Rep. Nancy Boyda Shares Her Experience With A Nutjob Talk Show Host
By Logan Murphy Friday Jul 27, 2007 7:41pm
Via The Gavel:
Rep. Nancy Boyda (KS-02), whose state saw the effects of the strain on the National Guard during the tornadoes in May, speaks in favor of legislation requiring a waiver from President Bush to send troops back without a 1:2 deployment ratio for the active duty and a 1:5 ratio for most of the reserve component. She is responding in part to General Jack Keane, who testified before the Committee but left before Rep. Boyda’s remarks, and was reportedly one of the architects of the escalation policy.
“And finally, I would just like to share a story. When I was speaking back at home with one of a very right wing conservative talk show hosts and after, thank God, after we were off the air, I said something that I assumed he would agree with and I just said ‘you know, I’m really worried about these guys and gals, but mainly guys, that have gone, that they’ve been redeployed now three and four times’ — he came back to me and said ‘you know what, they should have thought about that before they enlisted, before they signed up.’ He said ‘it’s their fault.’ And I was so upset, I looked at him and I said with all due restraint, and I said no respect, it’s not with all due respect because quite honestly, I have no respect for that opinion, with all due restraint, and I got myself calmed down and left the room... Read more...
Well done, Rep. Boyda. Put the mouthbreathers in their place and never back down. Boyda didn't mention the name of the troop loving talk show host, but it's refreshing to see a Democrat stand up and bring some reality to morons like that and especially in a place like Kansas that needs it so desperately...(h/t Atrios)
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I have to agree with the so-called nut job on this one. The military is neither a social club nor a form of social welfare. People who sign up know that they are not only potentially risking their lives, they are also signing away control of their lives.
Does this mean that the military (in all its forms) should be abused the way this admin is currently abusing them (especially the National Guard)? Of course not. But let's not pretend this is just an ordinary form of employment.
Bravo, Rep Boyda! And no, volunteering to serve your country does not give your "leaders" the moral right to abuse that service. They have the responsibility to protect you and your welfare, both physical and mental, to the best of their abilities.
"..it’s refreshing to see a Democrat stand up..".
Refreshing, hell. It's astonishing.
The next time I hear "They should have thought about that before they enlisted" crap I'm going to squeeze their balls until their nose bleeds and they cry "Momma".
For many in the military, service is an escape from poverty. It used to be a way to get training to be able to lead a decent life with job skills.
Now, it seems like there is no escape from Hell.
a bayonet is a weapon wih a working man on each end
Sorry, Mr. blather, no one in the military knew just how badly Bush would fuck up. And many of these folks joined because they had no other options. And by the by, many recruiters tell young kids IT IS LIKE ANY OTHER JOB... two young kids from my sons Martial Arts school just joined the National Gaurd (FUUUUUUUUCK) and were told they wouldn't go to Iraq. They did their boot camp the summer before their senior years and now that they graduated will be going to AIT which has been shortened by three to four weeks so that they could join up with their unit scheduled to head over this winter. I was furious that these 16-17 year old kids were fucking LIED to and their goddamned parents just handed them over to these vampires without doing any footwork. Don't be so cold hearted, it makes you sound like a repug, we're better than that.
Blather, indeed! The fact that you sign "away control of" your life, and your sense of morality and decision making, when you join the military is the main reason I re-quested {and received} a conscientious objector classification at the height of the Viet Nam fiasco. It is the reason I will gladly counsel any draft age {don't worry, it's coming} young person to do the same.. Put another way, would you abdicate your sense of morality to the the likes of Shrub? I hope not. Leave that to all those fierce warriors in the Young Republicans. What? Oh, sorry, I forgot they have "other priorities".
I find this comment offensive. General Jack Keane: "they should have thought about that before they enlisted"
Many troops appear not to have realized -- until too late -- that they were being used as pawns for illegal warfare; and being sent on poorly/recklessly managed wars.
We the People owe it to them to fix this mess. Murtha has shown all Americans that the Iraq funding could be cut now. It is reckless for the troops to be put in harms way in this disastrous campaign.
General Jack Keane, how does it feel to lead troops in a reckless war; and see all the lessons you've learned as a cadet and young officer thrown out the window? You deserve better leadership in the White House. Stop blaming the troops for your reckless obedience to illegal orders.
never give an inch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I must disagree with Rep. Boyda, when she says that those in the military "are honorably serving their country." I did not honorably serve my country when I willingly went ahead by contributing to the deaths of innocent Vietnamese civilians during the Vietnam War. Donald Duncan, the Green Beret featured in the documentary Sir! No Sir!, said that military personnel should not hesitate in questioning whether their mission is worthy of valor. It is long past the point that those in the military begin doing the same thing about the United States' less than noble cause in Iraq.
Why bother with reality when you are blessed with the Creation Museum.
Bear in mind that according to science, the human brain matures in the mid-20s... these are children making life-altering decisions while being recruited by perverse and mendacious adults.
"he came back to me and said ‘you know what, they should have thought about that before they enlisted, before they signed up.’ He said ‘it’s their fault".
Spoken like a true combat dodging chickenhawk.
These are kids easily seduced by the glorification of war recruitment ads and violent video games (no doubt backed and supplemented by the pentagon). Others have no other employment or college supplement options. And still others enlist over the objection of their parents and family members who know their kids are being duped. All so Big Oil, defense contractors, Halliburton and other war profiteers can get rich over their broken bodies.
There is a special place in hell for these people.
It doesnt take a rocket scientist to see that most of the wars a solider might be called to fight in won't be terribly popular on the home front. Obviously many of the younger kids might not do that math but Im sure the older ones and the officers know the score. Im not saying they deserve to be sent to fight in bullshit wars but that's a real risk when you sign up.
Well done, Rep. Boyda. Put the mouthbreathers in their place and never back down.
Hey...Take it easy, you just insulted a bunch of my FISH comparing them with that scumbag right wingnut.
Mr. Blather @ 1:
Umm...you missed the point: the conservative wingnut talk show host implied that the repeated deployments and the toll the short turnaround time between them has taken on the troops is somehow the fault of the soldiers themselves for enlisting.
You sure you want to go around agreeing with that kind of statement?
praise ALL our BRAVE TROOPS.
FUCK the bastards who lied to them and are sacrificing them to an illegal ego war and
a war of profit for shit-for-brains and cheney's corporate friends.
Peptic Skeptic @ 15:
OOPS, sorry, didn't read your word correct, you said mouth "breathers" not mouth-breeders.
My fish feel better now.
Chickensh*t Chickenhawks! Send em to Falluja!
Dorothy Boyda: Right on this subject, but check out her record.
Don't count on her in the long run.
Navy Vet @ 16:
If you find yourself agreeing with the wingnuts, you might be one.
It wouldn't matter how much consideration the recruits made before signing up-the decider changed the rules after the game was on.
As disgusting as it is to see our military misused in this war of choice, it is even more distressing to realize that Osama bin Laden is still evading capture, still avoiding justice, still capable of using our mental midgets in the White House to accomplish his goals. If nothing else shames Cheney/Bush and the rest of the neoconmen, it should be that they were in control of the greatest military in history, and yet proved incapable of a strategy sufficient to get this villian.
With all due respect, it appears that the army may be executing dissenting soldiers (Pat Tillman).
Andy K @ 20:
She may be a Democrat but she is from Kansas. She can only be so progressive and still get elected in that state. Still, it's better than having a Rethuglicon in her seat.
Erroll @ 10:
I understand your sentiment, but look at her comments this way: She's attempting to extend support to the troops. She can't very well come out and say, "The troops are a contemptuous lot, but I'm going to do my best to end this." That doesn't sound like a defendable position: Why would she want to "help" those who were involved with this?
Again, I appreciate your sentiments: That illegal orders should be refused; and I agree this is not a noble cause, but a reckless adventure.
However, having said the above, the US -- regardless how we got into this mess, through WMD ruses, etc -- has a Geneva obligation to maintain security. That doesn't mean staying in a mess that is getting messier; it means ensuring we responsibly manage the situation -- as unlike as it is from post WWII Germany -- as we withdraw. Yet, it sounds like the DNC is attempting to make it appear the GOP is responsible for a decision the DNC leadership has made: To continue funding what the DNC has chosen to continue funding.
It looks the US withdrawal would be a bigger mess than Vietnam; yet, staying is just as untenable. The solution would be to work with the Iranians, Turks, Jordanians, Saudis to stabilize the situation; and, if needed, partition Iraq. It doesn't appear Iraq has a solution to its mess that the US agrees with; but the US needs to accept that it is not wanted by all; and its presence is not appearing to help, but is part of the problem. It's premature to plan for long term bases; but its irresponsible not to plan for long-term stability. This WH has amazingly created this mess, and successfully (in the minds of some) blamed it on everyone else. How they did that remains to be explored.
I wish I had a better response.
22 Emerald Says:
"As disgusting as it is to see our military misused in this war of choice, it is even more distressing to realize that Osama bin Laden is still evading capture, still avoiding justice, still capable of using our mental midgets in the White House to accomplish his goals. If nothing else shames Cheney/Bush and the rest of the neoconmen,........."
osama bin laden isn't evading capture, he is a quest of bush/cheney in pakistan. osama is just another extention of the bush family. bush would never cripple his financial investments in saudi arabia by seeking to capture, incarcerate and/or execute osama. why would he? the bush family and cheney would lose all those oil profits the
American citizens are paying for.
Mr. Blather @ 1:
Just because you join the military does not mean that your life is worth dog crap. You go in assuming, properly I might add, that your chain of command will value your service and behave responsibly with your life. Yes, you may die, we are all aware of that and accept it. But to behave stupidly with our lives is criminal and that's how those deploy our troops with absolutely no regard for their welfare should be going to jail
So to paraphrase:
Right-wing talk radio to America: SUCKERS!!!!
AJ Fan @ 23:
Hey, would you want to be a soldier in Iraq who has become enlightened about how we got there and why surround by your fellow comrades with guns many of whom who still fervently believe they are fighting them over there so they don't have to fight them over here and by disagreeing you are helping Al-Queda? May not the be the best time and place to become enlightened and let it be known. You might find yourself becoming the enemy real quick.
Mr. Blather @ 1:
Bullshit. Soldiers don't sign away control. They may give up some rights. Just as we all do when we allow one type of person, a cop, have more control over others. They aren't slaves. They are there to be the temporary protectors. Cincinnatus was the first citizen soldier. People who toss that old institution aside, like the bozo radio host above who said "you know what, they should have thought about that before they enlisted, before they signed up."
All I can say is Fuck you buddy. Fuck you very much.
What have you given up for this country lately?
Ruthless People @ 24:
First of all, its Nancy Boyda. Not everyone in Kansas is named Dorothy.
Second, she is my Rep and you would be surprised at just how the tide is turning in this neck of the woods.
‘you know what, they should have thought about that before they enlisted, before they signed up.’ He said ‘it’s their fault.’
And with commanders like General Keane its no wonder that enlistments remain at low levels. Just look at the so called "leadership" exibited by Keane and you will see why. To him, along with the GOP, military enlistees are nothing more than stupid pawns.
Willie @ 31:
I don't think I'd be surprised necessarily. Just that I ain't holding my breath expecting that say, gay marriage to be allowed their anytime soon. You can only be so progressive in Kansas no matter how times may be a changin.
Thing Fish @ 30:
Note his "military isn't social welfare" comment. Sounds like a reich wing troll to me.
Mr. Blather @ 1:
No the military isn't social welfare. It's defense contractor welfare and no bid government contract welfare for Halliburton.
Ruthless People @ 24:
Nancy (my bad above- I always think it's Dorothy- must be a Wizard of Oz thing)Boyda was a Republican until she realized that Jim Ryun, the incumbent then representin' her district, was vulnerable.
Boyda's pro-troops, and that's all well and good, but she's not exactly fer gettin' outta Iraq. In fact, she's been an obstructionist on the latter issue:
Vote 425: H R 2206
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/b001258/key-votes/
This is where Boyda crossed the aisle to fund the war without timetables. She voted against Democratic legislation to include timetables.
When Republicans say, "support the troops", they actually mean, "support the GOP", or "support the neocon world view".
They don't give a *damn* about the troops, and they'll cast them off without hesitation the moment they become inconvenient.
Boyda needs to name names.
why protect the identity of this fascist?
America needs to know what these monsters are really like.
Zonk
Mr. Blather @ 1:
Yes, it's true that when you sign up for military service you know that you might be called upon to risk your life; but there's no excuse to be called upon 3 or 4 times in a row for the same conflict.
Thing Fish @ 30:
I was one of those military enlistees a few years back and I agree with Thing Fish's comment. The military isn't some form of ancient Samurai like the right wing tries to make it out to be. Hell, if those right wing nuts had their way any military person that even questions the Emperor George W. Bush would be made to commit ritual suicide at once.
Beware TheLawyers @ 25:
It looks the US withdrawal would be a bigger mess than Vietnam; yet, staying is just as untenable. The solution would be to work with the Iranians, Turks, Jordanians, Saudis to stabilize the situation; and, if needed, partition Iraq.
Well, ya left out Syria, but just the same: Bwahahahaha!!!
Yeah, we've fucked this one up but good. I can guarantee ya that if we get these countries involved Iraq will disappear. Not that it ever shoulda existed the way it has. Blame the Brits fer that'n.
AJ Fan @ 23:
Who burned Pat's uniform and diary, and why?
Were the M-16s tested to see if they fired the fatal shots?
Could people involved in the coverup be charged with accessory to murder? (white house included)
...and there in lies the rub.
THAT, those idiots who still support this disastrous Presidency, really do believe that George W. Bush, the Neo-Cons and their apologists/enablers actually give a shit.
Here's some news for you Mr. and Mrs. Wingnut .... They don't !!!
They couldn't care less if a few troops die.
They couldn't care less a few Iraqi civilians die.
They couldn't care less if most of the US cannot afford proper Health Care.
They couldn't care less if a gifted child cannot afford the Education he or She deserves.
They couldn't care less if the Justice system is slanted towards the Rich and Caucasian.
They couldn't care less if you are on Minimum wage earning a pathetic...and I mean an absolutely disgraceful, for the most affluent nation on Earth to pay anyone a paltry $5.50 an hour (or whatever it is) {in Australia the Min. wage is $12.17 or there abouts, and we get more than the US minimum wage on unemployment benefits!]
The Republicans couldn't care less about YOU or ME unless we are RICH and Powerful.
The immoral corrupt Lying pigs are a National disgrace.
Andy K @ 36:
...She's from Kansas. My point exactly.
#25
I agree with much of what you said. However, I strenuously disagree with what appears to be your main theme, which seems to be that the United States must "manage and stabilize the situation" by working with other countries in the region. What should be clearly understood is that the American military is, justifiably, loathed and despised and feared by the Iraqi populace. The Iraqi people will never tolerate the thought of the American armed forces remaining in their country and brutally terrorizing their people or even being placed, to use Congressman Murtha's term, over the horizon.
As independent journalist Nir Rosen pointed out in The Atlantic over a year ago, if an when the American military [and that should also include civilian contractors] should finally leave Iraq, then the resistance fighters would have nothing to resist against. The presence of armed American militia will do absolutely nothing to ameliorate the situation in Iraq. The only thing that will is for the occupying army to leave Iraq as quickly and as rapidly as possible. If the United States were occupied, would you want that occupying power to remain in this country as some sort of stabilizing force? The last thing that the Iraqis would view the Americans as would be as a some sort of legitimate and credible peacekeeping force. The best thing that the Americans can do is to heed the wishes of the Iraqi people by not occupying and terrorizing their country.
andy k....
i don't think it was the Brits who set Saddam up in power in the first place.....or Noriega...or the Shah of Iran for that matter.
and it wasn't the Brit government who trained and funded osama bin laden.
who was it?
...wait for it....wait for it....
Zonk
Joe O. @ 40:
I would also like add that it appears to me at least, that the right wing nut jobs and GOP in general actually do think of the military as an American form of the ancient Samurai. After all, the GOP practices their own form of ancient "Bushido" where they dedicate their entire lives to Bush, never question his decisions or hold him accountable for anything. The military on the other hand is made to sacrifice themselves for Bush at all costs and without question.
Hey, Kansas isn't all bad. We have a very nice evolution exhibit at our university in Lawrence. Of course the state legislature cut all of the funding to the Anthropology department because of it. I'm not sure why, because we had nothing to do with it! :) Oh well, they don't like use in Kansas, but Lawrence is a nice blue dot in a sea of red.
yo go girl!
rightie talkers only care about their inner circle at the country club
That's what wingnuts mean by "support the troops?"
Hmmmm. Reminds me of the old line:
"If you can't be an athlete, be an athletic supporter."
zonk @ 46:
A rightwinger republican?
The military contractor did get rich off of Vietnam war. We have not manage to change that fact.
I was watching the Dennis Miller special and it was sickening to hear him brag about how we are the only super power left on earth, and that it is our obligation to throw our might around and make demand of our standards.
I don't think its right to make other country to lower their standards to ours.
Inside the surge, part 2: the provinces. From same guy.
still censoring comments
so much for free speech on C&L
i think i'll cancel my membership
Ok, fine. Since Mr. Amato offers his site for free, we'd prefer you just said thank you and be on your way.
Bravo, Congresswoman Boyda. You did your constituents - which include military communities in Leavenworth and Fort Riley - right. I'd like to say that we Kansas Democrats support you (and Congressman Moore) 110%.
For many in the military, service is an escape from poverty. It used to be a way to get training to be able to lead a decent life with job skills.
Especially true in this economy. Repeated deployments will only serve to break the military. These soldiers are humans, not robots.
Boyda won a seat that had been held by Republican Jim Ryun for 5 terms so I think that this should be taken into consideration. She ran as an economic populist and campaigned on the issues of health care, job creation (she is very critical of the trade agreements), and public education (Ryun was a big voucher supporter). Not too bad for Kansas.
Willie @ 31:
From what I'm seeing in my locality here, I gotta agree with you. I had reservations about Boyda, but compared to the nutcases that have been elected in the past, she seems to at least be listening to her constituents. Of course the fact that a pretty substantial part of the population here is active and reserve military... and some are going back for the 4th time, might have a little impact on her decisions.
For a recent convert to the Democratic party she did pretty well. The Jim Ryun campaign fought a vicious campaign against her but she held her own and won. There's a pretty big difference between being a real conservative and a neo-conservative. For a freshman congresswoman she ain't doing too bad, and she's definitely an improvement on Ryun.
OK, I'd love to see the country come together and deal with it's serious problems. But how will this be possible when:
a) There are still too many mouth-breathing, knuckle-headed Bushies out there, who have too much power? How can the rest of us work with people, who have no conception of reality?
b) The Democrats won't impeach our criminal leadership.
As long as Bush and his criminals are in power, there is no way the country could come together. America is at war with the terrorists outside of this country and inside the White House. That doesn't look good for us.
Paranoia, Dennis Miller needs only two things at this point in his career to make that leap to success--better writers and someone else to deliver the lines.
When will the media darlings, politicians, and entertainers who support this military spectacle start calling for recruitment to alleviate the need for our soldiers to keep going back in for mulitple tours? One in particular, Mark Levin (Sean Hannity's buddy) got a cap put in him a couple of days ago on his show when a caller asked him why he has not appealed to young, fit people to enlist and help out. Levin predictably went ballistic with much verbal thrashing about and finally yelled the guy down and cut him off. It was delicious.
This challenge should become a top priority in challenging the blind Bush administration water carriers.
Andy K @ 20:
Right you are. She'll pull an Arlen on us in a minute.
Wow. So you volunteer to serve your country and if you disagree with the mission you are executed.
They really are going to be an "Army of One" if the Pentagon keeps this up.
zonk @ 46:
Iraq was one of the Arab Kingdoms created by the Brits followin' the break-up of the Ottoman Empire in the wake of WW I. The other nations created- Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria and, iirc, Yemen- all had pretty natural borders, or at least homogenous peoples.
Iraq, otoh, was a hodgepodge of a few different Ottoman provinces forced together by the Brits, who, in their wisdom , put a King on the throne who represented the minority Sunni(Arab) sect. The people were a majority Shi'ite, with a large number of Kurds and Turkomen thrown in for sadistic shits and giggles.
The civil war we see today in Iraq was damned near inevitable. The US just helped it along by oustin' the strongman who was keepin' Iraq together with vise grips.
And there you have it. No more waitin' necessary, smart guy.
I don't know if I would go so far as to say, "Chickenhawks hate the troops," only because they don't care enough to hate them.
But, Chickenhawks do hold the troops in contempt. To Chickenhawks, soldiers, and especially the Reservists, are Chumps. Suckers who were looking for money for nothing, and didn't read between the lines. The Chickenhawks will tell you that people join the military because they are either too dumb or too lazy for college.
Like the sneering Dick Cheney (Uber Chickenhawk), they all say they have "better things to do" than to join up and fight their "crucial" war.
this is the kind of dem she is:
Six Democrats Vote To Deny DC Right To Full Representation
Is Boyda nuts?
Just like any other repug, her comments ring hollow.
the gop has at least 5 plants in congress. to me she is the worst.
Andy K @ 62:
Sorry, zonk is right! your point about the brits IS correct, but the US foreign policy of propping up dicktaters is the reason we have a mess-O-potamia problem. we put saddam in power and helped his bloody rise to power.
Mr. Blather @ 1:
I'm glad you prefaced your statement with "so-called nut job". It lets us know exactly where you are coming from. To compare military service with a social club or social welfare, only further shows your disgusting true colors. The men and women in the armed services do not serve this country to play golf or to shop in PX's for discounted prices. This isn't a workfare job, asshole. We aren't picking up cans by the side of the fucking road to buy Boons Farms on a Saturday night. We are shooting at and being blown up by people who did nothing to the US... NOTHING! In Vietnam, Korea, WWII servicemen who did their tours were recycled home, or to another non-combat position. Why don't you get off your fat KFC eating ass, pick up a fucking M16 and fight with us? For years, and years, and years.
We don't sign away control of our lives. There was a code, there was a pact. We signed a good faith agreement to serve to the best of our ability to protect and defend the constitution of the US. A good faith agreement, unlike slavery, assumes that both sides share a commitment toward a common goal (e.g. the defense of your worthless fat ass). If we die in battle, we die with honor. If we are worn away to dust, tour after tour after tour after tour, by an unforgiving, uncaring, and completely incompetent dictator then we become chattel.
None of us signed up for that.
I say start the draft back up and bring home the NG and reservists.
"troop loving talk show host"
Problem is there are so many, its hard to guess who said this,...
BaScOmBe, thanks for outing Nancy Boyda. I live in Kansas and she's been a MAJOR disappointment. What a tool.
People in the armed forces enlisted of their own free will. They don't have a union and they can't quit, so they can be used anyway the DOD chooses. On the other hand, they can of their own free will choose not to reenlist and are doing so. Civilians can also elect not to enlist and are doing so. Wearing out a volunteer army like some kind of disposable commodity is a breathtakingly stupid idea, even for libertarians.
BaScOmBe @ 65-
I never said Zonk was wrong about the US proppin' dictators. Thing is, his statement was out of context in relationship to what I was discussin' with Beware TheLawyers @ 25.
Also, I've read nothin' anywhere, ever, that the US brought Hussein to power. We started backin' him in '80, when he went to war with Iran. Hussein had become President in '79, but had been rulin' Iraq as Vice President, and more importantly, head of the Ba'ath Party since '73. Iraq received little to no aid from the US prior to '80. And we stopped financin' Hussein's military shortly after the close of the Iran/Iraq War, when he attacked one of the US Navy's frigates.
Now ya could argue that the US effectively backed Hussein after the First Gulf War by takin' part in the oil for food program, but we'd only be a co-conspirator as a member of the UN. We backed Hussein then as much as did France, Russia, Togo, Thailand....
Zonk was way too quick in writin' off my statement about British shortsightedness. IMO, that's the biggest reason we should've never invaded Iraq. The easily foreseen civil war broke out, ya know?
The question is: who was the talk show host she referred to? I would love to know.
This could be the guy
“She’s got a great work ethic, she’s likeable, and she’s hit the ground running,” said Jim Cates, a conservative talk-radio host and Ryun supporter whose Topeka-based morning drive-time show, which reaches most of the 2nd district, features a monthly appearance by Boyda.
http://www.nrcc.org/news/view_article.asp?id=107
Andy K @ 71:
OK, zonk was a bit quick, but I didn't agree with him to refute your point out of mere agreement. there were coups in 1953 and 1963. In 1963, Saddam returned from exile and participated in a bloody coup that eventually led to his leadership. Our cia did much to help with the purge of leftists and the educated 'elite'. Doc follows:
Regime Change: How the CIA put Saddam's Party in Power
From Richard Sanders, 24 October 2002
Saddam Hussein: Taking Out the CIA's Trash by Kurt Nimmo
Dissident Voice
August 2, 2003
How west helped Saddam gain power and decimate the Iraqi elite By Mohamoud A Shaikh
The overthrow of president Abdul Karim Kassim on February 8, 1963 was not, of course, the first intervention in the region by the agency, but it was the bloodiest - far bloodier than the coup it orchestrated in 1953 to restore the shah of Iran to power. Just how gory, and how deep the CIA's involvement in it, is demonstrated in a new book by Said Aburish, a writer on Arab political affairs.
The book, A Brutal Friendship: The West and the Arab Elite (1997), sets out the details not only of how the CIA closely controlled the planning stages but also how it played a central role in the subsequent purge of suspected leftists after the coup.
The author reckons that 5,000 were killed, giving the names of 600 of them - including many doctors, lawyers, teachers and professors who formed Iraq's educated elite. The massacre was carried out on the basis of death lists provided by the CIA.
The lists were compiled in CIA stations throughout the Middle East with the assistance of Iraqi exiles like Saddam, who was based in Egypt. An Egyptian intelligence officer, who obtained a good deal of his information from Saddam, helped the Cairo CIA station draw up its list. According to Aburish, however, the American agent who produced the longest list was William McHale, who operated under the cover of a news correspondent for the Beirut bureau of Time magazine.
The butchery began as soon as the lists reached Baghdad. No-one was spared. Even pregnant women and elderly men were killed. Some were tortured in front of their children. According to the author, Saddam who 'had rushed back to Iraq from exile in Cairo to join the victors, was personally involved in the torture of leftists in the separate detention centres for fellaheen [peasants] and the Muthaqafeen or educated classes.'
King Hussain of Jordan, who maintained close links with the CIA, says the death lists were relayed by radio to Baghdad from Kuwait, the foreign base for the Iraqi coup. According to him, a secret radio broadcast was made from Kuwait on the day of the coup, February 8, 'that relayed to those carrying out the coup the names and addresses of communists there, so they could be seized and executed.'
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[...] blame them for the failures - it is, after all, their choice of having enlisted and thus should stop complaining and do their job. And what about all those other, “regular” citizens who are likewise [...]
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