Neocon sociopaths, in their own words

From:
The Transparent Cabal
(AntiWar.com) -- by Ed Warner --

History is full of examples of a determined minority prevailing over a more passive majority. A case in point is the neoconservative effort to bring the United States into war with Iraq largely for the protection of Israel. Despite the dubious reasons the neoconservatives advanced — Iraq has WMDs, ties to al-Qaeda — they managed to overcome the resistance of the military, the State Department and CIA partly by infiltrating them for their own ends. As the book title suggests, much of this was done in the open, a transparent cabal.

The cabal is described in convincing detail by author Stephen Sniegosky, who, somewhat retiring, lets the neoconservatives tell much of it in their own words — and what words! full of the passion of their endeavor: "Creative destruction is our middle name:" "precise military action against Hezbollah and Syria for as long as it takes without regard to mindless blather about proportionality;" "There is no middle way for Americans. It is victory or the holocaust;" "Could World War Two have been won by Britain and the United States if the two countries did not have it in them to firebomb Dresden and nuke Hiroshima and Nagasaki — the willingness to inflict mass casualties on civilians?" Like Gaza? we might ask.

The neoconservatives, to be sure, had significant help from the top. President Bush, not well versed in foreign affairs; Vice President Cheney, basically a neoconservative himself; and Defense Secretary Rumsfeld, who wanted to try out his new concept of a sleek, swift high tech attack, which fitted nicely with neocon plans. Much of the media was also supportive, like the New York Times. Columnist Tom Friedman wrote: "The war is the most important, liberal, revolutionary democracy-building project since the Marshall Plan." Poor George Marshall, who, as they say, must be rolling over in his grave.

But if the neoconservatives knew what they wanted, they were less sure of the consequences, indifferent really. That point was made by General Anthony Zinni observing the neoconservative reaction to the chaos in Iraq following the war: "Maybe some strong man emerges, it fractures, and there really is a Kurdish state. Who cares? There’s some bloodshed and it’s messy. Who cares? I mean we’ve taken out Saddam. We’ve asserted our strength in the Middle East. We’ve changed the dynamic, and we’re not putting any pressure on Israel."

To avoid a global takeover by what he calls "Islamofascism," former Commentary magazine editor Norman Podhoretz urges war with Iran, no matter what the outcome: "There would be a vast increase in the price of oil with catastrophic consequences for every country of the world. The worldwide outcry against the inevitable civilian casualties would make the anti-Americanism of today look like a love fest." Still, the war would be worth it...MORE...LINK