William Rivers Pitt: Summer in Iraq

[babylonsister]

Summer in Iraq

Wednesday 30 June 2010

by: William Rivers Pitt, t r u t h o u t | Op-Ed

photo
(Image: Jared Rodriguez / t r u t h o u t; Adapted: Petty Officer 1st Class Carmichael Yepez / DVIDSHUB, AMagill)



Afghanistan has been getting all the ink lately, and for good reason. General Stanley McChrystal's act of self-immolation by way of Rolling Stone magazine kicked off a genuine no-bones-about-it constitutional crisis over civilian control of the military, until President Obama sacked him at pretty close to the speed of light. The number of troop deaths has reached 100, making June the deadliest month for the coalition since this war began eight years ago. Civilians continue to die all over the place, the poppies continue to flourish, and there's talk about talks with the Taliban, but nobody really wants to talk about that. The so-called "mainstream" media was kind enough to wait for a Democrat to be in the White House before publicly coming to the conclusion that the war looks unwinnable. Somewhere, George W. Bush is smirking over that one, but that's just par for the course.

So, yeah, every day is a busy day in the dust and mountains of Afghanistan, and June has been exceptionally busy even by that high standard. For the longest time - the better part of a decade, actually - Afghanistan was the war that nobody heard about. People died every day, the Bush-era strategies failed and failed again, but all eyes were focused on the war in Iraq. The script has been flipped, Afghanistan gets the headlines now, and the ongoing war in Iraq has been relegated to the back pages, if it makes the papers at all.

It would be a hell of a thing if this country, its people and its "mainstream" media could focus on more than one thing at a time, wouldn't it? Because we are still at war in Iraq, too. Soldiers are still dying there - 38 this year, seven this month - along with dozens of Iraqi service members and policemen. Hundreds of Iraqi civilians are killed and wounded every month, just like in Afghanistan, but we have somehow allowed ourselves to accept the farcical notion that things are settled enough over there that we can ignore what's going on.

Think again, folks, because it's high summer in Iraq, and tempers are getting very short. According to a recent article in the Washington Post, the ugly effect of this ongoing conflict continues to grind the people into the ground:


more...

http://www.truth-out.org/summer-iraq60901

[hlthe2b]

1. Thanks for posting, Baylonsister...

So, shoot me. I miss WRP and wish he could find his way to whatever atonement could lead to reinstatement.

[babylonsister]

2. I miss him, too. nt

[Yuugal]

4. Can I post articles from banned people too?

Or is this one of the rules that gets enforced "selectively"?

[hlthe2b]

5. There is no rule against posting published articles...

from accepted sites, no matter the author's former affiliation.

[babylonsister]

7. Why shouldn't I be able to post this? I wasn't banned, he was.

He didn't post it, I did, brain trust. I see you have a hard on for Pitt; sounds like a personal problem.

Nothing selective about this, more's the pity for you.

[Yuugal]

8. That is why I didn't ask you that very simple question.

I knew you would answer it like the rest of your crew.

[babylonsister]

9. My crew? News to me.

If someone writes well, as Mr. Pitt does, shouldn't that be shared, despite your personal opinion of who does the writing?

Here's a thought. Don't click on a thread when you know it will displease you.

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[babylonsister]

11. Wow, all that calculatin'. You must have a very empty life

to be so concerned about mine. Thanks, I think.

It would be nice if you posted ANYTHING constructive. Do you ever try? At least I get points for trying to inform, unlike your own self who only knows how to criticize.

So put me on ignore and go bug someone else. Please!

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Yuugal]

13. Couldn't take a dose of your own medicine I see

Thanks for proving my point yet again.

[Yuugal]

14. Here is a thought:

You can't cry to mods in real life so you post here all day to make up for the empty shell of a person you are.

[annabanana]

3. k&r.. always a good read. . .n/t

[LoZoccolo]

6. self-delete