Time for Iraqis to Demonstrate Self Determination

American forces will begin leaving Iraq soon. Reuters reports that it will happen sooner than later:

President Bush will take weeks rather than months to start making changes in Iraq policy after he receives high-level recommendations on the conduct of the war, his national security adviser said on Thursday. Speaking after Bush held crisis talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in Jordan, Stephen Hadley, Bush's national security adviser, said: "There is a real sense of urgency but there is not a sense of panic."......................Bush spoke after reports an independent, bipartisan group will recommend the U.S. military shift from a combat to a support role in Iraq but will not propose a timetable for withdrawal.....................

I have been very supportive of the efforts in Iraq and of President Bush. I think that removing Saddam was a good thing. I would have made the same decision if I was in the President's position at the time in question given the intelligence that was in play. I also think that a democracy in Iraq would be a very positive thing in the region and has been worth investing American resources and lives to attempt to achieve. That said I think it's time for us to turn things over to the Iraqis.

This change comes from a conversations I had with a member of my family who's opinion I deeply respect on all military matters. He is an uncle (actually a 65 year old second cousin who I call uncle) who served in Vietnam as a helicopter gunner and received the purple heart during his service. He is a no nonsense man who is very wise on all military matters in my opinion given his life experiences and he was very bullish on going to Iraq and Afghanistan after 911. However, he said from day one we should go to both countries and take care of the business that needs to be taken care of, win a war, and leave. He said we should send our diplomats over to deliver this message after we killed as many bad guys as we could: "If things don't change and you don't get rid of the remaining bad guys on your own, we will be back and kill a bunch more of them, and those who support them". He suggested we repeat the same model if needed, as many times as needed, only on a more devastating scale each time we had to come back.

His logic of course is that soldiers are warriors who fight wars and they are not policeman, peace keepers or nation builders. I argued back at that time that we owed it the Iraqis to help prop-up their new democracy. We said it would not work unless they truly wanted it and fought for it. I countered that they did............I see his wisdom now............

Do Iraqis want democracy? Sure a great deal do per the polls on the subject, however it's one thing to want something it's a totally different thing to invest completely into ones goal to ensure it is achieved. I have waited patiently like many Americans for the resolve to surface from the Iraqis to win their own democracy but aside from an encouraging story here or there, I have not seen it. I can't think of one country that is a current thriving democracy who was handed the sacred gift of democracy from another country. Democracy is self earned and by being earned by the collective people it holds them together no matter how bad things might get at times. It unites them and makes them a collective people regardless of differences and strife. Iraqis have a decision to make and then a very short window of time to act if they do decide that democracy is their primary goal.

It's time to bring the brave men and woman of the American military home. They have done much and achieved great things. They should be proud of what they have achieved. That said we have done pretty much all we can do at this point. It's time to turn this over to Iraqis and the question of "self determination" must be answered as it only can be by them.....................

The concerns about what happens in the region if we leave are legitimate concerns and serious ones. The same logic would apply to everyone in the region in my opinion that applies to Iraq. We should tell the Iraqis this as we leave: "If you don't get rid of the bad guys we will be back to take care of things again. We won't be building schools or power plants, we will be killing bad guys and then leaving. We will be in and out in about two months and if needed, will come back and do it again and each time we have to repeat that step the worse it will be".........................It's time for Iraq and the Iraqi people to decide their future by actions as well as the region itself.......................

--------------------Update--------------------------


Another military veteran who's opinion I respect greatly feels differently about the coming "Baker Iraqi Study Group" report and needed actions, Greyhawk @ Mudvillegazette and is blogging on the topic................

Doe Has Antlers: 28 Point Missouri Doe

A post at Wizbang on Deer Check Stations made me think of the Doe with a Rack per NBC4

SARCOXIE, Mo. -- A Missouri hunter has shot a 28-point deer that just happened to be a doe................

It's a hunting plus to know that in Missouri you have a chance of shooting a doe with a 28-point rack let alone a buck. NBC4 has a slide show of the doe and video. Pretty cool story...........................

Pending Philadelphia Inquirer & Daily News Strike

News from E&P that the newspaper Guild members of the Philadelphia Inquirer & Philadelphia Daily News, are preparing to go on strike Thursday night:

NEW YORK More than 600 Newspaper Guild members at the Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News signed up for strike benefits over the weekend, according to guild spokesman Stu Bykofsky, who said the union is also scheduling picket assignments for a strike that could occur as soon as midnight Thursday.

"We are preparing to go on strike as if we were going to go on strike because we cannot wait until Thursday," he told E&P. "We have to be ready to go."

Just one very relevant and important thing for both the Guild & Ownership of all MSM to consider: 2004-2005 National Hockey League Lock-Out.............................

I think there are very few in the MSM who have the product quality or customer loyalty to recover from a shut-down..........................

Russian Spy Dead: It Aint Flonaise Putin's Dealing

The story about the poising of former Russian spy Litvinenko with a "spray Polonium 210" is the rage this evening. Per Sky they found 210 in his urine.

That aint Flonaise that Putin and his boys were handing out...................Ready to allow the Iranian handlers to control the next move in the Iraq matter?

Hugo Chavez, Iran, Open Borders & Suicide Terrorists

Hugo Chavez doesn't take kindly to hard questions asked of his new best buddy & ally Iran. Hugo has recalled the Venezuelan ambassador to Argentina per the BBC:

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has recalled his ambassador to Buenos Aires following a complaint by Argentina's leader, Argentine media report. President Nestor Kirchner is said to have contacted Mr Chavez over the conduct of ambassador Roger Capella. Mr Capella is accused of supporting former Housing Secretary Luis D'Elia. Mr D'Elia was fired for criticising an international arrest warrant for eight Iranian former cabinet ministers issued by Argentine prosecutors. The warrants were issued over the ex-ministers' alleged involvement in a bomb attack on a Jewish cultural centre in Buenos Aires in 1994, in which 85 people were killed..........................

Hugo Chavez's growing alliance with Iran is certainly concerning when you read reports about the massive suicide squads Iran is putting together per an Iranian expert Ali Alfoneh:

By Abbasi's definition, Iran may not sponsor terrorism, but it does not hesitate to promote suicide attacks. He announced that approximately 40,000 Iranian estesh-hadiyun (martyrdom-seekers) were ready to carry out suicide operations against "twenty-nine identified Western targets" should the U.S. military strike Iranian nuclear installations...................

With Venezuela's South American location and the open Mexican - American borders it's particularly alarming. Alfoneh thinks the bombers would be used in the Middle East Theater, and that might be, but the "Iranian - Hugo - Open Border" combination still is chilling:

Samadi said he had registered 2,000 volunteers for suicide operations at a seminar the previous day.[9] Copies of the registration forms (see Figure 1) show that the "martyrdom-seekers" could volunteer for suicide operations against three targets: operations against U.S. forces in the Shi‘ite holy cities in Iraq; against Israelis in Jerusalem; and against Rushdie............

Alfoneh also suggests that Iran's decision to develop suicide units maybe a telling hint of a weak Iranian military:

Since 9-11, the increased focus on international terror has amplified fear of terrorism. By forming suicide terrorists units, Tehran can, at a minimum, exploit such fear. Already, Western policymakers warn that any strike against Iran could spark a resurgence of Iranian-backed terror. That the Islamic Republic has already formed suicide bomber brigades underscores that point. But the fact that the Iranian leadership must embrace such nonconventional deterrents may suggest that Tehran recognizes that the Iranian military is weaker than Iranian figures admit................

You would think that a country with a powerful military would not need to exploit insane people who want to blow themselves up so Alfoneh's observation makes sense to me............

Mad Cartoonist Storms Newspaper Office

The mad cartoonist who stormed his former paper with a toy gun, has some tremendous cartoon potential I'd say:

"I'm here to unmask the true conflicts in the newspaper," Varela told The Miami Herald. "They laugh at exiles here. There are problems with payment."............"All that he wants people to know is that he wants the truth to come out," Garcia said. "I think he needs some time to work some things out.".................

I'd say he needs some time to work some things out, and will no doubt get that time...................

Unless there is some unwritten rule against drawing cartoons about fellow cartoonists who go mad, one would think that there could be some seriously funny material here. Come to think about it, there probably is some unwritten rule in the MSM over such things. Too bad, if I could draw I'd pump out a few that come to mind.................

-------------Update---------------------------

A South Florida online paper Broward-Palm Beach New Times (Daily Pulp) is posting on the "mad cartoonist" and is covering the angle that it's part of a total Miami Herald "melt-down". Given the things going on at the Herald over the past year, I see that angle. You have to love this line:

“Warning: The Attorney General Has Determined that working at the Miami Herald Is Dangerous to Your Health".............................

On a serious note, The Daily Pulp thinks things in Miami are about to boil over and this is the latest example:

The entire community needs to do something before there’s another day like today, only instead of a half-baked cartoonist, it’s someone truly intent on doing some serious damage. I can’t believe I’m even saying this, but I’m starting to think there needs to be some kind of town hall meeting with Fiedler, other newspaper editors and reporters, Cuban exile leaders, and anybody else interested in these issues. Stick Michael Putney in there to moderate. Start it at 7:30 and let it last until the wee hours if it has to. This damn town needs some therapy. And quick.............................

Why Does Russia Support Iran?

With the latest weapons transaction between Russia & Iran being reported, the question of why Russia protects Iran's nuclear aspirations seems worth revisiting. Here is a good refresher via the Carnegie Endowment:

The fact is that in contrast to the United States, Russia has huge political and economic interests with Iran. Iran is one of the main recipients of Russian peaceful nuclear technology and arms sales. Also, Iran is seen as a geopolitical counterbalance to the expanding influence of Turkey, the United States, and Islamic Wahhabism in the South and North Caucasus and Central Asia. Finally, Iranian oil and gas resources (4th and 2nd largest in the world respectively) are a lucrative target for future Russian investment................................By demanding the immediate cessation of Iranian enrichment activities, Russia is following its own economic and security interests and is demonstrating cooperation with the United States (and the West in general) on nonproliferation. By opposing UN sanctions and US military force, Moscow is accommodating its interests in cooperation with Iran and in avoidance of the inevitable economic, political and security damage of war. In this way Russia is also indirectly forging a united front with China, India and many other countries in opposing US unilateralism and arbitrary policy of force, permeated with double standards and a disregard for other nations' differing interests and views...............

It's all about "money" and "influence" in the region and the Russian perception of how to best protect their security buffers...............I would not look for any major changes in the Russian policy on Iran anytime soon.....................

Australia: No Plans for Timeline on Iraq

Here is a reassuring headline via the Australians

Australia has no plans for setting a timeline for the withdrawal of its troops from Iraq, Defense Minister Brendan Nelson said Thursday...................

I wonder what the Baker Commission is cooking up? This actually gives me some hope when one of our strongest allies in Iraq is showing up with "stiff knees" that Baker is not cooking up a Syrian sell-out........

NYC Live Poultry Market: Don't Look Them in the Eye.........

Now that you have had your Thanksgiving turkey dinner, here is a sub-story on "live poultry markets" via the AP

Thousands of turkey, chickens and other fowl are killed every day at hundreds of live poultry markets around the country, with roughly 90 such places in the New York City area alone. Most of the nation's live poultry markets are concentrated in large urban areas with big immigrant populations, such as Miami, Los Angeles and New York.

Once the turkeys are chosen by customers, the birds are snatched up by a butcher who binds their feet and hangs them upside down from a scale. Then comes the unmentionable (hint: it has to do with a blade). The bird then goes into a rotating machine that strips its feathers. And customers walk out with their Thanksgiving turkey in a plastic bag, fresh as fresh can be.

Said one customer: "People say that once you eat a live turkey, you can never go back again,"................

I'm sure PETA is not happy but if you don't look them in the eye, you can get a super fresh and tasty bird:

McIntyre went back and chose the smallest turkey, a white 20-pounder. "I didn't look the animal in the eye. And I didn't look when they killed it."

The strange thing that makes this a story is that the market is in NYC and other large urban cities. Obviously this has been an annual event in rural locations all over the country every year for many years...............Turkey famers have to be chuckling when they read that one......................

Thanksgiving Prayer: deliver us from this food.....

At Thanksgiving Dinner, my nine year old gave the blessing, and one of his closing lines was "God, deliver us from this food"..............................

He has been learning the Lords Prayer for his God & Country badge in Boy Scouts and seems to have been focused in on the "deliver us from evil" part of the prayer and inserted that line into his Thanksgiving prayer. My wife and I cooked the dinner and we are both good cooks so we actually thought it was hysterical. We have family members and friends who if they had been cooking his prayer might have been appropriate and on the money, like I'm sure many others have in their families and circle.............

Happy Thanksgiving everyone................................