by Jim Swanson
Blue Herald

Yesterday’s long anticipated “Petraeus Report” with an assist from Ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, was actually a smokescreen for the Bush Administration.

While Republicans and neo-cons alike no doubt smiled with glee over the General’s claims of progress in the occupation, Democrats sat and probably took the bait.

A recent survey by three world-wide news and poll organizations has now shown that nearly 70% of Iraqis want the United States out of their country. To my dismay, the same survey also showed that 34% of the Iraq population said that attacks on coalition troops were justified.

Petraeus’ remarks about possible drawdowns in troops “around” summer of 2008 is the smokescreen of the century. This drawdown would bring the number of troops back to pre’surge numbers. If you recall, the surge was supposed to help end the war. Instead, it has done it’s job to buy Bush more time and more billions.

When you put your mind to it, what business did we have invading a country that had done nothing to deserve the bombing, the destruction, the suicide bombings, the death squads, the refugees in the millions and our soldiers and their families being tormented with the memories of a “war” brought on by lies from the President of The United States and his lemming followers.

A promise to rebuild the infrastructure has been broken. There is very little clean water that is drinkable, like we promised. There is, maybe, an hour or two of electricity a day. We promised to fix that.

Petraeus is just a puppet on a string for “W” and his mafia style of politics. Contractors are paid enormous sums of money to do things that are never going to be done. The money grubbing war profiteers should be in jail. And so should Petraeus, for lying to get his fourth star as a career apple polisher and ass-kisser for the current administration of thugs.

Democrats will likely roll over and play the submissive puppy when Bush asks for billions more in the “blind walk at midnight through the coal bin” that has no end, and will likely never end.

Take a look at the GAO report on the violence, then look at Petraeus’ report (which was written by the occupants of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue) and see just how the numbers don’t match up.

Will we ever see the end of this ridiculous, endless money pit? Probably not. As long as there’s money involved to fatten up Washington career politicians and their corporate donors.