Helen Thomas: Light Shed on Questions About War

WASHINGTON -- There is new information on two abiding mysteries about the Iraq war: How many Iraqis have been killed? And why did President Bush order a U.S. attack on Iraq in the first place?
Last week, U.S. and Iraqi researchers -- writing in the respected British medical journal, The Lancet -- estimated that the Iraqi death toll associated with the invasion and occupation of Iraq was about 100,000 "and may be much higher."

Most of them were women and children -- victims of bombs or bullets from helicopter gunships.

The estimates reported in Lancet were made by comparing the Iraqi death rate in the 15 months before the invasion with the death rate during the 18 months after the attack.

The scientists who wrote the report acknowledge that their data is of "limited precision" because it was based on household interviews in some 33 neighborhoods across the country. More household surveys would have improved the accuracy of their conclusions, the authors said, but it would have required "enormous risk" to the courageous teams of interviewers.

<snip, more>

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/1105-24.htm

Helen is a national treasure. Helen has more courage and integrity in her little finger than the rest of the White House Whore Corp.

Every citizen in this country should hang their heads in shame at the carnage and slaughter currently taking place in Iraq, and all so this president could increase his "political capital." And this is a born-again Christian? I think not. Christians don't kill innocent people. Or do they? Perhaps in the new Imperial Amerika slaughtering innocents is allowed.

amerika is bleeding

Herskowitz was given unimpeded access to Bush, and the two men met approximately 20 times so Bush could share his thoughts, according to independent journalist Russ Baker, who interviewed Herskowitz.

During one of their conversations, Herskowitz said, Bush told him that "one of the keys to being seen as a great leader is to be seen as a commander in chief."

He said Bush's circle of advisers had a fixation on the political capital that former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher collected from the Falklands war in 1982.

"They were just absolutely blown away, just enthralled by the scenes of the troops coming back, of the boats, people throwing flowers at (Thatcher) and her getting those standing ovations in Parliament in making these magnificent speeches."

but also - the neo-cons tried to get Clinton to attack Iraq in 1998 and they wouldn't have wanted to increase HIS popularity. So that can't be the whole thing.

...so we ALL can move on.

...political fortunes is obscene."

Yes, but it is Machiavelli 101. And Machiavelli was daddy Bush's primer. The Chimp is advised by Straussian ideologues (called neo-cons) who are drunk on Machiavellian methods of political domination.

Machiavellian virtue is not what normal people think of when they hear the word. Machiavellian virtue is the abandonment of scruple, and the cold blooded ruthlessness to bind the people to a despot whatever it takes, fraud, treason, murder, and war. This is what the "moral values" President is about.