Iraq, still a war zone...

Once considered a bastion of al-Qaeda in Iraq, the Baghdad district of al-Doura is now called "victory neighbourhood", where attacks are rare. But as the US military prepares to withdraw from Iraqi cities, al-Doura remains a maze of cement walls built to enforce security and keep Shia militias out.

As Al Jazeera's Hoda Abdel-Hamid reports, former residents say they are hesitant to return until al-Doura becomes the multi-religious district it once was.

One is loyal to the Kurdish autonomous government while the other is allegiant to Baghdad.

Al Jazeera's Hoda Abdel Hamid reports on how the split has raised fears of sectarian violence in a strategic city.

Mosul, a northern Iraqi city, has been one area where the country's security forces are preparing to take full control, but there are two local armies patrolling the city.

Clearly stating the consequences....

Joe Wilson on releasing documents

Joe Wilson of 'Valerie Plame Fame' has a thing or two to say about Cheney's request to get information out on The Daily Beast.

What say, um, ALL OF IT?!?

Well all of it as it relates to

'the efforts of the Bush administration and Cheney himself to defend the indefensible—the decision to invade Iraq despite the knowledge at the time that Iraq did not have a nuclear program, had no ties to al Qaeda, and posed no existential threat to the United States or to its friends and allies in the region.'.

Invading Oil Rich Countries

Ed Schultz made a very humorous observation on his MSNBC show. If Texas secedes they might do well to worry. The United States has a history of invading oil rich countries.

Politics. Go figure.

The back story can be found at Think Progress:

Perry told reporters following his speech that Texans might get so frustrated with the government they would want to secede from the union.

“There’s absolutely no reason to dissolve it. But if Washington continues to thumb their nose at the American people, you know, who knows what might come out of that.”

The President on the 'former' Vice President's recent remarks

Sean Hannity Interviews Phil Donahue

Will Ferrell as George Bush: 'Mission Accomplished'

Barack Obama needs to thank George Bush everyday

Jonathan Alter comments on Ari Fleisher's version of history also known as spin on behalf of the legacy of President George W. Bush. I've also included the entire Matthews interview below.

The most interesting portion of this piece is at the end when Alter discloses that Seymour Hersh is working on a book that includes reporting on Cheney sponsored 'assassination rings'.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

The whole Ari Hardball interview (with Chris Matthews on MSNBC).

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Museum Reopens: Remember the fall of Baghdad and the looting of precious ancient artifacts?

The 10,000 pieces that were looted from the Museum after the fall of Baghdad are still missing, but the The National Museum did reopen. One-third of the priceless artifacts were retrieved and it is definitely a good sign that this museum has reopened.

Bridge to Nowhere

The Return of Vice President Dick Cheney

Out of Iraq?: The President and The General(s)

The latest news with respect to Iraq is that there there may be a plan in place to disrupt President Obama's 16-month goal for withdrawing troops from Iraq. The plan, it has been reported, is being formulated by some of the Commander in Chief's very own Generals.

The Generals serve at the pleasure of the President, right?

The current military leadership are in place from decisions made by President George W. Bush, and whose mission objectives are based upon the directives of Bush. At least that is how we think it worked when Bush was President.

Obama informed Gates, Petraeus and Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen that he wasn't convinced and that he wanted Gates and the military leaders to come back quickly with a detailed 16-month plan, according to two sources who have talked with participants in the meeting.

Obama's decision to override Petraeus's recommendation has not ended the conflict between the president and senior military officers over troop withdrawal, however. There are indications that Petraeus and his allies in the military and the Pentagon, including Gen. Ray Odierno, now the top commander in Iraq, have already begun to try to pressure Obama to change his withdrawal policy.

A network of senior military officers is also reported to be preparing to support Petraeus and Odierno by mobilising public opinion against Obama's decision.

Petraeus was visibly unhappy when he left the Oval Office, according to one of the sources. A White House staffer present at the meeting was quoted by the source as saying, "Petraeus made the mistake of thinking he was still dealing with George Bush instead of with Barack Obama."

source: The Huffington Post

I believe that no matter when it happens, there will always be risk of some future negative event occurring as a result of leaving Iraq. Does that mean we need to stay there indefinitely? I don't believe so.

I also have confidence that the Obama team knows how to do diplomacy. I do not believe that the Bush administration had much skill with diplomacy. A my way or the high way skill set does not equate to effective diplomacy.

Still believe it was a bad decision to go in there in the first place.

Here is a video interview with the guy who wrote the article, namely Gareth Porter.

Not all Generals believe the way the currently serving Generals believe.

Taking a look back in time...

What D.L. said

Good point D. L.

Hughley: Now I listened to those tapes and I'm not going to hide my affinity for this guy. I never met him before then but to me we have become such a trivial place that we will impeach a man for having sex, or lying about having sex with a woman. In California we will impeach a guy because he raises taxes on license plates because energy gets out of control. We'll impeach a guy for saying some things on tape. But a man can take us to war and lie and we won't do a damn thing about that. That makes me so mad. source: Crooks and Liars

Nation in Song

From a DU Blogger who says this:

This is from the same cabaret show that featured the "I love you, Rachael Maddow" song. I listened to a few other songs from the show and this one stopped me absolutely dead in my tracks. I'm privileged to make this my first post. It reflects what many of us have been feeling & thinking the past 8 years. I felt like this needed to be heard by many. Enjoy.

I concur with this thought. The last eight years have felt like as if I didn't belong. Apparently there are others just like me.

The 'Blair House' Project: Former Australian Prime Minister John Howard is booked for Balir House on 12 Jan 2009

U P D A T E, Tuesday, January 06,2009 at 9:07 PM CST:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

It is my understanding that John Howard is the 'former' Prime Minister of Australia because he supported President George W. Bush's preemptive war of choice also known as the Iraq War or the War in Iraq, straight down the line.

I'm kind of glad the Obama family is at Hay-Adams. I'm kind of motherly about these kids and I feel as though the farther away they are from The White House until the current occupants are ready the vacate the premises, the better.

Nice view I must say.

Everything is so ironic these days.

Washington Life

Blair House Mystery Solved: It's John Howard

By Philip Rucker and Al Kamen
The veil is lifted. We now know who is booked at Blair House, kicking President-elect Barack Obama and his family to the waiting list and across Lafayette Park to the Hay-Adams Hotel.

The only overnight visitor at the presidential guest manse is none other than John Howard, a former Australian prime minister and leading member of President Bush's coalition of the willing in Iraq. source: The Washington Post

President Bush to award former Prime Minister Tony Blair the Presidential Medal of Freedom

Oh geeze. I can't wait until January 20th.

Blair to accept top US medal in Bush's last week in office

• Stephen Bates
• The Guardian, Tuesday 6 January 2009

Tony Blair is to receive the United States's highest civilian award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, from his friend George Bush next Tuesday, at a White House ceremony during the latter's last week in office.

The medal, a five-pointed white star, was first introduced by President Harry Truman just after the second world war and later revived to reward eminent citizens for distinguished service in peacetime by president John F Kennedy.

Although among its previous 400 recipients there are American figures such as Frank Sinatra, Doris Day, Bob Hope, Danny Kaye and Arnold Palmer, it has also been presented to every post-war president and to senior politicians and military men.

The medal is awarded "for especially meritorious contributions to security or the national interests of the United States, world peace or cultural or other significant public or private endeavours". It was not immediately clear last night under which heading the former prime minister had qualified. He is only the second British prime minister to receive the award, following Margaret Thatcher in 1991, though other recipients have included Lord Carrington, the former foreign secretary, and Lord Robertson, former defence secretary and secretary general of Nato.

Blair will find himself among others he will recognise. Donald Rumsfeld received the medal in 1977 for his original period in administration service; vice-president Dick Cheney got his in 1991; and President Bush has previously awarded other prominent figures involved in the Iraq campaign - Paul Bremer, the US's former director in Baghdad, General Tommy Franks, and George Tenet, former director of the CIA. source: The Guardian UK

I know I was pretty, very, outrageously cheesed when I saw George Tenet receiving the medal from George W. Bush awhile back. That means I was swearing at my television.

But then, in 2007, George Tenet wrote a book which I haven't read, but here is video of some of the news reports that came out about Tenet's book.

After what Tenet said over the airwaves and in his book, I bet President Bush would like a 'do-over' on pinning Tenet with that medal.

It is hard to watch people be rewarded with high honors for stupidity, bad judgment, incompetence and criminality.

I hope President Obama doesn't do shit like this. I hope.

'Green Zone' security in Baghdad belongs to a sovreign nation, and it's no longer the U.S.

Heading in the right direction? We can hope. Time will tell. My fingers are triple knotted.

Iraq takes control of Green Zone

Iraqi forces will now monitor the zone's security

Iraq has taken control of security in Baghdad's fortified Green Zone after a UN mandate for troops expired.

The end of the UN mandate - put into place soon after the invasion in March 2003 - means Iraq will now take greater control of its own security.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki welcomed the move as Iraq's "day of sovereignty" at the handover ceremony.

US and British forces will remain in Iraq - but with Iraqi permission, under two separate bilateral deals.

Powerful symbol

"I'd like to congratulate you and the Iraqi people on this day for which we have waited for more than 17 years," Mr Maliki said at the handover ceremony at the Presidential Palace, the former home of ousted leader Saddam Hussein.

"We have the right to consider this day as the day of sovereignty and it is the beginning that Iraq will regain every particle of its soil as well as all of its will and sovereignty."

Iraqi forces will take over responsibility for the security of the zone, the fortified area which houses the Iraqi government, coalition headquarters and most embassies.

The fortified zone is a powerful symbol of the US-led occupation of Iraq. source: BBC News

A Poem: 'Throwing Shoes at George Bush' by Dr. Rafey Habib

The Duck is not Lame as he Ducks

source: DU

Shoe Throwing Catching On in America: Code Pink Protesters demonstrate against Iraq war; show solidarity with Iraqi journalist

WASHINGTON (Map, News) - About 20 people have protested the war in Iraq by tossing shoes at a fellow demonstrator wearing a prison uniform and mask of President George W. Bush outside the White House.

The group yelled, "This is a goodbye kiss from the people of America!" They also arranged along a curb about 120 pairs of shoes tagged with the names of Iraqis who have died as a result of the war. source: Examiner: Indianapolis - read more here

Update: Video

source: DU Blogger

Gathering Evidence? No secret wiretaps needed here. Admissions - Vice-President Cheney on Iraq, War Crimes, Torture, Water Boarding Techniques.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy