It was another of those great TV moments. Embedded reports filming as the “last” brigade of American troops in Iraq cross the border into Kuwait bringing over seven years of unhappy conflict to its final, conclusive end. America was, at last, at peace.
But like so many other great TV moments, this one was a scripted fantasy, a fake exit done purely for political gain by an increasingly unpopular president trying to look like he is keeping at least one campaign promise.
It was perhaps a different sort of scripted, mythical end to the Iraq War than the last one, the May 1, 2003 “Mission Accomplished” speech of President Bush, but it was no more real, as over 50,000 US troops remain on the ground in Iraq tonight.
The “end of the war” may bring some measure of relief to the American people, but it must be something of a sombre moment for those 50,000 troops, as they continue to go into combat operations with the bulk of the American public believing, because their president told them so, that the war is over and combat operations have ended.
Officials have been pretty straightforward about what really happened, not that it has been picked up by the media, which has preferred the more pleasant narrative of a decisive military victory. Instead, the US simply “redefined” the vast majority of its combat troops as “transitional troops,” then removed a brigade that they didn’t relabel, so they could claim that was the “last one.” Even this comes with the assumption that the State Department, and a new army of contractors, will take over for years after the military operations end, assuming they ever do.
And it worked, at least for now. All is right with the world and the war is over, at least so far as anyone could tell from the TV news shows. But as violence continues to rise across Iraq, and July saw the worst violence in over two years, it will likely be difficult for the Obama Administration to keep this war a secret for much longer.
The sheeple in the United States are looking more and more like the Proles in 1984.
Maybe someday they'll just ban those two bothersome books for us so we can stop thinking about all this stuff. There must be -something- wrong with them… hmm, Aldous Huxley was a Hindu convert, so, that's a start… Was Eric Blair a Muslim? Did he have any Muslim friends? Just askin'… never hurts to think ahead.
The next 60 months, will be "critical!."
Critical ! I tell ya, Critical !
M
Huzzah! The "war" is over. Golly, now the Obama can gin up a fake parade to celebrate the "fact" he kept a promise made to the American people. Fake war, fake wmd's, fake president, fake infomedia, and gosh maybe the lying swine could 'fake off'.
Yeah, "fake" except for all the "real" corpses, "real" destruction, "real" lies, "real" BILL for all the Pentagon partying on foreign dance floors.
True true. Ummm, how come there's never been a war crimes tribunal? The Iraq war should be a war crimes prosecutable war of naked aggression. Replete with lies and propaganda and stupid lying American presidents and vice-presidents and Sec/Def Rummy and Sec/State Powell and the Condo Vampira, and T. 'servile' Blair and yeah, I'm not holding my breath.
Eric Holder? How do you live with yourself? You know, in terms of all that might be construed as "moral."
BUT, the "last combat troops standing" are on their way home. Yeah yeah, sure sure. Huzzah! Ain't the Obama just one banal president? The Obama "keeps" his word. Yeah yeah, sure sure.
Don't read DKos on a full stomach.
"Do Not Run From Positive Symbolism"
Karl Rove must be laughing his arse off today.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/8/18/2250/2075…
Pure DKos Duckspeak. Pure Gold.
"Forumreaders unbellyfeel Obamictory!"
Old Rome meet the New Rome
Is it just me or do you people in the grand 'ol USofA actually believe the crap you are fed day in and day out and why do people listen to the nutcases like Beck, Palin, Rove, O'Reilly etc., etc.,etc., to infinity? I go through some of these sites and I just can't believe the crap that you are fed day in and day out. The Tea Party….wtf is that? Are they retarded people? The corruption is out of control, your politcians are bought and paid for by Corporations. Where is the freedom? The President can order an assasinations of Americans inside or outside the country? WTF is that? Looks like you guys have a lot of work ahead of you…man….from what I can see…it must really suck these days in the States…..all the best and I hope it works out for you guys.
It DOES suck in the States, and unfortunately, the people who see through all of this garbage are seemingly few and far between. The Tea Partiers, by and large, have not learned anything from all of this, and likely never will. On the other hand, we who believe in freedom will not rest until it comes, as the song goes.
That's right! Once more the Ministry of Truth trumpets a victory through its despicable lackeys, the mainstream American Media. Such utter bulls–t! Remember War is Peace.
Great headline for this piece, Jason (or whoever came up with it.) It's worthy of the Onion, which is true of all American foreign policy, come to think of it.
They say they are taking them "out". Do they say where?
I hope not to Afghanistan!
Another lie, amongst the thousands of others. Iraq is a stepping stone and the US has no intention of leaving. The embassy in Iraq is the largest in the world, about the size of Vatican City. No, no, no…… pulling out of Iraq is not an option. With no due respect, Obama is just like the rest of the lot that came before him.
Seven years to create this unresolved mess– twice as long as it took to beat Hitler and Hiorohito.
The grunt on the news screaming "We won! We brought democracy to Iraq!" has achieved instant immortality as an uber-buffoon… unless some military PR man fed him the line in return for a promise of promotion? Shades of the photo-op of Saddam's statue coming down, or 'Saving Private Jessica', or the Chimp's Mission Accomplished.
So many stupid stunts that instantly blow up, so little time. Not one genuine hero to come out of this interminably protracted mission creep.
The utter contempt with which the Single Party elite and its consent-manufacturers now treat the American people surely will rebound on it. The dumbest hillbilly with a boy in the military cannot buy this ordure any more.
Or so one hopes.
Hmmm? It's interesting how they relocated most of the troops to Kuwait. Could it be that they are preparing for a US backed Israeli strike against Iran and want to redistribute troops preparing for an Iranian retaliation against both Israel and the US? Afterall, in just a couple of days, the Russians are delivering a few tons of Uranium for the nuke plant in Bushehr, less than 200 miles from Kuwait. John Bolton, neo-con and former US ambassador to the UN, is calling for a strike before the shipment of uranium arrives for fear of a war spreading radioactive fallout throughout the entire middle east. The US also has a large flotilla of warships off the coast of Yemen, and now with the floods in Pakistan, it has purported 'relief' troops stationed there effectively surrounding the country of Iran. Just wondering…..
I wonder though. Since the main stream media certainly has been busy to spread the governmental words in the last years, especially after 9-11, they must ultimately have paying readers to survive. I see perfectly, that a parasite becoming real big (US government after the 9-11 event) might temporarily feed by that growth. And then parasites on that parasite, the press temporarily grow. But later on? You would have to go back to the naturally living beings. There is NO value in a parasite! So I hereby foresee a gigantic turnaround in the mainstream press! Either
gasp out in a futile attempt to suck out even more of the population's gullibility, or reinvent itself as relevant to the living persons who pay for their products.
Monty,
The mainstream media on TV, i.e. Fox news, seems to be doing fine spreading the government word on the importance of perpetual war. I see no "turnaround". On financially weaker MSNBC Keith Obermen did dissent a little from the government pitch, give him credit. He noted the generals admitted 56,000 still in Iraq, not 50,000 yet. Perhaps a quibble but why aren't the neocons waiting for the 50,000 mark to celebrate? He also noted that as a troops left, a contractors went in to take his place. But he too, as well as Rachael – who has become an embedded lackey – supports their liberal reborn war promoter Obama through it all. Sob! I miss their refreshing rants against the war when Bush was in power.
Jason,
Gotta hand it to Barry. He has basically one-uped former President Bush. Can't wait to see how this sideshow turns out……………………
Jason,
Well, I gotta hand it to Barry. He has one-upped former President Bush. The Iraq War over? I can't wait to see how this sideshow turns out…………………….
The upshot is that Iraq will still be an occupied country and the armed (and unarmed passive) resistance will continue for years to come. I am sure the Iraq people will be victorious in the end and will defeat the mercanries and their collaborators. You can log in to my blog CONTRAVIEWS by entering: http://contraviewing.blogspot.com for more extensive coverage of the Middle East conflicts.
I happened to catch some video on CNN of the "last combat troops" leaving Iraq. Some of the footage looked staged as if the commanders told the soliers to act happy or look excited. The were troops high-fiving each other in an absurd way that soldiers don't do (resembled the way black comedians make fun of white guys) and another soldier waving at a convoy with the Queen of the Parade wave. Reminded me of the strange ways Vietnam POWs would act to convey that their actions were somehow manipulated. The whole thing stinks of a staged farce. The end of combat operations but 50000 troops remain plus contracters, intelligence personel and civilian government employees. Bullshit.
Are they moving the troops out of Iraq so they'll be safe from the radiation fallout because the attack on Iran is about to begin?
Why are the TV reports showing the troops leaving Iraq
under the cloak of night-time darkness…???
Hey Obama, what happened to the $8.7 billion of Iraqi reconstruction money that vanished into thin air? Iraq could have been re-built twice over with that kind of money.
A "huge bunch of bounty hunters" (read mercenaries) for years to come. Renameing of combat troops.
Well thats one successfull invasion over and done with, winning "hands down" in the invasion of Afghanistan….. next please……..don't rush, plenty of time for everybody.
We live in strange, dark times.
Hi Everyone
To the troops,
The servicemen and women who where killed in action in Iraq!
You did your duty
Rest In Peace
Lest We Forget
An Austalian Serviceman from Vietnam 1969-70
Honestly, do some homework about your country people. You can whine all you want about the 50,000 troops still in Iraq but what about the 25,000 that are still in S. Korea? You know- that conflict that ended 50 years ago?
Get that pretentious stick out of your butt. The combat operations have finally ceased. 100,000 troops are coming home but you’re still going to deny the news and hate on your president instead of support him. This is why America is coming apart.
There are troops left all over the world and you don’t see any combat operations going on in those countries do you? (ie S. Korea) Your arguments aren’t valid.
I never cared about this war. I don’t even know how to feel about it being over finally. But I know I’m not going to spew this hatred for America all over the Internet without any real facts. You’re a blogger on the Internet- you’re not a soldier or a politician, I don’t think you have much to go on right now so leave your personal criticisms aside until some real facts are announced.
I'm not a fan of this war that I think we never should've gotten into in the first place. I am in the Army myself and know first-hand what's going on out there. I just returned from a year of wasted time out there and my brothers are still there twiddling their thumbs and hoping not to have to fight. Believe me, I know it's easy to get upset about waste, abuse, and lies when it comes to situations like this screwed up war. However, don't take the president's words out of context. He carefully said that the last brigade of "combat" troops has been pulled out. This very well may be true. To my knowledge the remaining troops are "support" troops like myself and "security forces". So, yes it's true we still have soldiers out there, but as far as I know the president is not lying, just carefully trying to paint a favorable, although misleading, portrait.
I think its maybe to early to judge, I dont remember a ceremony in 03'.(not that ,that is the end all say all) I think the theories have gotten to your head too much. We are in different times then in 03, new president and there is another war going on. I think we're done in Iraq. Of course troops will stay just like in any other place we have "invaded".
Guess we'll find out soon and with all the Obama haters, trust any fallen soldiers will make it to mainstream media.
Soooooooooooooo, is it over yet or what?