As reported today on the nationally broadcast Ed Shultz Show part of the Jones Radio Network, former U.S. Weapons Inspector, Scott Ritter declared that the Bush administration helped subvert and manipulate the recent heralded election in Iraq. According to Ritter, who made the original charges in a joint appearance with journalist Dahr Jamil in Washington state, the Bush administration was determined to control the outcome of the Iraq vote at all costs. "The U.S.cooked the election in Iraq," claimed Ritter. Ritter went on to explain how the victory of the Shia was a forgone conclusion to Administration members.What wasn't a foregone conclusion was the percentage of victory. A majority victory of the Shia would give them control of the Parliament and under current Iraqi law allow the Iranian-influenced Mullahs to draw up the new Constitution. read on

The Raw Story interviewed Ritter and has more.

There goes Bush's last alleged achievement:

Taliban militants have banned female education in the northwest Pakistan valley of Swat, depriving more than 40,000 girls of schooling, officials said on Saturday.

"My daughters are sitting at home," said Mohammad Ayub, father of two girls whose school was blown up by militants in October. "Their future looks bleak because they will stay uneducated."

There has been fighting in the valley for more than a year, but residents say the military is losing control to militants who aim to impose a severe form of Islamic law.

Swat is just one front the militants have opened up as violence has spread across Northwest Frontier province from adjoining semi-autonomous tribal areas that border Afghanistan.

Taylor Marsh: There is very little doubt that Iran is supporting the Shia factions and the Kurds in Iraq. However, the factions lran is supporting are the same factions that the Bush Administration is supporting.

The Heretik: B.S., the essential Washington element.  A friend sends along a related item, dated January 2002, from the neocon-friendly Washington (Moonie) Times.  Fascinatin' aint it?

The Mahablog: Rudy Giuliani praised George W. Bush for his “leadership” and “foresight” and compared him to Abraham Lincoln. I’m not kidding.  Then there's this guy...

Prairie Weather: "What people are looking for is judgment."

Crooked Timber: Good news...

The Satirical Political Report: Bloodweiser Presents-Real Men of Evil Genius

Steve finds this piece of revealing data..

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BLITZER: Let's move on and talk a little bit about Iraq. Because this is a huge, huge issue, as you know, for the American public, a lot of concern that perhaps they are on the verge of a civil war--if not already a civil war--We see these horrible bodies showing up, tortured, mutilation. The Shia and the Sunni, the Iranians apparently having a negative role. Of course, al Qaeda in Iraq is still operating.

BUSH: Yes, you see — you see it on TV, and that's the power of an enemy that is willing to kill innocent people. But there's also an unbelievable will and resiliency by the Iraqi people…. Admittedly, it seems like a decade ago. I like to tell people when the final history is written on Iraq, it will look like just a comma because there is — my point is, there's a strong will for democracy. (emphasis added)

This is an appalling statement to make. With a civil war full of Iraqi bloodshed and over 20,000 of our men and women killed or wounded since the war started--one would think this might matter more than a simple pause. Apparently, it doesn't. Steve has more...

THE NEWS BLOG: Is Bush aware Hezbollah is a Shia army? He should be. And are the rest of us aware oil hit $78 a barrel yesterday? The Head Heeb has more...

The Daily Howler: As Upton Sinclair said, it's hard to get people to understand something when their salary (or their professional standing) depends on their not understanding it.

The Poor Man Institute: Welcome to Wingnut Nation

Booman Tribune: When torture isn't good enough

Welcome to Pottersville: Assclowns of the Week...Infalibility Edition

OFF THE BEATEN PATH: Philosoraptor... Cutting to the Chase...Manual for Democracy....
Perrspectives

Shia Leaders...

Someone (thank you N.C.) emailed me Thomas L. Friedman's article in the New York Times 10 days ago about Quran desecration titled "Outrage and Silence"....

Now, it is always amusing to see a Jewish American journalist speak in the name of Sunni Arabs. When Sunni Arabs, at this point, hesitate to speak in a representative way about other Sunni Arabs, it is nice to know Thomas L. Friedman feels he can sum up the feelings of the "Sunni Arab world" in so many words. His arrogance is exceptional...read on

Read the article. She sums up the situation in a way only she can.

(Update)-Arthur Silber has his own take on Riverbend and Friedman.

A Fistful of Euros: Say what? Somewhere competent people are actually achieving something positive in an ocean of negative forces? Wow.

Rhetoric: A rhetorical stank...

The Satirical Political Report: Are you ready for some football? Shia and Sunni to meet in the BCS title game

No More Mister Nice Blog: What's the real GOP-base litmus test? Devotion to 'conservative' principles or being a rich white guy?

Mick LaSalle: Da Mick has some ideas on why #41 broke down the other day...

PUNDIT PAP (with apologies to American Politics Journal): Power Line's Crittenden ripped...the Foster Brooks of pundits gets a comedy lesson...a call to kick Prager off the Holocaust Council...a man called "Brink" writes about the alleged liberal-libertarian alliance...

Senior intelligence sources in the U.S., as well as officials in the Middle East, claim that the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has made a strategic decision to confront American forces in Iraq's Shi'a heartland. Those senior intelligence sources (a total of five separate individuals who either now serve or have served in key intelligence positions) base their belief on evidence showing that Iran has armed Shi'a groups in southern Iraq with sophisticated weaponry, has provided political and military guidance to Shi'a groups, has made and maintained contacts with Sunni resistance leaders in "the Sunni triangle" in central Iraq, and is pursuing a program of escalating confrontations between Shia militias and American troops. Among the weapons shipped to the Shi'a militants are sophisticated anti-tank rockets and anti-aircraft missiles, according to these sources.

http://www.thisisrumorcontrol.org/node/view/287

"The rhetoric coming out of the Bush administration has convinced Iran that military conflict is inevitable and rather than await an attack at a time and place of America's choosing, the Iranians will try to inflict significant damage to U.S. forces on Iraqi soil by means of the Mahdi Army and other Shi'a groups," an informed intelligence source told This Is Rumor Control. Senior officials of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency would not comment on these reports, but a former senior intelligence officer said that the conclusion was "a no brainer." As he noted: "If you had U.S. troops on your doorstep and George Bush calling you a part of the axis of evil you would take steps to protect yourself. And it would be better to protect yourself on Iraqi soil than to have to do so on Iranian soil. That is what they are doing. Are we surprised? We shouldn't be."