Update no.267

Update from the Heartland

No.267

15.1.07 – 21.1.07

Blog version: http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/

To all,
Eight inches of snow on top of a sleet-packed ice sheet. I am getting too old for this.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales informed the Senate Judiciary Committee by letter that the administration was abandoning the controversial NSA surveillance program and agreeing to return to FISA Court monitoring. The sad part of this whole episode remains the gross lack of understanding or appreciation by the politicians, the Press, and the citizenry, for the rigors of modern warfare and especially cyber warfare. While the medium and techniques may be similar, the differences in objectives and consequences of clandestine surveillance for intelligence from those for prosecution are vast and distinct. In one case, the government must know what it is looking for and seek a judicial sanction to collect evidence by surreptitious means; and in the other case, the government must search for what it does not know. The processes of each activity are fundamentally different, and I respectfully submit, the implications to our First and Fourth Amendment Rights are significantly different as well. That aside, I must admit, like the President's failure to seek a full declaration of war, the administration's arrogance regarding the employment of the tools of modern warfare settles as yet another miscalculation. And now, yet one more time, we have further shackled our national defense apparatus during wartime.

Considering the importance of a resolution proposed by Senators Biden, Levin and Hagel regarding the Battle for Iraq, the precise words take on critical relevance:
Senate Concurrent Resolution no.2:
"Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), that it is the sense of Congress that --
"(1) it is not in the national interest of the United States to deepen its military involvement in Iraq, particularly by escalating the United States military force presence in Iraq;
"(2) the primary objective of United States strategy in Iraq should be to have the Iraqi political leaders make the political compromises necessary to end the violence in Iraq;
"(3) greater concerted regional, and international support would assist the Iraqis in achieving a political solution and national reconciliation;
"(4) main elements of the mission of United States forces in Iraq should transition to helping ensure the territorial integrity of Iraq , conduct counterterrorism activities, reduce regional interference in the internal affairs of Iraq , and accelerate training of Iraqi troops;
"(5) the United States should transfer, under an appropriately expedited timeline, responsibility for internal security and halting sectarian violence in Iraq to the Government of Iraq and Iraqi security forces; and
"(6) the United States should engage nations in the Middle East to develop a regional, internationally-sponsored peace and reconciliation process for Iraq."
Despite all the good intentions of these senators, this resolution graphically displays the poor understanding of this battle in this war. A perspective of the primary objective is accurately stated; however, the supposition that any political solution is possible without security and control of the ground is quite ludicrous. We all share the frustration with the administration's late and paltry attempt to gain control of the ground, but the sober reality remains without security there is no hope for a political solution. We moved too quickly to Iraqi self-governance . . . on a wing and a prayer. Now, we face a far more complicated situation on the ground. Any worthy solution depends upon security and that IS a military task. Then, the political solution can take root.

Just a little reminder from history seems appropriate at times like these. The democracy of this Grand Republic took five years of brutal war against a vastly superior power, 13 years of political struggle by the most generous standards, and 90 years as well as an extraordinarily bloody civil war by more reasonable criteria to achieve a genuine working democracy. Given recent debates on civil and fundamental rights, we have yet to attain a true democracy based on the founding principles that all citizens are created equal and that they possess certain inviolate rights -- 230 years after the Declaration of Independence. For the American People to expect better performance from the Iraqi people is just flat wrong and unrealistic for a host of reasons. So, the question comes, can we ever find the courage to see the distant horizon?

The Senate passed a sweeping ethics bill -- the Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act of 2007 [S.1] -- by a vote of 96-2. The two 'nay' votes came from Hatch and Coburn. The two missing votes were Johnson and Brownback. Tim Johnson had a legitimate excuse. Sam Brownback did not. While falling short of eliminating earmarks, the senators at least intend to illuminate the details of earmarks -- a positive move. The other content appears to have mixed consequences. We must watch this evolving story.

A strange episode took a demonstrable turn this week. Former U.S. Border Patrol agents Jose Compean and Ignacio Ramos began extensive prison terms for shooting a known Mexican drug smuggler. I reserved my opinion and still do for one reason. There is much more to this sordid affair than we have been told by either side. Perhaps one day we shall know the rest of the story.

The cast of thousands announcing their candidacy for the presidency in the 2008 election continues to mount -- Guiliani, Edwards, McCain, Biden, Gingrich, Clinton, Romney, Richardson, et al. The one who inspires the most reaction, the most emotion, in me is Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas, who made his public announcement in Topeka this week. Subscribers, readers and contributors to this forum know how I feel about this particular candidate. He seems quite comfortable wrapping himself in the mantle as public protector of family values. Dear ol’ Sam has the farthest intellectual distance to go, back to the middle ground, and I do not have much confidence in his ability to build the necessary bridges. I have had enough of the extremes. Family values like moral values are a matter of concern for families and perhaps an issue for public debate, but they are beyond the domain of government and public law. Sam Brownback is the poster-child for the moral projectionists. I remain quite wary.

In an extraordinarily rare occurrence, the captain-pilot of Continental Flight 1838 (B757) died, apparently of natural causes, shortly after takeoff from Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport. The scheduled flight was bound for Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, with 210 passengers when the pilot lost consciousness. The first officer - co-pilot diverted to make an emergency landing at McAllen, Texas. The flight continued later in the day with a new crew.

I have no interest in wasting words, other than to acknowledge the execution by hanging of two of Saddam’s henchmen – Awad Hamad al-Bandar, former chief judge of the Revolutionary Court, and Saddam’s half-brother, Barzan Ibrahim El-Hasan al-Tikriti, former chief of the Mukhabarat, Saddam’s feared and notorious secret police. These proceeding were apparently conducted in a proper manner compared to Saddam's debacle . . . well . . . excluding the miscalculation in Barzan’s case.

Comments and contributions from Update no.266:
"I think the fellow who worked for the Defense Procurement complex is confirming something James Carroll has said in his excellent book, House of War - a basic history of the Pentagon. Carroll is the son of a FBI agent/turned General in the Pentagon and knows first hand the workings of the Pentagon. He fell out with his father during Vietnam and became a Jesuit priest against the war, but now has become a secular excellent historian. His take that our nation has evolved into a war machine not out of any sinister motive but out of the shear size and complexities and entanglements of defense and private connections seems accurate. It is interesting to have someone who has worked in that establishment and knows that no single Ahab can ever tame the unthinking Moby Dick behemoth, the MIC. His prediction that we will have to hit a brick wall before we come to grips with it could be avoided if more military experienced people such as yourself would create a critical mass, a tipping point as they say, away from the mindless and irrational wasting of treasure toward no purpose but war. No one, not even the wild eyed leftist peaceniks are opposed to protecting national security-but it should be clear that we have gotten ourselves on a train of no return, financially and morally. Weapon systems and their budgeting processes- when coupled with the lingo of patriotism and national security are self-sustaining and ever increasing in their reach to every corner of economic life. The problem is they produce nothing. We gain science and convenience in some areas, but our efforts seem misguided- with the funds we waste on killing implements, there could be wonderful infrastructure improvements- roads bridges, trains, airports, practical and realistic alternatives to crude oil as a transportation fuel- but instead we are bankrupting ourselves building and researching, essentially death machines. I am not articulating myself as clearly as I would like- I sound like a pacifist wimp- I am not- I just hope for a realistic and rational look at the real harm the military industrial complex, that indefinable, unmanageable, incomprehensible thing may be doing to all of - even those who work for it and in it. "
My reply:
The Pentagon and the Military-Industrial Complex (MIC) are easy targets – always have been, always will be -- $900 hammers, $1500 toilet seats and all. Spending billions on infrastructure or societal advancement instead of on defense is a laudable objective. I wish it was possible. Certainly, if everyone respected their neighbors as they wish to be respected, we would not need a powerful army, a defense establishment, or even local police. Unfortunately, jealousy, envy, revenge and megalomania produce individuals and groups of people with nefarious intentions, who seek to impose, oppress and murder. As long as there are bad men in this world, I would prefer we have and maintain the most powerful military and police forces on the planet. Are their improvements and efficiencies to be made in the Pentagon and the Military-Industrial Complex? Absolutely! That is one aspect of Donald Rumsfeld’s tenure that I admired – his willingness and energy to extract those improvements. Further, improvements have been made. Today, DoD buys quite a bit of stuff off the shelf or nearly so. In the aircraft business, we used to rely on defense specifications as a control and acquisition device, like a standard. So many of the old defense specs are being voided, we now have to find alternative definitions for design and procurement communications. We can view the MIC as an evil, and yet, I respectfully submit in this case, the MIC is a necessary evil. For the record, I choose to view the MIC as a flawed but vital entity that can always stand some improvement.

Another contribution:
"The 'surge' of 20,000 boots is ridiculous and represents a lack of will by the administration to win the war. The President should demonstrate the courage of his convictions stated on 9/11, particularly when he is not up for reelection. I told a leader in trouble once to 'Never trade your backbone for a public opinion poll.' He did and failed a vote of confidence because of falling out of favor with people who wanted courage instead. The 'surge' hits me the same way. We must win the war on terrorism regardless of the will of the Iraqi people. It is our survival and freedom that is at stake in the end. If the Iraqis do not have the will to get it done, that should not deter us from doing so, wherever the terrorists are found. If they threaten our survival as a free nation, they must be stopped.
"I continue to be baffled at the lack of insight within the government about stem cell research. It is going on now, it will continue to go on, and the government is being myopic by not being a major player in it. It is foolish for our government to fail to protect the integrity of this important research. Vetoing it won't stop it. Time to get on board."
My response:
My opinion, for what it’s worth, continues to solidify. If the President and his political minions are not serious about winning the Battle of Iraq, I will say, let’s call the Battle of Iraq what it is – a Fiasco, as Tom Rick’s has labeled it – and withdraw our precious troops. A mere fraction of the necessary combat troops will not alter the outcome. I have no interest, desire or stomach for watching the good men and women of my children’s generation bleed, as our generation did, for the sake of parochial, selfish, introspective, Homeland partisan politics. However, mixed in with that opinion remains the persistent nightmare question, where will the American People find the strength to flight the next battle in the War on Islamic Fascism? To think of the Battle of Iraq as some isolated, independent episode is the ultimate in delusional folly. The voices of success and victory are rapidly narrowing to Senators McCain and Lieberman, and I fear they may soon be drowned out. And, since the apparent majority of our senators and representatives has come to the position of troop withdrawal, I say fine . . . get ‘er done! But, I want the associated question answered . . . where will the next, acceptable, battleground be? The Islamofascists will surely press their attack on our society, our infrastructure, our values, and on our will to persevere and survive. As such, I had better clean my weapons again, stock up on ammunition, and prepare to defend my home and family when these rabid skunks make their way to Kansas.
I am glad to have another voice in the choir supporting the Federal government’s participation in stem cell research. I trust you include embryonic stem cell research in your opinion. Unfortunately, we need a different president and administration to realize a more reasonable position for the government; this bunch is intransigent. Rather than waste valuable energy on a fruitless effort, we should abandon this administration and seek candidates for the next presidency who are better informed and realistic regarding stem cell research in general and embryonic stem cell research specifically.

Comments and contributions from Update no.265:
"Actually, the GOI did not follow their own rules, as far as I can tell. An important part of the process was the obtaining of signatures to documents by two very senior Iraqi ministers--they were not obtained. (Nobody wanted to sign them.) Also, executing Saddam on Eid (at least the Sunni Eid) is against the Iraqi constitution. The Iraqi government did a "work-around" but it was not solid. It could- and likely should - have been argued that there was not a proper, legal request. Washington was contacted for instructions and the U.S. authorities in Iraq were told to comply. Had we wanted to, we could have held off due to legal issues. That might not have solved everything, but at least he would not have been executed on Eid. The fiasco of Shi'a militia in the execution chamber likely would have happened anyway, with the present government.
"A major rationale for the somber and proper ritual surrounding an execution by the state is to underscore the power and might of the state. The prisoner about to be executed is to made to appear puny and weak, and the state strong, powerful and omnipotent. Saddam's execution was anything but, and in the context of Iraq, made the Sunni-Shi'a issue greater. The Sunni look upon this as a revenge killing, not a state execution. Instead of reinforcing the power of the (fledgling) state, it is having the opposite effect. Worse, it made Saddam look good in the eyes of the Arab world, an unimaginable feat."
My reply:
Good points on the folly of Saddam's execution. In this episode, we find the odd combination relationship between the United States and Iraq; we want to do enough, but we don't want to do too much. We walk a bleary, crooked line between right and wrong, between success and failure, and between what should have been and what was. As we say, it's OBE now. The evidence available to date suggests the al-Maliki government is not focused on unity, healing and reconciliation. The President set the stage and at least a glimpse of the criteria to judge the performance of the Iraqi government. If the government fails to neutralize al-Sadr and his Mahdi Militia as well as uniformly neutralize the wonton violence, then we will be faced with very difficult choices. Perhaps, they will get the message that our patience is wearing thin. We shall see.

My very best wishes to all. Take care of yourselves and each other.
Cheers,
Cap :-)