We've Already Lost Iraq

Speaking as a company guy, when there's no clarity of corporate vision, the company tends to stumble around with no strategic direction. Speaking as a former military guy, when the troops on the ground can't articulate their purpose for being there, the mission has failed. The vision, purpose, and rationale for being in Iraq now only exists in Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Wolfowitz's twisted minds. But our troops continue to die.

The parallels between Iraq and Vietnam grow more distinct every day:

"...That's basically because we were over there, all these young guys, doing our jobs, but we really didn't know why we were there. I ask myself, 'What was our purpose?' And to this day I still can't figure out our purpose for being there."

Cracks in the BushCo "Dam of Righteousness" grow wider and deeper daily. Failed imperial enterprises are like a leaky faucet. They start with a slow drip, but it's only a matter of time before the constant drip of discontent erodes whatever support might be left. And when the dam finally breaks, it ain't gonna be pretty downstream.

Platoon defies orders in Iraq:

A 17-member Army Reserve platoon with troops from Jackson and around the Southeast deployed to Iraq is under arrest for refusing a "suicide mission" to deliver fuel, the troops' relatives said Thursday.

The soldiers refused an order on Wednesday to go to Taji, Iraq — north of Baghdad — because their vehicles were considered "deadlined" or extremely unsafe, said Patricia McCook of Jackson, wife of Sgt. Larry O. McCook.

...U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson said he plans to submit a congressional inquiry today on behalf of the Mississippi soldiers to launch an investigation into whether they are being treated improperly.

"I would not want any member of the military to be put in a dangerous situation ill-equipped," said Thompson, who was contacted by families. "I have had similar complaints from military families about vehicles that weren't armor-plated, or bullet-proof vests that are outdated. It concerns me because we made over $150 billion in funds available to equip our forces in Iraq.

"President Bush takes the position that the troops are well-armed, but if this situation is true, it calls into question how honest he has been with the country," Thompson said.

..."I got a call from an officer in another unit early (Thursday) morning who told me that my husband and his platoon had been arrested on a bogus charge because they refused to go on a suicide mission," said Jackie Butler of Jackson, wife of Sgt. Michael Butler, a 24-year reservist. "When my husband refuses to follow an order, it has to be something major."

The platoon being held has troops from Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Mississippi and South Carolina, said Teresa Hill of Dothan, Ala., whose daughter Amber McClenny is among those being detained.

McClenny, 21, pleaded for help in a message left on her mother's answering machine early Thursday morning.

"They are holding us against our will," McClenny said. "We are now prisoners."

Un-fucking-believeable.

Sorry. I'm in one of those moods today. It's going to take soooooooo long for President Kerry to clean up this damn mess.