Stuff to do

Is that the problem? Is that why President Bush misled the public and got us into a ruinous war -- he didn't have enough to do and was bored? How else to explain why the president has the time to criticize a newspaper advertisement from an anti-war Web site? If you don't already know, our commander-in-chief used time at his recent press conference to attack the "Betray Us" ad from MoveOn.org as "disgusting." Disgusting? Irreverant, perhaps; controversial, perhaps; but disgusting? He refuses to explain why the Israelis bombed some target in Syria, apparently at our suggestion or urging, but he can discuss a newspaper ad? That's disgusting. What's next -- does the White House plan to brief reporters on its position on department store advertising or the Victoria's Secret catalogue?

On the outsource

So, let's review. Armed private security guards operating in Iraq under contract to the U.S. government kill as many as 20 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad. Iraqi government is outraged, claims contractor's personnel were not reacting to a car bomb but instead shot indiscriminately at civilians. Iraqi government revokes contractor's authorization to operate in the country. U.S. diplomats in Iraq are barred from traveling outside the green zone, because BlackwaterUSA is the contractor who protects them. Today, the New York Times reports, Iraq begins to back away from its revoc ation claim and agrees to develop new rules to hold such contractors accountable. So, what happened? It looks to me that what happened is precisely the kind of thing that is sure to happen in the kind of armed chaos that is post-invasion Iraq. Hopefully, a promised investigation will be able to determine exactly what happened. But that's kind of doubtful. What will hopefully happen now is the U.S. will start to reconsider the whole private contractor thing in a war zone. How could it have come to this anyway? Private security companies guarding our diplomats? Don't we have 160,000 soldiers in Iraq? How many more do we need? When the president withdraws the 30,000 surge troops this year, will he authorize 30,000 more private soldiers to take their places? What's going on?

What's duh problem?

All this fuss about former federal reserve chairman Alan Greenspan's comment about the Iraq war . . . what is everybody thinking? All Greenspan said in his new book was that he advised Bush and Cheney that removing Saddam Hussein would help stabilize the world oil situation. So what? Does anyone actually think that Iraq's oil reserves weren't part of the equation when the United States decided to pour thousands of American lives and hundreds of billions of dollars into a very risky military endeavor in Iraq? Please. Just because the Bush administration says Iraq's oil had nothing to do with its decision doesn't make it so. The administration has lied consistently on Iraq.

Pakistan conundrum

The New York Times reported today that Benazir Bhutto, the former prime minister, will return to Pakistan next month after Ramadan, ostensibly to challenge Gen. Pervez Musharraf, the country's president. She apparently will return whether she reaches a power-sharing deal with Musharraf or not. If she doesn't, or even if she does, Bhutto is subject to arrest on past corruption charges. Are these true? Does anyone know? What's important about Pakistan is not only that it is a nuclear-armed country, but that Musharraf is, ostensibly, a key U.S. ally in the war on terror. This, as we've discussed, despite the fact that areas of his country are overrun by the precisely the same insurgents that the war on terror is supposed to be rooting out. Musharraf is our guy, he wasn't shunned because he joined our team, and now we have to try to influence to embrace democratic reform in the country he has dominated since 1999. Is the U.S. up to this challenge?

Adios Alberto

Seemingly just hours after President Bush announced his plans to remove 21,000 troops from Iraq by next summer, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said today that perhaps 70,000 soldiers could be removed by the end of next year. Is it any wonder that a majority of Americans don't believe what the president or his heavily decorated generals are saying? The American people are the ones who should be making this decision, but there too much information and not enough truth to allow them to decide. At least Alberto Gonzales has left the building. Today was his last day as head of the Justice Department, which seems to have lost as much credibility domestically as the Bush administration has abroad.

CL Syndrome

So, the Republicans and Democrats are weighing in on the testimony of Gen. David Patreus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker before Congress this week and, what do you know, many simply do not believe the Bush administration's rosy assessment of progress. The "surge" may well be working but, how can anyone tell? Has the government started showing the map illustrating how much of Iraq is under U.S. or Iraqi government control? That answer is no. So, what does the government think is going to happen? They have repeatedly lied about Iraq; how many times can they do that and still expect everyone to believe them? That's why more than 50 percent of the country doesn't support the war. It may well have been a good idea at some point, but the bungling Bush administration has completely blown it.

Fun while it lasted

Looks like it's the last call for the return of democracy to Pakistan. CNN reports today that former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, whose administration was cut short by a bloodless coup led by current Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf in 1999, was taken into custody after he arrived in Islamabad today and was deported to Saudi Arabia, where he has lived in exile. Sharif returned to Pakistan after the Pakistani Supreme Court ruled last month that he could. He was expected to challenge Musharraf in upcoming elections. His departure, however, could clear the way for a power-sharing deal between Musharraf, called an important ally in the Bush administration's war on terror despite the likely presence of al-Qaida forces on its reportedly lawless border with Afghanistan, and two-time former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. But Musharraf, who also heads the country's armed forces, does not appear to be ready to give up power despite a loss of popularity following his attempt to have the head of Pakistan's Supreme Court sacked in March. The U.S. State Department issued a statement calling the deportation "contrary to the supreme court's decision" and urging non-violence.