Taylor Marsh – TaylorMarsh.com – News, Opinion and Weblog on Progressive Politics

Baghdad Bergner updated below

Yesterday we got an ear full of propaganda on how wonderful the surge is going,
but the conflicting messages also illustrate how far Bush & Co. are willing to go
to keep their “victory” progress propaganda alive.

While AQI (Al Qaeda in Iraq) may not account for most of the violence in Iraq, it is the organization responsible for the highest profile attacks, which serve as a primary excellerant to the underlying sectarian conflict. … … We should expect, however, that AQI will attempt to increase its tempo of attacks as September approaches — in an effort to influence U.S. domestic opinion about sustained U.S. engagement in Iraq. … .. – Initial Benchmark Assessment Report (page 4)

Enter Brig. Gen. Kevin Bergner or “Baghdad Bergner,” as a friend referred to him, whose prior job was Special Assistant to the
President. Prepare the shovel.

Calling al-Qaeda in Iraq “the principal threat” to Iraqis, Brig. Gen. Kevin J. Bergner, the chief U.S. military spokesman, said the group was the main focus of the U.S. security campaign. Like other U.S. officials in recent weeks, Bergner stressed that al-Qaeda in Iraq is supported by the organization led by Osama bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, an assertion that intelligence analysts have disputed. “Al-Qaeda senior leadership does provide direction to al-Qaeda in Iraq,” Bergner told reporters. “They do establish and provide resourcing and support the network,” he added, noting that Zawahiri recently released a video seeking international recruits for the war in Iraq. … .. U.S. Military Calls Al-Qaeda in Iraq ‘Principal Threat’

Funny how Bergner failed to mention that Bush let Ayman al-Zawahri, Osama bin Laden’s top deputy and the man believed to run the terrorist group’s operations, get away when he had the chance to nail him.

Now it gives me no pleasure to call the general out, but like Tommy Franks
before him who ignored the post war realities, as well as let bin Laden go at Tora Bora, the truth does not fit Bergner’s White
House talking points.

AJ
over at Americablog calls Bergner out.

Anyone who claims that the so-called al Qaeda in Iraq group is the “principal threat” to anything in that nation — whether its citizens, the government, the political process, or any specific ethnic or sectarian group — is either grossly ignorant of the realities of the Iraq war or blatantly lying. I honestly have no idea which it is in this case, though it’s worth noting that the chief U.S. military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Kevin Bergner, was employed as a Special Assistant to the President prior to his current appointment. Most reliable estimates put the fundamentalist/jihadist/al Qaeda actors in Iraq at around 3-5% of the total insurgency, with virtually no approximations exceeding 10%. I really cannot overstate how misleading it is to focus on al Qaeda when the driving forces of the conflict are average, native, very pissed-off — but not religious fundamentalist — Iraqis. The vast majority of the Sunni population is relatively secular (more secular, in fact, than Iraqi Shia), and even tacit support of jihadists is founded in anti-American sentiment. Even the sectarian violence is fueled more by localized conflicts between Sunni and Shia families, tribes, and militias than by al Qaeda.

AJ is a former Department of Defense civilian Intelligence Officer, who I’ve
met and spoken to many times about national security matters. You can trust
his assessment.

It’s all disinformation, misinformation, propaganda, whatever you want to call
it, but what the White House is disseminating through their military spokespeople
has no resemblance to the truth. It’s why so many people think and are finally speaking out that the only way to hold Bush accountable is to put impeachment back on the table.

UPDATE Senators Warner and Lugar just pulled a Barry Goldwater. This is a big deal. Booman has more.

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