The Iraq News

Fourth "Anniversary" of Shock and Awe, Bush Speech, Walter Reed, Protests, "Zip It," Frank Rich, More

I just watched President Bush give a five minute speech on the first four years of the Iraq War. Today's the "anniversary". That's one and a quarter minutes of speech per year of warfare.

Bush managed to exceed the low expectations he's set for these speeches. Though I just harangued him for brevity, it was probably a blessing for him and us. To his credit, he appeared sober. He was dressed. His facial expressions fit the mood; that's to say, he wasn't laughing the whole time like he always does.

So, with Bush's 'big acknowledgment' of the anniversary of Shock and Awe in the history books, here's the Iraq News.

• So far, 3,185 members of the American military have died in Iraq. 40% of Americans still think the invasion was the right thing to do. A lot of journalists are still telling little and big lies about it.
• New shit has come to light on what caused the Walter Reed scandal. A three year delay in privatizing the hospital led to critical staff shortages as the number of soldiers in need of care rose sharply. The privatization movement, people, is dead. Write it on your blogs. Spread the word. We actually need a government. Shocker.
• Thousands of Christians marched on Washington Saturday to protest the Iraq War. In fact there was widespread protest generally ignored by our press. San Francisco. Hollywood, California. New York City. Tallahassee, Florida. Providence. Miami. Barack Obama in Oakland. Obama in Denver. I could go on and on.
• Ned Lamont tells us what the UN weapons inspectors knew four years ago.
• The outing of Valerie Plame was done to help make this war happen. Now Plame has testified under oath that she was under cover and improperly outed. Yet, no apologies for the people who dragged her, ass first, through the mud for four years.
• Arianna on four years.
• Frank Rich writes, "The Ides of March 2003." Rich does a fantastic job in this article of demolishing the Bushies call for patience.
• From the Guardian (h/t The Carpetbagger Report)--"The Regrets of the Man Who Brought Down Saddam". Here's me quoting Steve Benin quoting Cliff Schecter, “Try and imagine how truly horrible it must be. Something you wanted with all your heart, and this is the result? You’d rather have a homicidal despot in charge than the U.S. Government?”

VIDEO: Tony Snow tells Ed Henry to "zip it" about Iraq. "Zip it?"
VIDEO: This week's episode of Meet The Press came from the fucking Twilight Zone. Watch as Tom DeLay and Richard Perle team up on Rep. Sustek (Crooks and Liars). So the indicted and disgraced Tom DeLay and the un-indicted, yet also quite disgraceful, PNAC member Perle are welcomed into Russert's den on the eve of the war's anniversary? WTF, Russ?
IMAGE: Blognonymous has a poignant picture that speaks many words about the American approach to Iraq.
VIDEO: Here's a quick look at Saturday's St. Patrick's Day march on the Pentagon.


Crossposted at Ice Station Tango.

TAGS: Iraq War, Shock and Awe, Protest, Walter Reed