What is it gong to take? I, like many of you watched as and his sidekick, testified before Congress today and once again, said nothing. The supposed purpose of these hearings is to be updated on any progress gained and when we can begin the long awaited withdrawal of our troops.

REMEMBER THE TROOPS?

Just as a reality test, I am going to publish some of the “double-speak” that Petraeus and Crocker dished out today because I still find it hard to believe that the so-called intelligent men and women that occupy Congressional seats are willing to stand for all of this bullshit. Especially after the American people mandated the end of the war. HERE GOES:

• Petraeus began by saying his testimony was purely his own (once again taking a bullet for Bush)

• He said that the military objectives of the surge are, in large measure, being met (Remember the 18 benchmarks? He didn’t!)

• Crocker said a “secure, stable, democratic Iraq at peace with its neighbors is attainable, but the process will not be quick, it will be uneven, punctuated by setbacks as well as achievements, and it will require substantial U.S. resolve and commitment.” (What the hell does that mean?)

• Petraeus’ summary: The security situation in Iraq is improving, and Iraqis elements are slowly taking on more of the responsibility for protecting their citizens. Innumerable challenges lie ahead; however, Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces have made progress toward achieving sustainable security. As a result, the United States will be in a position to reduce its forces in Iraq in the months ahead (Let me translate: nothing has changed and if ’something happens’ maybe I’ll come back next year for another chat)

For the full transcript, CLICK HERE

And now, after that brief trip to “la-la land,” let’s get grounded in a little reality and hear what Lt. General William Odum, Former Director of the National Security Agency has to say when asked if the “surge” worked:

“Last year I rejected the claim that it was a new strategy. Rather, I said, it is a new tactic used to achieve the same old strategic aim, political stability. And I foresaw no serious prospects for success.

I see no reason to change my judgment now. The surge is prolonging instability, not creating the conditions for unity as the president claims.

He goes on to say, “More disturbing, Prime Minister Maliki has initiated military action and then dragged in US forces to help his own troops destroy his Shiite competitors. This is a political setback, not a political solution. Such is the result of the surge tactic.

I don’t know what it is going to take. General Odum stated on Keith Olbermann’s show tonight (4/8) that what Bush and Petraeus are doing is exactly what President Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger did with the Vietnam war. That is, promised to withdraw the troops when all they did was covertly escalate the war for another 2 years incurring over 20,000 American soldiers!!!

Does anyone remember when Nixon’s former Secretary of Defense and chief architect of the Vietnam war, Robert McNamara, cried and begged for forgiveness for knowingly escalating the war when he knew it was “un-winnable” - 20 YEARS LATER!

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