Time Flies

Robert Fisk writes in Counterpunch:

The re-writing of Iraqi history is now going on at supersonic speed. Weapons of mass destruction? Forget it. Links between Saddam and al-Qa'ida? Forget it. Liberating the Iraqis from Saddam's Abu Ghraib life of torture? Forget it. Wedding party slaughtered? Forget it. Clear the decks for both 'full (sic) sovereignty' and 'chaotic events'. This is, at any rate, according to Mr Bush. When I heard his hesitant pronunciation of Abu Ghraib as 'Abu Grub' on Monday night, I could only profoundly agree.

Fisk ups the ante and brings in the country no one wants to mention:

And let's cast our eyes upon that little, all-important matter of responsibility. The actual interrogators accused of encouraging US troops to abuse Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib jail were working for at least one company with extensive military and commercial contacts with Israel. The head of an American company whose personnel are implicated in the Iraqi tortures, it now turns out, attended an "anti-terror" training camp in Israel and, earlier this year, was presented with an award by Shaul Mofaz, the right-wing Israeli defence minister...

But it is clear the torture trail at Abu Ghraib has to run much further than a group of brutal US military cops, all of whom claim "intelligence officers" told them to "soften up" their prisoners for questioning. Were they Israeli? Or South African? Or British? Are we going to let the story go?

The entire article is worth reading, especially in light of the Ashcroft/Mueller "press conference" where they announced nothing. Al Qaeda is threatening to attack us this summer. Imagine that. Any specifics? No--but they're trying--oh, and here are a few swarthy looking characters whose photographs we have. By the way, be on the lookout for "Old Europe looking" types--and maybe even the odd American or two.

That's not intelligence, that's fear mongering. Facing an electorate increasingly skeptical of ANYTHING Bush says regarding Iraq, this looks like more desperation. They're doing everything they can think of to keep Iraq out of the news cycle. Hell, even Tom Clancy (see Matt Lavine at BFOP for the link) thinks Iraq is a lost cause. When you can't get a hack novelist/wingnut to believe your hack wingnut theory, you'd better think about changing the plan, instead of wishfully thinking about the plan that fell apart.

Looks like a long hot summer.