivered a terrible truth: just because we got Uday and Qusay, Iraqi militants are not going to stop blowing up Westerners. Even if we get Saddam, the resistance will no doubt keep at it, hoping the dictator will enjoy the carnage from paradise.

"The dynamics have really changed," said an administration official on the reconstruction team. "Now we're dealing with a guerrilla war, not terrorism."

Osama bin Laden was inspired to attack us partly by his hatred of the American military presence in Saudi Arabia. Now foreign zealots from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Syria, enraged about the American military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan, are slipping over the Iraqi border to help Saddam loyalists.

Bush officials, who before the war also overdramatized the connection between Saddam and the Ansar al-Islam militants in northern Iraq, have now become spooked about hundreds of fighters coming back from Iran to attack Americans.

The Qaeda and Ansar zealots, along with old Baath soldiers and new foreign recruits, are intent on keeping Iraq in anarchy, even as Afghanistan also slips back into chaos, with a reconstituted Taliban fighting machine killing 90 in the last month.

The democracy dominoes are not falling as easily as Paul Wolfowitz and other neocons had predicted.

It's hard to believe that this is just a few "dead-enders," as Rummy says. It's hard to believe that it's going to be easy for America to get control of the streets. It's hard to believe the occupation is not going to last a very long time. It's hard to believe that liberal institutions will flourish where basic security is a distant dream.

Some United Nations experts have been saying that we have only half the number of troops we need to subdue Iraq, and Senator John McCain and others agreed yesterday that we need more reinforcements.

The countries that could help us out with more troops won't do it unless Iraq is turned over to the U.N. And Rummy & Co., always doctrinaire, doesn't want turn Iraq over to those wimpy guys with blue helmets.

So where are we? We can't leave, and we can't stay forever. We just have to slug it out.

[Pokey78]

Mo wrote this with her burqa on.

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From Oxblog:

IMMUTABLE LAWS OF DOWD

1. Ashcroft never deserves credit.

2. Offering constructive solutions to problems, instead of whining endlessly about them, is a sign of weakness.

3. The People Magazine principle: all political phenomena can be explained with reference solely to caricatures of the personalities involved ("Dubya" is stupid; "Poppy" is an aristocrat; Cheney is macho-man; etc.). Any reference to the common good or even to old-fashioned politicking is, like, so passe.

4. It is much better to be cute than coherent.

5. Maureen knows best. Her long years as a columnist (doing basically what your great-aunt Tillie does in the nursing home bull sessions, but getting paid for it) have given her deep insight into foreign relations, politics, welfare, the Constitution, and all other topics. To disagree with Maureen in any way is not only a sign of being wrong, it's a hallmark of pure evil...or at least membership in the NRA, which is pretty much the same thing.

6. It is usually possible and always desirable to name-drop and name-call in the same sentence.

7. The particulars of my consumer-driven, shamefully self-involved life reveal universal truths.

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Explanation of the Dowd/Douglas connection: by Miss Marple- 2/11/03

Ms. Dowd was escorted around New York and DC for many months by one Michael Douglas of Hollywood fame and fortune. She got to go to all the best parties, was photographed for the tabloids, and was picking out a gown to wear at the Oscars. Of course, Michael had become interested in her during Clinton's impeachment, when she had written some very anti-Clinton columns. After a few weeks of the Michael treatment, she began to write anti-Starr, ant-Newt columns, ignoring Clinton.

Then Clinton was acquitted by the Senate. In an amazing coincidence, Michael Douglas dropped Ms. Dowd like a hot potato, and instead picked up a hot tomato, Catherin Zeta-Jones, who subsequently bore him a son and they were married.

Ms. Dowd cannot get over her tragic loss. Her columns are increasingly anti-Bush, in the hope of impressing her lost love, Michael.

In addition, we think she has a secret crush on the President and is trying to get him to pay attention to her. Ha!

[Miss Marple]

Maureen Dowd discussing geo-political and military strategy is like me explaining astrophysics.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

It's called rope-a-dope, Ms Dowd.

[facedown]

Since America began its occupation, Iraq has become the mecca for every angry, hate-crazed Arab extremist who wants to liberate the Middle East from the "despoiling" grasp of the infidels.

EXCELLENT. Now they're concentrating themselves so we can wipe them out en masse. We don't need to chase them down all over the ME.

[John Valentine]

Dear Ms. Dowd,

It's called a "killing field", dummy. And these are preferably created where the field of fire won't harm our own nationals.

[Rudder]

So where are we? We can't leave, and we can't stay forever. We just have to slug it out.

By Jove, I think Moreen's on to something.

[Uncle Miltie]

"Since America began its occupation, Iraq has become the mecca for every angry, hate-crazed Arab extremist who wants to liberate the Middle East from the "despoiling" grasp of the infidels."

INTO THE MAW OF THE 3RD & 4TH INFANTRY. I LOVE IT WHEN A PLAN COMES TOGETHER.....

[FreedomCalls]

Since America began its occupation, Iraq has become the mecca for every angry, hate-crazed Arab extremist who wants to liberate the Middle East from the "despoiling" grasp of the infidels.

Flypaper.

Better they congregate in Baghdad than NYC or DC.

[Imal]

"No! No! Get it off me! Get it off me! It burns! It burns!"

- Maureen Dowd, upon being confronted with the truth

[Republic Rocker]

can we then call it the Mecca Massacre....? Bring em on. Its time to KISS or KILL.

[Paul Atreides]

"No! No! Get it off me! Get it off me! It burns! It burns!"

- Maureen Dowd, upon being confronted with the truth

Funny, Michael Douglas was heard saying the same thing, shortly before breaking up with The Dowdy One.

[tet68]

Since America began its occupation, Iraq has become the mecca for every angry, hate-crazed Arab extremist who wants to liberate the Middle East from the "despoiling" grasp of the infidels.

Maureen, you ignorant slunt, don't you understand that there are thousands of these murderous scum, around the world, and nothing you can say or do or wish is going to stop them from blowing up buses of children or even your very own precious self.
No kindness will avail you of their love, no gesture of peace will bring out the peace in them, for they do not believe in peace only death to the unbeliever.

The very fact that they are being decoyed to Iraq keeps you alive that much longer. And you are not in any way prepared to defend yourself from them.

Brave Americans stand ready to die to protect you,and all you can do is whine and snivel about what a drag it is, what poor leaders we have and why can't it all just be fun.
Well, get over it Honey, your life is probably going to suck a lot worse in the years ahead.

[PhilDragoo]

The very fact that they are being decoyed to Iraq keeps you alive that much longer.

[CFC__VRWC]

One of Mo's many problems is one that she shares with Upper West Side liberals everywhere - anything that takes place off Manhattan Island may as well be in an alternate universe. Gargling with bourbon every hour on the hour doesn't help with her disconnect from reality either.

[elbucko]

Well, get over it Honey, your life is probably going to suck a lot worse in the years ahead.

Entirely well sad.

[elbucko]

Entirely well sad.

As you were.

Entirely well said.
(proof read yur posts, Buko)

[AquariusStar22]

Mo's in the Zen Zone.

Where everything is reduced to the simple and effective mantra:

If something (anything)is wrong it must be Bush's fault.

It reduces all of life's problems down to that simple equation.

It's works best with obessively singular (as in one track) minds.

Her instructions are: Repeat as necessary whenever you feel the teensy bit of stress.

WARNING: It tends to put more complex minds to sleep.

[RonDog]

See also the OTHER thread about this article:

Magnet For Evil; Maureen Dowd Just Doesn't Get It
			Posted by the_greatest_country_ever On 08/19/2003 8:01 PM PDT with 22 comments The New York Times ^ | August 20,2003 | Latrine Dowd
Magnet For Evil (Dowd alert)
			Posted by Pokey78 On 08/19/2003 7:17 PM PDT with 16 comments The New York Times ^ | 08/20/03 | Maureen Dowd

[catpuppy]

Some United Nations experts have been saying that we have only half the number of troops we need to subdue Iraq

United Nations experts? Experts on what?

[American in Israel]

They made it sound as if Islamic fighters on a jihad against America were slouching toward Baghdad to join forces with murderous Iraqis. There was scant evidence of it then, but it's coming true now.

What a long winded way to say Bush was right, while denying it.