For those of you paying attention, the U.S. was in Vietnam for more than five full years before we'd suffered our 1,000th casualty.

Meanwhile in Iraq, in just under a year and a half, we've already lost 1,009.

Also, for the record, from the start of the war ("Shock and Awe!") through Bush's announced "end of major hostilities" ("Mission Accomplished!") the U.S. had lost a total of 139 troops.

Since handing over fake "sovereignty" at the beginning of July through today, we have lost 155 troops.

How will it end? What's Bush's exit strategy? Is there one? Is there any way out? You tell me.

Source: Iraq Coalition Casualty Count

The conservative Seattle Times, who endorsed Bush in 2000, realize now how wrong they were and are instead endorsing Kerry this year!

Wow! I guess they really are conservatives! Unlike the bulk of the Fake Conservatives we see commenting so frequently here on the BRAD BLOG and elsewhere out there in the America Hatin' World of Rightwing Nutballs. There's hope for this country yet!

From today's NY Times article on CIA Director appointee, Porter Goss:

He gives Bush too much credit.

Investigative journalist (yes, there are still a few) Greg Palast reports on the top-secret memo they received at the BBC from sources back in November 2001 about the "suspected terrorist organization" in the USA known as "the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY). The organization supported various youth activities and was funded by the Saudi's and two members of the bin Laden family.

BBC obtained video from Florida of one of the WAMY activities other than Soccer and Softball which the group organized; "a speech exhorting kids on the heroism of suicide bombings and hostage takings."

The Palast report describes the directives recieved by the CIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and the FBI to "back off the Saudis" both when Bush took office, and over the years that followed 9/11:

In November 2001, as the dust still hung in the air in NYC, the BBC ran a report on WAMY and their connection to the Saudis and the bin Laden family. The Bush Administration refused comment for that report.

It wasn't until May of this year (2004!) that the FBI finally got around to raiding WAMY!

Ouch...Tough, but true to anyone who bothers to look past the veil of Bushist Propoganda to notice what these PR All-Stars really did (or in this case, didn't) when it comes to their failed "War on Terror".

Palast concludes:

Thanks to Johnhp for the tip-off on this one! See the full story, and while you're there, be sure to take a look at the trailer for Palast's upcoming Documentary on the Bush Family, and the systematic purging of minority voters in Florida during the 2000 Elections!

Bush/Cheney: Anything to Win

For those who can't read, or have trouble understanding our earlier post on this, please click the photo below for an audio recitation of the Many Flips and embarrassing Flops of George W. Bush.

(Thanks again to BRAD BLOG Soldier Against Hypocrisy, Alexi!)

The case against Bush's failed execution of the War on Iraq is becoming clearer every day.

Best put this morning by Pro-Iraq Warrior, Andrew Sullivan, who said today:

And in regards to the damning report today from the U.S. Marine Corps general in charge of western Iraq that Fallujah was completely bungled by the upper Civilian Command (after Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and the boys have gone out of their way to suggest they wouldn't make the Vietnam mistake of getting in the way of Military Command on the ground), Sullivan --- a longtime BRAD BLOG "Intellectually Honest Republican" Award winner --- was also on the money:

Sullivan's last question there is a doozy. Just imagine if Al Gore had executed this "War on Terror" in exactly the same fashion and as disastrously. Imagine what the Republicans would be saying with 1000+ dead, no WMD's to be found, no exit strategy anywhere on the horizon, and if "insurgents" in Fallujah were now using the arms we gave them against us now as they are! Can you imagine?!

The blatant and outrageous hypocrisy at work amongst the apologists on the Right at this moment is surely at an all time high (or low). Just incredible.

Along with a report that 110 had been killed in Iraq yesterday (WaPo puts the number as "at least 80 civilians killed") including a Palestinian Journalist killed by US Forces from an Apache helicopter as the camera was rolling (video here), and at least five major cities now completely controlled by "insurgents", things seem to be disintegrating there quickly.

Fortunately the Bush Corporation has an excellent PR department, so anything that gets through the PR filter to you and me between now and November 2nd can be assumed to be much worse than it's reported. But, for those of us trying to pay attention to the black hole where we're pumping so much blood and treasure, there are many hints lately of what's really going on there (never mind Afghanistan which is similarly falling apart...not that it was ever "together" before we pulled out and moved to Iraq).

Here's just a few of the items from yesterday in Iraq, courtesy of "Today in Iraq":

Pay attention. This is still a hot war with injuries, deaths and attacks on US troops as high now as they've ever>/i> been! Bush/Cheney would very much like Americans to look elsewhere between now and November. Don't be fooled...again.