US Congressional Report Highlights Intelligence Gaps on Iran's Nuclear Program

'Recognizing Iran as a Strategic Threat: An Intelligence Challenge for the United States,' released this week by House intelligence committee chair, Pete Hoekstra is another blatant attempt to fit policy around a bunch of unsupported so-called facts.
"The report gives, I think, an exaggerated view of what Iran is actually doing, and then it turns around and criticizes the intelligence services for not coming to the same conclusion that they have come to," Sick said. "And that looks very much like the kind of process that we had prior to the invasion of Iraq, and the one that came in for such tremendous criticism after we went into Iraq. I would really hate to see us going down that road a second time."
VOA News - US Congressional Report Highlights Intelligence Gaps on Iran's Nuclear Program: "But Sick, who currently teaches Middle Eastern affairs at Columbia University in New York, says the House Intelligence Committee report released Wednesday is riddled with inaccuracies, including a statement that 'Iran is currently enriching uranium to weapons grade' at the country's Natanz nuclear facility.
'Well, that site is actually under inspection by the IAEA, and it has produced thus far probably less than a gram of enriched uranium, and that enriched uranium is not at weapons grade. They [the committee] are simply making statements that are not true,' he said."

Major arms soar to twice pre-9/11 cost

"The estimated costs for the development of major weapons systems for the US military have doubled since September 11, 2001, with a trillion-dollar price tag for new planes, ships, and missiles that would have little direct role in the fight against insurgents in Afghanistan and Iraq."
"Controlling the long-term costs of the Pentagon's arsenal are very nearly as complex as restraining the cost of government entitlements like Social Security and Medicare," the analysis said.
Major arms soar to twice pre-9/11 cost - The Boston Globe
Hey, when you're in the killing and maiming business and when you have financial interest in the war machine mega-companies why not get on the bandwagon and fill your pockets while the filling is good. After all, that's what this criminal administration and their congressional cronies do best. Oh for the good old Vietnam days when the cheap stuff like agent orange and napalm delivered by WWII aircraft did enough killing and maiming to satisfay any warmonger.
At least entitlements like Social Security and Medicare return a benefit for what we pay for. What benefit do our citizens get from dropping smart bombs using the latest thing in hardware on helpless civilians in foreign lands? Oh, we're killing them over there so we don't have to kill them over here. BULLSHIT

Iraq faces fuel crisis amid the violence

"Iraqi officials announced plans to double the amount of money spent to import fuel to combat the country's worst oil and gasoline shortages in years. Much of the fuel crisis is due to insurgent attacks on convoys and on Iraq's fragile pipeline network, Oil Ministry officials said."
Iraq faces fuel crisis amid the violence IndyStar.com: "Iraq faces fuel crisis amid the violence"
Iraq's three main oil refineries -- Dora, Beiji and Shuaiba -- are working at half capacity, processing only 350,000 barrels per day compared to 700,000 barrels a day before the war.

Iraqis: Reality worse than U.S. believes - The Olympian

Nationwide statistics during the past three years suggest that U.S. efforts to secure Iraq aren't succeeding.
"When L. Paul Bremer, then the top U.S. representative in Iraq, appointed an Iraqi Governing Council in July 2003, insurgent attacks averaged 16 daily. When Saddam Hussein was captured that December, the average was 19. When Bremer signed the hand-over of sovereignty in June 2004, it was 45 attacks daily. When Iraq had its elections for a transitional government in January 2005, it was 61. When U.S. forces killed Abu Musab al Zarqawi in June, it was up to 90."
Iraqis: Reality worse than U.S. believes - The Olympian - Olympia, Washington

Insurgent Bombs Directed at G.I.’s Increase in Iraq

“The insurgency has more public support and is demonstrably more capable in numbers of people active and in its ability to direct violence than at any point in time.”
"Along with a sharp increase in sectarian attacks, the number of daily strikes against American and Iraqi security forces has doubled since January. The deadliest means of attack, roadside bombs, made up much of that increase. In July, of 2,625 explosive devices, 1,666 exploded and 959 were discovered before they went off. In January, 1,454 bombs exploded or were found. An analysis of the 1,666 bombs that exploded in July shows that 70 percent were directed against the American-led military force, according to a spokesman for the military command in Baghdad."
Insurgent Bombs Directed at G.I.’s Increase in Iraq - New York Times:
Is bush finally getting the message who is considered the enemy in Iraq?
"Yet some outside experts who have recently visited the White House said Bush administration officials were beginning to plan for the possibility that Iraq’s democratically elected government might not survive."

Disagreement over timing of arrests

Does anybody now have any real doubt about the reasoning of the bush criminals timing of this announcement? Anything at all to attempt to score political points and to shift focus from the Iraq disaster.
NBC: Disagreement over timing of arrests - Lisa Myers & the NBC Investigative Unit - MSNBC.com

Bush staff wanted bomb-detect cash moved

And we're supposed to feel safer when we're surrounded by incompetence.
Bush staff wanted bomb-detect cash moved - Yahoo! News: "The administration's most recent budget request also mystified lawmakers. It asked to take $6 million from Homeland S&T's 2006 budget that was supposed to be used to develop explosives detection technology and instead divert it to cover a budget shortfall in the Federal Protective Service, which provides security around government buildings. "

Lieberman Lost the Old-fashioned Way

He was out of touch with voters. And he's not alone. His defeat foreshadows an upheaval to come in November.
TIME.com: Lieberman Lost the Old-fashioned Way -- Page 1

Rice's Fantasy Ride

Maybe Condi should pack a couple of those smart bombs the Israeli's are so desperate to kill.  After all when you're in the killing and maiming business you gotta take care of business first.

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