Could this Bremer news be any more perfect?

[Enrico]

Finally I am feeling like we are finally toppling the babbling looney bin *ush regime. Watch Bremer get fired in about 2 days.

[Richardo]

1. Nice timing for Bush's 'significant' foreign policy speech today, innit?

Thanks, Paul! :thumbsup:

[Brotherjohn]

2. WHAT Bremer news? Link? (nt)

[Enrico]

3. main page of cnn or the story here:

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/10/05/bremer.rumsfeld/index.html

[coalition_unwilling]

4. CNN is reporting that Bremer claimed we never had enough troops in Iraq

to stabilize the situation.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/10/05/bremer.rumsfeld/index.html

[madmax]

5. Kick n/t

[NightOwwl]

6. And Rummy says...

When asked about any connection between Saddam and al Qaeda, Rumsfeld said, "To my knowledge, I have not seen any strong, hard evidence that links the two."

Of course he's back-tracking today, but sorry! Cat's out of the bag.

[Enrico]

7. And then he tries to announce a recantation

"My statement was misunderstood..."

THERE WAS NO TIME FOR IT TO BE UNDERSTOOD... YOU REALIZE YOU JUST ADMITTED THE TRUTH YOU MORON!

[SOS]

8. CYA

Bremer's administration of the CPA was a disaster.
Now he's blaming the Iraq nightmare on "insufficient troop levels".

:eyes:

[Obamarama]

9. Check this news article out RE: Bremer

This was posted over in GD. It's about the neocons getting their evin, bony fingers even tighter aroudn the State Department with Powell's upcoming departure should the Boy King win (which he isn't).

It contends that the neocons will make Bremer a scapegoat. HEre's the link to the thread in which its referenced. Sort of an interesting read in light of this line from Bremer.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2452720

[MatrixEscape]

10. My contention is ...

Had Bremer been doing what he was supposed to there, things could have gone much better there. His overt attempt to slice it up for the Corporate Elite here was not taken well.

One of his big mistakes was that greed and arrogance had him focused on making a new market model before they had everything else resolved. I assume it was fear that anyone else might get their hands on the prize.

It was a typical loot and pillage. That did not sit well with the people there.

He should be held accountable for that. That issue is not getting enough attention though. Who is going to question good old Capitalism on the march, though? Creating a market is one thing, taking everything over and disenfranchising the natives is another.

[Generator]

16. Wrong.

Bremer had as much authority as a hand picked puppet. That is to say not a lot. In case you missed point number 8 on the neo-cons philosophy(AKA Rumsfeld's folly) they have a THEORY an IDEA that they could win this war AND keep the peace with as few troops as possible.

And they have never wavered(hah!) from that. Because nothing, I repeat, nothing, gets in the way of their ideology. So we have today. And the mess that is Iraq of today can be certainly tied to that. They didn't have enough troops when it was really imperative and now I would say it's too late.

[stellanoir]

11. Something really odd happened to me. . .

In August, I attended an "ACT for change" event in my dinky sea side berg. My town is sort of red-ish in a deep blue state. I didn't expect that more than 20-30 people would be likely to attend on a beautiful summer's day. I only knew that our (D) Senator and our (D) Secretary of State would be there.

Strangely enough , I went armed only with an article from http://commondreams.org (from August 4-5) about the 100 conditions of the transfer of power that Bremer signed before his abrupt and premature departure from Iraq. (If you want to see the article, just look for "Illegal" in the title-sorry I'm link-ily challenged) It basically insured the economic servitude of the Iraqi people to foreign (mostly american) corporations for the next 40 years.

Well, it turned out that over 250 people showed up at the event. There were scarcely any parking spaces available. The first speaker was unexpected. He was the former Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. He had been appointed by a repub and had been a life long repub himself. That is, until Bush 41. He is now an Independant and is amongst the 180 former ambassadors and diplomats who are pulling their collective hairs out over Bush's lame brained foreign policy, or the apparant lack thereof.

I happened to stumble most unwittingly, upon the former Ambassador when I was exiting the building. He was discussing with someone else the issue of BBV. He immediately looked at me and asked me if I had been the person who inquired of the Senator of the lack of accountability and security regarding those so obviously nefarious machines.

I said, "no, though I've been obsessed about the voting machines, I didn't ask the question because I had previously contacted the Senator's office regarding the impropriety of this matter, and he had sent me a very inappropriate response. So I had asked a question about the draft. I got an equally lame response from the Senator, who I still actually like.

I furthered, but do you know about this? I whipped out the article and explained what it asserted: that Bremer had insured the economic servitude of the Iraqi people to American corporations for the next 40 years.

He said quite plaintively , "Jerry Bremer is one of my best friends." I thought, well could I ever put my foot further in my mouth more effectively. Instead, I said, "well could you ask him about this?" He then took me aside and said, "Bremer couldn't do a fraction of what he wanted to do in Iraq. His efforts were micromanaged by Rumsfeld and Wolfiwitz." I said, "and Cheney." He said, "Yes and Cheney." I liked him alot and felt that Bremer might just spill the beans. Maybe he has. I can only hope he continues to do so. He always seemed out of place with BuchCo Inc. and he may just have a soul.

Sorry this is so-o-o long. Just wanted to share again.

[Bongo Prophet]

12. Maybe it was this article?

I took a look, did the search and thought I'd share, maybe more eyes will see it that way. Liberation indeed!
Thanks for the story stellanoir. It was interesting, and not too looong at all!
I prefer those kida posts over short snark anyday...

The Hand-Over That Wasn't: Illegal Orders give the US a Lock on Iraq's Economy

My four paragraph quota:

A sampling of the most important orders demonstrates the economic imprint left by the Bush administration: Order No. 39 allows for: (1) privatization of Iraq's 200 state-owned enterprises; (2) 100% foreign ownership of Iraqi businesses; (3) "national treatment" — which means no preferences for local over foreign businesses; (4) unrestricted, tax-free remittance of all profits and other funds; and (5) 40-year ownership licenses.

Thus, it forbids Iraqis from receiving preference in the reconstruction while allowing foreign corporations — Halliburton and Bechtel, for example — to buy up Iraqi businesses, do all of the work and send all of their money home. They cannot be required to hire Iraqis or to reinvest their money in the Iraqi economy. They can take out their investments at any time and in any amount.

Orders No. 57 and No. 77 ensure the implementation of the orders by placing U.S.-appointed auditors and inspector generals in every government ministry, with five-year terms and with sweeping authority over contracts, programs, employees and regulations.

Order No. 17 grants foreign contractors, including private security firms, full immunity from Iraq's laws. Even if they, say, kill someone or cause an environmental disaster, the injured party cannot turn to the Iraqi legal system. Rather, the charges must be brought to U.S. courts.

[stellanoir]

14. yeah thanks

glad you aren't "link-ily challenged" like me.

[cheshire]

13. I was trying to fiqure out how many have now said something negative about

this war in Iraq. Can we count them? I can name some but don't ask me to remember what they said exactly. Rummy, Bremer, Condi. Anyone else?

[Hamlette]

15. I missed the Condi flap...what was it?

as to the conditions for handing over sovernity...I loved that we instituted a flat income tax system. It's like this is the neocon lab where they are testing out all their ideas.

I also remember the report, somewhere, about rounding up the experts to go to Iraq. Like doctors and stuff. The state dept sent over names of people who should go, were qualified etc, and defense rejected them becaue they were pro choice. WTF? Others were rejected because they were not strongly allied with conservative causes/religion/neocons. State was pissed.

Anyone remember this? Maybe it was in one of the dozens of books of read about this mess.

If Bush gets re-elected and doesn't completely control BOTH houses, there will be an impeachment or two.

[kodi]

17. tv ad: shinseki-need 200,000 troops/bush-sufficient troops/brenner-didn't

it would take less than 30 seconds to juxtipose those three recorded and videotaped statments into a broadside at bush.