Al Qaeda

Iraq War – 10 years later

Posted on: March 19th, 2013 by ecthompsonmd No Comments

 

I will not say anything new in this post. I will not say anything that is outrageous or over the top. The Iraq War was one of the many reasons that caused me to start writing a book and to start a blog.

I think that the Bush administration had four main reasons for going to war in Iraq. Yellowcake from Nigeraluminum tubes to concentrate uranium, mobile biological labs and the Al Qaeda (Mohamed Atta) - Saddam Hussein connection.  It is now clear that none of these lines of argument were based in fact. I will not go into any of the details of why the above claims were lies. It should be clear to everyone by now. I will point you to Hubris and 500 Days as two very good books that go into detail about what happened and why. Also check out James Risen's book State of War.

Cost of the War in Iraq

I guess the big question concerns what we gained from the Iraq War. Some will say nothing. Others will argue that we got rid of Saddam Hussein and that was worth it. I would argue that we squandered international good will. We fanned the flames of Muslim extremism. We played into the hands of Bin Laden by invading a country that was no threat to us or our allies. I would say that we turned a very backward nation into a battleground where there seems to always be war.

Thursday Evening News Roundup

Posted on: September 13th, 2012 by ecthompsonmd

 

Thursday Evening News Roundup

Enjoyed a little present from the American Board of Surgery today. It was less fun than you think.

President Bill Clinton in Orlando. He is on.

I am still trying to figure out what the hell happened in Libya. So, a You Tube video did all of this? Really? I ain't buying it. It looks like it is more complex than the original story. I still don't understand how the ambassador died. It seems that everyone was leaving the embassy and he got separated from everyone and somehow ended up dead at the hospital. Crazy.

From MaddowBlog:

Turmoil spreads: "Deadly outrage in the Arab world over an American-made video insulting Islam's founder spread to at least half a dozen places across the Middle East on Thursday and threatened to draw in Afghanistan."

As President Obama vows to be "relentless" in pursuing those who attacked the U.S. consulate in Libya, officials in Libya have already made four arrests as part of the investigation.

Is Egypt an ally or an enemy of the United States? Well, it's complicated.... Read More →

Ex-Navy Seal Crosses the Line

Posted on: September 3rd, 2012 by ecthompsonmd 2 Comments

 

So, there's a book coming out tomorrow that is an ex-Navy Seal's account of exactly what happened when we took out Osama bin Laden. Personally, I will not read this book. I figure that this book will be very similar to the extremely successful, famous and distorted book, Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Remember, they published basically a pack of lies about John Kerry. This author, in my opinion, is clearly writing a partisan textbook that is designed not to illuminate what happened, but instead to attack the president. Let me make a few predictions – Rush Limbaugh will hail this book as some sort of thoughtful breakthrough. Karl Rove and Newt Gingrich will try to paint this guy as some hero (for writing this book) and somehow degrade or, better yet, denigrate President Obama's decision to go with the mission.

I found the following comment to be extremely illuminating:

This guy is a bum for using his uniform for political purposes. I served in a rapid deployment force under President Clinton. We had a dislike for him because democrats are "soft on military" and the "Don't ask Don't tell" but we never divided our ranks in front of the American People. You can't do that. Its an unwritten code that you respect rank and that includes The Commander In Chief, despite what your personal feelings are. The uniform must be greater than partisan politics. The American public can not see soldiers as 1/2 are democrats, 1/2 republican. It would destroy morale and what makes our troops the best in the world.

The guy writing this book, releasing it on 9/11 and keeping the profits, while betraying his chain of command is a scum bag. He is also a confirmed "birther", so that tells you about his intelligence. Just another attempt to "swiftboat" an opponent over politics. Its a shame because America needs to come together to solve big challenges.