WHY THE LESSONS OF VIETNAM DO MATTER/ATimes--New WMW

[Gloria]

Full excerpts, links up NOW at World Media Watch site (URL in sig)
Tomorrow at Buzzflash.com

WORLD MEDIA WATCH For August 20, 2003

1//Arab News, Saudi Arabia--IDIOT OR LIAR? EITHER WAY, BUSH IS UNFIT FOR OFFICE(On July 25, President George W. Bush made a truly staggering statement to the press after a meeting with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan: “The fundamental question is, did Saddam Hussein have a weapons program? And the answer is, absolutely. And we gave him a chance to allow inspectors in, and he wouldn’t let them in. And therefore, after a reasonable request, we decided to remove him from power, along with other nations, so as to make sure he was not a threat to the United States and our friends and allies in the region.” This statement is worth reading carefully. The president of the United States has stated, in a public forum, that he invaded Iraq because Saddam Hussein would not allow weapons inspectors back into his country. So far as I am aware, this statement has not been the subject of any serious critical analysis in the mainstream American media.)



2//Asia Times Online, Hong Kong--WHY THE LESSONS OF VIETNAM DO MATTER(It's all there in Vo Nguyen Giap - Selected Writings, a collection spanning the years 1969-91 and published by Gioi Editions in Hanoi: the strategy and tactics of a war of national liberation and how a "popular war against the American aggression" was organized. The Ba'ath Party and the Republican Guards may have not implemented what they learned - as the top army commanders, after a campaign of preventive intimidation, were finally bought out by Pentagon cash and safe refuge (see The Baghdad deal, April 25). But basically the same strategy is now being implemented by the array of groups that constitute the Iraqi national resistance.)http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/EH20Ak04.html



3//The Turkish Daily News, Turkey--PKK REMAINS IN THE MOUNTAINS (The United States has said it will not tolerate the presence of armed groups in Iraq. The U.S. forces have already disarmed the opposition Iranian forces and have used force to wipe out the Islamic militant groups that were threatening the Kurdish leadership in northern Iraq. American sources say the U.S. has given the PKK militants a last chance to come down from the mountains peacefully and disarm. But U.S. sources have also said that if the PKK militants decide to shun the amnesty then they will be left with no other option but to use force against them. When this will happen remains to be seen.)

4//The Sydney Morning Herald, Australia--PYONGYANG’S ALLIES GROW ANXIOUS (As China tries to calm the region, the US and Australia sent out mixed signals. US officials said on Monday that Australia-US navy exercises in the Coral Sea next month would practise intercepting North Korean mass-destruction weaponry and other contraband exports… As this message was coming out, Australia's Prime Minister, John Howard, was saying in China that the Beijing talks meant "interdiction" was no longer the emphasis of the exercises, and that Proliferation Security Initiative was "on the backburner" because of the hopeful diplomatic developments since the July meeting.)

[legin]

1. Thanks Gloria

Nice atimes article

[protect freedom impeach bush now]

2. the Asia Times article is A MUST Read

EXACTLY what is happening in Iraq.....

//Asia Times Online, Hong Kong--WHY THE LESSONS OF VIETNAM DO MATTER(It's all there in Vo Nguyen Giap - Selected Writings, a collection spanning the years 1969-91 and published by Gioi Editions in Hanoi: the strategy and tactics of a war of national liberation and how a "popular war against the American aggression" was organized. The Ba'ath Party and the Republican Guards may have not implemented what they learned - as the top army commanders, after a campaign of preventive intimidation, were finally bought out by Pentagon cash and safe refuge (see The Baghdad deal, April 25). But basically the same strategy is now being implemented by the array of groups that constitute the Iraqi national resistance.)http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/EH20Ak04.html

[Jacobin]

4. Best analysis I've read yet of what is going on

If I thought it would do any good, I'd send it by certified mail to everyone in congress.

Unfortunately, I don't think they are interested in reality....only perception and short term personal political gain.

"How many body bags" indeed. That is the only question.

[QuietStorm]

5. ditto

we knew this was vietnam going in. at least that was how it felt to me but this escobar article is primo. it is what comes with saxon supremacy. you'd think they would have learned. In vietnam they underestimated the terrain, they had no concept of the religious breakdown, nor did they have a sense of how determined they were for independence. Ho chi min did come to the us first begged them to help. finally ho chi min got his help from russia. McNamara was misinforming the president. we were losing from the beginning. (the bright and shining lie neil sheehan). this felt the same way. shall we be the paper tiger OBL figured we'd be. seems it is too late to turn and run now.

[tedzbear]

7. Ditto me too.

The * regime thinks this Viet Nam will be worth it because it is sitting on a trillion dollar treasure. To them, 60 dead soldiers is a small price to pay.
:kick:

[Gloria]

3. Kick for overnight.....am......

eom

[Athame]

6. Sobering thoughts from those who should know

...another :kick: for the Asia Times article

and thanks to Gloria. :thumbsup:

[Jacobin]

8. A Big Kick

For an EXCELLENT article (sad we have to go to Asia for insightful journalism)

:kick:
:kick:
:kick"

[Whoa_Nelly]

9. The Arab news story link

Idiot or Liar? Either Way, Bush Is Unfit for Office

<snip>
Assuming, as seems reasonable, that the president of the United States was neither drunk nor on LSD, there can be only two possible explanations for this statement:

Explanation 1: The president of the United States believed what he said. In this case, he is so dim-witted and/or totally divorced from reality as to be mentally unfit to hold his current job — or, indeed, any job — and should be taken into medical care.

Explanation 2: The president did not believe what he said but, rather, believes (unfortunately not without compelling post-Sept.11 evidence) that the vast majority of the American people are so dim-witted and/or uninformed and the vast majority of the American media is so sycophantic and/or terrified of being branded “unpatriotic” (or simply losing White House “access”) that he can now tell any lie, no matter how obvious and outrageous, and get away with it. In this case, he is morally unfit to hold his current job and should, by constitutional means, be forced to relinquish it as soon as possible.

Either explanation should scare the wits out of anyone who is not comatose.


http://www.arabnews.com/?page=7§ion=0&article=30536&d=19&m=8&y=2003