President Bush, under the guise of seeking advice, is busy trying to find anyone who will recommend that we ignore the Baker Hamilton report, and say his course. Some may ask why.
It appears there may be a new player in this game, and they are offering some 'recommendations'.
Saudi Arabia has warned Washington it might provide financial aid to Iraqi Sunnis in any fighting against Shiites if the U.S. pulls its troops out of Iraq.
In addition, the Saudies have also made it clear that they do not favor the US entering into any talks with Iran.
Now the reason for VP Dick Cheney's last second trip to Saudi Arabia is clear. It also shines a new light on the sudden departure from DC of the Saudi Ambassador to the US. The Saudies are not pleased, and want to make sure George knows it.
His actions since this trip make it appear that he has noticed.
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Iraq Saudi Arabia
2 comments:
There are good points in your article. I would like to supplement them with some information:
I am a 2 tour Vietnam Veteran who recently retired after 36 years of working in the Defense Industrial Complex on many of the weapons systems being used by our forces as we speak.
If you are interested in a view of the inside of the Pentagon procurement process from Vietnam to Iraq please check the posting at my blog entitled, “Odyssey of Armements”
http://www.rosecoveredglasses.blogspot.com
The Pentagon is a giant,incredibly complex establishment,budgeted in excess of $500B per year. The Rumsfelds, the Adminisitrations and the Congressmen come and go but the real machinery of policy and procurement keeps grinding away, presenting the politicos who arrive with detail and alternatives slanted to perpetuate itself.
How can any newcomer, be he a President, a Congressman or even the Sec. Def. to be - Mr. Gates- understand such complexity, particulary if heretofore he has not had the clearance to get the full details?
Answer- he can’t. Therefor he accepts the alternatives provided by the career establishment that never goes away and he hopes he makes the right choices. Or he is influenced by a lobbyist or two representing companies in his district or special interest groups.
From a practical standpoint, policy and war decisions are made far below the levels of the talking heads who take the heat or the credit for the results.
This situation is unfortunate but it is ablsolute fact. Take it from one who has been to war and worked in the establishment.
This giant policy making and war machine will eventually come apart and have to be put back together to operate smaller, leaner and on less fuel. But that won’t happen unitil it hits a brick wall at high speed.
We will then have to run a Volkswagon instead of a Caddy and get along somehow. We better start practicing now and get off our high horse. Our golden aura in the world is beginning to dull from arrogance.
and an easy way to understand the military-industrial complex and it's effect on our country is to see the movie WHY WE FIGHT.
It does leave out our corporate media, which is a great big part of the problem. It too will crash however, and I have hope that blogs and the internet will help make it happen.
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