So an Average Joe’s impressions of the ISG Report

[UTUSN]

from a skim-along, yellow highlighting deal:

* The first half, the assessment of the present conditions, is more striking than the recommendations, being an official, U.S.-quasi-governmental description and ADMISSION of what a BLEAK, HELLISH condition the condition is in.

* The recommendations don’t appear to sound “new,” seeming to repeat things that have been “in the air” forever from the cable village of perpetually talking idiots. Or perhaps from being repeated endlessly throughout the Report, being stated from the beginning in the Executive Summary, then going back over them all, like the cliché about teaching a lesson: First tell them what you’re going to say, then say it, then summarize it.

* There is, of course, no finger-pointing about that taboo topic, How We Got into This Fucking Mess (Shrub) to Begin With. The most “startling” thesis (to the Shrubbites) is that we should, GASP, *TALK* to our enemies (except Al Qaeda). That in itself should have Shrub and CHEENEE driving nails in its coffin, if they are even giving it ANY consideration at all.

* The overall thrust of the plan calls for overwhelming levels of commitment and cooperation among the feuding Iraqis themselves, all the bordering neighbors, the Israelis and Palestinians, and the international community-----all of whose levels of commitment and cooperation, before and now, range from active hostility to apathy and cynicism. And Shrub on his own contains quite a chunk of the range of everything from hostility to apathy and cynicism just himself.

* A big bottom line is that we are going to Xmas-present to Iraq a humongous shitload of “equipment left behind”, like dollars, buildings, and equipment are going to make all the local kids play nicely.

* It would take visionaries on the scale of TRUMAN and MARSHALL to make this thing work, and Shrub and his flying monkies ain’t no TRUMAN-MARSHALL. The Shrubbites thought that CONQUEST would settle all, that is all.

[knowbody0]

1. could just be the end of ameriKan imperialism

lessons learned, very expensive lessons.

[UTUSN]

2. Radio wingnut said BAKER "busy selling out the Israelis"

The only mentions of Israel in the report were (below). The local radio talkshow wingnut said (quote, below). Of the mentions in the report, what amounts to "selling out the Israelis?

Mention: The Iraq mess needs to be put into the context of THE REGION, including the self-warring Iraqis, all the bordering neighbors including Syria and Iran, the wider Arab states, the Israel and the Palestinians (including Syria and Lebannon).

Mention: Israel has to give back the Golan Heights.

Mention: No American administration, Democratic or Rethug, will ever abandon Israel.

No mention: Right of return.

So what is the dude talking about?

**********QUOTE*******

I’m surprised Baker has time to talk he’s so busy selling out the Israelis. What does the right of return have to do with Iraq and militant jihadis and how to get us out of Iraq?

**********UNQUOTE*******