"No!" exclaimed Haidar, a 29-year-old SWAT trainee who has been a police officer since 2004, with an expression of shock on his face. "We are not going to be ready to do it without the Americans!"
The United States has spent four years and more than $20 billion on training and building Iraqi security forces; American instructors say the Iraqis are now mostly able to fight insurgents and sectarian militias on their own. Iraq says it has more than half a million people in its security forces (although the special inspector general for Iraqi reconstruction for the U.S. Defense Department has questioned the numbers, saying that many of those have been wounded, been killed or gone AWOL). They wear uniforms and body armor, move in organized formations, almost always carry their weapons correctly and, for the most part, act professionally during missions.
But despite such a vote of confidence from the Americans, and despite Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's repeated assurances that Iraq is ready to provide its own security, members of Iraqi security forces say they are still years away from being able to defend their country and its citizens without direct American support.
The above is from Anna Badkhen's "Meet Iraq's new SWAT team" (Salon) and we'll team it with more reality, this from Leila Fadel's "Small Victories" (Baghdad Observer, McClatchy Newspapers):
Parliament adjourned this month and by Sunday most Iraqi parliament members had flitted off to London or Paris or the province they represent.
A lot of them didn't even wait until parliament ended. Their last controversial session before their summer break was attended by just over half of the legislators. And those that stuck it out didn't pass the provincial elections law after a bitter dispute over the oil rich city of Kirkuk.
So while most parliament members were unavailable the government chose to open the new parliament building housed outside the heavily fortified Green Zone. The audience was so small at the televised ceremony that the camera zoomed in on one section of the seating to give the illusion of a full crowd.
If you're able, continue reading because there's a guest-star about to show up. As you read it, wonder why Fadel's able to regularly produce these stories but other outlets aren't?
Yochi J. Dreazen's "Georgian Troops Begin Exiting Iraq
To Fight Russians, Leaving Gap" (Wall St. Journal) reports:
The U.S. began flying Georgian troops out of Iraq on American military aircraft Sunday, and U.S. officials expect to have all of the Georgians home by midweek "so that they can support requirements there during the current security situation," according to Col. Steve Boylan, a military spokesman.
Col. Boylan acknowledged that the Georgians' departures were "unexpected" but said U.S. officials "are accommodating the changes."
Still, replacing the Georgians will be difficult. The 2,000-strong Georgian contingent was the third-largest foreign force in Iraq, and Georgia, unlike most of the other coalition countries, allowed its forces to carry out dangerous missions near the Iraqi-Iranian border.
Amazingly, when some countries have internal issues, they can leave Iraq. The US? (You know the answer.)
Remember that independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader is in Canada today:
Ralph Nader to speak on Monday August 11, on the trading floor of old Toronto Stock Exchange building.
Please circulate and post widely.
Event also features partial screening of the biographical documentary, An Unreasonable Man.
Now at over 5 percent in national polls, Nader is on his third run for President of the United States.
Find out why he runs and what's at stake for Canada this election.
Ralph Nader is the only major candidate for President of the United States standing up to implement Canadian-style universal healthcare, a Dion-style Carbon Tax, and ending the war in Iraq with a full 6-month withdrawal. Over ten million Americans say they will vote for him, and another 20 million say they would if they thought he had a chance of winning. He's on track to be on the ballot in 45 states, and has a shot at getting in the Google Presidential Debates to be held in New Orleans this September. Come see him this Monday August 11 at the Design Exchange in Downtown Toronto.
Event Program:
- Screening of a portion of An Unreasonable Man, the acclaimed documentary on Ralph Nader
- Ralph Nader Remarks on the US Presidential Election: What's at stake for Canada?
- Q and A with Ralph Nader
Where: Design Exchange, 234 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario M5K 1B2.
Time: 7:00 to 9:30 pm
Ticket Price: Free, donations appreciated, RSVP to ensure seating.
To RSVP, email toronto@votenader.org or call Rashi Khilnani at 647 286 0396 for more details.
Please circulate and post widely.And Melissa notes this Nader campaign video calling for the debates to be open (as they should be, and how sad that candidates to have for that in a democracy).
Eddie e-mails to note that Nader and running mate Matt Gonzalez have other events coming up:
Nader/Gonzalez event schedule
- August 26th, 1:30pm
- Nader for President 2008 Rally
- Albuquerque, NM
- University of New Mexico, Ballroom C (student union)
- Contribution: $10/$5 student
- More info: (505)982-3928 or events@votenader.org
- Map it
- August 26th, 5:30pm
- Nader for President 2008 Rally
- Santa Fe, NM
- University of Santa Fe
- Contribution: $10/$5 student
- More Info: (505)473-6537 or events@votenader.org
- Map it
- August 27th, 7pm
- "Open the Debates" Rally at the DNC
- Denver, CO
- Magness Arena, University of Colorado- Denver
- (202) 471-5833 or events@votenader.org
- Map it
- Sept. 4th, 4:30pm
- Private Conversation w/ Ralph Nader
- Minneapolis, MN
- RSVP: (202) 471-5833
- events@votenader.org
- Map it
- Sept. 4th, 7:30pm
- "Open the Debates" Rally at the RNC
- Minneapolis, MN
- (202) 471-5833 or events@votenader.org
- Map it
- Sept. 5th, 1pm
- Nader for President 2008 Rally
- Eau Claire, WI
- University of Wisconsin, Council Fire Room- University Center
- 105 Garfield Ave
- Contribution: $10/$5 student
- (715) 703-0353 or events@votenader.org
- Map it
- Sept. 5th, 7pm
- Nader for President 2008 Rally
- Madison, WI
- Orpheum Theatre
- 216 State St. Madison, WI 53703
- Contribution: $10/$5 student
- (608) 215-1342 or events@votenader.org
- Map it
- Sept. 6th, 12pm
- Nader for President 2008 Rally
- Milwaukee, WI
- Cardinal Stritch University, Nancy Kendall Theater
- 6801 N. Yates Road, Milwaukee, WI 53217
- Contribution:$10/$5 student
- (608) 345-5452 or events@votenader.org
- Map it
- Sept. 6th, 7:30pm
- Nader for President 2008 Rally
- Chicago, IL
- Location:TBA
- Contribution:$10/$5 student
- (202)471-5833 or events@votenader.org
- Map it
- Sept. 7th, 1:30pm
- Nader for President 2008 Rally
- Lansing, MI
- Michigan State, Kellogg Center (Big Ten room A)
- 55 South Harrison Rd. East lansing, MI 48824
- Contribution: $10/$5 student
- (202) 471-5833 or events@votenader.org
- Map it
- Sept. 7th, 7:30pm
- Nader for President 2008 Rally
- Detroit, MI
- Location:TBA
- Contribution: $10/$5 student
- Map it
- Sept. 8th, 12pm
- Nader for President 2008 Rally
- Cincinnati, OH
- Location:TBA
- Map it
- Sept. 8th, 7:30pm
- Nader for President 2008 Rally
- Columbus, OH
- Location:TBA
- Map it
In announcing the first arrests from an ongoing corruption probe, state Attorney General Tom Corbett described a conspiracy in which leaders of the House Democratic caucus allegedly enlisted large numbers of publicly paid subordinates to participate in petition inspections that blocked independent and third-party candidates considered threats to major Democratic candidates in 2004 and 2006.
That allegation--one of many that led to last month's arrests of 12 people connected to the caucus--angered supporters of consumer advocate Ralph Nader, an independent presidential candidate who was forced off the 2004 ballot, and Carl Romanelli, a Green Party candidate who was denied a spot on the U.S. Senate ballot two years later.
Citing the alleged misconduct, lawyers for Nader and Romanelli have filed motions in state courts seeking the withdrawal of orders requiring each of the campaigns to pay more than $80,000 in legal expenses from the 2004 and 2006 ballot challenges.
The Detroit Free Press offers a historical look at independent and third-party runs for president.
And Karen notes this from Gilles d'Aymery's "The Gray Lady's Muzzle" (Swans Commentary):
On July 29, 2008, The New York Times published on its Web site a column, "The Power of the Protest Vote," written by Andrew Kohut, the president of the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, in which he contended that "third or fourth party presidential candidates [could] garner enough votes in November to make a difference in some of the hotly contested swing states." Kohut went on to analyze the defection of Hillary Clinton's supporters and the "liberals" who think that Obama has moved too much to the center, and the conservatives who are unhappy with McCain and take a serious look at Bob Barr, the Libertarian Party candidate. He did not miss the opportunity to associate Ralph Nader with the spoiler syndrome; and he ended asserting the "protest" vote could be a decisive factor on the November electoral results. Comments surged. The New York Times staff kept the commenting flow as they saw fit. My comment did not make the cut.
Ironically, following the usual dicing of Nader-the-Spoiler, which meme is so prevalent in the antechambers of the corporate media and the more obscure progressive outfits, Kohut inserted a small graphic of a series of Pew polls indicating the level of enthusiasm for the respective candidates in 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008, to prove that Senator McCain had a serious enthusiasm gap in comparison to Senator Obama. But that small graphic, which I cannot reproduce without risking the lightning thunders of the paper's counsels, had the merit to show that in 2000, 46% of Democrats expressed enthusiasm for Al Gore, and only 40% had strong enthusiasm for him. I am surprised that no one has yet accused Nader of being responsible for the absence of Democratic support for Gore (over 200,000 registered Florida Democrats voted for Mr. Bush in 2000), or for causing about 100 million potential voters to go fishing on election day. As Gelett Burgess once quipped, "To appreciate nonsense requires a serious interest in life."
Kohut's column generated a lively debate -- over 180 comments -- ranging from Clinton's supporters refusing to vote for Obama to people adamantly defending their right to vote for a third-party or independent candidate (like the two I cited at the top), and of course, the partisans of the trite line, "not voting for Obama is voting for McCain, imbeciles."
Carolyn of MakeThemAccountable probes The Mansion That Rezko Bought in "More Than Just A Boneheaded Mistake:"
Simply put, the allocation of purchase price between the Obamas' lot and the lot next door, which were both owned by the same couple and had long been sold together, makes no sense unless the amount paid for the lot adjoining the Obamas', by the wife of now convicted political fixer Tony Rezko, was specifically meant as a favor to the Obamas, so that they could afford their mansion. If so, the difference between what Ms. Rezko paid for the side lot and what it was actually worth would be construed by the IRS as income to the Obamas. After looking at the Obamas' tax return for 2005, my source was able to say that in his opinion they did not declare any such income, and therefore did not pay taxes on it.
And reminder, Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "Vacationing Barack" went up Sunday night. The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.
anna badkhen
leila fadel
mcclatchy newspapers
yochi j. dreazen
gilles d'aymery
