U.S. troops set up base near Syria

[ECH1969]

Baghdad -- American troops have established the first long-term military base along a major smuggling route near the Syrian border in a new effort to block potential suicide bombers from reaching targets in Baghdad and other major Iraqi cities.

A force of 1,800 U.S. troops, responding to continuing concerns that foreign fighters are crossing the Syrian border into Iraq, recently began an operation that includes setting up a base 3 miles from the crossroads town of Rawah.

By creating for the first time a base north of the Euphrates River along the strategic route that connects the Syrian border to roads leading north toward Mosul and east to Baghdad, military strategists hope to prevent foreign fighters they say are aligned with al Qaeda leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi from reaching their targets.

"Religious extremists entering Iraq are a threat to the government. They're being used to do to Iraqis what they are unwilling to do to themselves -- commit mass murder of innocents. AMZ (Zarqawi) is trying to use them to foment civil war," said Lt. Gen. John Vines, the top ground commander for the coalition in Iraq.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/07/31/MNGQME0R4G1.DTL

[meganmonkey]

1. It drives me crazy, the projection being used...

In the Vines quote in the last paragraph of the OP - Change 'Religious Extremists' with 'US Forces' and it's just as true...

US Forces "entering Iraq are a threat to the government. They're being used to do to Iraqis what they are unwilling to do to themselves -- commit mass murder of innocents. AMZ (Zarqawi) is trying to use them to foment civil war,"

:cry:

[fshrink]

2. Reminiscences of Cambodia.

[bemildred]

3. More target practice. nt

[okoboji]

4. makes it easier

to invade Syria when the time is right, if you place a military base close enough to the target.....

[PurityOfEssence]

5. You KNOW it's coming, doncha?

Welcome to the board. Yep, there are so many others of us on this board and elsewhere who've been seeing this coming for literally years now. I still say history will show that we tried to do Syria right after taking Baghdad, but that the situation got out of hand.

The PNAC's prime mission is buttressing Israel, and they've got a fixation about Syria that just won't quit. Couple that with the fact that we don't have the wherewithal to pop Iran, and Syria looms as the next stomping ground. The IDF will be happy to help.

So many consistent rumblings have been in the background hubbub for the last two years: breaking diplomatic ties, rumors of WMDs being there, endless insinuation about insurgents infiltrating, the whole Lebanon mess (which is questionable at best) and the repeated little border clashes that smack of us trying to create an incident to justify another snitzkrieg.

It just drives me nuts. It has all the warning signs, yet nobody seems to take it seriously.

So, at least take heart in knowing that you're far from alone in this...

[cliss]

6. Here's where things get dicey -

If they decide to invade Syria and possibly Iran (and I believe they want to), how are they going to do it?

1) Manpower: We're seriously undermanned. I believe they're scrambling to re-shuffle people from bases here and there. Enlistment is way down. I believe there are 1.3 million people in active duty, but there are some sensitive areas where they can't just pull them out because it could cause problems.

2) The countries' own ability to fight back: I've read that Iran presents a formidable obstancle, unlike Iraq. They'll fight, and they'll fight hard. The terrain is different. The population is well-mobilized. I don't know about Syria, but I have to assume they're preparing themselves.

3) The cost: the war in Iraq and Afghanistan is staggering, in terms of cost. I believe they're costing us $100 billion/year. None of this is paid for. It's all borrowed funds. How on earth do they think they can expand into other countries, when we're broke now?

4) Finally, Russia and China: I believe these countries do not want the U.S. to invade these countries. Putin has taken a series of steps to prevent us from doing so. He's made very public sales of missiles to Iran, the nuclear arms issue.

I think Cheney is lusting for both these countries, but the obstacles are holding him back.

[daleo]

7. The obstacles you list do seem rather formidable.

Only a madman would pursue a policy of expanding war at this point. With Bush and company, the description is too apt.

[wildcat78]

11. They want to force God's hand

I truly believe that Bushco believes they are in "the last days" and will do anything to force God's hands. Since they are from the fundamentalist branch of Christianity who believes in the raptures, 2nd coming, yada yada, they're going to try to force God's hand.

Since there was no rapture, no 2nd coming, etc. they have to try a different tact. And, that is to spread the war on terror to either Syria or Iran or both.

If I'm reading this correctly, we should be very afraid for we have madmen running around with nuclear arms.

[okoboji]

8. it just depends

on how bad those evil bastards really want to fulfill their mission.

We all know that they are capable and willing to do anything to get what they want. I betcha there is a small group sifiting over all the different ways that could make this happen.

For all we know, the London bombings could have been a test run to see what kind of reaction they could get to increase support for their "war on terror".

[bananas]

10. Ritter has addressed all these

You might not believe it will work, but I don't have any reason to doubt that this is what is being planned. Look at the space shuttle, they never fixed the problem, but they launched anyway. Now the head of NASA is saying they "goofed" and were "lucky".

http://www.traprockpeace.org/scott_ritter_23june05.html

Scott RItter - "Iran, Where do we go from here?"
by Traprock Peace Center Monday, Jun. 27, 2005 at 7:24 AM
[e-mail] 413-773-7427 103A Keets Road, Deerfield, MA 01342
Scott Ritter.gave an important address on US war making against Iranat a Traprock fundraiser on June 23rd. We encourage radio airplay, downloads for private listening and linking to the audio on the Traprock website. The talk is 47:09 minutes and the Q and A is longer - 1:04:57. Both are mp3 files for radio airplay (recorded in mono at 48 kbps)

“We declared a war on terror. We declared war on those who practice terror. Are we going to declare war on ourselves?” - Scott Ritter, June 23, 2005

Traprock Peace Center has produced an exclusive talk by Scott Ritter on US war making against Iran. He gave this important address at a Traprock fundraiser on June 23rd. We encourage radio airplay, downloads for private listening and linking to the audio on the Traprock website.

Ritter covers the Downing Street Memo, US mass media complicity in wars against Iraq and Iran, and the covert and terrorist war that the US is now waging against Iran. He describes pre-conflict preparations, “warlike advance force operations” and the CIA’s work with the terrorist MEK organization, which is committing terrorist acts, such as bombings, in Iran.

This address follows up on Ritter’s recent article on war with Iran. His main theme came through very clearly – that the US is engaging in a terrorist war of aggression against Iran. He explains how the US is doing it and that, like the war with Iraq, it is all based on a lie. Iran’s nuclear power program is for energy, not weapons, and the administration and media know it, he says. He makes the case that the Bush regime is doing this in order to stay in power, whatever the disastrous consequences of a war for the US and Iran.

Here’s the link to the webpage, which has audio links, photos and links to related information.
http://www.traprockpeace.org/scott_ritter_23june05.html

We have unedited audio of both his talk and the Q and A session. The talk is 47:09 minutes and the Q and A is longer - 1:04:57. Both are available as mp3 files for radio airplay (recorded in mono at 48 kbps) Sound quality is excellent – we thank Ed Russell of activeingredients.org for handling the recording. I did the editing for sound quality. While Traprock Peace Center does not necessarily agree with all of Ritter’s opinions, the content is complete and unabridged. A video is on the way.

For the most part, the American people are ignorant about US aggression toward Iran and have bought US propaganda. The US administration has stoked the flames of hatred many Americans have felt toward Iran. Ritter describes an ugly and tragic situation that’s not a lot of fun to look at for Americans. But look at it they must. They can’t later say “I didn’t know.”


www.traprockpeace.org/scott_ritter_23june05.html

[Javaman]

9. The first? I guess the other 13 are "firsts" too!

[Barkley]

12. Why are there no 'foreign fighter crossing Saudi border into Iraq?

Why are all of the suicide bombers coming only from Syria?

Why don't we set up bases near Saudi Arabia; isnt that where most of the
9-11 terrorist allegedly came from?

Why did we withdraw our military base from Saudi Arabia after 9-11?

[rocktivity]

13. ARE all the suicide bombers coming from Syria?

Or is that just our excuse for being there on the verge of an invasion?

:idea:
rocknation