GQ’s Web site reveals troubling information about former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld’s daily top-secret briefings to former President George W. Bush. These briefings, called “Worldwide Intelligence Update,” were “a daily digest of critical military intelligence so classified that it circulated among only a handful of Pentagon leaders and the president,” according to GQ.It's a bit of an understatement to say that invading another country claiming to be on a mission from God is a at odds with the basic foundations of American secular democracy. The Bush administration clearly viewed itself in Iraq as an army of God, fulfilling some sort of Biblical mission ("crusade".)
During the early part of the Iraq War in 2003, the covers of the briefings included photos of soldiers praying or in action in Iraq. These photos were accompanied by Bible verses.
For example, one cover sheet showed a photo of a large Baghdad monument of two crossed swords, with a tank beneath it. The quote above the image, from Isaiah 26:2, is: “Open the gates that the righteous nation may enter, the nation that keeps faith.”
Another slide depicts the cover of an April 2003 briefing. It shows images of soldiers fighting with the quote from Joshua 1:9: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
GQ has compiled a slideshow of select cover sheets to these daily briefings that Rumsfeld often delivered to the White House by hand.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Like taking a sledge hammer to the wall of separation
From The Wall of Separation
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6 comments:
GQ? You mean that radical left-wing rag GG? That GQ? :)
Revelations (sorry) like this should not be a surprise to us when we have every indication that the actors around Bush were expert manipulators of him, i.e. Rumsfeld, Cheney, Rove, Addington, etc.
Inserting biblical quotes and showing soldiers praying were classic manipulation techniques which the team constructing these documents knew would evoke strong emotion. This glut of emotion has the affect of dominating state of mind by consuming resources that would otherwise be available for logic and critical thought.
I suspect the particular briefings that had these evocative moments were likely laden with problematic logical support. If I was looking for a smoking gun on war crimes, these reports would be at the top of my list.
Yep, obviously GQ is communist propaganda. The article was written by Bush biographer (Dead Certain) Robert Draper. It doesn't just cover the faith-themed intelligence reports, but Bush administration insiders bashing Rumsfield all around.
Sheldon:
Fall of the House of Bush by Craig Unger did an excellent job of documenting the confluence of neoconservatism and Christian right End Times eschatology on the Bush administration.
Oops. Meant to address that second part to Malcontent
Not merely confluence but orchestrated synergy that uncannily avoids direct conflict despite disparate agendas.
Until the wheels come off...
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