Politics As Usual

[the Spartan]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
Dude, you are so postmodern. It kills me.

Actually reactionary anachronism is the new PoMo. didn't you get the memo?

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
Lefty here attacks the administration for A.
You say, but if the administration had done not A, you would have attacked that, too. Implicitly, then, the attack on A has nothing to do with the substance of A, and really just reflects a blind propensity to attack the administration.

(1) Get a macro already.
(2) Why you think this is convincing, or even worth the electrons, is beyond me.

you should post more

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by the Spartan
Actually reactionary anachronism is the new PoMo. didn't you get the memo?

You are so trendy it kills me. I'm sure it's tough for your cubiclemate to keep up with you.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by Atticus Grinch
The stuff about poo is 100% me. Are you saying you found that Eva Silverstein photo in your "My Documents" folder? Don't answer that.

no Eva's photo came with a picture frame, and besides, I don't claim to understand most of what I post.

[Dave]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
besides, I don't claim to understand most of what I post.

2.

[Did you just call me Coltrane?]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
the "not really" is absurd. They were blamed for not being concerned about a report 4 years before they took over that al Queda might fly a plane into a building.

Who blames them? I don't.

[Atticus Grinch]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
you don't know any employed Middle Eastern people? Fuck, Atticus and Sidd are going to rip you a new one. That's the most racist thing I've ever heard here.

Hello said "legitimate" income. Don't fight the hypo.

[the Spartan]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
You are so trendy it kills me. I'm sure it's tough for your cubiclemate to keep up with you.

Gratzie. He's not the fanciest guy I've ever met, but I'm working on him. FWIW. NTTAWWT. Maybe, I should ship him off to you and Sidd to fancy him up a bit.

[Shape Shifter]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
you don't know any employed Middle Eastern people? Fuck, Atticus and Sidd are going to rip you a new one. That's the most racist thing I've ever heard here.

They are all to busy schtupping camels and playing with their flight simulators. I don't know where they get their money.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Here is that New Republic article.

Some key paragraphs:

This spring, the administration significantly increased its pressure on Pakistan to kill or capture Osama bin Laden, his deputy, Ayman Al Zawahiri, or the Taliban's Mullah Mohammed Omar, all of whom are believed to be hiding in the lawless tribal areas of Pakistan. A succession of high-level American officials--from outgoing CIA Director George Tenet to Secretary of State Colin Powell to Assistant Secretary of State Christina Rocca to State Department counterterrorism chief Cofer Black to a top CIA South Asia official--have visited Pakistan in recent months to urge General Pervez Musharraf's government to do more in the war on terrorism. In April, Zalmay Khalilzad, the American ambassador to Afghanistan, publicly chided the Pakistanis for providing a "sanctuary" for Al Qaeda and Taliban forces crossing the Afghan border. "The problem has not been solved and needs to be solved, the sooner the better," he said.

This public pressure would be appropriate, even laudable, had it not been accompanied by an unseemly private insistence that the Pakistanis deliver these high-value targets (HVTs) before Americans go to the polls in November. The Bush administration denies it has geared the war on terrorism to the electoral calendar. "Our attitude and actions have been the same since September 11 in terms of getting high-value targets off the street, and that doesn't change because of an election," says National Security Council spokesman Sean McCormack. But The New Republic has learned that Pakistani security officials have been told they must produce HVTs by the election. According to one source in Pakistan's powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), "The Pakistani government is really desperate and wants to flush out bin Laden and his associates after the latest pressures from the U.S. administration to deliver before the [upcoming] U.S. elections." Introducing target dates for Al Qaeda captures is a new twist in U.S.-Pakistani counterterrorism relations--according to a recently departed intelligence official, "no timetable[s]" were discussed in 2002 or 2003--but the November election is apparently bringing a new deadline pressure to the hunt. Another official, this one from the Pakistani Interior Ministry, which is responsible for internal security, explains, "The Musharraf government has a history of rescuing the Bush administration. They now want Musharraf to bail them out when they are facing hard times in the coming elections." (These sources insisted on remaining anonymous. Under Pakistan's Official Secrets Act, an official leaking information to the press can be imprisoned for up to ten years.)

A third source, an official who works under ISI's director, Lieutenant General Ehsan ul-Haq, informed tnr that the Pakistanis "have been told at every level that apprehension or killing of HVTs before [the] election is [an] absolute must." What's more, this source claims that Bush administration officials have told their Pakistani counterparts they have a date in mind for announcing this achievement: "The last ten days of July deadline has been given repeatedly by visitors to Islamabad and during [ul-Haq's] meetings in Washington." Says McCormack: "I'm aware of no such comment." But according to this ISI official, a White House aide told ul-Haq last spring that "it would be best if the arrest or killing of [any] HVT were announced on twenty-six, twenty-seven, or twenty-eight July"--the first three days of the Democratic National Convention in Boston.

The Bush administration has matched this public and private pressure with enticements and implicit threats. During his March visit to Islamabad, Powell designated Pakistan a major non-nato ally, a status that allows its military to purchase a wider array of U.S. weaponry. Powell pointedly refused to criticize Musharraf for pardoning nuclear physicist A.Q. Khan--who, the previous month, had admitted exporting nuclear secrets to Iran, North Korea, and Libya--declaring Khan's transgressions an "internal" Pakistani issue. In addition, the administration is pushing a five-year, $3 billion aid package for Pakistan through Congress over Democratic concerns about the country's proliferation of nuclear technology and lack of democratic reform.

It continues.

From Club's suggestion that my criticism of the administration for politicizing national security is "rich," I take it that he is opposed to such politicization, no matter who is in charge, and that he is offended by the fact that (1) we apparently haven't been pulling out all the stops to get OBL before now, and (2) the administration is trying bribe Pakistan with public money to help re-elect Bush. But I find it noteworthy that club, Slave, Hank and Penske have all managed to post several times since I first posted the story without otherwise responding to it at all. Say nothing more, guys -- the silence is, I gather, an acknowledgemewnt that this is damning stuff if true.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by the Spartan
Gratzie. He's not the fanciest guy I've ever met, but I'm working on him. FWIW. NTTAWWT. Maybe, I should ship him off to you and Sidd to fancy him up a bit.

Sidd, AG and I rely pretty exclusively on Catrin Darcy for fashion advice, etc. Until em straightened me out, I would wear overalls into the office on casual Fridays. If you ship him down, we'll have to introduce them.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
But I find it noteworthy that club, Slave, Hank and Penske have all managed to post several times since I first posted the story without otherwise responding to it at all. Say nothing more, guys -- the silence is, I gather, an acknowledgemewnt that this is damning stuff if true.

I read to this part then stopped:

Another official, this one from the Pakistani Interior Ministry, which is responsible for internal security, explains, "The Musharraf government has a history of rescuing the Bush administration. They now want Musharraf to bail them out when they are facing hard times in the coming elections."

When did Musharraf rescue Bush?

80% of Saudi TV viewers think Bush planned 9/11, yet you continue to take vague allegations from people over there and treat them like fact.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by Shape Shifter
They are all to busy schtupping camels and playing with their flight simulators. I don't know where they get their money.

And what headwear?

[the Spartan]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
Here is that New Republic article.

Some key paragraphs:



It continues.

From Club's suggestion that my criticism of the administration for politicizing national security is "rich," I take it that he is opposed to such politicization, no matter who is in charge, and that he is offended by the fact that (1) we apparently haven't been pulling out all the stops to get OBL before now, and (2) the administration is trying bribe Pakistan with public money to help re-elect Bush. But I find it noteworthy that club, Slave, Hank and Penske have all managed to post several times since I first posted the story without otherwise responding to it at all. Say nothing more, guys -- the silence is, I gather, an acknowledgemewnt that this is damning stuff if true.

What's the big deal? Setting deadlines is integral to productivity management. It's baked into the efficiencies.

[sgtclub]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
Here is that New Republic article.

It continues.

From Club's suggestion that my criticism of the administration for politicizing national security is "rich," I take it that he is opposed to such politicization, no matter who is in charge, and that he is offended by the fact that (1) we apparently haven't been pulling out all the stops to get OBL before now, and (2) the administration is trying bribe Pakistan with public money to help re-elect Bush. But I find it noteworthy that club, Slave, Hank and Penske have all managed to post several times since I first posted the story without otherwise responding to it at all. Say nothing more, guys -- the silence is, I gather, an acknowledgemewnt that this is damning stuff if true.

I have no idea whether or not this is true, but assuming it is, what is the problem with putting extra pressure on the Pakis? Are you suggesting that the Admin dragged its feet so that, assuming the Pakis are successful, it could time the captures/kills to the election? That is preposterous.

I find your suggestions rich because I think the far left has been politicizing the war on terror/war on Iraq ever since they felt it would not be in gawd awful taste to do so. This started with Dean, and once they realized that there were no ramifications, the flood gates opened.*

This is not to say that there are not legitimate critisisms, especially in Iraq. There are, especially in execution. But its a catch 22 on the left - if you don't disclose threats, you are withholding for nefarious purposes. If you do, you are politicizing the war.