American Troops Prepare for Attack on Ramadi

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My friends, wherever you are out there, we are gearing up for another full-scale attack on an Iraqi city- this time, Ramadi, a city 70 miles west of Baghdad and adjacent to Fallujah. This attack, codenamed River Blitz, comes less than three months after the massive and controversial assault on Fallujah. The suicide bombings and other attacks on Shia Muslims during Ashura have been attributed to Sunni resistance and in particular the group led by al-Zarqawi. So the U. S. plans to attack Ramadi in retaliation and in an effort to "pacify" the remaining "rebel" strongholds. We are supposed to believe that military action is the answer in Iraq. America will continue to destroy and kill in the name of democracy and, of course, freedom. We seem to have resorted to the lowest form of human encounter- WAR- rather than use our heads to come up with more imaginative solutions in Iraq. Bush announced "Mission Accomplished" months and months ago, and elections were held January 30th. Yet we are still on the warpath. The words of the song come to mind: When will we ever learn?

Supposedly, according to Maj-Gen Richard Natonski, commander of the 1st Marine Division, the U. S. has been asked by the Iraqi government to help out in Ramadi. And, if we are to believe reports from our government, diplomats and intelligence officers have been conducting secret talks with "insurgents" on ways to end the resistance. Meanwhile, the drumbeat of war can be heard in the distance. Is this what we call diplomacy? Can there be a meeting of minds when our soldiers are marching down every street in Ramadi, carrying huge weapons and giving the appearance of occupation? What are we thinking? What would we do if the same were happening in New York City or Boston? Would Americans trying to defend their cities be called "insurgents?"

Jon Stewart is certainly right. This is Mess-o-potamia.

When will we ever learn?