Meanwhile, Back in Iraq,

[Quietlearner]

Almost 50,000 U.S. troops occupying Iraq. We are still paying almost $50 billion just this year for the war in Iraq. And while we don’t hear about it very often, many Iraqis are still being killed.

There’s an awful lot of discussion underway about the massive cuts in the Pentagon’s budget that may be looming as part of the deficit deal. But somehow few are mentioning that those potential cuts from the defense department’s main budget don’t even touch the actual war funding — this year alone it’s $48 billion for Iraq and $122 billion for the war in Afghanistan.

Just imagine what we could do with those funds — we could provide health care for 43 million children for two years, or hire 2.4 million police officers to help keep our communities safe for a year. Or we could create and fund new green middle-class jobs for 3.4 million workers — maybe including those thousands of soldiers we could bring home from those useless wars.

Barack Obama, back when he was a presidential candidate, promised he would end the war in Iraq. In 2002, he called it a “dumb” war. The U.S. role in the war has gotten smaller but it sure isn’t over. And it hasn’t gotten any smarter. A year ago Obama told us that all combat operations in Iraq were about to end, that “our commitment in Iraq is changing from a military effort” to — what exactly? The 50,000 or so troops still in Iraq are there, we are told, to train Iraqi security forces, provide security for civilians, and, oh yes, to conduct counterterrorism operations. Apparently “counterterrorism operations” don’t count as part of a military effort?

Even worse, the Obama administration, following its predecessor’s footsteps, is clearly committed to keeping U.S. troops in Iraq beyond the December 31, 2011 deadline agreed to by the Bush administration and Iraq back in 2008. That agreement was supposed to be absolute — it called for all U.S. troops to be pulled out by the end of this year. (There were loopholes, of course — the agreement said all Pentagon-paid military contractors had to leave too, but didn’t mention those paid by the State Department, so guess which agency is taking over the check-writing to pay the thousands of mercenaries preparing to stay in Iraq for the long haul?)

But now the Obama administration is ratcheting up the pressure on Iraq’s weak and corrupt government, pushing Baghdad’s U.S.-dependent leadership to “invite” U.S. troops to stay just a little bit longer. Iraq’s elected parliament, like the vast majority of the population, wants all the troops out. But democratic accountability to the people doesn’t operate any better in Iraq than it does here in the U.S. So the Iraqi cabinet made its own decision, without any messy consultations with their parliament, to “open negotiations” with Washington over how many and how long U.S. troops would continue occupying their country.

Of course it’s good news that no U.S. soldiers were killed in Iraq in August. The bad news is that scores of Iraqi civilians were killed. We don’t know exactly how many – the Pentagon says it doesn’t do body counts. But we know some of them. According to IraqBodyCount.org, 36 Iraqi civilians were killed in the first five days of the month. Just on one day, August 15, the New York Times reported 89 Iraqis killed, another 315 injured in apparently coordinated attacks. And on the last day of the month, August 31st, at least seven Iraqis were killed, another 25 wounded. And those are just the ones we know about.

The Iraq War isn’t over. It still costs too much in the lives of Iraqi civilians and in U.S. taxpayer dollars. We still can’t afford dumb wars. We need to bring those 50,000 troops and those fifty billion dollars home. And the way to do that is to follow the money: keep the pressure up on the links between our economic crisis and the costs of these illegal, useless wars. It’s really dumb if we don’t.

by Phyllis Bennis is a fellow of the Institute for Policy Studies and author of Understanding the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: A Primer

http://www.counterpunch.org/2011/09/23/meanwhile-back-in-iraq/

[Froto]

I saw at the end of this drivel that you didn't write it, but your compulsion to reprint it here says a lot about you.

Learn to look critically at what you read, i.e...

You might want to learn what an occupying force is, the troops stationed in Iraq are not an occupying force. Who exactly are we "at war" with, and what would the consequences be if we stopped? Who is killing the Iraqis you mentioned?

These questions arise from the first three sentences of her piece. The rest of it is just as dubious. But hey, thanks for posting, its interesting to see the results of the media's efforts.

Edited September 23, 2011 by Froto

[Brisco]

Meanwhile, Back in Iraq, A Useless War Grinds On

REALLY ? I NOTICED YOUR A VERIFIED OWNER OF DINAR kind of a Hypocitical statement on your part.

Not only are you downer.

Your a PLAGIARIZED buzz kill as well.

Maybe next time you should read and understanding something.

Especially before you CLAIM IT or COPY & PASTE IT. What ever comes first.

[Robinsnest]

Chew on this article and rethink your opinion on Iraq. People need to be more concerned about the violence in there back yard let alone in other countries. This article was 5 years ago. Violence in Iraq has decreased significantely since 2005, meanwhile violence in DC is getting no better if not worse. Oh by the way, the US Military radio station signed off the air today because the war is over for us in Iraq. Just a thought. God Bless.

http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006/5/29/132706.shtml

[zigmeister]

I think Quiet Learner was reminding us, while possibilities for Iraq seem to becoming possible and we find ourselves excited about our possibilities there is still pain and suffering for those in Iraq. I don't think we should lose sight of those facts.

Thank you Quiet Learner for your post.

[optomistic1]

This month in NYC 23 people have died as a result of murder, is there a war there too?

45 Americans die everyday as a result of murder or manslaughter, is Iraq any more violent than the US? It's important to look at where they are going as a country, If one only looks at the negatives why would anyone want to live here with the amount of deaths we experience. They are headed in the right direction, stay positive.

[Bumper64]

This falls more to the "OFF TOPIC" section as it is not directly related to the Dinar and more toward Obama

[Quietlearner]

I saw at the end of this drivel that you didn't write it, but your compulsion to reprint it here says a lot about you.

Learn to look critically at what you read, i.e...

You might want to learn what an occupying force is, the troops stationed in Iraq are not an occupying force. Who exactly are we "at war" with, and what would the consequences be if we stopped? Who is killing the Iraqis you mentioned?

These questions arise from the first three sentences of her piece. The rest of it is just as dubious. But hey, thanks for posting, its interesting to see the results of the media's efforts.

Froto,

Its apparent that you have not read much of what I do write and publish. Believe me I have enough volitional control to recognize a compulsion. Please understand that I would not have published the ilk above had I read the article. I monitor the news and it comes in spurts. I have a new program, capture wizard 4.0 that makes posting extremely fast and in this instance much to much so. Please. I am amazed at your profound ability to glean such insight about ones character after one re-post. You sir should think critically before you attempt to pin anyone to a re-published article. I am simply trying to bring our site the news the way it is written as fast as it hits the net. You need only head over to my profile and read some of my posts to understand that what I say to you is fact. Good day sir.

Quietlearner

Meanwhile, Back in Iraq, A Useless War Grinds On

REALLY ? I NOTICED YOUR A VERIFIED OWNER OF DINAR kind of a Hypocitical statement on your part.

Not only are you downer.

Your a PLAGIARIZED buzz kill as well.

Maybe next time you should read and understanding something.

Especially before you CLAIM IT or COPY & PASTE IT. What ever comes first.

Brisco,

I have watched your ilk across this site now for some time. You offer little to nothing at best when you attempt to play moderator. I would appreciate the simple consideration for you to take the same amount of time or less to conjure up this fantasy that some how I am posting this ilk as my own. Every piece of news on this site is re-posted from one source or another. Had you had the courtesy to take a look at my profile you would find that my opinion on the piece would have drawn a much stronger response than yours, however I would have had the common courtesy to not shoot the messenger but rather I would have taken the time to express my feelings to the original author. (linked)

As usual your ilk has left me with nothing more than a feeling of not wanting to every see your abusive verbal vomit again. Therefore, maybe you should consider not reading anything I post. Good day to you sir.

Quietlearner

This month in NYC 23 people have died as a result of murder, is there a war there too?

45 Americans die everyday as a result of murder or manslaughter, is Iraq any more violent than the US? It's important to look at where they are going as a country, If one only looks at the negatives why would anyone want to live here with the amount of deaths we experience. They are headed in the right direction, stay positive.

Optomistic1,

Please direct your comments on the piece to the original author the link is provided on the the piece. This piece was truly an error on my part as I am just getting use to some new software that should allow us to post breaking news right along side the big boys. I am working on insure that it doesnt happen again by setting parameters as to what kind of posting it will cache and post.

Thank you,

Quietlearner

Chew on this article and rethink your opinion on Iraq. People need to be more concerned about the violence in there back yard let alone in other countries. This article was 5 years ago. Violence in Iraq has decreased significantely since 2005, meanwhile violence in DC is getting no better if not worse. Oh by the way, the US Military radio station signed off the air today because the war is over for us in Iraq. Just a thought. God Bless.

http://archive.newsm...29/132706.shtml

Robinsnest,

THIS IS NOT MY OPINION, WRITING OR POST. It is a piece that my new software grabbed and posted along with two other pieces. I am working on shrinking the parameters and setting so that this does not happen again. This piece is the opinion of a woman that writes editorials. I realize this is a huge issue for all of us, myself included. Please know that I have no feeling that even remotely mirror this persons.

Good Day.

Queitlearner

I think Quiet Learner was reminding us, while possibilities for Iraq seem to becoming possible and we find ourselves excited about our possibilities there is still pain and suffering for those in Iraq. I don't think we should lose sight of those facts.

Thank you Quiet Learner for your post.

Thanks Zigmeister,

I wish I could tell you that was what I was thinking but, the darn thing is a software error post on my part. Now would certainly not be the time to post an article like this. The author is both rude and I believe insult each and every person that has served over there. I lost many in the first war. They will be missed.

Quietlearner

[Quietlearner]

Meanwhile, Back in Iraq, A Useless War Grinds On

REALLY ? I NOTICED YOUR A VERIFIED OWNER OF DINAR kind of a Hypocitical statement on your part.

Not only are you downer.

Your a PLAGIARIZED buzz kill as well.

Maybe next time you should read and understanding something.

Especially before you CLAIM IT or COPY & PASTE IT. What ever comes first.

Brisco-

I need to apologize for my adolescent response. I truly did not mean to in any way offend you and yours. You are correct in saying that I should have read the article. Please except my apology. Currently I am in a place where I only have about an hour maybe two to post what I can. It is up to the Doctors. I have a new software program and I had not set up the parameters correctly. I want you to understand that I am here to assist the Dinar Family, nothing more. I have learned more from this site, your posts included, in a short time than any other subject I have studied. I have been laying for a fight anyway. I am fighting this darn cancer and I am trying to keep in prospective what is important. Right now this error on my part is not. What is important here is that I leave this conversation without in anyway offending you further. My best wishes to you and your family. Thank you for your service from mine and me.. It is appreciated more than you know. Life is short, life is sweet, savior it brother. Angry all the time works, however, after forty years of it, I am quite frankly burnt out. I would much rather be someone very different thus this sincere apology. The guy that wrote the first response is no longer available.

God bless you with only the things he can provide.

With my Utmost respect,

Quietlearner

[Quietlearner]

I saw at the end of this drivel that you didn't write it, but your compulsion to reprint it here says a lot about you.

Learn to look critically at what you read, i.e...

You might want to learn what an occupying force is, the troops stationed in Iraq are not an occupying force. Who exactly are we "at war" with, and what would the consequences be if we stopped? Who is killing the Iraqis you mentioned?

These questions arise from the first three sentences of her piece. The rest of it is just as dubious. But hey, thanks for posting, its interesting to see the results of the media's efforts.

Froto,

I need to apologize to you as well. After reading the article I found myself angry as well. The posting is again, an error on my part. I only have an hour or two during the week right now to post. I am trying to bring forth the hottest stuff on the net in an attempt to somehow give back to the folks that give so much on this sight. I responded to your post aggressively if not outright rudely, as I found it to be both condescending and insulting. That being said I still had no reason to take it where I did. I hope I haven't offended you further with my first response. If so, please except my sincere apology. I am fighting something I can t see right now. I have fought all my life and I am truly tired of this enemy. Unfortunately, I still in state I am in, fight this cancer, go back to the old ideal ism that when pressure is applied I bring it back times ten. You know the deal. I have no intentions in regards to furthering any political ambitions nor do I personally have any opinion on the current state of affairs this once great, God fearing Country is in. Actually I am becoming settled with the fact that in accordance with biblical implications, what is happening has been foretold and is simply coming to pass. I don't believe there is anything that will change this. What I do know is that sooner or later I will have to answer for my actions. This being said, there will be no excuses.

My sharp tongue this morning was uncalled for and unwarranted. May God bless you and your Family with only the things that he can provide. I will leave this conversation now, hoping that I have not affected you and your day in a negative way.

With my utmost respect,

Quietlearner, and learning and learning and learning......................