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With al-Zarqawi's death, Bush went on the defensive to help Republicans win in November.

Sycophants are clogging the airwaves and the campaign trail to tell us, "This is the turning point," as the Iraq government overcame internecine struggles to appoint government ministers in a country torn apart by civil war.

Said to be in "high spirits," Bush claims the US won't "cut and run, but will "complete the mission," to make Iraq a stable, functioning democracy. To counter the horrifically bad news from Iraq, Republicans are rallying to convince the public that the US "will be victorious" because the troops "knew their cause was noble." GOP House Speaker Dennis Hastert says, "our cause is right and we are proud of it," as he attacks Democrats who "lack the will to win" and promises that 2006 will be "a year of significant transition" in Iraq, as he vilifies opponents as unpatriotic.

But truth belies war supporters' efforts to crank up a propaganda campaign. Days after al-Zarqawi's death, dozens of Iraqis died from six tightly spaced bombings in Kirkuk. Daily bombings and killings continue in Baghdad. Reports from once-peaceful Basra reveal warlords, militias, organized crime and political parties fighting "a turf war" to control the government. Once considered part of "the coalition of the willing," US allies continue to withdraw their troops from Iraq.

Iraq is a disaster, lacking even the most fundamental services as potential problems grow. Black oil, dumped into mountain valleys along the Tigris River, creates a new environmental disaster. By most measures, Iraqis are worse off today than they were under Saddam, despite the propaganda. Comparisons between May 2003 and May 2006 reveal that civilian deaths increased 600 percent, multifacility bombings grew 5600 percent, per day kidnappings increased 1750 percent, US troop facilities almost doubled, and the number of insurgents increased 700 percent, while monthly incidents of sectarian violence increased 5000 percent. Virtually the only improvement since May 2004 is an increase in cell phones. Only an idiot or a liar calls this progress.

As flag wavers, Republican politicans and their get-rich-from-the-war business supporters claim "things are looking up," Iraq roils with sectarian militias and death squads. Reports of American torture and murders increase. At the same time, the US cozies up to authoritarian regimes: warlords in Somalia, defeated in Mogadishu by Islamic militants; Pakistan, ruled by a ruthless dictator and an Islamic military; and Uzbekistan, given $500 million by the US to help imprison 6,000 political activists and support an iron-fisted dictator. Iran and North Korea rush ahead with nuclear weapons to defend against threatened US aggression.

Far from being half empty, the glass is broken. The US has already lost the war in Iraq, which saps national resources and loses support around the world. For a fourth year in a row, the US elicited increased global hostility and disapproval. In Spain, only 23 percent view the US favorably while support dipped to 30 percent in Indonesia and 12 percent in Turkey. Of 15 countries polled, 13 said the US was a significant threat to world peace.

A survey of 100 leading American foreign policy and military experts judged the "War on Terrorism" a failure. Eighty-six percent said the world has grown more dangerous after Bush's invasion of Iraq. They gave his diplomatic efforts to combat terrorism 1.8 out of 10; rated the effectiveness of the Department of Homeland Security 2.9 out of 10; and judged US intelligence changes "poor to fair." A barrage of experts find Iraq a perfect training ground for Islamic terrorists that will have future repercussions for the US.

The war is bankrupting US social programs. In June, the costs of the invasion and occupation of Iraq reached almost $300 billion with estimates of future costs over $1 trillion. Coupled with ill-advised tax cuts for the rich, the Republican deficit continues to set records, which total over $1 trillion for the past three years. Veterans benefits, highway repair, national forests, low-income food programs and public broadcasting are cut while the real military budget grows to over $560 billion yearly, accounting for half of the federal budget.

Meanwhile, Bush undermines democracy at home. Courts roll back protections taken for granted; police now have to wait only two seconds before bursting into your home for a search; immigrants can be jailed forever; citizens can be disappeared; and warrantless phone taps are an everyday occurrence. Bush's minions data mine our most personal data. Torture of prisoners is now approved, radio stations can be fined $300,000 for using "bad" words, and the president is above the law-the supreme commander. In Rolling Stone, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s exposes the stolen election in Ohio in 2004, raising the question of honest elections.

A neo-con cult uses fear and the destruction of the WTC to support the rich getting richer, selling America's assets to foreign investors, a Christian theocracy, a US military empire, lower wages and the elimination of environmental, personal and financial protections. Desperate to save their agenda, they pump out propaganda to make people hopeful. The longer we stay in Iraq, the higher the price we'll pay.

Don Monkerud ~ STWR Member

Don Monkerud is an Aptos, California-based writer who follows cultural, social and political issues.He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it


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