Pollywogs!

Originally from : ABC News but I found a source that wasn't scrubbed clean here.

April 21,2003 (BAGHDAD, Iraq) – Saddam Hussein's intelligence chief sought help last week to arrange some kind of a deal between the United States and Saddam, leaders of the prominent Iraqi Dulaym Tribe told ABCNEWS.

The tribe made contact with, among others, Bob Baer, a former CIA officer with whom they had worked secretly in the past.

"They told me the chief of Iraqi intelligence was seeking to get in touch with the United States and could I do anything about that," said Baer, who is now an ABCNEWS consultant.

On April 11, Saddam's intelligence chief, Gen. Taher Haboush, showed up at the home of the Dulaym Tribe's chief near the town of Ar-Ramadi, purportedly on behalf of Saddam, to work out arrangements for a meeting. But shortly after he arrived, tribal leaders said U.S. forces bombed the home, killing the chief.

In addition to the chief, 17 members of his immediate family were also killed in what tribe members call a botched surrender effort.

"We don't know who to trust," said Abdullah Hamid, the leader of the Dulaym Tribe. "We don't trust them anymore."

Satellite Phone Was Key

Tribe members suspect it was a Thuraya satellite phone, used by the general and their chief, which led to the attack.

Because the phones give off precise location coordinates, U.S. forces have been tracking top regime members through the use of their Thuraya phones.

"There must have been somebody in the house using a Thuraya," said Baer, discussing the incident with members of the tribe.

And according to Fahad Kaharbit, a nephew of the dead chief, they all use Thuraya phones in this area.

"The problem is they mentioned a name on the list," said Baer.

Kaharbit said the tribe was trying to help the United States. "We tried to get them and us a big favor by surrendering the president himself," he said.

Tribe members say Saddam's intermediary, Haboush, got away and it's not known whether U.S. officials were aware of what he was trying to arrange.

They believe Saddam was nearby when he sent his intelligence chief forward to try to make a deal. Tribe members said they have no idea where Saddam is now.

Now, I don't know why I can't find this story everywhere.  Maybe I'm just paranoid.  Here are the few references I could find that referenced it at the time…maybe the fucking media was too busy running "The Lacy Peterson Story ™" to worry about what the fuck was really going on, who was calling the shots, and why history altering decisions like this were being made.  The word on the street in Saudi Arabia is that US forces blocked an attempted surrender attempt, and here is a news report which backs up that some attempt was made before the invasion to capitulate.  

Happened in Afghanistan with Osama, and it happened with Iran.  "No, you don't understand, we WANT to go to war with you.  Now be quiet and wait your turn"  Amazing HOW LITTLE AIRTIME really important stuff like this gets.

Remember Jessica Lynch?  I read the Guardian article and remembered thinking "wasn't she rescued in a raid?".  "Classic joint operation" must be a codeword for complete bullshit.  Propaganda, all of it: and who pays for this shit?  You mean my tax money is spent on fucking me over?  Amazing, where do I sign up for more?  I'm a fucking mushroom, welcome to the shithouse my friends! 

Who co-ordinates this?  Produces it?  WHO IS RUNNING PSYOPS ON THE CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES?  Jesus…what a bunch of bullshit! 

Kieth Olbermann recently pointed out that some 'entertainment' these days may simply amount to fear pornograpy, intended to arouse fear…with shit like this going down, I wouldn't discount anything.  "Oh, you're resume looks excellent, your references were superb, we'd love to have you on the show as an assistant writer!"  While the overall intent is I am sure to entertain, which they do in a subtle manner, what goes on in the minds of (and I apologize beforehand, but this is the stereotype most people associate with the mindset I'm trying to convey) the average intelligence, high school educated, provincial, conservative Republican, flag waving good old boys (not that there aren't a lot of people who fit that bill who aren't otherwise perfectly fine human beings, check out the next bit:) who would never consider questioning ANYTHING that may disturb the carefully created opinion of The Way Things Really Are [Bush is a rancher from Texas, I just trust him (tm)] etc etc…what is reinforced in their case?  Isn't it exactly the mindset which most benefits an authoritarian fascist government?  

Let's assume someone doesn't have widely ranging sources of information and opinion where they can try to read through the obfuscation and discern a little of what is really going on behind what is carefully constructed and fed into their news sources.  Let us further assume that from every source they think of as reliable, from their local newspapers, to their local radio stations, to their Fox News they watch after dinner, everything is telling them one story, one 'reality', where Abu Ghrabi was just folks "blowing off steam", where liberal bashing is the way a Patriot Acts, obesity is caused by the liberal government, you know, stuff that really gets you pissed off at all of those gay Jews in New York who are controlling the media and the government.  And then they watch entertainment where fear is amped up to an amazing level by witnessing things that could actually happen at any time anywhere.  Instead of being simply entertained, would they also think "I wouldn't want that to happen to me, they can listen in on my phone calls and I don't go to the library so that one is no big deal".  [Surrendering Liberty for Security is a Good Thing (tm)]?  Do they think "Whatever the Cost, We Must Defeat Terrorism ™"?  What is being aroused, stimulated and kept in the forefront?  Entertainment is fine, as long as the entirety of the situation is understood by those involved.  I don't know how someone else interprets the subtleties of entertainment, how they respond to the visceral fear of something that may happen in the next fifteen minutes. 

What compromises do they deem acceptable in order to gain a facade of security…

Don't misunderstand me, I'm not one for stifling expression or freedom, defiantly against any control over artistic expression (If you hire a voyeur to take pictures of your encounter with a prostitute, the cops can't charge you with solicitation ™), I hope that perspective and a little rational thinking always takes place.  I LOVE the wild thoughtless violence (thinking just slows down your reaction time) and rampant destruction of Battlefield 2…and I am acutely aware of the distinction between entertainment and reality.  Your body is so soft, and any weapon is so very, very hard.

I can never stress it enough.  The future needs your rational thought.  It needs your careful and critical attention.  It needs you to take everything in, and try to cut through the distortion from the extremes on both sides to find the truth of a given situation. 

Moderation and balance, reason and honesty, truth and liberty.