I'm back and rested, but bearing ominous news on Iran

[beachmom]

Hello everyone. I got back from Savannah last night, and had a great long weekend hanging out with friends and exploring that beautiful southern city. We went on the famous "Ghost Tour", while the tour guide tried to scare us with stories of strange happenings around town. However, it was on the way home that I was given my greatest scare when my friend whose husband is connected with supplies of Navy ships, quite casually mentioned that indeed everything is pointing toward a buildup to Iran. This info is just for you guys though, and anyone who comes in this forum -- my details are too sketchy for GD/dKos. However, I am convinced that the ball has been put in motion for a military strike on Iran -- it takes time so I'm not saying tomorrow -- but I am now inclined to believe Sey Hersh's piece with this secondary evidence. If you recall he said they were "operational plans" not "contingency plans". We must urge Congress to do their job and prevent a disaster.

Now that I've no doubt brightened up your Monday morning, there was more bad news in regards to Iraq. My one friend whose brother was in Iraq started out by saying "What are we going to do about Iraq?". She's the * supporter, favored the war, etc. She talked of the war like it was a random storm that hit for which no one is to blame. But she certainly understood that it is an absolute disaster. I hope this isn't too gory to mention, but she said her brother was shocked at what he saw as a lack of regard for life the Iraqis had. He witnessed dead babies and bloody bodies strewn on the street, and people walking casually by with their coffee. I told her about the Iraqi blogs, that the people I know on the blogosphere truly do have a high regard for life, but on the other hand, they need to take care of their own families and survive. She then ended her story by saying her brother, coming from a conservative military Republican family, is in favor of leaving Iraq. My "Democratic" friend, however, kept going on and on about how we have to "rebuild" Iraq because they have nothing. And she mentioned the oil. We still have a long way to go to educate people who think themselves liberal but continue to digest RW talking points, without the knowledge that, say, all funding for reconstruction was cut off in the last appropriations bill.

My other Iraq news is on the sailors -- there was an article about how 10,000 sailors were being trained to be army and fight the war in Iraq, because there is such a shortage of troops. This news article took a surprising personal turn when one of my other friends talked about how her husband, an engineer in the Navy, is being "asked" to go for a 1 year deployment to Iraq. Every 3 months they ask him. Eventually, it's not going to be a question but a demand. He only has 4 years left until a full pension retirement, so it's asking a lot for the family to walk away from the Navy. But I am beyond angry that this war is touching so many people I know, yet these friends of mine, either by ignorance or self censorship, don't seem to carry out their anger to its rightful place -- our president.

Finally, I did see in your posts that Julia Thorne, Sen. Kerry's ex-wife, died last week. I wanted to express my sympathy to the Senator, his daughters, and all of those touched by this extraordinary woman. It is truly sad that cancer had to take her now, when she had more poems left in her to write. Rest in peace, Julia.

[karynnj]

1. Welcome back,

It must be really tough being in a community where the war is touching so many people you know. That has to be hard.

[karendc]

2. word from the other night

(Washington party) is Iran is now moved ahead to August 2007. They were thinking October 2006, but numbers not trending right now.

Special ops probably in there already; but the political price is high right now.

[fedupinBushcountry]

3. How much more

are we in for with this crowd. I'm speechless.

[karendc]

4. Speechless in Virginia?

It is already so bad, fedup, that we are going to have to search for new depths of despair.

OR kick some ass...

[beachmom]

7. I sure hope the D.C. talk is right!

All we have to do then is make sure the "numbers" continue to NOT trend right. But the info I got is really the beginning part of mobilization -- the sailors/soldiers/airmen need basic commodities which need to be ordered first ahead of time. That part has been put in place -- but it's not stuff that'll go bad quickly, so I suppose they could delay it for a year. How about delay it forever? Or at least not until the EU, Japan, and Australia 2/3 of the U.N. are with us. (I give up with Russia and China, especially China -- I think they have their own agenda and really don't care if Iran goes nuclear).

And delay the tactical nuclear weapons FOREVER. That crazy idea needs to go in the toilet yesterday.

[Island Blue]

5. I wonder if we can expect

some type of "terrorist event" on US soil so * can better sell an attack to the American people? (Not that I'm cynical and/or tin-foil hatty or anything. :crazy: ) I've noticed a dramatic increase in military jet flyovers during the past month or so - that's usually a pretty good indicator that we're gearing up for something.

Glad you had a restful trip Beachmom. Thanks again for the Faneuil Hall DVD!

[fedupinBushcountry]

6. Both Beachmom and I

live nearby Oceana Naval Air Staion, and in the past months it has been more active, I especially notice it at night. Sang here I am mentioning it and I hear them now.

[beachmom]

8. I noticed that, too, Fedup! But at the time I was trying to stay

skeptical on the whole bomb Iran thing. But when you hear concrete stuff along with The New Yorker/The WP, plus * saying ALL options are on the table, the time for skepticism is over.

As far as Iran goes, I talked to a European friend of mine whose best friend is an Iranian who is now a European. He said all this "tough talk" is only helping the rather unpopular Iranian government. Having civilian nuclear power is a matter of pride; it is considered a symbol of prestige for a country especially one that has such a rich history. That part of it is benign (the nat'l pride); what's terrible is that anti-Semitic lunatic president who is just lovin' Iraq blowing up and exciting up war with America. When a country feels threatened they're going to rally around their leader (our country is evidence of that) no matter how crazy they are. I not only think * is making this situation worse; I think he pretty much created it in the first place. Worst president EVER!! (I have been unable to find that Rolling Stone mag btw -- anyone else?).

[Island Blue]

11. Usually I hear/see the jets in the late afternoon.

One day one of them was so loud and so low I thought we were under attack. I'm sure they've been practicing at the bombing range (which is over on the mainland) and then flying back up to Oceania. Usually we also see a lot of re-fueling practice going on over the ocean when we're getting ready for some sort of military operation, but I haven't been over there much lately. I'm glad you confirmed this btw, and that I haven't just been imagining things!

[sandnsea]

9. Interesting, frightening

I just don't understand how a military person can be against deploying to Iraq, and not speak up about the build-up to attack Iran. It's incoherent to me. If the Iraq attack didn't work, what makes anybody think an Iran attack will. I don't get it.

The comment about the lack of regard for life, well gee, aren't we sort of doing the same thing with the Gulf. We toodle along with our coffee and teevee, while our fellow citizens' lives are ripped apart and dead bodies are still being found. What's the difference? I suspect the brother dehumanizes them because the situation is so horrible that it's the only way he can handle it. If they don't care, why should he. If this is what all our troops are seeing there, I imagine Iraq PTSD will make Vietnam look like a summer cold.

Thanks for the post. Depressing as it is, does no good to bury our heads.

[beachmom]

10. This was a group of people

I talked with some about Iraq, and then another person about Iran. I never learned how some of them felt about Iran.

The thing about this guy who was in Iraq, though, is that he's not a combat troop. He builds things. So in a way, I think that gives him more moral authority than others; he's rebuilding structures that were destroyed by the insurgency (frankly, I think he was sent in to build something else, but then was diverted to REbuild, things were being destroyed so quickly). But from a political POV he obviously lacks moral authority because he was probably for the war before. I agree with you that once you open that pandora's box of war, then "humanity" is done for for a while. And you know, there are bodies lying around -- but people still need to feed their families -- are they supposed to stop living and stand there crying all day every day, or avert their eyes and function as best as they can?

I think ALL American troops should have to read the Iraqi blogs (maybe not until after they return), so they can remhumanize the people they HAD to dehumanize in order to work there. The Iraqi POV, BTW, is that the AMERICANS have no regard for life, since they have been known at times to be trigger happy. That's war . . .