Bush To Musharraf: Deal Or No Deal?

White House Pressures Pakistani Leader To Do More On Terror

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In a trip "shrouded in secrecy," Vice President Dick Cheney went to Pakistan today for a few hours to meet with President Pervez Musharraf.

The New York Times' front page had already revealed why, after speaking with some anonymous senior administration officials: the Bush administration has had just about enough of waiting around for Musharraf to deliver results in the way of hunting down al-Qaeda operatives in his country.

Cheney delivered a message to the General that Congress could cut off aid to Pakistan – the fifth-largest recipient of it – unless the general makes good on a number of commitments he made to President Bush about aggressively thwarting Al Qaeda.

Said one anonymous official: “He’s made a number of assurances over the past few months, but the bottom line is that what they are doing now is not working. The message we’re sending to him now is that the only thing that matters is results.”

Sunny Iraq

How is Baghdad's new security plan working out? The Washington Post takes a look at the gradual influx of soldiers into the area – which has brought the total to 40,000 so far – to find that among U.S. troops, Iraqi soldiers and civilian Iraqis "the plan is hampered because security forces cannot identify, let alone apprehend, the elusive perpetrators of the violence."

"I don't know who I'm fighting most of the time," said Staff Sgt. Joseph Lopez, 39, a soldier based in the northern outskirts of the capital. "I don't know who is setting what IED."

But as one anonymous "senior U.S. defense official" told the paper: "This is the very start, and it's too early to make any determinations at all on whether it's working, not working, what effect it's had. We just don't have all the forces on the ground yet. People are looking for this big D-Day event and it's not going to happen."

In other Iraq news, yesterday's suicide bomb attack on a Baghdad university campus that killed at least 40 Iraqis, most of them female students, makes the front page of the Los Angeles Times and the top of the Wall Street Journal's newsbox.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, "but it was similar to others on mainly Shiite targets, such as crowded markets, which have appeared designed by Sunni insurgents to inflict maximum suffering," writes the Times. At least 70 students were killed in the university's main campus in January, when two car bombs exploded simultaneously.

Iran: Not Just Our 'Hot Button' Issue

As the U.S. continues to put pressure on Iran (which it views as "a rogue nation that arms militias in Iraq, wants to build a nuclear bomb and seeks Israel's destruction"), the Wall Street Journal notes that Iran is a "hot button domestic issue" for rest of the Arab world as well.

For many of those countries, Iran is viewed "as a non-Arab, and, for some, heretical power intent on expanding the clout of itself and fellow Shiites at the expense of the region's Sunni establishment." (The majority of the Arab world is Sunni while Persian Iran is mostly Shiite.)

While Shiites account for 15 percent or less of the world's Muslims, "in many Sunni eyes they hold outsize influence because of Shiite-ruled Iran, which now rivals and sometimes even eclipses Israel as an object of loathing."

Today In Obama

In today's edition of the New York Times' daily front-page series on the goings-on of Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign, the paper looks at the senator's position on the Iraq war: he opposes it.

While he hasn't been one of the party's most outspoken critics of the war until recently, he is now. And he is "unburdened by expressions of regret or decisions over whether to apologize for initially supporting the invasion," something that does plague some other candidates.

The Subtle Campaign

In Oscar-related news, the tale of director Martin Scorsese's long slog toward an Academy Award (which he finally got last night) makes the front page of the Los Angeles Times.

The irony of the win? The marketing machine for "The Departed" was apparently not geared toward generating an Oscar by highlighting its credentials, which "took a back seat to its commercial prospects."

In the past, Scorsese films like "Gangs of New York" and "The Aviator" had "collapsed under the weight of their relentlessly advertised importance." This year, Scorsese's film "may have prevailed Sunday night by never blowing its own horn too loudly."

Oh, the humanity.

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[bluestardad]

The Bush Administration is covertly supporting a minimum of three Sunni al Qaeda organizations in Lebanon to act as a buffer against the Shiite Hezbollah. Yes and the money is coming from the billions of dollars unaccounted for from Iraq! This support is not regulated by Congress, is in direct contravention to the WAR on TERROR the NEOCONS expound, and is under the same pretext as the Iran Contra Scandal of the late 1980s! This was reported yesterday on CNN!

Email your senators and representatives and tell them your views! LET THEM KNOW YOU KNOW OF THIS DIRTY LITTLE SECRET!

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_in
formation/senators_cfm.cfm OR http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

[skyk-2009]

Well the whole thing just seems to be falling apart around Sir Lies-A-Lot doesn't it. Seems this pathetic Southern Nazi can't figure out how to deal with the diverse peoples of the world. If it get's beyond stupid arrogance and chest pounding this loser doesn't have a plan. He finds himself not just LOSING in Iraq but in a position of complete defeat all across the board. Put that together with is incompetence in dealing with the World and NATO in Afganistan and there you have it folks. A mess the Marks Brothers would have been proud of. Maybe if he calls up a couple of his Klan Bro's they can help him create MORE world wide hatred... I doubt it but some of that scum IS beneth even Dead Eye Cheney.

[skyk-2009]

Strange but even the PAID posters are hard to find online anymore. I guess even ****** like those have a limit huh? LMAO Oh but the REAL clincher is we have TWO more LONG years of this Incompetence!! Are all you "Christian's" PROUD now? Was Controling the lives of American's really worth THIS? ROFLMAO

[grazinggoat]

Duck-Hunter Wax-FaceCheney is pressuring Pakistan to put an end to Alqaeda... Let me laugh. Maybe Pakistan has already put an end to AlQaeda but creating another one, more intelligent, more sophisticated and lighter than Alqaeda, in order to suck more 'SECURITY' money from the USA. How's that?

Isn't it better for the USA to work in order to Unite the Islamic and Arab States under One, two or three entities with whom we can deal... They are too big to control and too different to deal with all of them at the same time...

[bluestardad]

Bush is playing all of us against each other! In one hand he is touting the Red White and Blue war on Terror against everyone who attacked us on 911 and on the other hand he is funding Al Qaeda to destabilize an counter other governments in the Middle East! The recently resigned terrorist Czar ask for a demotion to deputy Secretary of State Because he did not want to be tangled up with another Iran Contra style Funding Fiasco that is going on in Lebanon. Here is the stream read it yourself!

http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/070305fa_fact_hersh

Just copy up to the Hersh on the news stream this web site is adding a n on the end of the paste!

Iran Contra, al Qaeda Lebanon same oh same oh! The Bush Administration is covertly supporting a minimum of three Sunni al Qaeda organizations in Lebanon to act as a buffer against the Shiite Hezbollah. Yes and the money is coming from the billions of dollars unaccounted for from Iraq! This support is not regulated by Congress, is in direct contravention to the WAR on TERROR the NEOCONS expound, and is under the same pretext as the Iran Contra Scandal of the late 1980s! This was reported by Wolf Blitzer yesterday on CNN and again tonight!

Email your senators and representatives and tell them your views! LET THEM KNOW YOU KNOW OF THIS DIRTY LITTLE SECRET!

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_in
formation/senators_cfm.cfm OR http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

[lars008-2009]

Appeal for Redress
Sign this Appeal.
This site is an Appeal For Redress in support of our mission in Iraq.
An Appeal For Redress is an authorized means for active duty military to submit a grievance to Congress. It can be signed by Active Duty, Reserve, or National Guard military personnel.
It is authorized by DoD Directive 1325.6 and DoD Directive 7050.6.
The wording of the Appeal for Redress is:
As an American currently serving my nation in uniform, I respectfully urge my political leaders in Congress to fully support our mission in Iraq and halt any calls for retreat. I also respectfully urge my political leaders to actively oppose media efforts which embolden my enemy while demoralizing American support at home. The War in Iraq is a necessary and just effort to bring freedom to the Middle East and protect America from further attack.
If you are active duty, reservist or national guard, please Sign this Appeal.
Most service members fully support the war in Iraq and feel calls to retreat by Congress and attacks by our media on our conduct and mission act to motivate our enemy while demoralizing our support at home, directly increasing the threat we face and resulting in greater American casualties. This Appeal for Redress provides a way in which individual service members can appeal to Congress to fully support us and actively oppose media attacks on our mission and our morale.
This Appeal will be delivered to members of Congress.
http://www.appealforcourage.org/

[lars008-2009]

The things that will destroy America are prosperity-at-any-price, peace-at-any-price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life. Theodore Roosevelt

[bluestardad]

President Bush is holding Hostage all the America Troops in the Iraq War Theater by indicating that if Congress Cuts funding for the His Iraq War Plan he will leave the troops over there anyway without supplies and equipment they need, instead of bringing them home. Is that anything other than kidnapping or hostage taking? Supporting the Troops does not mean Supporting the War in Iraq or the Bush Idea of the War in Iraq! There is a difference! It is bad enough that the Bush Administration sent the troops to Iraq on false pretences, ill equipped and ill prepared with no end game plan. The Rovian spin of a Congressional Vote against the Bush Iraq war scenario is a vote against the Troops just validates the Bush Administration resolve to Hold the Military Troops Hostage to his Iraq war plan regardless of the will of America and its elected representatives. Bush In one hand is touting the Red, White, and Blue war on Terror against everyone who attacked us on 911 and on the other hand he is funding Al Qaeda to destabilize other governments in the Middle East! Here is the stream read it yourself!

http://www.newyorker.com/fa
ct/content/articles/070305fa_fact_hersh
n
Just copy up to the Hersh on the news stream this web site is adding a n on the end of the paste!

SO DO SOMETHING EXCEPT SIT ON THE COMPUTER AN COMPLAIN! Write Congress Now! Let them know you are aware of the Secret funding of our enemies! http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

[bakulaji]

Enemy of your enemy ought to be your friend. Friend or foe, Al Qaida units being supported by president Bush is the medicine for the oncoming headaches. Hezbulla cannot be talked into. Al Quaida is talking. One and only alternative, working alternative for president Bush is work with the cards he is been dealt in by the providence and make a play to win. What si the point in throwing up a set of bad cards? Enemy, does not know we got next to nothing to win. Keep Hezbulla boys guessing as to where the next attack going to ruin their party. The celebratory party they are planning, even as we speak, expecting a sure win. Nobody is a fool, least of all president Bush. His strategy, whatever that may be, is his business and none of that business is the business of the busibodies who are holding him as ransom on technicality. "Funding, secret funding, Iran-Contra, mistakes of judgments, faulty methods, exposes," aren't these much maligned items in pure journalese, "things that sell the newspapers?" Who are you kiddng, you, "holier-than-thou," freedom-of-speech "freeloaders" "armchair generals" and "moralists of questionable integrity." The last time I checked, president Bush was still our president. May be, I do not read the newspapers.

...and I am Sid Harth

[hereandnow07]

What's the matter with everybody? We as a nation need to stand up to BUSH and CHENEY and Ms.RICE. Bush is sending OUR nation"s bravest, brightest, most intelligent young people to Iraq to be destroyed. This is not a Chess game, this is real life, real people.
BUSH WHEN IT WAS YOUR TURN TO FIGHT FOR OUR COUNTRY YOU TUCKED TAIL AND RAN and/or HID IN SOME RESPECTS, SO HOW CAN YOU NOW SEND OTHER PEOPLE, YOUNG ADULTS, TO YOUR WAR, YES YOUR WAR!!!
Whatever Nixon did,;Whatever Clinton did,; does not amount to a "hill of beans" compared to this Iraq situation.

[lars008-2009]

During WW II, the Japanese were searching for a way to demoralize the American forces that they faced. Their psychological warfare experts came up with a message that they thought would work well.

They gave the script to their famous broadcaster, "Tokyo Rose," and every day she would broadcast this same message packaged in various ways, hoping to have an impact on American GI morale. What was the message?
It had three main points:
1. Your president is lying to you.
2. This war is illegal.
3. You cannot win the war.

Sound familiar? the Democratic Party has picked up the same message and is broadcasting it to civilians domestic and abroad, and to our troops and our enemies. The only difference is that they claim to support our troops before they demoralize them.

Come to think of it, Tokyo Rose used to tell the troops that she was on their side.

I am often struck by how similar the rhetoric from the left is to the rhetoric from our enemies. Consider this transcript of a taped al qaeda message:
http://memritv.org/Transcript.asp?P1=802

[lars008-2009]

peace-at-any-price, safety-first instead of duty-first

The things that will destroy America are prosperity-at-any-price, peace-at-any-price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life. Theodore Roosevelt