17 May 2009

Inspired by the Bible: Rumsfeld's Secret Holy War

GQ has released copies of secret intelligence briefing covers that were sent by Donald Rumsfeld to president Bush and his senior military staff just after the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Here they are, along with links to the Bible verses.

Joshua 1:9



1 Chronicles 16:11


Psalm 33:16-19


Psalm 139:9-10


Proverbs 16:3


Isaiah 5:28


Isaiah 6:8


Isaiah 26:2


Daniel 5:5-28


Ephesians 6:13



1 Peter 2:15


13 comments:

RsD said...

Oh geez. Please, please, please, please, please, please, please... (you get the idea) let these be from The Onion. Please?

Damn.

Baconsbud said...

This is as I always figured it was. I never really believed that Iraq was attacked because of the oil. The former administration was more into it for religious beliefs then anything else. So many people believed it was because of oil that they were blind to the truth. Nothing is more dangerous then someone that believes their god supports their actions.

barriejohn said...

This has just GOT to be a wind-up!!!

Matthew Blanchette said...

Damn, this is scary...

busterggi said...

Great, I wonder if Jerusalem was on the itinerary as in the original crusades?

FreZno said...

http://tr.im/tsprummybible

I've got a post up at The Skeptical Pacifist that suggests ten alternative Bible verses that Rummy should've used to sell the Iraq War to GWBush. Feedback would be much appreciated! I provided links to the SAB for each verse mentioned, and directed readers to this blog entry if they want to see the WIU coversheet images without the hassle of Flash at GQ's website.

I think those of us who live in the reality-based community are about to have a field day with this one.

Ian said...

Yup, in the minds of deranged war criminals like Donald Rumsfeld, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan really WERE connected. Not because of an Iraq-al Qaeda connection, but because they are both part of a larger crusade against Islam.

And the forces of reason and secularism get caught in the middle of this war between two unhinged bronze-age superstitions.

barriejohn said...

I think the truth of the matter is that different people supported the Iraq war for different reasons, so it was partly the oil, partly the religious crusade, partly a desire to spread American "culture" (thus opening up new markets) amongst "backward" people, and partly, in the minds of some Americans, even a desire to improve the lot of the Iraqi people. However, nothing will ever convince me that the Bush family were not plotting this for years, ever since "Daddy" lost the battle to press on to Baghdad and finish off Saddam during the first conflict, and ended up looking like the loser! Don`t forget how Saddam gloated over the fact that the two supposed "victors" on that occasion - Bush and Thatcher - had been removed from office, while in Iraq his position was stronger than ever. That hurt!!

Ian said...

barriejohn,

Oh, I'm sure there were all different reasons people supported the war. Christopher Hitchens genuinely believe it would help the Iraqi people. Many neoconservatives saw it as a way to "Americanize" the chaotic Middle East. I'm sure Dick Cheney wanted a show of American might after 9/11, there were the daddy issues with Bush, and the oil...

But it's obvious now that some people (remember William Boykin?) saw it as a crusade against infidels, and that a lot of these people are the base of the GOP. Truly frightening.

barriejohn said...

I am not saying, Ian G., that to Rumsfeld and others the Iraq War was not a religious crusade - it obviously was. I just don`t think it was to the Bush clan, that`s all. To them it was sweet revenge for Daddy`s perceived humiliation, and was planned well in advance. I don`t know about you, but I have never bought into the George W. Bush conversion myth. I am an ex-evangelical, and to me he is the least-convincing "born-again Christian" that I have ever come across! Nothing in his demeanour and use of language says "Christian", and where amongst all those books that he was supposed to be reading were all the Bible commentaries and devotional tomes of which evangelicals are so very fond? None of it stacks up! What I do think, though, is that being the career politicians that they are, the Bushes were very skilfull at bringing together people with different agendas - some of whom are completely bonkers - who would be happy to work together towards a common end, and in this respect were "all things to all men", much like the old mafia bosses. As you say "truly frightening" - but brilliant!!

Baconsbud said...

barriejohn, Check out this article http://www.alternet.org/politics/140221/bush%27s_shocking_biblical_prophecy_emerges%3A_god_wants_to_%22erase%22_mid-east_enemies_%22before_a_new_age_begins%22/ . I can't say it is completely the truth since the site it is from can be extremely liberal in their view. I do recall hearing something about some of the events in it though.

barriejohn said...

Well, I suppose it`s quite possible that "W" really did believe this bullshit - it`s still very popular amongst American Christians, and some British Evangelicals. I`m amazed to see that Hal Lindsey is still going strong, and even has a website on which he is attempting to show how every little political event on the face of the earth is another step towards Armageddon and the fulfilment of God`s eternal purposes! His books "The Late Great Planet Earth" and "Satan Is Alive And Well On Planet Earth" were both very popular at one time, but the big snag with all this doomsday talk is that people soon start saying: "Hang on a minute. If these really are the `end times`, and the Lord`s return is imminent, when is something definite going to happen?" Those books must have been written over twenty years ago, and the end was very near THEN!! Still, to get back to Bush - he still doesn`t convince me that he is a sincere Christian, and that`s it!

Anonymous said...

A TAIL WAGS THE DOG


There is something-fishy going on in America. An octopus with multiple tentacles has managed to reach into every chamber where laws are made. Its influence redirects tax dollars to the benefit of a foreign government with little care or concern for the well-being of the American taxpayer whom Congress mandates must provide the funds.

According to the National Debt Time Clock, the national debt stands at $6,401,310,925,064. This puts the debt at $22,177 for each of 289 million citizens and the debt is growing at $1.45 billion each day. One would hope that elected officials would reign in this wasteful spending but that isn’t likely to happen. Israel receives over one third of the total U. S. aid to foreign countries. Israel receives this aid because the AIPAC (the American Israel Public Affairs Committee), the pro Israel lobby, has bought and paid for the support of almost every sitting member of congress.

Since 1949 Israel has received $97 billion in U. S. aid and annually receives approximately $3 billion. The U. S. being in a deficit funding position itself is forced to borrow money, which it then provides to Israel, increasing the cost of this aid, another 60%. Several months ago a letter was sent to Senator Hatch of Utah protesting the annual $3 billion in aid provided Israel. In his reply Senator Hatch justified the aid on basis of Israel being America’s ally and having never defaulted on a loan. What he neglected to say is that Israel has never defaulted on a loan because the Economic Support Funds going to Israel must never fall below the amount of money needed by Israel to repay its loans to the United States. All loans are eventually forgiven thus never defaulted on.

Lobbying Congress is an art which has been encouraged over the years by members of Congress who are always willing to receive perks for votes and by lobbying groups, such as AIPAC, which is dedicated to buying support for Israel. PACs can give a candidate up to $10,000. By splitting into 50 PACs, one for each state, it is possible for AIPAC to spend a half million dollars to support or defeat a candidate who does or does not toe the line and support Israel. Therefore when it comes to politics regarding Israel, there are only a very few members of Congress who do not bow to the Israeli flag. Thus in America, the tail is wagging the dog and it is a cowering dog at best. In Utah alone, there are 70,000 children living in poverty. The number must be larger in more populous states. Surely, it makes more sense to help American citizens instead of giving billions to Israel so they can pay a Russian Jew $20,000 to emigrate to Israel. What they need in Washington is more decency and less politics as usual. What they need is no more aid for Zionist Talmudic Israel.