There is a sentiment that surrounds the peace movement today by some families of dead soldiers that if Bush would just fight the war right somehow it would still all be worth it. While that does not align with what Ms. Sheehan states as she is moving "Camp Casey" from a mile stone's throw of Bush's estate; there is reasons for the difference.
I think I can point them out.
We entered into Iraq illegally. On that point alone Ms. Sheehan is absolutely correct. I don't buy it that intelligence was the issue. Every member of the Bush Executive Branch except he perhaps was at the agencies harassing agents for 'tilts' that would 'get them what they wanted.' Like Tony Blair the policies weren't issued from the intelligence. The intelligence was designed to fit the policies.
A rock solid example came to my attention as I was glancing through some old e-mails from NewsNight. It was in regard to Najaf. It is hard to believe it was just one year ago that Bush was about to kill over 300 innocent people threatening to do much more.
The paragraph from the e-mail that illustrates 'the times' :
"We'll lead with the frustration building in Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Charley. Power is still out for many thousands of people; police, because of safety concerns, are still keeping hundreds away from their homes, or what's left of their homes. There have been some nasty confrontations. Frustration. Also, John Zarella on a National Guard unit just back from Iraq which now finds itself knee deep in the recovery operation. In Iraq the focus remains on the standoff in Najaf and the National Conference in Baghdad. They are not unrelated. A group of respected Iraqis went to Najaf today to see if they could end the standoff. We'll update that. We'll also talk with Scott Baldauf who witnessed one of a number of firefights in the area. Scott writes for the Christian Science Monitor. John Burns joins us as well to talk about the big picture in what is turning out to be a very crucial and very dangerous period in a very fragile country right now. "
To focus:
"...In Iraq the focus remains on the standoff in Najaf and the National Conference in Baghdad. They are not unrelated. A group of respected Iraqis went to Najaf today to see if they could end the standoff. We'll update that. We'll also talk with Scott Baldauf who witnessed one of a number of firefights in the area. Scott writes for the Christian Science Monitor. John Burns joins us as well to talk about the big picture in what is turning out to be a very crucial and very dangerous period in a very fragile country right now."
The invasion into Iraq was not only illegal it tried to place 'European' heads on modestly educated Iraqi civilians. Both Blair and Bush believed the Iraqis would be so glad to see the USA and rid themselves of Saddam that it would be "Victory of WWII" all over again.
As a result of the failure of the Iraqis to comply with that understanding of their expected behavior when violence resulted they were considered 'insurgents.' Rather than realizing the 'story book' scenario post invasion was completely unrealistic and more than hearts and minds these people just didn't understand what was expected of them. They set loose prisoners from every place they could find them tearing down prison walls indescriminately without a thought for their own safety should those criminals actually be dangerous. They only knew they were oppressed and they now had a chance to be out from that and would take it on their own to secure their hamlets. Americans that would come to again invade not just their country but now their towns were more an enemy intent on killing those the villagers considered innocent and trustworthy. The Americans weren't trustworthy. They were a lot of trouble that no one seemed to be able to contain and they were afraid of these 'caucasian' folks with intent to kill.
What resulted out of the anarchy were hamlets of ethnic communities that found arms in the Iraqi desert once secured by UN seals and inspectors. The confusion of the intent of the Americans as deprivation of jobs, food, water and electricity spoke loud than anything Paul Bremer could say or provide turned people to their Holy Men. It worked. The communities began to take on some degree of order and security although very much in the rough, but, they had never done this before. Their Holy Men were at least as learned as the Quran's teachings and Mohammad was very much a survivalist. So the Quran was a guidebook to a structure the Iraqis in their hamlets could abide by all too willingly and did with great reverence.
What happened in Najaf was a travesty of trust. It was a plot against a Cleric who was mostly young to his practice, lost his father and grandfather to Saddam Hussein's inhumanity and killed form their opposition. Bush's focus is always to invade what he does not understand and hence the above 'meanderings' of the media into something they didn't understand. That entry is familiar to me as is the program which only proved to me to be insightful to validate everything I already believed was happening behind the walls of the fortess of Najaf. This was before Bush turned his forces loose on Najaf.
Bush and Blair had laid a clear plot against the young Cleric Sadr. They managed to convince a kindly Ayatollah to care for his heart in London. Ayatollah al Sistani was no sooner off the ground in a plane to London when Bush started his threats into Najaf. The threats became a struggle that persisted and found three hundred innocent Iraqis dead.
At the time I was making peace accolades on the New York Times Message Boards as it was my only hope to somehow in someway reach those that could make a difference and save lives. I knew the people of Najaf were not horrible people and I also knew their only salvation lay in London recovering from a heart procedure. It was grossly obvious not long after this program aired that Bush relished the 'blood bath' to the tune laid out by people like Beth Nissan and her praise to the movie "Alamo." It became the battle cry of the Neocons. The Aman Ali Mosque was transformed into the Alamo and all was to be sacrificed and destroyed to kill those now labeled as insurgents. The orders as stated by the USA military were, "To capture or kill al Sadr." I knew it was wrong and I could not let my country destroy the one survivor of a resistance movement against Saddam that was right. Iraq needed that movement to secure it's autonomous identity and I knew al Sadr would be loyal to that end. He was devout. He is the son of two esteemed martyrs.
I remember hearing the words that Bush was taking Najaf. If it was my pleadings of the Grand Ayatollah al Sistani then I am humbled by the fact my cries were heard. If the news of impending devastation reached him as well then he is truly the man of the people. Either way al Sistani left his hospital bed to fly to Kuwait and return by armored caravan back to Najaf. He ordered all his following, some 10,000 strong to march from Kufah to Najaf. The USA miltiary was thwarted along with Bush's grand plans. Within five days of his return a peace agreement reaching all of al Sadr's demands was realized at the insistance of the Grand Ayatollah.
The strength of Iraq does not lie in the precense of the USA, it lies in the people themselves.
The point is that Ms. Sheehan is right. Although other familes may find solice in identifying with the peace movement calling on an end to this by fighting the war right; it isn't likely to happen. The ability of Bush and Blair in securing that country has never been proven from the beginning and to think just because some families are demanding a stronger fight it will all resolve is unrealistic. So in reflection of the years past, Iraq's peace is not realized by USA bombs and bullets but with the faithful of Islam and THEIR need to have 'social order' as they understand it and need it.
Our government's demands are foolish and our expectations of the outcome of all this even more so.
This entry is made here because the plot agaisnt al Sadr was nothing but pure hatred.
Very premeditated.
Scary to realize our military and primarily our president is capable of plotting such a scenario.
Very scary.
