More Michael Gordon Propaganda
By John Amato Tuesday Aug 07, 2007 8:37amIt's sickening. His articles with Judy Miller helped us get into the Iraq war, but he's not done screwing with our country.
Leaked to Drudge early, of course.
BAGHDAD, Aug. 7 — Attacks on American-led forces using a lethal type of roadside bomb said to be supplied by Iran reached a new high in July, according to the American military.
The devices, known as explosively formed penetrators, were used to carry out 99 attacks last month and accounted for a third of the combat deaths suffered by the American-led forces, Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, the No. 2 commander in Iraq, said in an interview.
The war machine keeps churning away piece after piece. I promise to keep on top of these stories...Duncan reminds us about a certain factory found in Iraq that...you know...makes these same EFP's...
Joseph Palermo: Judith Miller was the Tragedy; Michael Gordon is the Farce
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Feist!
Oh, yeah. And the USofA military has killed 30 "militants" in Iraq, claiming they were part of a network smuggling arms from Iran into Iraq.
My question: Why would they bother to attempt such a risky venture when all they have to do is get their hands on a few of the 200 THOUSAND weapons that the USofA military has "lost" in Iraq?
Enjoy the day!
Wonder what Odierno is going to do about the number of our troops being shot by american-made weapons with american-made ammo?
Launch an attack on the Homeland?
Wait until China calls in its loans to the US. We won't have time to go messing with Iran - we'll be too busy formulating a new economic system. You can't spin hunger and poverty. 2008 is the new 1929. And it will happen. Bushco has the anti-Midas touch - everything they touch turns to shit.
Here we go again. They're ginning up for a war with Iran.
This plan is FUBAR.
Maliki and Karzai constantly praise Iran but we get this Pravdaism. The Pentagon welfare queens lust for bankrupting the treasury knows no bounds
1st
Whatever gets her readers, that's what it's all about. America is having a hard time with reconciling with the fear of terror. As usual the Republican party is taking advantage of the circumstances, while the Democrats struggle with a position and a direction. Make your voice heard http://www.youpolls.com/details.asp?pid=294 Six years later and here we are still giving up more of freedoms and liberties to fear.
Did anyone watch Washington Journal on C-span this morning? The guest was from the GAO ( Government Accountability Office)and he was talking about all the missing arms and equipment in Iraq that supposedly went to the Iraqi army.
it seems pretty clear that Iran wants the weapons, everyone accepts that? What is the progressive position, to let them(estimates for how long it might take are 2-5 years, methinks)? I'm ok with that, it's possibly the least bad option. Then there's Israel which might act if we don't...
I just cancelled my subscription in protest. I hope more people will do the same.
i guess i'm slower than most but here's my take: the US trumps up phoney charges against iraq and implicates them as the perpetrators of 911. consequently, with that propaganda in hand, the american people are in ire against this nation and the congress and senate then sanction bush to invade and destroy this country. as time passes and the truth surfaces, there are no weapons of mass des... so the focus then moves to removing a tyrant, sadam, a dictator once embraced by these same United.... lastly, the point of our being there moves to liberating the people and instilling democracy. the people don't like nor do they want our "occupation" so they begin to fight back with the only means at their disposal. they are the "patriots" of their country, yet we label them "insurgents." still we occupy and try to force a democracy and our culture down their throats. and now, the best thing to do is to leave and all we hear is that if we leave, death and destruction will reign. besides how can we leave this country in the chaos that has ensued. we must "fix" it first. additionally, it is a hotbed for the terrorists. they are not only there but they train there and they get stronger in number each day. that's probably true, but there is a cause and effect that needs to be looked at.
should we have an occupying country here in the US forcing us to accept their doctrine, would we not fight back with anything at our disposal? would we not be labeled patriots.
what part of this is wrong? what part of this don't the right wingers get. seems pretty simple to me, but then again i'm pretty slow.
Once again, they provide no proof of this other than a Generals word on it. Besides, EFPs are easily made if one or several have the know how and equipment already on hand to make them. I would bet that there are many in Iraq who were former military that have that sort of knowledge and training. Iran and the United States know this as well. Some individuals may have been former Iraqi special forces under Saddam Hussein's rule for example. The way people like Gordon make it out you would think that those "insurgents" in Iraq were a bunch of know nothing, retards or something who always need the help from some outside force that is more capable than they are in making advanced weapons. That is simply not the case.
I Trust in my Master. Must destroy Axis of Evil. All hail our Benevolent Safe Keeper Decider Entity. Must contribute to The Cause. I am a Patriot for my Master tells me so. Hail Master Chimpzilla. Hail Master Chimpzilla. oooooooommmmmmmmm
Explosively Formed Penetrators!!! zOMFG... its a new highly, sophisticated, finely crafted WMD!!!!! Well, not really...
Cutting through the fear mongering bullshit in the MSM, you know what these EFPs are? Copper plates. That's it... nothing more, nothing less. Any idiot who can run a machine shop can pump out these things by the hundreds. And this is not the first time EFPs were used. Back in 1989, a communist terror group in Germany killed a bank president in the back of an armored limo by exploding a copper plate strapped to the back of a bicycle.
This is total propaganda and Miller and Gordon need to be held accountable for their lies and spin, paraded as Truth. Isn't there a code of conduct mandatory for journalists? Otherwise, they've become just another sitcom.
Blue Buddha @ 15:
More lies and BS isn't going to cut it this time. They've "cried wolf" one time too many with their lies. Soon they'll stage another false flag operation when they becom desperados.
isn't this old news? seems i heard about these weapons on npr maybe 2 months ago. gotta keep the iran-is-satan story going somehow, i guess. meanwhile we have 4 carrier groups in the straits of hormuz and more than 20 military bases in the countries surrounding iran. one wonders if americans might feel a *teensie* bit threatened if iran had military bases in canada and mexico, and maybe a couple of carrier groups off the coast of florida.
wonder when anyone's going to seriously report that about half the foreign fighters in iraq are actually coming from saudi arabia...?
Blue Buddha @ 15:
Excellent post and it goes right along with my #13 post. These are EFPs are common but boy the MSM sure does want to hype it. Hell, even if you didn't know how to make one all you would have to do is go online and find an Army field manual. It will tell you step by step in how to make one and how to effectively deploy it.
Liberal Stu @ 11:
Kudos to you for using the tools we have. I've heard that people are cancelling their subscriptions to these "bush propaganda megaphones" and "sycophantic media whores" by the droves. We need more of this.
After all, if we can't trust what a journalist writes, whom can we trust?? Answer today: ABSOLUTELY NOBODY!
The only enemy we face is our own enemy within. The propagandized media duped us in the run up to the war, this we know for certain. (See Bill Moyers Journal website for his last show on this and how Judith Miller and WH conspired in all of this).
I don't think there will be a war against Iran. Not in the near future.
We've been fed the same fear since 2005 - America is going to attack Iran - and I've come to the conclusion that this is merely a smokescreen for the "true" crime: the obliteration of the USofA's economy.
[Deleted. 9/11 conspiracy theory]
Joe O. @ 19:
It's all hype and BS! This last "win" by the Gang of 41 Democrats caving into illegal spying deceives them into believing that the people are asleep. Quite the contrary! Many civil liberties organizations are organizing while Congress is asleep for the month. I've heard it rumored that there will be a class action suit against anyone who voted to condone a breach of our constitutional rights in this spying game. That means Dems, too.
Marcus Aurelius @ 4:
Join the Army and get three hots and a cot! See your local recruiter today!
Vote for a Third! It's patently clear that our two party system is no longer working. As the man said last evening during the Dem debates: What is wrong with this country??
Answer: Everything!
Time for you to take your deadly bullshit and go away, Michael Gordon.
Isn't there some law which mandates truth in journalism? Certainly charlatans like Michael Gordon and Judith Miller could be challeged and even indicted under these laws. If there are no laws or if they are not enforceable, then it's time to stop reading these Bush megaphone pieces of fiction.
Does anyone know what Michael Gordon's real name is, because I bet it is not Gordon? I have been certain for a long time that he is a shill for A*P*C/The Lobby/PNAC, just as Judy "Miller" is. They support Bush only because they are part of the Bibi Netanyahu's father's gang of Zionist territorial megalomaniacs.
Yeah, and Iran is being blamed for providing the copper these devices are made with.
Who is shipping copper electric lines at high expense to Iraq, only to have them disappear after installation?
If the saying goes, "the truth will set you free," then all of these people like Gordon must have built themselves one hell of a prison by now.
pissed off patricia @ 9:
But there is no Iraqi army, right?
Orwell's Illegitimate Son @ 21:
on the contrary, i think we can count on it. iran's been the real goal since 1979 (we fed saddam weapons and money for his eight year war against them), and it's the only thing that i can even remotely believe feeds bush's constancy on the 'history will judge this administration' question (if it's successful, which show how ridiculously misguided and idealistic these neocon freaks are). check out this picture of american bases surrounding iran, most of which are new since 2001.
[Refers to deleted post]
Orwell -- the goal of this is...?
anyone who believes anything thats happened since 911 that this governments told you is a flucking fool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!osamma in pakistan bullshit ,alkida hit us bullshit , iraqs just a war against terriorists bull shit , believe nothing these pukes tell you , obama and hillery are the only ones worth voteing for , bullshit!
veritas @ 26:
actually, fox news (yeah, big surprise) just won a federal court case saying that their first amendment right to free speech protects their right to falsify the news.
sad but true. this is where our republic has landed.
Meanwhile, the foreign meddlers truly attacking U.S. troops continue to be ignored by Mr. Gordon and his colleagues:
www.asecondlookatthesaudis.com
And how many of those roadside bombings do you think took place in Sunni controlled areas?
Iran's oil fields are in depletion mode now.
In just a few short years, Iran will be consuming as much oil as it produces. If this happens then one of the world's biggest oil suppliers will no longer be exporting oil.
Iran will start going broke when this happens and they will start dumping the trillions of dollars they have saved up, in order to stave of a debt spiral. The flood of dollars will trigger other countries to do the same and the US dollar will plummet in value.
A war will accomplish two things. It will allow us to freeze Iran's dollars / T-Bills and make them disappear, and it will stop Iran from using its own oil, making it possible for Iran to continue to export oil for years to come.
Of course, we have to destroy the people of Iran to do this. I imagine if we ask Bush, he'll tell us that God wants it.
Making excuses to occupy the Middle East and launching a mad grab for their resources is the only plan the Bushies can come up with to make ends meet, after years of their hairbrained, bankrupt policies.
If we're going to use American troops to invade Iran for allegedly arming insurrectionists in Iraq, shouldn't we first use American troops to invade America for arming the insurrectionists with 199,000 "lost" arms?
At least that way the troops can spend some time at home.
Some of you want to go at it with Iran??
Stop your grinnin and drop your linen. Quick fantasizing and playing with your GI Joe's and toy soldiers.
Start here - click on the recruitment links (start with the Marines).
How else are we going to do this?! We're having problems recruiting and we're shitting all over our troops and their families. So go for it.
US Military bases/presence around the world:
http://respectsacredland.org/no-us-bases/draft3.jpg
Is this what our $460 billion military budget goes for? Of course that figure doesn't include Busholini's folly in Iraq!
StirFry @ 39:
Once the economy goes deep into the toilet enough that most everyone is hurting, recruitment ads will blanket the airwaves.
The draft will come back in small incremental steps. Perhaps by offering enlistment as a way to get out of criminal punishment for petty crimes, like stealing diapers and baby formula.
[Deleted. Conspiracy theory]
Anyone want to ask Ollie North about what weapons Iran has?
Why do I get the feeling that those 190,000 weapons that were 'lost', someone made some republican crony a lot of money under the table?
I don't think those weapons were lost at all. I think some either made a lot of money selling them to the enemy, and are using the guns to help maintain the Iraq war.
Probably both reasons.
After all, the Bush family has a history of business dealings with enemies of the United States.
Just look at Bush Senior and Prescott Bush. Prescott was caught red handed helping to support Hitler at the height of the war.
Bush Senior has had many business dealings with the Bin Laden family (Gee, I wonder why we've stopped looking for that Osama guy?), and have been friends and business partners for quite some time.... even after the attack on September 11.
Let's just face facts: The Bush family, and the republican party (I was an active young republican once, so I know what I'm talking about) are corrupt, twisted, and at this point becoming a true evil.
The path they are walking down is well trodden. Stalin walked down that road, as did Adolf (Prescott Bush was friends with the guy), Mao and others.
They even have secret torture camps, and now they're spying on people without a warrant? Loyalty Oaths?
Just a matter of time before we have kids goose stepping down the street.
History is repeating itself.
Russia says they sold Iran up to 20 Sunburn Missiles.
These supersonic missiles were designed to cruise low over the water at supersonic speeds and sink aircraft carriers.
Weaseldog @ 41:
Yes, these pussy chickenhawks won't sign up. Drafting and enlistment with immunity will be the only ways to create Bushraqi and New Texas (formerly Iran). But knowing these idiots in the WH and the sheep Congress, we're just gonna go attack Iran with no planning and no resources. But what's another 4000 dead troops? Its just a number.
StirFry @ 46:
Iraq is a great success because Iraqi oil is still on the world market and being sold in dollars. The people of Iraq aren't selfishly using it themselves.
If the same thing can be accomplished in Iran, then that will be considered a victory also.
We only have to stay at war for a couple of decades. Then the oil fields won't be worth the effort anymore.
We don't have to subjugate the people of Iraq or Iran. We just have to keep them away from the oil fields.
Victory isn't what they say it is.
Maybe the expected Coup d'état against Maliki is in progress now. All of the Sunnis have withdrawn from Maliki's cabinet. Parliament is not in session, and you can bet they would still be in session if we were more aggressive in our objections. And now according to CNN the "U.S.-led coalition forces are fighting the Mehdi Army"
I always thought this drumbeat of misinformation about IED's or EFD's "Explosively Formed Penetrators" from Iran was to justify an action against Iran, and it may still be, but it may be to justify a U.S. lead coup against Maliki, installing our new allies, the Sunnis in his place.
Most of the IEDs killing American's in Iraq are not Iranian in origin. The last figure published for Americans killed by Iranian made IEDs was 170 in February 2007, that's no where close to one third. Last month CNN's Barbara Starr reported that 80% of the American's killed in Iraq. If IEDs kill 80% of Americans killed in Iraq, and less than 200 were killed by Iranian made IED's, that means that over 2680 were killed by IEDs of other origins.
There is a lotta snake oil being sold here.
Anyone with a Bridgeport machine, or a cheap Chinese knock off of one could easily make hundreds of EFPs a day.
Like I said in the past, and Atrios said today, Just a few short years ago Iraq was supposedly the world's foremost manufacturer of every kind of WMD imaginable. But now we are supposed to believe that Iraq is so ass backwards that they do not have the capability to rudimentally mill a billet into a lid.
According to this AP story (via "U.S. Military sources"), Iran is supplying the Shia with EFDs as well. The common thread is Gen. Ordinero. In the Gordon piece, he focuses on "foreign led Sunni fighters" of "al Qaida in Mesopotamia". In the Yahoo/AP piece, there's no mention of Sunni groups, only the Shia.
Look....This is a full court, all out, Cheney led propaganda assault. Look for more and more of this.
Weaseldog @ 36:
iran is already taking measures in anticipation of this. the iranian public are up in arms (ahmadinejad's popularity falling like a rock) because fuel rationing is in effect. iranians, as you might gather, pay extremely low costs for fuel, but now they are only allowed to buy fixed amounts per month. truth is, iran has a lot of oil, but very low refining capabilities, so they actually import most of their gas. they've been selling the gas within iran for pennies on the dollar, and still do so, but now in limited supplies.
EFP's are WWII technology. Basic metal-working skills and some explosive are all that is required.
The knowledge is available from numerous sources, the explosives are most likely from the munitions that disappeared because we didn't send enough troops when we first invaded.
Our troops are supposed to keep the peace in Iraq when we don't know who hates who, why they hate each other, and who, if anyone, we can trust.
We train Iraqis who are allies by day, and enemies by night. Our "friends," the Saudis, are aiding the Sunnis, who were the original insurgents, while our "enemies," the Iranians, are helping the Shia, who were our original allies.
DAMN YOU SCOTT BEAUCHAMP!
myiq2xu @ 52:
From what I can gather from news reports and what I learned in college chemistry and physics courses...
They are using ammonium nitrate as their oxidizer for the explosives and they are getting the copper by scavenging electrical power liens after we install them.
Copper can be cast and milled using human powered equipment.
Ancient Greeks could've made these IEDs if they had an instruction pamphlet.
this is comming from a bunch of ass bags that loose billions, misplace a bunch of ak's, and have been right (especially when it comes to intelligence) 0% of the time.
right. i am sick of hearing these people not on oath...
myiq2xu @ 52:
I assume that you mean that shaped charges are World War II technology like the German Panzerfaust or the U.S. Bazooka or anti-tank mines. I think the military is giving far too much credit to Iranian Technology. They are a second or third rate power and we look pretty silly praising their weapon making prowess when both our allies and our enemy's are capable of producing much more sophisticated weapons
Carmikl @ 55:
They are simply using cheap and eesily machined devices to take expensive and sophisticated weapons.
Like in Bosnia when our enemies were making fake tanks out of plywood and sheet metal. To simulated a warm engine, they lit a campfire inside. Then we'd hit the decoy with a $20,000 missile.
Explosively formed penetrators used to attack American led forces in Iraq are provided by Dick Cheney.
There! Now a reporter can reported that, "Attacks on American-led forces using a lethal type of roadside bomb said to be supplied by Dick Cheney reached a new high in July, according to the American military," with as much veracity as in the original report.
What will it take for these tools learn that it is meaningless to report on what is "said" to be the case. The only thing that matters is what can be proven to be the case. I know, maybe if we were to do something catastrophically wrong based upon what is "said" to be true without ever producing any proof - you know, like maybe invade another country, killing more than half a million inncent people, destabilizing an area of vital interest to American security and bankrupting the United States in pursuit of non-existant WMD's! Yeah, I'll bet the head trauma victims in the press corps would be more suspicious of unsubstantiated claims if something like that were to happen!
Carmikl @ 55:
It's all a part of the plan to have a laundry list of complaints to use as "rationale" to attack Iran.
Michael Gordon's been doing this shit for a while now. It seems as if every two weeks he pulls an "Iran is evil" article out of his ass. Why is he still at the Times?
Shaped charges have been around since the 1980's at least and were a commonplace weapon known very well to the US Army and US Army Reserve back then. Not that the corporate owned media dancing to Cheney's tune would bother to look that up.
This is another non-story to gin up a brand new war on Iran. Just what we need.
At least we are getting a different view other than the right wing garbage. Four years ago the public only heard one talking point. Even returning soldiers spoke in whispers instead of speaking out loud the real reality. Now Thank God for Michael Ware and those who dare to speak up.l
These f***brains just won't go away.
It wasn't enough for them to f*** up Iraq, and do Iran a big favor by blowing Iraq up.
I wonder what Iran is going to do after they find out that many US munitions are manufactured by Israel?
Kira Phillips is now calling Sadr City an Iranian Stronghold in Baghdad while describing our battle with the Mehdi Army. We aren't at war with Iran but you wouldn't know that listening to CNN.
Seen a reference on this on "Free Speech" TV. You can't touch Bushies buddies the Saudi's.
Iran-S. Arabia-Fatwa
Minister of Culture and Information of Saudi Arabi Iyad Madani on Wednesday strongly dismissed issuance of any Fatwa (religious order) by Saudi muftis on demolishing Iraqi holy shrines.
Speaking in a meeting with Iranian ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Mohammad Hosseini, the Saudi minister said "No such Fatwa has ever been issued by any of the Saudi muftis or its senior religious figures.
"Such claims are definitely made by Zionists and enemies of Islam," Madani stressed.
Earlier this week, Nahrain Arabic-language site had reported that demolishing of Muslims holy shrines in Iraq had taken place upon a permission made by Saudi muftis.
The report provoked strong protests inside Iran.
The Saudi minister said immediately after protests of Iran's Shiite religious figures, he had inquired Saudi's prominent religious circles and individuals about accuracy of the report.
"They astonishingly denied any information to this end," said the minister.
Meanwhile, the Iranian ambassador said that the region, Iraq in particular, is in a critical condition.
"Any sectarian and religious dispute could entail very dangerous consequences," Hosseini warned.
He added "If such sedition is not stopped very soon, it will foment tensions in the Islamic world."
Stressing that demolition of Iraqi holy shrines was an anti- humanitarian act made against Islamic teachings, the ambassador said "Muslim ulema (religious figures) expected all Islamic states to strongly condemn the anti-humanitarian move."
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