FROM LARRY JOHNSON:
THIS CRETIN, ERNIE THE DICKLESS WONDER, THINKS HE CAN COME ON MY SITE AND INSULT LADIES. THE FUCKING COWARD HAS NOW BEEN BANNED AND THIS IS A WARNING TO ANY OTHER CHICKENHAWK TROLL THAT WANTS TO POST ON THIS SITE. I COULD CARE LESS WHAT ANY OF YOU SAY OR THINK ABOUT ME. I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU, HOWEVER, TO ATTACK WOMEN WHO WRITE ON THIS BLOG. I KNOW THAT IS THE KIND OF CHICKENSHIT THING THAT YOU RIGHTWING WHACKOS GET OFF ON, BUT IT WILL NOT BE ALLOWED HERE. SO KISS MY ASS.

I understand the fact that Bush has failed to heed the advice of those who have pointed out the administration’s failures and likely better understand the issues at hand, however, the point I was trying to make was that rather than delve on the issues it is about time for those knowledgeable to provide a third way. The extreme fringe in the democratic party that calls for the “let’s pull out now” without looking at the likely consequences of such a pull-out are the only voice we moderates here, apart from the president’s “stay the course” and keep on failing. I think Larry and Col. Lang could be constructive voices in that debate, and in coming up with a better way. The administration did not heed advice when it should have, but there’s still is another party that stands to gain enough power to check the president this November. However, they will not win with the aforementioned position of “withdrawal” just to get out position. We need an alternative, one which both moderates from both sides of the aisle can adopt. Hence, while the President and his cabinet refuse to heed the advice of the advisory panel, democrats and independents should heed it and come up with a realistic plan for ameliorizing the likely effects of an eventual withdrawal of the US from Iraq. By that I do not mean withdrawal now, or a timeline, but rather a strategy to allow us to leave in a stronger position than would otherwise be the case, and leave the Iraqi government in good shape to ensure that they at least have a chance to succeed and take advantage of the chance that they have gotten with the fall of Hussein.

I..for one…Appreciate your comments…information..right to an opinion..and take on things..

and Debate..

my Response to your question..would be that Presidnet Bush create a Panel of all..Generals..Officers..military Experts…Former CIA and Government employees..Diplomats…Former Government and current and former Think tank People..

Who DO NOT agree with Past Administration policys..or how the war in Iraq was Handeled..or Is Being Handled..

Or the War on terrorism is being fought..

Or On The Mismanagement of Homeland Secuirty..and put Plans and Policys together on how they Believe Constructive policy changes could and should be made in thier opinion ..

and WHY..

Then For the Good of the Nation..President bush should FIRE Don Rumsfeld and some of his Staff..and put the Most effecient Defense department Team together he can..

Up to and Including being Staffed by members of the above metioned advisory Panel..

Alot of good people know what went wrong…what is still going wrong..

and..want to help Fix It..

its about time President Bush admitted Accountability and showed GOOD Intent..

for the GOOD of the Nation..

He Represents..

Minor clarification: The Badr militia is not loyal to Sadr, it is loyal to SCIRI (Maliki’s party). Sadr’s militia is the Mahdi army.

Further, if you read the whole article rather than merely choosing that which supports your bias, you would have to also note the following.

“We cannot control the prisons. It’s as simple as that,” said the deputy minister, Pusho Ibrahim Ali Daza Yei, an ethnic Kurd. “Our jails are infiltrated by the militias from top to bottom, from Basra to Baghdad.”

As a result of this, and acknowledging the problem, Yei “asked U.S. authorities to suspend plans to transfer prisons and detainees from American to Iraqi control. “Our ministry is unprepared at this time to take over the facilities, especially those in areas where Shiite militias exist,” he said in a letter to U.S. Army Maj. Gen. John D. Gardner, the official in charge of American detention facilities.”

In addition Gen. John D. Gardner, “We will not transfer the facilities and legal custody of the detainees until each respective facility and the Iraqi Corrections system have demonstrated the ability to maintain the required standards, especially in the areas of care and custody.”

Despite broad U.S. efforts to encourage the Iraqi government to improve conditions in prisons, the problem of militia control could prove particularly intractable. Shiite militias such as the Badr Organization and the Mahdi Army, loyal to cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, are backed by dozens of members of parliament whose political parties run the armed groups.

“You can’t even talk to the militias, because they are the government,” Yei said. “They have ministers on their side.”

So yes, there are a lot of problems in Iraq that remain to be addressed. But the headline with which you begin your post is misleading and indeed incorrect. While I do not like the manner in which Bush has handled the war, nor its aftermath, I’d rather have people like you, who have some measure of credibility spend time, not engaging in politicking or throwing mud at the other side, but coming up with solutions that focus on addressing the problems at hand. Just saying American is bad, the war is bad let’s bring the troops is not enough. First, it fails to provide a realistic alternative to the administration, and second it panders to the fringe of the democratic party at a time when we need to move to the center.

Additionally, as the article itself points out, Iraqis and the US are trying to address the abuse in Iraqi prisons under the Defense and Interior ministries and trying to find a way to give control to the Justice ministry. That shows that they understand the problem and are trying to address it. Other than mudslinging, what do you propose to address this and ensure that we improve our situation on the ground in Iraq, and strategically in the region?

FROM LARRY JOHNSON:
My God, you are a tedious, cretinous, banjo playing lot. You want Pat Lang and I to fix a mess that you and your neocon ilk have created? I warned Jerry Bremer in January 2003 that Saddam had nothing to do with 9-11 and did not pose a terrorist threat to us. That advice was ignored.
Pat and I called for more troops to secure Iraq. That was ignored. We called for more troops to take control of the weapons depots. That was ignored. We warned of the insurgency early on and that was ignored. Sorry bozo, we’ve offered plenty of sound advice. It has been ignored. You guys have made this bed, and a hell of a mess it is. Sleep in it.

Steven Emerson warned us for years that Al Queda was in our country during the same time that Larry Johnson was telling the world we had nothing to fear from Al Queda.

When Steve Emerson is on CNN, he is there because they consider him an expert on the threat. Larry Johnson is called on to give political cover.

And Steven Hayes is not notorious for anything.

So please if you will, back up your words with substance.

I’d have to say that Mr. Johnson has excellent qualifications for the line of work he does.

As for running this blog I’d say he is angry at the missinformation that has been put out about this war. You might ask him, but that is the impression I get. Come to think of it, why are you spending your time posting on this blog if is is a “waste of time”?

“What CEO in his right mind would allow a media hound, partisan loose cannon like Larry Johnson access to the companies data?”

Could I say the same thing about Steve Emerson and others who are a regular feature on Fox News and neocon talk radio? I guess this depends on your point of view of a person’s motives. I believe that his are higher than some of the folks on the other side. You know, like Kenneth Timmerman.

Incidently, I see I made a mistake with that article you posted from the “Telegraph”. I thought this was a new article of the same recycled nonsense that has been put out before. Stephen Hayes is notorious for this. I see now that it is dated 14/12/2003. This is an old story that didn’t pan out.

The war is over, the Iraqis won.
==============

Since so much of this debate is centered around the war in Iraq, maybe you should go to a website called AnySoldier.com and sopend some time reading the postings from the troops in Iraq. The troops don’t have a horse in this race, yet they are carrying the load.

When I was sick of the debate I found that finding out how the soldiers actually feel was helpfull.

By the way, take some time and write one of them a letter or spend $30 and send them some candy. You won’t regret it !!

Speeking of cons, consider this:

Why would a hot shot ex-CIA guy be spending his time posting on a foolish blog like this?

Why would any CEO of a company hire Berg and Assoc. to protect their data and trademarks when Larry has clearly co-opted the name Hardball on this blog?

What CEO in his right mind would allow a media hound, partisan loose cannon like Larry Johnson access to the companies data?

Do you really think Berg has any clients other than Soros?

Think Man !!!

Our dear Larry, who predicted 22 indictments of top Bush officials in November, has been shown repeatedly to be talking out his ass! He has ZERO credibility.

I particularly enjoyed his article in the NYTimes in July of 2001 about how we musn’t fear terrorism! But of course, leftist apologists here will never explain these lies…er, mistakes…misstatements.

It explains why the left has lost every branch of government. The right continues to fuck up, but you lefties aren’t even sane. I anticipate a massive death toll when you lunatics lose yet another election this fall. Will it be self-immolation or will your deranged little craniums just explode with frustration?

Larry, how are those 22 indictments of Bush admin officals, including Cheney, coming along? We are still waiting for you to be correct about ONE SINGLE THING. Better check with Leopold…ha, ha!

Posted by: bob49 | Saturday, 17 June 2006 at 09:33″

When all else fails blame the Clenis!! Newsflash, Clinton has been out of office for 5+ years. Everything that happens now is aWol’s fault. But noooo, the wingnuts belong to the Dear Leader Cult of Personality which means that a leader taking responsibility for his actions only applies to Democrats.

I don’t know about Mr. Johnson, Rich, but I will.

anything written by Con Coughlin (he lives up to his first name well) is to be treated as suspect. It wouldn’t be the first time this sort of lying has been done by him.