Congrats to Blackwater for its fat new State Department contract!

Caring about violent abuses of authority is so 2008.

From Spencer Ackerman for WIRED:

Never mind the dead civilians. Forget about the stolen guns. Get over the murder arrests, the fraud allegations, and the accusations of guards pumping themselves up with steroids and cocaine. Through a “joint venture,” the notorious private security firm Blackwater has won a piece of a five-year State Department contract worth up to $10 billion, Danger Room has learned.

Apparently, there is no misdeed so big that it can keep guns-for-hire from working for the government. And this is despite a campaign pledge from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to ban the company from federal contracts.

Eight private security firms have won State’s giant Worldwide Protective Services contract, the big Foggy Bottom partnership to keep embassies and their inhabitants safe. Two of those firms are longtime State contract holders DynCorp and Triple Canopy. The others are newcomers to the big security contract: EOD Technology, SOC, Aegis Defense Services, Global Strategies Group, Torres International Services and International Development Solutions LLC.

Don’t see any of Blackwater’s myriad business names on there? That’s apparently by design. Blackwater and the State Department tried their best to obscure their renewed relationship. As Danger Room reported on Wednesday, Blackwater did not appear on the vendors’ list for Worldwide Protective Services. And the State Department confirms that the company, renamed Xe Services, didn’t actually submit its own independent bid. Instead, they used a blandly-named cut out, “International Development Solutions” to retains a toehold into State’s lucrative security business. Blackwater’s “affiliate U.S. Training Center is part of International Development Solutions (IDS), a joint venture with Kaseman,” according to an official State Department statement to Danger Room. “This joint venture was determined by the Department’s source selection authority to be eligible for award."

Spencer is clearly just a whiner. Read More......

US unable to document Abu Ghraib abuse payments

Maybe BPs oil spill payment team was on the job. What's the problem here?

Fending off demands that he resign over the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, then-Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told Congress in 2004 that he had found a legal way to compensate Iraqi detainees who suffered "grievous and brutal abuse and cruelty at the hands of a few members of the United States armed forces."

"It's the right thing to do," Rumsfeld said. "And it is my intention to see that we do."

Six years later, the U.S. Army is unable to document a single payment for prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib.

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Over 600 Iraqi antiquities discovered in Iraqi PM's office

I wonder what else might be found there. BBC:

More than 600 antiquities have been returned to the Iraqi National Museum after they were found in boxes in Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's office.

The missing historical artefacts, some dating back thousands of years, had been smuggled out of Iraq at various times and ended up in the US.

They were moved back to Iraq in early 2009 but went missing after that.

Antiquities Minister Qahtan al-Jubouri blamed "inappropriate handover procedures" for their disappearance.

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Despite combat operations being over in Iraq, US forces raid Fallujah stronghold

I guess "end of combat operations" doesn't have the same meaning that it did in the past. Go figure.

U.S. and Iraqi forces launched a raid on the former insurgent stronghold of Fallujah Wednesday, killing at least six people in the second incident this week in which American troops were involved in fighting despite the official end of combat.

President Barack Obama declared the end of combat operations in Iraq on Sept. 1 when the number of American troops fell below 50,000. Although their primary focus is on training Iraqi security forces, the remaining U.S. soldiers still take part in operations against insurgents at the request of the government.

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Mandela was furious with Blair over Iraq invasion

It would be interesting to hear what Nelson Mandela thinks of Blair today, including his role in the Middle East peace process. When Blair joined forces with Bush to attack Iraq, Mandela phoned one of the UK government ministers to voice his strong opposition. BBC:

He said: "He rang me up when I was a cabinet minister in 2003, after the invasion.

"He said: 'A big mistake, Peter, a very big mistake. It is wrong. Why is Tony doing this after all his support for Africa? This will cause huge damage internationally'.

"I had never heard Nelson Mandela so angry and frustrated.

"He clearly felt very, very strongly that the decision that the prime minister had taken - and that I as a member of the Cabinet had been party to - was fundamentally wrong and he told me it would destroy all the good things that Tony Blair and we, as a government, had done in progressive policy terms across the world.

"He was always full of praise for the way our government had trebled the overseas aid and development budget for Africa; he just felt that all of this had been completely blown out of the water by the Iraq invasion.

When you compare the two, it would be hard to imagine Mandela selling himself like a cheap whore to the highest bidder the way Blair has. Of course, Mandela was always a true leader whereas Blair never had it in him and he still doesn't. People like Mandela don't come around often which is why we're so often stuck with the likes of Blair. Read More......

And yet another Blair book signing event canceled

Sounds like Blair can't run away from his own history. First he was pelted with eggs and shoes in Dublin then he canceled an book signing event in London. Now that protesters discovered he was preparing for a party at the posh Tate Modern in London, he canceled his showing there as well.

A book-launch party for former British Prime Minister Tony Blair at London's top modern art venue has been postponed following a threat by protesters to picket the event.

Blair spokesman Matthew Doyle said the Wednesday party at the Tate Modern had been pushed back, but would not say until when. He also refused to comment about why the party had been put off.

Blair's book, "A Journey," has reawakened the controversy over his decade at the top of British politics, particularly his decision to take the country to war in Iraq.

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US soldiers engage in gun battle in Baghdad

Andrew Bacevich is right:

Back in Iraq, meanwhile, nothing has been resolved and nothing settled. Round one of the Iraq war produced a great upheaval that round two served only to exacerbate. As the convoys of U.S. armored vehicles trundle south toward Kuwait and then home, they leave the stage set for round three.

U.S. soldiers are still involved in round three:

Insurgents mounted a coordinated attack on one of the main military commands in Baghdad on Sunday, briefly drawing fire from American soldiers, an event that underscored the ambiguity of the American military’s role in Iraq.

The attack punctuated a sharp rise in violence as the United States declared an official end to its combat mission here effective last Wednesday.

A group of at least six armed men, some of them rigged with explosives, attacked a rear gate at the base, the headquarters of Iraq’s 11th Army Division, which houses the command responsible for security in the part of the capital east of the Tigris River and a federal police brigade, as well as American advisers and the soldiers who protect them. None of the Americans were reported hurt.

There are still 50,000 U.S. servicemembers in Iraq. It's no longer a combat mission, but it's not over. Read More......

Report: US troops repel attack in Baghdad

Obviously, there's a lot more to combat ahead for US troops in Iraq. BBC:

US forces have helped repel an attack on an army base in Baghdad in which seven people died, security officials have told the BBC.

If confirmed, it would mark the first such use of American troops since the official end of US combat operations five days ago.

Under a deal, US forces remaining in Iraq can only participate in operations at the request of Iraqi authorities.

The US military said it could not confirm or deny it had been involved.

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Forbes: 'As U.S. Troops Move Out Of Iraq, Oil Companies Move In'

Looks like we may have our Mission Accomplished moment after all. Forbes (h/t KerrynowCampau; my emphasis):

[A]s the troops move out, the oil companies are moving in. According to a July report from the U.S. government’s Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, oil production in Iraq is currently about 2.4 million barrels per day. The goal, by 2017 is to produce 12 million barrels per day. That’s quite a leap, especially since average production levels have held steady for more than two years. It’s going to a take a lot of investment to expand production by 10 million barrels per day.

How much? That’s anybody’s guess. For example, in January, ExxonMobil signed an agreement to redevelop and expand an oil field in southern Iraq. A company spokeswoman says that “total field capital expenditure will depend on full project scope,” which is currently being examined.

There’s a pile of oil money pouring into Iraq right now. Since last year, the Iraqi government has awarded 11 development deals to various consortia. BP and China National Petroleum Corp. are developing the enormous Rumaila field, which has a total proven reserves of about 18 billion barrels. Other companies winning awards include Royal Dutch Shell (working with ExxonMobil on one project and Malaysia’s Petronas on another), France’s Total SpA, Angola’s Sonangol, Italy’s Eni SpA, Russia’s Lukoil and China National Offshore Oil Corp. The signature bonuses to be paid by the consortia are anywhere from $100 million to $500 million.

Looks like the Russians and Chinese get a piece of the action after all. Cheney must be very upset.

There's a lot to notice here, with a large good news–bad news component. Let's go to the tote board:

It's good for Iraq; they need the income.
It's bad for Iraq; much of that income will likely be stolen (see: Egypt).

It's good for oil prices; more supply.
It's bad for oil prices; customers don't have pricing power anyway.

It's good for oil companies; mmm, money.
It's bad for oil companies; mmm, hubris.

It's good for the world; more oil to play with.
It's bad for the world; with so much supply, the addict won't switch to a maintenance drug like methadone ethanol.

The next phase of the Iraq war — the battle to build an economy; the battle between corrupt players to control that economy; the role of the 50,000 in tilting that battle for control — has begun.

Forbes has started to tell that story, albeit from a cheerleader perspective. A good read nevertheless. Click and learn.

GP Read More......

Rachel Maddow on Obama ending Bush's war

The Obama Iraq–pullout speech received mixed reviews.

Martin Wolf called it "too cautious" in the Financial Times. The NY Times editors were more positive ("There was no victory to declare last night, and Mr. Obama was right not to try") but then wondered "why he talks to Americans directly so rarely and with seeming reluctance." The Post's Dan Balz wrote about the "tension inherent in his Oval Office address." Bill Kristol liked it; that's a mixed review all by itself, in my opinion.

But I think the best evaluation belongs to Rachel Maddow. During MSNBC's post-speech chat, Rachel Maddow went easy on Obama's Team Looking Forward act and offers this interesting thought:



Then on her own show she clearly tweaks Obama for not looking back, by showing what he's not looking back at. Here's Rachel, refusing to "go down the memory hole" with some other unnamed person. Nice work:



"On the day the war ends, what the war was for is sort of the elephant in the room."

Thanks, Rachel.

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Obama: 'Tonight, I am announcing that the American combat mission in Iraq has ended'

Obama's Oval Office speech speech is at 8:00 PM Eastern time. Via email, here are some excerpts. We'll also consider this an open thread for the speech:

“But this milestone should serve as a reminder to all Americans that our future is ours to shape if we move forward with confidence and commitment. It should also serve as a message to the world that the United States of America intends to sustain and strengthen our leadership in this young century.”

***

“At every turn, America’s men and women in uniform have served with courage and resolve. As Commander-in-Chief, I am proud of their service. Like all Americans, I am awed by their sacrifice, and by the sacrifices of their families.”

***

“Tonight, I am announcing that the American combat mission in Iraq has ended. Operation Iraqi Freedom is over, and the Iraqi people now have lead responsibility for the security of their country. This was my pledge to the American people as a candidate for this office. Last February, I announced a plan that would bring our combat brigades out of Iraq, while redoubling our efforts to strengthen Iraq’s Security Forces and support its government and people. That is what we have done. We have removed nearly 100,000 U.S. troops from Iraq. We have closed or transferred hundreds of bases to the Iraqis. And we have moved millions of pieces of equipment out of Iraq.”

***

“Ending this war is not only in Iraq’s interest – it is in our own. The United States has paid a huge price to put the future of Iraq in the hands of its people. We have sent our young men and women to make enormous sacrifices in Iraq, and spent vast resources abroad at a time of tight budgets at home. We have persevered because of a belief we share with the Iraqi people – a belief that out of the ashes of war, a new beginning could be born in this cradle of civilization. Through this remarkable chapter in the history of the United States and Iraq, we have met our responsibility. Now, it is time to turn the page.”

***

“Today, our most urgent task is to restore our economy, and put the millions of Americans who have lost their jobs back to work. To strengthen our middle class, we must give all our children the education they deserve, and all our workers the skills that they need to compete in a global economy. We must jumpstart industries that create jobs, and end our dependence on foreign oil. We must unleash the innovation that allows new products to roll off our assembly lines, and nurture the ideas that spring from our entrepreneurs. This will be difficult. But in the days to come, it must be our central mission as a people, and my central responsibility as President.”

Thoughts?

Jon Soltz from VoteVets offers his views on Iraq and what Obama should say here.

And, here's how Bush began his May 1, 2003 "Mission Accomplished" speech:

Admiral Kelly, Captain Card, officers and sailors of the USS Abraham Lincoln, my fellow Americans, major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed.

And now our coalition is engaged in securing and reconstructing that country.

In this battle, we have fought for the cause of liberty and for the peace of the world. Our nation and our coalition are proud of this accomplishment, yet it is you, the members of the United States military, who achieved it. Your courage, your willingness to face danger for your country and for each other made this day possible.

Because of you our nation is more secure. Because of you the tyrant has fallen and Iraq is free.

I know we know this, but it's stunning how much Bush lied to us, including this:

In the battle of Afghanistan, we destroyed the Taliban, many terrorists and the camps where they trained. We continue to help the Afghan people lay roads, restore hospitals and educate all of their children.

In fact, seven years and four months after Bush said that, our soldiers in Afghanistan are experiencing "record high death tolls." Read More......

Report: US wasted billions in Iraq rebuilding

Maybe the Teabaggers can explain how this fiasco was the fault of the Democrats and not Bush and the GOP. Funny how obvious over-spending and waste was not much of an issue when the Republicans were in power.

A $40 million prison sits in the desert north of Baghdad, empty. A $165 million children's hospital goes unused in the south. A $100 million waste water treatment system in Fallujah has cost three times more than projected, yet sewage still runs through the streets

As the U.S. draws down in Iraq, it is leaving behind hundreds of abandoned or incomplete projects. More than $5 billion in American taxpayer funds has been wasted — more than 10 percent of the some $50 billion the U.S. has spent on reconstruction in Iraq, according to audits from a U.S. watchdog agency.

That amount is likely an underestimate, based on an analysis of more than 300 reports by auditors with the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction. And it does not take into account security costs, which have run almost 17 percent for some projects.

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Rachel Maddow on contractors and the 'withdrawal'

In my earlier discussion of contractors in Operation New Dawn, I focused on the SpecOps side. Here, Rachel Maddow discusses the whole spectrum of dependence* on contractors by the military and State Dept. (which takes front seat from the DOD in our new "enduring relationship").

*Dependence — One layer less clear than "shoveling money out the door to your Congressionally connected friends."



Take-aways:

• 50,000 U.S. troops will remain for 16 months.


• 72,000 contractors (including what Engel calls DOD "service contractors," like those great KBR electricians, I'm sure).


• Richard Engel: "This draw-down is all being brought to you by KRB. They are the biggest contractor involved in ... moving things to the south."


• And: "About 45% of all of the contracts right now are KBR contracts."

Finally, I must express admiration for Rachel's role in these Iraq segments.

Having listened to the Air America version of her show for years, I know the subtlety of her understanding of the Iraq war and "Life During Wartime." In my view, she walks a beautiful line between being one of the NBC on-air people who presents the official view, and a commentator who presents her own thinking.

Because of my familiarity with her views, I know what she's not discussing (those KBR electrical death-traps, for example). But nothing that she is saying violates her integrity; and she is saying a lot. Rachel Maddow is a smart, capable woman and beyond the obvious, this is subtle stuff.

The Friday show from which this was abstracted is rich; time permitting, I may bring more segments later this week.

GP Read More......

Colbert has The (last) Word on Iraq 'withdrawal'

Stephen Colbert on the "withdrawal" — fun for a late night. This is wall-to-wall great (just wait for "popping a cherub"), and yet so very spot on ("But China Holds The Mortgage").

For my money, The Word is their best segment. Enjoy:



Our own whimsical musings are here.

GP Read More......

Are Iraq combat operations really over?

Interesting questions: Is this really a withdrawal? And how does Obama want it to be perceived? There are a lot of layers here. (Note before we begin, that the "withdrawal" was mandated, going to happen anyway; this looks at the shape it takes and how it's rolled out.)

The Iraqi layer. Iraq is trying to form a government. The Allawi vs. al-Maliki cage match seems to be a draw, after al-Maliki falsely painted Allawi's coalition as "Sunni" (it's "largly Sunni" but also cross-sectarian). Al-Maliki's attempt to glue all Shiites to himself, which failed, could leave room for a "neither of them" Shiite to step in. The U.S. would obviously like to see the next government formed soon.

The "withdrawal" — which only has to appear to be a withdrawal — acts a mood-pacifier. Juan Cole:

Obama’s withdrawal is an act of contrition that can begin the process of repairing relations between the US and the Arab world, a world that increasingly views the Obama administration as a disappointment because of its failure to follow through on pledges such as the two-state solution in Israel/Palestine.

Whom does it benefit? I'm not sure, but it's wheels within wheels over there. Watch and listen. (And don't forget the left-behinds; see below.)

The Obama-Dem layer. Here the "withdrawal" absolutely has to appear real; thus the Breaking News parade of force and heavy vehicles, a grand national show of "redeployed" American might. (The word "retreat" isn't invited to this party, since as we all know, Iraq is not Vietnam.) The New York Times:

“We are with the last combat troops” in Iraq, the NBC correspondent Richard Engel said at 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

There are two elements to that snippet, the military and the press. Both are key to its effect.

Who's the market for the Obama-Dem layer? "Liberal" Dem voters, perhaps even some of the younger crowd who may know deployed families (or still fear being among them). The message — This is Team Change keeping its word.

The Obama-Pentagon layer. Here the left-behinds are the story, and what they'll be doing. The same Times report later says (my emphasis throughout):

The movement of the trucks, televised live on “NBC Nightly News” and simulcast on MSNBC, was a largely symbolic demonstration that the war, as Americans have known it, is in its waning phases. . . . Operation Iraqi Freedom becomes Operation New Dawn . . . More than 50,000 troops will remain in Iraq; they will be reclassified as trainers.

The phrase "rebranding" comes to mind. As does the rarely mentioned use of mercenaries (sorry, contractors). Jonathan Turley:

What has been largely ignored in coverage is not only that 50,000 military personnel remain but . . . [t]he Obama administration is planning to more than double the number of private security guards it has in Iraq — up to 7,000 — according to the New York Times. They could find a few extras in Afghanistan where the Administration was surprised with an order to get its civilian security forces — most of the 45,000 contractors — out of the country.

During MSNBC's wall-to-wall "breaking" coverage, one of the commentators (Richard Engel, I think) said the left-behinds will do Special Ops work. This has to please the military, and everyone else invested in the muscular exercise of American power, including many Dems and Independents, plus whatever Republicans Obama can peel away. Call this the "Obama-testosterone" layer if you will, since it counters the always-present "Dems are weak" assault.

Note how the left-behinds, though, complicate calculations for the Iraqis. 60,000 foreign troops with SpecOps assignments can swing a lot of decisions in semi-client states.

The Republican layer. I think this paints them into a corner, but I could be wrong. Are they really going to say — "Return those troops to Iraq this minute, you coward!" I'm looking forward to seeing how they play it; I really am.

The "professional left" layer. Ah. We know what Obama's trying to do with these folks. How will they react? On this hangs the 2010 election, in my opinion, since we know that this bunch includes more than loudmouth bloggers, but actual Dem boots on the ground. The base is de-motivated for a number of reasons; if you ask for a list, get coffee first. It won't be a short one.

Bottom line? This is a tricky triangulation, and I'm not sure it can be pulled off. Some groups have to believe the "withdrawal" is both real and not a retreat. Some have to believe it's a wink-wink affair, with Mr. T leading the left-behinds to testosterone glory. And the administration has to speak to both groups at once.

Eighteen-dimensional chess indeed.

GP Read More......

All US 'Combat' troops have now left Iraq

It's been seven years, three months and 16 days since May 2, 2003. That's when George W. Bush declared "Mission Accomplished" in Iraq. That was a lie -- just like every reason Bush gave for the war itself.

Since then, there have been too many deaths and untold carnage. But, today, the last U.S. combat troops left Iraq:

The last U.S. combat troops were crossing the border into Kuwait on Thursday morning, bringing to a close the active combat phase of a 7½-year war that overthrew the dictatorial regime of Saddam Hussein, forever defined the presidency of George W. Bush and left more than 4,400 American service members and tens of thousands of Iraqis dead.

The final convoy of the Army’s 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, based at Fort Lewis, Wash., were about to enter Kuwait shortly after 1:30 a.m. (6:30 p.m. Wednesday ET), carrying the last of the 14,000 U.S. combat forces in Iraq, said NBC’s Richard Engel, who has been traveling with the brigade as it moved out this week.

The operative word here is "combat." The U.S. will still have tens of thousands of soldiers in the country. But, they're now called "advisers." Read More......

War vets dismissed with wrong diagnoses, denied benefits

This is just wrong. It's another legacy of the Bush/Cheney era. All those politicians who claim to support the troops aren't supporting the troops if they let this happen:

At the height of the Iraq war, the Army routinely fired hundreds of soldiers for having a personality disorder when they were more likely to be suffering from the traumatic stresses of war, discharge data suggests.

Under pressure from Congress and the public, the Army later acknowledged the problem and drastically cut the number of soldiers given the designation. But advocates for veterans say an unknown number of troops still unfairly bear the stigma of a personality disorder, making them ineligible for military health care and other benefits.

"We really have an obligation to go back and make sure troops weren't misdiagnosed," said Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, a clinical psychologist whose nonprofit "Give an Hour" connects troops with volunteer mental health professionals.

So, we sent these men and women to war, they suffered because of it. And, instead of helping them, the Army kicked them out with no benefits.

Fix it. Read More......

Obama to reaffirm Iraq withdrawal is on schedule

Hard to imagine it's really true. But the Times says it is:

By the end of this month, in accordance with the strategy Mr. Obama put in place after taking office, the American force in Iraq will have shrunk from 144,000 to just 50,000 troops. The remaining “advise and assist” brigades will officially focus on supporting and training Iraqi security forces, protecting American personnel and facilities and mounting counterterrorism operations. Those 50,000 troops are due to leave by the end of 2011.

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Iraq and Afghanistan war spending tops $1 trillion

Today, the House voted to approve another emergency supplemental appropriation to cove the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Anyone who is bitching about the deficit needs to know this:

With the new war spending, the total amount of money that Congress has allotted for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan surpasses $1 trillion.

The war in Iraq never should have happened. If that war of choice hadn't distracted the U.S., we might have actually done the job in Afghanistan in a timely fashion. But, nine years laters, it's still a mess

This is a testament to the failed leadership of George Bush and Dick Cheney. That $1 trillion is all deficit spending. Just like the Bush tax cuts. But, those faux deficit hawks never gave these Bush/Cheney policies a second thought.

And, the money is one thing. There's no price tag that can sum up the unnecessary human tragedies. Read More......

The voters have voted in Iraq

It's Election Day in Iraq. The polls have now closed.

There was violence across the country early in the day:

A concerted wave of attacks struck Baghdad and other cities across the country on Sunday as Iraqis voted to elect a new parliament and possibly a new prime minister. Explosions reverberated across the capital moments before the polls opened and continued through the morning haze for the first hours of voting.

At least 38 people were killed and dozens more wounded in Baghdad alone by the time polls officially closed there, the Interior Ministry reported.

But, it looks like the Iraqi people still voted:

By late afternoon, it was still too early to measure turnout, though Western election observers noted a significant increase in voting as the day passed. Polls closed at 5 p.m. In parts of Baghdad, the city seemed far from hunkered down, with shops and restaurants opening and families walking on the streets.

These elections are another step in the process of removing the U.S. from Iraq, a war George Bush started by lying to the American people:

In a briefing at the White House last week, senior advisers who spoke on the condition of anonymity hammered home two messages: "We can't and we will not tell them how to conduct their affairs," an official said of the Iraqis. "That's up to them." In addition, he said, "we see nothing that would divert us from the track we're on . . . to end the combat mission in August," even in the face of sectarian violence.

We should have left Iraq's affair to Iraq back in 2003. And, let's hope nothing diverts us from getting out. Finally. Read More......