You remember Iraq. Lies. Bombs. Shock 'N' Awe. Hundreds of thousands dead. Millions displaced. Our military abused by its own government. A disastrously planned and disastrously executed human catastrophe that has accomplished nothing good, unless you're financially tied to the defense, oil and disaster capitalist industries. Well, the Bush Administration's signature accomplishment remains what it always has been: hell.
Despite the propaganda that things somehow are getting better, here are a few harsh facts...
From Agence France-Presse:
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki embarks on a trip to the United States on Tuesday grappling with strained ties with Washington and pressure over stalled national reconciliation efforts.
Maliki will meet President Barack Obama for the first time since US troops withdrew from Iraqi cities at the end of June, a milestone in Iraq's rehabilitation since the 2003 US-led invasion.
He has been keen to stress the early success of Iraq's security forces since the US pullback, but relations with Washington have hit a bump over Baghdad's failure to improve relations between its Shiite, Sunni and Kurd communities.
Baghdad's failure to resolve the impossible. I'm still waiting for someone to explain how relations are to be improved between three disparate communities that have grown increasingly balkanized, these last several years. Old news.
And the BBC has another reason for the increased tensions:
They have arisen over cooperation and the restrictions imposed on the movement of American forces in urban areas inside Iraq.
The Iraqi defence ministry has confirmed the limitations.
But reports suggest US commanders have been surprised and frustrated by the new rules, suggesting they could endanger the safety of their troops.
The agreement has been in place since American troops completed their withdrawal from Iraq's towns and cities.
Those damn Iraqis sometimes continue to take seriously the whole sovereignty thing. Like they're their own country, or something. Like our military shouldn't be allowed to do what it wants, where it wants. Someone is unclear on the whole concept of "occupation"!
And meanwhile, AFP also has this:
Ten people were killed, including seven policemen and a soldier, in attacks in the Iraqi cities of Mosul and Ramadi on Monday, security and medical officials said.
In the restive northern city of Mosul, five policemen, an Iraqi army soldier and a civilian were killed in a spate of attacks across the city, the capital of Nineveh province.
And the New York Times:
An American Marine was killed in western Iraq on Sunday, the United States military said.
The military provided few details about the death, saying only in a statement that it was a "combat-related incident as a result of enemy action" in Anbar Province.
Few details needed, right?