[Peace-discussion] FW: By Greg Palast: The Baker Boys: Stay Half the Course

Sat, 9 Dec 2006 20:36:55 -0600

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Greg RULES!!!!

  _____  

From: Greg Palast [mailto:palast@gregpalast.com] 
Sent: Friday, December 08, 2006 9:45 AM
To: myths16@cox.net
Subject: By Greg Palast: The Baker Boys: Stay Half the Course

The Baker Boys: Stay Half the Course

Iraq Study Group or Saudi Protection League?
by Greg Palast

They're kidding, right? <http://www.gregpalast.com/baker_card_full.jpg>

James Baker III and the seven dwarfs of the "Iraq Study Group" have come up
with some simply brilliant recommendations. Not.

Baker's Two Big Ideas are:

1. Stay half the course. Keeping 140,000 troops in Iraq is a disaster
getting more disastrous. The Baker Boys' idea: cut the disaster in half --
leave 70,000 troops there.

But here's where dumb gets dumber: the Bakerites want to "embed" US forces
in Iraqi Army units. Question one, Mr. Baker: What Iraqi Army? This
so-called "army" is a rough confederation of Shia death squads. We can tell
our troops to get "embedded" with them, but the Americans won't get much
sleep.

2. "Engage" Iran. This is a good one. How can we get engaged when George
Bush hasn't even asked them out for a date? What will induce the shy mullahs
of Iran to accept our engagement proposal? Answer: The Bomb.

Let me explain. To get the Iranians to end their subsidizing the Mahdi Army
and other Shia cut-throats, the Baker bunch suggest we let the permanent
members of the UN Security Council -- plus, Germany -- decide the issue of
Iran's nukes. Attaching Germany is the signal. These signers of the
Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) agree that Iran should be allowed a
"peaceful" nuclear power program.

More... Now, I am absolutely wary of neo-con nuts who want to blow Iran to
Kingdom-come over its nuclear ambitions. But that doesn't mean we should kid
ourselves. Iran has zero need of "peaceful" nuclear-generated electricity.
It has the second-largest untapped reserve of natural gas on the planet, a
clean, safe, cheap source of power. There's only one reason for a "nuclear"
program, and it's not to light Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's bedside lamp.

Here's the problem with Baker's weird combo of embedding our boys with
Iraq's scary army while sucking up to the Iranians: it won't work. The
mayhem will continue, with Americans in the middle, because the Baker
brigade dares not mention two words: "Saudi" and "Arabia."

Saudi Arabia is the elephant in the room (camel in the tent?) that can't be
acknowledged -- and the reason Baker is so desperately anxious to sell
America on keeping half our soldiers in harm's way.

James III wants to seduce or bully Iran into stopping their funding of the
murderous Shia militias. But the Shias only shifted into mass killing mode
in response to the murder spree by Sunni "insurgents."

Where do the Sunnis get their money for mayhem? According to a seething memo
by the National Security Agency (November 8, 2006), the Saudis control the,
"public or private funding provided to the insurgents or death squads."
Nice.

Baker wants us to bribe or blackmail Iran into stopping one side in Iraq's
uncivil war, the Shia. Yet we close our eyes to the Saudis acting as a piggy
bank for the other side, the Sunni berserkers. (The House of Saud follows
Wahabi Islam, a harsh, fundamentalist sect of Sunnism.)

Why is Baker, ordinarily such a tough guy, so coy with the Saudis? Baker
Botts, the law firm he founded, became a wealthy powerhouse by representing
Saudi Arabia. But don't worry, the Iraq Study Group is balanced by Democrats
including Vernon Jordan of the law firm of Akin, Gump which represents .
Saudi royals.

Of course, the connections between Baker, the Bush Family and the Saudis go
way beyond a few legal bills. (See, "The
<http://www.gregpalast.com/mailing/link.php?URL=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5ncmVncGFsYXN0
LmNvbS9iYWtlci10YWtlcy10aGUtbG9hZnJucHJlc2lkZW50cy1idXNpbmVzcy1wYXJ0bmVyLXNs
aWNlcy11cC1pcmFx&Name=&EncryptedMemberID=NDU5NDA%3D&CampaignID=68&CampaignSt
atisticsID=26&Demo=0&Email=myths16@cox.net> Best Little Legal Whorehouse in
Texas" from my book Armed Madhouse.

Baker is more than aware that, two weeks ago, Dick Cheney dropped his
Thanksgiving turkey to fly to Riyadh at the demand of the Saudis for a
dressing down by King Abdullah. The Saudis have made it clear that they will
crank up their payments to warriors in Iraq to protect their Sunni brothers
if America pulls out our troops.

King Abdullah's wish is Cheney's command -- and Baker's too. The Saudis want
70,000 US troops baby-sitting the Shia killers in Iraq's Army -- and so we
will stay.

What gives King Abdullah the power to ghost-write the Iraq Study Group
recommendations? It's not because the Saudis sell us broccoli.

And therein lies the danger. Behind the fratricidal fracas in Iraq is
something even more dangerous than bullets in Baghdad: a proxy war between
Iran and Saudi Arabia to control Iraq's place in OPEC, the oil cartel. What
is painted by Baker's Iraq Study Group as an ancient local clash between
Shia and Sunni over the Kingdom of God, is, in fact, a remote control proxy
war between Iran and Saudi Arabia over the Kingdom of Oil.

*******

Greg Palast is the author of the New York Times bestseller, "Armed Madhouse"
which includes Palast's investigation, conducted for Harper's Magazine, of
the secret role of James Baker III and Saudi Arabia in the forming of US
plans for Iraq's oil.

Get a signed copy of Armed Madhouse for the holidays or browse for other
signed gifts at www.PalastInvestigativeFund.org
<http://www.gregpalast.com/mailing/link.php?URL=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5wYWxhc3RpbnZl
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mpaignStatisticsID=26&Demo=0&Email=myths16@cox.net> You may change your
email address or unsubscribe from the newsletter
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<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN=20
class=3D968393602-10122006>Greg RULES!!!!</DIV> 
<DIV class=3DOutlookMessageHeader lang=3Den-us dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft>
<HR tabIndex=3D-1>
From: Greg Palast =
[mailto:palast@gregpalast.com]=20
 Sent: Friday, December 08, 2006 9:45 AM To:=20
myths16@cox.net Subject: By Greg Palast: The Baker Boys: Stay =
Half the=20
Course </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>The Baker Boys: Stay Half =
the=20
Course Iraq Study Group or Saudi Protection League? by =
Greg=20
Palast They're kidding, right?<IMG height=3D191 alt=3D""=20
src=3D"http://www.gregpalast.com/baker_card_full.jpg" width=3D125 =
align=3Dright=20
NOSEND=3D"1"> James Baker III and the seven dwarfs of the "Iraq =
Study=20
Group" have come up with some simply brilliant recommendations.=20
Not. Baker's Two Big Ideas are: 1. Stay half the course. =
Keeping=20
140,000 troops in Iraq is a disaster getting more disastrous. The Baker =
Boys'=20
idea: cut the disaster in half -- leave 70,000 troops there. But =
here's=20
where dumb gets dumber: the Bakerites want to "embed" US forces in Iraqi =
Army=20
units. Question one, Mr. Baker: What Iraqi Army? This so-called "army" =
is a=20
rough confederation of Shia death squads. We can tell our troops to get=20
"embedded" with them, but the Americans won't get much sleep. 2. =
"Engage"=20
Iran. This is a good one. How can we get engaged when George Bush hasn't =
even=20
asked them out for a date? What will induce the shy mullahs of Iran to =
accept=20
our engagement proposal? Answer: The Bomb. Let me explain. To get =
the=20
Iranians to end their subsidizing the Mahdi Army and other Shia =
cut-throats, the=20
Baker bunch suggest we let the permanent members of the UN Security =
Council --=20
plus, Germany -- decide the issue of Iran's nukes. Attaching Germany is =
the=20
signal. These signers of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) agree that =
Iran=20
should be allowed a "peaceful" nuclear power program. More... =
Now, I am=20
absolutely wary of neo-con nuts who want to blow Iran to Kingdom-come =
over its=20
nuclear ambitions. But that doesn't mean we should kid ourselves. Iran =
has zero=20
need of "peaceful" nuclear-generated electricity. It has the =
second-largest=20
untapped reserve of natural gas on the planet, a clean, safe, cheap =
source of=20
power. There's only one reason for a "nuclear" program, and it's not to =
light=20
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's bedside lamp. Here's the problem with =
Baker's weird=20
combo of embedding our boys with Iraq's scary army while sucking up to =
the=20
Iranians: it won't work. The mayhem will continue, with Americans in the =
middle,=20
because the Baker brigade dares not mention two words: "Saudi" and=20
"Arabia." Saudi Arabia is the elephant in the room (camel in the =
tent?)=20
that can't be acknowledged -- and the reason Baker is so desperately =
anxious to=20
sell America on keeping half our soldiers in harm's way. James =
III wants=20
to seduce or bully Iran into stopping their funding of the murderous =
Shia=20
militias. But the Shias only shifted into mass killing mode in response =
to the=20
murder spree by Sunni "insurgents." Where do the Sunnis get their =
money=20
for mayhem? According to a seething memo by the National Security Agency =

(November 8, 2006), the Saudis control the, "public or private funding =
provided=20
to the insurgents or death squads." Nice. Baker wants us to bribe =
or=20
blackmail Iran into stopping one side in Iraq's uncivil war, the Shia. =
Yet we=20
close our eyes to the Saudis acting as a piggy bank for the other side, =
the=20
Sunni berserkers. (The House of Saud follows Wahabi Islam, a harsh,=20
fundamentalist sect of Sunnism.) Why is Baker, ordinarily such a =
tough=20
guy, so coy with the Saudis? Baker Botts, the law firm he founded, =
became a=20
wealthy powerhouse by representing Saudi Arabia. But don't worry, the =
Iraq Study=20
Group is balanced by Democrats including Vernon Jordan of the law firm =
of Akin,=20
Gump which represents &#8230; Saudi royals. Of course, the =
connections between=20
Baker, the Bush Family and the Saudis go way beyond a few legal bills. =
(See, <A=20
href=3D"http://www.gregpalast.com/mailing/link.php?URL=3DaHR0cDovL3d3dy5n=
cmVncGFsYXN0LmNvbS9iYWtlci10YWtlcy10aGUtbG9hZnJucHJlc2lkZW50cy1idXNpbmVzc=
y1wYXJ0bmVyLXNsaWNlcy11cC1pcmFx&amp;Name=3D&amp;EncryptedMemberID=3DNDU5N=
DA%3D&amp;CampaignID=3D68&amp;CampaignStatisticsID=3D26&amp;Demo=3D0&amp;=
Email=3Dmyths16@cox.net">"The=20
Best Little Legal Whorehouse in Texas"</A> from my book Armed=20
Madhouse. Baker is more than aware that, two weeks ago, Dick =
Cheney=20
dropped his Thanksgiving turkey to fly to Riyadh at the demand of the =
Saudis for=20
a dressing down by King Abdullah. The Saudis have made it clear that =
they will=20
crank up their payments to warriors in Iraq to protect their Sunni =
brothers if=20
America pulls out our troops. King Abdullah's wish is Cheney's =
command --=20
and Baker's too. The Saudis want 70,000 US troops baby-sitting the Shia =
killers=20
in Iraq's Army -- and so we will stay. What gives King Abdullah =
the power=20
to ghost-write the Iraq Study Group recommendations? It's not because =
the Saudis=20
sell us broccoli. And therein lies the danger. Behind the =
fratricidal=20
fracas in Iraq is something even more dangerous than bullets in Baghdad: =
a proxy=20
war between Iran and Saudi Arabia to control Iraq's place in OPEC, the =
oil=20
cartel. What is painted by Baker's Iraq Study Group as an ancient local =
clash=20
between Shia and Sunni over the Kingdom of God, is, in fact, a remote =
control=20
proxy war between Iran and Saudi Arabia over the Kingdom of=20
Oil. ******* Greg Palast is the author of the New York =
Times=20
bestseller, "Armed Madhouse" which includes Palast's investigation, =
conducted=20
for Harper's Magazine, of the secret role of James Baker III and Saudi =
Arabia in=20
the forming of US plans for Iraq's oil. Get a signed copy of =
Armed=20
Madhouse for the holidays or browse for other signed gifts at <A=20
href=3D"http://www.gregpalast.com/mailing/link.php?URL=3DaHR0cDovL3d3dy5w=
YWxhc3RpbnZlc3RpZ2F0aXZlZnVuZC5vcmcv&amp;Name=3D&amp;EncryptedMemberID=3D=
NDU5NDA%3D&amp;CampaignID=3D68&amp;CampaignStatisticsID=3D26&amp;Demo=3D0=
&amp;Email=3Dmyths16@cox.net">www.PalastInvestigativeFund.org</A> =

You may change your email address or unsubscribe from the =
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