United States News Digest
Tom Daschle Blasts Budget Bill: 'Most Irresponsible' for Hiding Costs of War
Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) on March 18 denounced the Administration's budget bill as being "most irresponsible" for hiding the costs of the war. Following a meeting of the Senate Policy group (Republican and Democratic leaders), Daschle said that the proposed U.S. budget "ought to be sent back to the drawing board" because no Iraq war costs are even mentionedneither costs of fighting the war, nor the aftermath of the war. A "patriotic pause" amendment offered by the Senate Democrats, said Daschle, called for holding off on passing the budget until the Administration reveals the war cost.
Daschle said, "how ironic it is" that "one of the most important ... is missing," in the context of "projected deficits of ... at least $2 trillion." In that context, he also condemned the "misdirected, unwise and irresponsible" tax cut of $1.4 trillionespecially when the deficit doesn't even include the war costs.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Agency for International Development plans an unworkable financial occupation of Iraq. According to USAID documents obtained by the Wall Street Journal, the U.S. Department of the Treasury "would be deeply involved in overhauling the country's central bank, and some U.S. government officials would serve as 'shadow ministers' to oversee Baghdad's bureaucracies." How, when the U.S. economy and government are such a mess?
Oldest Member of Senate Decries 'Arrogance of Power'
The senior member of the U.S. Senate, Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), on March 19 in a Senate floor speech decried the "arrogance of power" he said is being exhibited by the Bush Administration:
"I believe in this beautiful country. I have studied its roots and gloried in the wisdom of its magnificent Constitution. I have marveled at the wisdom of its founders and framers. Generation after generation of Americans has understood the lofty ideals that underlie our great Republic. I have been inspired by the story of their sacrifice and their strength.
"But, today I weep for my country. I have watched the events of recent months with a heavy, heavy heart. No more is the image of America one of strong, yet benevolent peacekeeper. The image of America has changed. Around the globe, our friends mistrust us, our word is disputed, our intentions are questioned.
"Instead of reasoning with those with whom we disagree, we demand obedience or threaten recrimination. Instead of isolating Saddam Hussein, we seem to have isolated ourselves. We proclaim a new doctrine of preemption which is understood by few and feared by many. We say that the United States has the right to turn its firepower on any corner of the globe which might be suspect in the war on terrorism. We assert that right without the sanction of any international body. As a result, the world has become a much more dangerous place.
"We flaunt our superpower status with arrogance. We treat UN Security Council members like ingrates who offend our princely dignity by lifting their heads from the carpet. Valuable alliances are split. After war has ended, the United States will have to rebuild much more than the country of Iraq. We will have to rebuild America's image around the globe.
"The case this Administration tries to make to justify its fixation with war is tainted by charges of falsified documents and circumstantial evidence. We cannot convince the world of the necessity of this war for one simple reason. This is a war of choice.
"There is no credible information to connect Saddam Hussein to 9/11. The twin towers fell because a worldwide terrorist group, al-Qaeda, with cells in over 60 nations, struck at our wealth and our influence by turning our own planes into missiles, one of which would likely have slammed into the dome of this beautiful Capitol except for the brave sacrifice of the passengers on board.
"The brutality seen on September 11th and in other terrorist attacks we have witnessed around the globe are the violent and desperate efforts by extremists to stop the daily encroachment of western values upon their cultures. That is what we fight. It is a force not confined to borders. It is a shadowy entity with many faces, many names, and many addresses.
"But, this Administration has directed all of the anger, fear, and grief which emerged from the ashes of the twin towers and the twisted metal of the Pentagon towards a tangible villain, one we can see and hate and attack. And villain he is. But, he is the wrong villain. And this is the wrong war. If we attack Saddam Hussein, we will probably drive him from power. But, the zeal of our friends to assist our global war on terrorism may have already taken flight.
"The general unease surrounding this war is not just due to 'orange alert.' There is a pervasive sense of rush and risk and too many questions unanswered. How long will we be in Iraq? What will be the cost? What is the ultimate mission? How great is the danger at home? A pall has fallen over the Senate Chamber. We avoid our solemn duty to debate the one topic on the minds of all Americans, even while scores of thousands of our sons and daughters faithfully do their duty in Iraq.
"What is happening to this country? When did we become a nation which ignores and berates our friends? When did we decide to risk undermining international order by adopting a radical and doctrinaire approach to using our awesome military might? How can we abandon diplomatic efforts when the turmoil in the world cries out for diplomacy?
"Why can this President not seem to see that America's true power lies not in its will to intimidate, but in its ability to inspire?
"War appears inevitable. But, I continue to hope that the cloud will lift. Perhaps Saddam will yet turn tail and run. Perhaps reason will somehow still prevail. I along with millions of Americans will pray for the safety of our troops, for the innocent civilians in Iraq, and for the security of our homeland. May God continue to bless the United States of America in the troubled days ahead, and may we somehow recapture the vision which for the present eludes us."
Attacks on Utopian Policy Go Beyond Iraq War
Paul Krugman, writing in the March 14 New York Times, said that many in government are questioning the sanity of President Bush and the utopians ("Chickenhawks") surrounding him.
Titled "George W. Queeg," to evoke the novel The Caine Mutiny, Krugman's column said that foreign policy is Bush's "strawberries." "A fair number of people in the Treasury, State and, yes, the Pentagon, don't just question the competence of Mr. Bush and his inner circle, they believe that America's leadership has lost touch with reality." Referring to the "awesome arrogance and a vastly inflated sense of self-importance," Krugman pointed out that in non-military matters, "the U.S. isn't all that dominantthat Russia and Turkey need the European market more than they need ours, that Europe gives more than twice as much foreign aid as we do, and that in much of the world, public opinion matters."
Krugman reports that the Nelson Report, "an influential foreign policy newsletter, says: 'It would be difficult to exaggerate the growing mixture of anger, despair, disgust and fear actuating the foreign policy community in Washington,'" and that foreign policy, and Korea in particular, may become Bush's "Waco."
Former Senator and Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Thomas Eagleton slammed the Perle-Wolfowitz-Kristol doctrine by nameincluding its links to University of Chicago Nazi Leo Straussin a column in the St. Louis Post Dispatch of March 17, titled "Iraq Is Merely First Step in Our Leaders' Larger Effort To Recast the Middle East in Our Own Image."
Eagleton wrote: "Let's be 'crystal clear' about this. Iraq is only step one on the path to the Christian democratization of the Middle East. Iran is next ... Israel and Palestine are on the back burner. They can wait until the winds of democracy blow westward. No worry that ... Sharon is starting up new settlements."
Eagleton continued: "An unidentified American diplomat has been quoted as saying, 'These guys at the PentagonWolfowitz, Perle, Doug Feithwhen they lie in bed at nightthey imagine a new book written by one of them or about them, called Present at the Re-creation. They want to banish the wimpy Europeanist traditional balance of power, and use the Iraq seedbed of democracy to impose America's will on the world.'"
"Onward Christian Soldiers!" he concluded.
(The book title is a play on the title of a book by Dean Acheson, the Secretary of State under President Truman, "Present at the Creation." It was ghost-written by McGeorge Bundy, and was must reading for the in-crowd in the circle that shaped the postwar, post-Roosevelt U.S. foreign policy.)
Boston.com meanwhile reported March 17 that former Attorney General Janet Reno denounced Bush's ultimatum against Iraq and the White House policy of illegal detention of citizens, in a speech at Brown University on March 16. "We will not solve the problems by might," she declared, shortly after watching President Bush's speech Monday night. "I had hoped people would come up with an opportunity for him to save face," she said.
Reno also denounced the violation of rights of U.S. citizens under the guise of a war on terror. "Two citizens today are being held incommunicado in military brigs in this country, without being charged, without access to counsel, by the simple fact that the President has declared them what is called 'enemy combatants,'" she said, referring to Jose Padilla and Lousiana-born Yasser Esam Hamdi. "What has happened to the Bill of Rights? What has happened to due process? What has happened to the Geneva Convention? If they're not prisoners of war, what are they? And what rights do they have?"
Reno also denounced profiling at the borders: "We are a nation of immigrants," she said.
Bush Rebuffs Congressional Black Caucus Attempts To Meet on War
After having been rebuffed in attempts to meet with President Bush on the war and other matters, members of the Congressional Black Caucus took to the House floor March 18 to plead for a diplomatic solution to avoid the war. Bush has only met with the CBC one time since he took office, and that was two years ago, according to CBC chairman Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md).
Speaking from the House floor, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) said: "We still have a window of opportunity tonight. We are making one last plea not only on behalf of ourselves but on behalf of millions of people throughout our country, millions of people throughout our world."
"We are opening a door to an era which de-emphasizes diplomacy and devalues peaceful solutions through negotiations," warned Rep. Donald Payne (D-N.J.). "Before we risk the lives of young men and women in uniform, as well as countless civilians in both the Middle East and our own country, shouldn't we do everything in our power to find a peaceful solution to the situation in Iraq?"
"We are worried that the war on terrorism is taking a back seat to a preemptive strike on Saddam Hussein," said Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.). "Yes, every country should be able to defend itself, but we're in no danger from Iraq. Striking Saddam is not fighting terrorism."
'Chickenhawks' Pushed Iraq War Schedule Despite Military
Marine General Peter Pace, vice-chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said March 14 in a "closed door press briefing" that "a delay of a month or more in invading Iraq" would not jeopardize the lives of American troops then stationed on Iraq's borders. The Pentagon briefing was aimed at an audience of retired officers and well-known think-tankers from whom EIW learned of its contents.
General Pace reportedly said that, "With the deployment of nearly a quarter-million troops in the Gulf region, the military could deal with a delay in the onset of war ... the military could wait as long as necessary." This contradicts the "Chickenhawks," who argued that war must start immediately, using the scare tactic that otherwise Saddam Hussein would kill more Americans.
Some of the attendees, such as the AEI analyst Tom Donnelly, and retired Air Force General Thomas McInerney, both avid hawks, were not happy with the briefing.
General Pace offered his view reluctantly, reported Brookings Institution defense and foreign policy expert Michael O'Hanlon, one of the participants. In reply to an e-mail inquiry from EIW, O'Hanlon wrote, "We had to work hard to get General Pace to say what he did, and he also underscored (as did [Secretary of Defense Donald] Rumsfeld) that there were downsides to waitinglosing what's left of surprise, giving Saddam more time to prepare, etc. But the meeting nonetheless did lend credence to the idea that we might be able to wait without major military damage being done."
But the "Chickenhawks," who have never fought in wars, came up with a trigger-happy method for overcoming political/military obstacles. On March 16, the New York Times reported a scheme called "Rolling Start."
The Times reported that U.S. war plans had, in reality, become fouled up because of the lack of international support for the war. Turkey and Saudi Arabia, two of Iraq's neighbors, refused to allow basing of U.S. soldiers. There were many units still up in the air, at sea, or still at home, and "the military [was] scrambling to put together a backup plan for the northern front" of Iraq, leaving out Turkey. At the same time parts of 101st Airborne Division were not yet in place or ready for combat; ditto for "three powerful armored divisions." To compensate, a plan was cooked up for "a rolling start," which gives the option of starting the fighting at any time. "But there are military expertsincluding experienced commanderswho are worried by this plan," a well-informed source reported to EIW.
Scalia Bans Coverage of 'Free Speech' Event
Although the usual practice of the City Club of Cleveland is to videotape its speakers for later broadcast on public television, it did not tape a speech by U.S Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia March 19, on the occasion of Scalia's being given the City Club's "Citadel of Free Speech" award.
As is his usual practice, Scalia refused to appear unless television and radio coverage were banned. C-SPAN vice-president Terry Murphy said that the ban "begs disbelief and seems to be in conflict with the award itself."
In a speech at John Carroll University in Shaker Heights March 18, Scalia said that there is room for scaling back civil rights and liberties in time of war. "The Constitution just sets minimums," he said. "Most of the rights that you enjoy go way beyond what the Constitution requires."
Pro-War Propagandist Worries Bush Is Mentally Unstable
A British pro-Iraq-war propagandist is now worrying that George W. Bush is mentally unstable, and could crack up during the war. Writing in the March 21 London Independent, Johann Hari, a self-proclaimed "leftist," has been a staunch supporter of the Iraq war in the name of "Iraqi democracy" and "liberating Iraqis." But now that the war has begun, he is panicking, afraid that the man running the United States is a berserker, who has a crude record of executing people in Texas, and who has now gone to war without any international support.
Hari's column began: "George Bush is terrifying.... George Bush is a dry alcoholic: that is, he simply quit one day, without going through Alcoholics Anonymous or any similar group. All the evidence shows that dry alcoholics are at far greater risk of falling off the wagon, especially at times of stress. Anybody who has known a dry alcoholic will recognize the symptoms of George Bush: the aggression, the touchiness, the transference of the addiction to other behaviors, such as fanatical exercise, and obsessively acquiring more and more personal power.
"The thought of the President losing the plot suddenly and drastically is frighteningand not implausible. Speculation that he may be dealing with the stress by using Xanax, a popular valium-like drug, is common in the U.S.; Maureen Dowd of the New York Times has even dubbed him 'the Xanax cowboy.'
"So why do I trust George Bush on Iraq? The simple answer is: I don't."
How Chickenhawk 'Advisers' Treat the President
According to a p. 1 article in the March 19 New York Times, "During a White House planning session with his top military advisers late last month, President Bush turned to Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff"whose statutory duty is as military adviser to the President"with a pressing question: How long would war with Iraq last?
"But before General Myers could respond, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld put a hand on his arm and said, 'Now, Dick, you don't want to answer that'" question from the Commander in Chief.
As for Rumsfeld himself, the Times said that his closest and most frequent adviser, by far, is Vice President Cheney.
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