The Common Ills: I Hate The War

Saturday, September 26, 2015

I Hate The War

Nothing changes in Iraq.

The year and counting 'plan' to defeat the Islamic State has failed and yet the plan is to continue it.

Because maybe doing the same thing for another year will somehow miraculously change things.

And maybe pretending Ibraihm al-Jaafari is still prime minister will help?

He seems to think so.

John Irish and Michelle Nichols (Reuters) report that he declared on Friday that "he wants the U.S.-led coalition to bomb more Islamic State targets."

Exactly why is the Foreign Minister making such pronouncements?

Shouldn't it be the prime minister's job to make such statements?

Wait, that would require common sense and there's been no common sense when it comes to addressing the crises in Iraq.

Just more crazy.

Prensa Latina reports, "The UK is to extend the use of surveillance aircraft in Iraq and Syria until next year, the defence secretary has announced. The RAF Sentinel will continue to provide information to British and coalition forces fighting Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists, Michael Fallon said."

I hadn't realized that British troops were "fighting Islamic State (ISIS)" in Iraq.

Had you?

War planes?

But that's what the RAF Sentinel is.

And the sentence reads: "The RAF Sentinel will continue to provide information to British and coalition forces fighting Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists,"

So that's not war planes.

War planes can't "provide information" to themselves. But they are providing it to some British forces -- presumably on the ground.

More of the same, always more of the same.

Reuters reports, "Iraq's most influential Shi'ite Muslim cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, reaffirmed on Friday the need for economic and administrative reforms and warned delays would spark a stronger reaction from the streets."

But his influence has waned due to his involvement in politics. And he never spoke for 100% of Iraqis -- or even 100% of Shi'ite Iraqis.

And the 'reforms' do not address any key problems.

Not even corruption.

Reportedly, the plan Nouri al-Maliki -- former prime minister and forever thug -- is attempting to set for Haider al-Abadi to force him out of office involves corruption -- specifically, Haider protecting a corrupt official.

When Haider was set to appear before Parliament this month but then, shortly after arriving at the building, immediately fled, it was said to be because he'd learned of the trap Nouri planned to lay.

It's over, I'm done writing songs about love
There's a war going on
So I'm holding my gun with a strap and a glove
And I'm writing a song about war
And it goes
Na na na na na na na
I hate the war
Na na na na na na na
I hate the war
Na na na na na na na
I hate the war
Oh oh oh oh
-- "I Hate The War" (written by Greg Goldberg, on The Ballet's Mattachine!)

The number of US service members the Dept of Defense states died in the Iraq War is [PDF format warning] 4496.

The following community sites -- plus Jody Watley, Tavis Smiley and Cindy Sheehan -- updated: