The Strength of Silence

500,000 Iranians marched through the streets of Tehran today. It stretched for miles.

But the numbers were not the striking thing about this protest.
It was non-violent.
It was almost completely silent.

And it is growing.

Many average Americans don't follow mid-east events because frankly, it's complicated and they don't understand America's role. For those under 30, it's somewhat abstract.

All you need to understand is this, the basics:
In 1953 President Eisenhower was enticed by mutual interest to cooperate in a covert mission with the British government--Operation Ajax, which would effectively overthrow the then-current Shah and install one that was more receptive to Western interests, which was especially important considering America's Cold War problems with Russia. The then-current Shah didn't have a lot of support because he supported secular government, so he wasn't difficult to depose. However, the Shah that was then installed was particularly brutal, and ruled for the next 26 years. This isn't something many young Americans remember, but it's a living, breathing part of Iranian history not soon forgotten.

So idiots like John McCain and Eric Cantor, who like to think they understand foreign policy and love that sweet ascent to their high-horses they stand so proudly on display their ignorance for all to see when they suggest that the U.S. should publicly condemn the bogus Iranian election and stand behind the Iranian people. They say Obama hasn't said enough, but the problem is, they need to take a lesson from him--he at least has a clue about when to keep his mouth shut. Even with what little, noncommittal language he has used thus far, the Iranian government is whining that the U.S. is meddling in Iranian affairs. If we are seen as meddling, it lends legitimacy to Ahmedinejad's government and strips it away from the Reformist movement (every one of the protesters you see pictured here). WHY would we want to sabotage the very thing we're saying we support?

Once again, this very dumbed-down, completely oversimplified, black and white, and frankly ignorant perception of mid-east affairs is part and parcel of how we ended up in Iraq in the first place. It's a symptom of disease, and that disease is lack of education paired with mediocre talent. These problems aren't so complex that we cannot grasp them. We have the ability, just no desire. We're too busy watching Speidi on "I'm a celebrity, get me out of here!" and sipping our Starbucks' lattes while texting our BFFs.

America's priorities are so f*cked up.






(Photos courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/fhashemi)

June 8, 2009 -- Cheney tied to cash theft and possible murder in Iraq

From the Wayne Madsen Report today, June 8, 2009:

According to an informed source, Dick Cheney, while Vice President, amassed a fortune in cash stolen by U.S. occupation forces in Iraq from Saddam Hussein and some of his leading officials and advisers.

Sources report to WMR that U.S. troops confiscated "billions" in currency found stored in aluminum containers in various secret caches in Baghdad and elsewhere. Our sources report that the seized cash was transferred to accounts run by Cheney and the money is now being partly used to fund Cheney's growing political opposition movement to the Obama administration, including secretive payments to a "stay behind" group of Cheney loyalists who burrowed into senior civil service positions from political appointee jobs during the Bush administration. Cheney's loyalists are now in key positions to stymie Obama's programs and policies within a variety of Cabinet departments and federal agencies.

The recent intelligence about Iraqi cash ending up in the coffers of American officials is not the first time WMR has reported on the theft of Iraqi cash by U.S. forces.

On November 14, 2005, WMR reported: "In one of the worst intelligence fiascoes carried out by the neo-con administration of Iraq under Paul "Jerry' Bremer, Saddam Hussein's chief money mover and financial adviser was beaten to death by US interrogators in Tikrit after the U.S. invasion . . . As Saddam's chief financial adviser and money mover, Abu Seger [Sa'ad Hassan Ali], a man who was fluent in American-style English, knew where all the "financial skeletons" were buried -- details of Halliburton's involvement with the UN's Oil-for-Food program, the purchase by Iraq of VX nerve gas and other WMD components from US and British sources in the 1980s, and various counter-intelligence operations run by Saddam against the United States and Britain. Abu Seger was also one of Saddam's trusted counter-intelligence agents . . . After Samara was occupied by US forces, it was discovered that Abu Seger lived in a home on the Tigris River just 200 yards from the main U.S. military position in the city. It did not take long for U.S. troops to break down Seger's door and haul him off to a detention center. Seger's wife Sada, an English teacher, and U.S. military intelligence officers were witnesses to what soon transpired. U.S. forces discovered $30 million in plastic garbage bagsin an armoire in Seger's bedroom. Contained in the bags was $14 million in US currency, $28 million in convertible Iraqi dinars, and $12 million in euros. Although the money was counted, signed for by two U.S. military witnesses,and transported to U.S. military headquarters in Samara, it was never seen again. A knowledgeable source present at the time revealed that the $30 million was stolen by U.S. authorities in Iraq."

Amid the other scandals surrounding Cheney, including his countenance of torture, the theft of cash and his possible involvement in the murder of Abu Seger may be added to the former vice president's rap sheet of crimes perpetrated in Iraq and in the United States.

Cheney recently built a multi-million dollar home in McLean, Virginia, a stone's throw from the CIA headquarters.  He also owns luxury houses in Jackson, Wyoming and St. Michael's, Maryland.

Corporate U.S. news media drastically downplayed the amount of cash stolen from Iraq by U.S. forces and that the maximum amount of cash discovered in "cottages" was around $760 million, when, in fact, it was much higher. A handful of U.S. troops were charged with stealing some bundles of $100 bills. According to the May 28, 2004, Los Angeles Times some of the troops who admitted to stealing Iraqi cash tried to tell Army Criminal Investigative Division (CID) investigators that "higher-ups" stole much more, but their information was ignored.

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