Saturday, August 28, 2004
Colin Catches the "Miscalculations" Bug
A sad and very disturbing story. For all its levels of meaning.0 comments
Gulf Daily News: Powell warning
Colin Powell long ago has lost his innocence, and now he's lost his touch.
This is a very sad thing to watch. The total moral implosion of a man. And his rising incompetence in the performance of his job.
It was bad enough that Powell decided to visit Athens during the Olympic Games. This has created massive street demonstrations, coming after all the military and law-enforcement efforts to secure the city from a terrorist catastrophe during the games. Now, Colin unwisely sticks his big foot in it, making everyone's job harder.
Now, this:
Powell also said that the success of Shi'ite spiritual leader Grand Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani was largely due to the pressure US and Iraqi forces put on the militias holed up in the sacred mosque there.
"Keep in mind it was the presence of US troops, working with coalition troops and with the Iraqi forces, that shaped this situation to the point where the leadership of the Iraqi interim government, working with the Ayatollah Sistani, could bring about a resolution that did not require troops to go into that mosque," Powell said.
"And that shows how we are working with this new government, this new sovereign government."
Powell to Sistani: "It wasn't you; it was us. Don't get too full of yourself there, big boy, it was us who made you look good. Just remember, our guy here is Ayad Alawi. So, thank you for your help, and just go away now."
Boy, Colin really knows how to play that diplomatic game.
The reality? The U.S. was clearly up shit's creek until Sistani intervened to retake control, which he clearly did. Of everything Shi'ia. Which is just the majority of Iraq.
Which means that—whether Colin sees or cares—he, Sistani, is running Iraq again. Not the U.S. puppet, Alawi.
That Powell just publicly insulted the most powerful man in the country—right after this man came back from open heart surgery to pull your ass out of a sling—may be the single most dangerous move this administration has made. Out of a horrendously long litany of damaging, irresponsible moves.
John Kerry would be wise to call for Powell's resignation or firing—as well as just Donald Rumsfeld's—before Powell gets hundreds more American GIs killed.
posted by Gotham 1:16 PM
0 Comments:
