"Major Combat Operations in Iraq Have Ended"

Those words were spoken by our intrepid leader on May 1, 2003, and we all know how it's turned out so far. Five years later, 3,862 more US troops have been killed (that's 97% of the casualties) and tens of thousands wounded since that claim, along with the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis.

That comment along with "the surge is working" always makes my blood boil. After 15 months of the escalation of troops called the "surge," all you have to do is look at some headlines from yesterday and today to see how well it has worked.

U.S. Planes Attack Militia Strongholds in Basra Fighting

One killed, 14 wounded in Baghdad Green Zone attack

Stay Low, U.S. Warns Those in Green Zone

Thursday: 225 Iraqis, 1 US Soldier, 3 US Contractors Killed; 538 Iraqis Wounded

Of course, when the shit hits the fan, you better find a reason for the rapid destabilization over these past few weeks. We wouldn't be silly enough to realize that Muqtada al-Sadr's militia ending their cease fire is a likely cause for the sharp rise in violence when the Bush boys have the chance to fan the flames of war against Iran.

The most senior US general in Iraq has said he has evidence that Iran was behind Sunday's bombardment of Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone.

Gen David Petraeus told the BBC he thought Tehran had trained, equipped and funded insurgents who fired the barrage of mortars and rockets.

He said Iran was adding what he described as "lethal accelerants" to a very combustible mix.

Lethal accelerants. Combustible mix. Scary words. That's easy enough to state now that CENTCOM Commander Admiral William Fallon, the only vocal opponent of a possible attack on Iran, is now out of the way - forced into retirement by Bush and his band of war mongers.

But sure, let's keep our collective heads in the sand and say that the surge is working, we're winning the war (which has "largely ended") and tune in to Dancing With The Stars to see the latest has-been who got booted.

Everyone Wants Timetables Except Chimpy & Darth

Six Iraqi Cabinet members are abandoning their posts at the command of Muqtada al-Sadr, who is blaming the Iraqi leadership's refusal to respond to demands for a timetable for a U.S. withdrawal.

So, the Democratic Congress wants a timetable, the Iraqis want a timetable. EVERYONE WANTS A TIMETABLE!... except Chimpy and Darth Cheney.

The Commander in Thief has the gall to ask Democratic leaders of Congress for a meeting regarding Iraq, only to insist it is not a negotaition, it is not a compromise, nothing will change his position. Then why have the damned meeting?!

To the credit of Congressional leaders, they declined the meeting. "What the president invited us to do was come to his office so that we could accept without any discussion the bill that he wants," Pelosi said at a news conference in San Francisco. "That's not worthy of the concerns of the American people, and I join with Senator Reid in rejecting an invitation of that kind."