Dahr Jamail's column

Mr. “Bring ‘em on”

Yesterday while speaking to a group of military wives in Washington, Mr.
Bush said, “This war will require more sacrifice, more time and more
resolve.”

Of course this speech of pre-emptive consolation to the news of the
2,000th death was not in vain, as the announcement came but a few hours
after his speech at the air force base.

I wonder how many of those military wives recall what Mr. Bush said
1,794 dead US soldiers ago when he proudly announced, “Bring ‘em on”
back on July 2, 2003?

Of course Mr. Bush went off yesterday about spreading freedom and laying
foundations for peace as the bombs continue to drop in Iraq. He even
went so far as to claim that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is the head of the
Iraqi resistance.

“Each loss of life is heartbreaking,” he told the wives. But how would
he know? A person who was a deserter during Vietnam and who would never
allow his daughters to serve in Iraq, how could he know?

So now we continue the death march towards the 3,000 mark, with the
announcement of another dead US soldier bringing the official tally to
2,001. With 159,000 US soldiers in Iraq now (remember when it was
138,000?) the tally will only continue to grow.

Yet the number of dead US soldiers still pales in comparison to the
number of Iraqis dying, including Iraqi police and soldiers.

Even today two Iraqi policemen (IP) were killed in Ramadi when their
police station was attacked, while in the “model city” of Fallujah,
three IP’s were killed by a roadside bomb.

Also today, four gagged and bound bodies of three Iraqis wearing army
uniforms and one of a contractor working with a US company were found
with gunshots in their heads and chests.

Mr. Bush uses one of his favorite words, “resolve,” despite the fact
that two days ago one of the largest suicide bombings to occur in
Baghdad detonated between the Palestine and Sheraton hotels. The bomb,
transported inside a cement truck, was carefully driven through a hole
in the perimeter concrete barrier which was created by a car bomb just
minutes earlier.

Reported in most major media outlets as an attack against journalists,
what wasn’t reported is that there is a large number of security
contractors (read-mercenaries) who use these hotels, and it is well
known in Baghdad that the penthouse of the Sheraton is used by
contractors and CIA operatives. That very room has been the target of
rocket attacks as far back as December, 2003.

Thus, aside from targeting the US government-funded Al-Hurra TV station
and the Fox propaganda outlet in the 18-story Palestine Hotel,
journalists were exploited by the attack which generated massive media
attention.

Killing at least 17 people, the attack sent a very clear message to the
occupiers of Iraq-nowhere is safe; even in one of the most heavily
guarded hotel complexes in Baghdad they are completely vulnerable.

The idea of political stability seems more of a pipe dream in Iraq now
than it did before the recent vote on the constitution, which has been
rejected by Arab Sunni leaders who called the process “fraudulent”
yesterday.

Hinting at things to come in December, Sunni leader Saleh Mutlaq told
reporters; “Violence is not the only solution, if politics offers
solutions so that we can move in that direction. But there is very
little hope that we can make any gains in the elections.”

Hussein al-Falluji, another prominent Sunni politician said the
referendum was manipulated by Washington and added, “We all know that
this referendum was fraud conducted by an electoral commission that is
not independent. It is controlled by the occupying Americans and it
should step down before elections in December.”

He and other Sunnis have called for a truly independent election
commission (the head of Iraq’s current electoral commission was
appointed by the US) for the December election, but added, “Politics is
linked directly to security on the ground. The situation can only get
worse now. I have just prayed to God to expose the truth about what is
happening in Iraq.”

What will it take for a US withdrawal? Because with this
“administration” in power, there is a guaranteed three more years of
occupation in Iraq; and by then, 2,000 dead US soldiers will not seem
like such a large number.

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(c)2004, 2005 Dahr Jamail.
** Visit the Dahr Jamail Iraq website http://dahrjamailiraq.com **