Magnet For Evil; Maureen Dowd Just Doesn't Get It

The New York Times ^ | August 20,2003 | Latrine Dowd

[the_greatest_country_ever]

Magnet for Evil By Latrine Dowd

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.  

[the_greatest_country_ever]

Some people just don't get it. This is THE very plan... ..as the next step in the President's brilliant strategy is coming to a head. Just a a tiny little bit more patience....

Do you think Saudi Arabia is going to get any sort of free pass with all that Wahabbi shit that's been floating to the top? Honey, the show hasn't even begun.

[dighton]

See also comments here.

[PeoplesRepublicOfWashington]

Bush has made his position about this clear: "Bring it on!"

[Hugin]

"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."

Darn clever of us to lure the Jihadis to come to our troops instead of having to chase them all over the world. Strategery!

[Rudder]

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

Actually, it looks like Mo does get it.

[exit82]

I've just started reading Ann Coulter's "Treason".

Now, the ever present hatred of America by the left comes into focus so much quicker when I read garbage like this article.

[okie01]

"Darn clever of us to lure the Jihadis to come to our troops instead of having to chase them all over the world. Strategery!"

Better there, on ground of our choosing...than here, or ground of their choosing.

Necessarily, the Bush administration can never admit to this strategy. But they could surely count on the media to completely overlook it.

[Burkeman1]

Watch the language. This is a family forum.

[Burkeman1]

Having said that- I don't read Dowd columns and don't think they should ever be posted as she is little more than a glorified gossip columnist. So no need to get upset by her school girl ramblings.

[CyberAnt]

Oh yes, I've noticed that too! Amazing!

[the_greatest_country_ever]

LOL. Had a bad day at the 7-11? Like some kid is gonna spend one nano-second at a site like this. Please! Spare me your smug piety!

[MJY1288]

We have been in Iraq for all of 4 months and this thick headed liberal Sea Hag Maureen Dowd seems to think GWB promised us a cake-walk against these Muslim finatics. The fact is, we were told from day one that this would be a long struggle and that we were going to drain the swamp where these thugs live and breed.

It's only been 23 months and the Taliban have been evicted, as well as Saddam removed from power in Iraq and 80% of his closest Comrads are either dead or captured, not too mention his two sons are toast.

Maureen Dowd is no better at writing these pathetic editorials, than she is at keeping the men in her life. She's just a sour old witch who is still envious of Monica Lewinsky

[Burkeman1]

You would be surprised how many people surf this site with their kids on their lap or next to them. Posts have been pulled because of such infractions.

[MJY1288]

"You would be surprised how many people surf this site with their kids on their lap or next to them"

Why don't you surprise us and tell us how many?

[Burkeman1]

I would say quite a few and I have been here long enough to be told so by parents. I was just trying to give a warning. Posts are pulled for language. This poster is somewhat new to FR. Many religious Freepers are offended by such language. And it isn't necessary anyway. It is one of the things that makes this forum unlike others- standards.

[section9]

I'm sure that no one here is surprised at how blindingly stupid people like Mareen Dowd are. Dowd doesn't realize that we want the Jihadi to come at us in Iraq. They will be coming at hard targets: American soldiers.

Of course, this spooks liberals because they really don't have the stomach for this conflict. Liberals are afraid of Al Qaeda. Conservatives want them to come at us in Iraq.

Oh, there's something else. I suspect that our guys have gotten better at force protection and small engagements over there. Notice that the bad guys are hitting soft targets: the water main, the oil lines, the U.N. headquarters (lightly defended).

One more thing: the Iraqis are mighty pissed at the "Arabs" for blowing the water line. They didn't have a dog in the fight between AQ, the Ba'athists, and the Americans. Now the AQ and the Ba'athists are making life hard for them. We will get more information out of them.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[Keith in Iowa]

>>Maureen Dowd Just Doesn't Get It

Why did you have to bring up her personal life? :)

[Burkeman1]

And PS- I myself was called too task for using the term "a@@wipe" on a thread a few days ago and I felt bad about that.

[=Intervention=]

member since July 15, 2003...

disruptor...

[Trailerpark Badass]

He's probably pissed because Ms. Dowd shares his views of the situation in Iraq.