Overcast, rain and fog this early Thursday on California’s north coast as we wade through about a week’s worth of wet weather.
People a bit south of us, down ‘Frisco way, are experiencing “a little bit of everything,” including thunderstorms and hail, with an even bigger system due tomorrow.
Up here we get rain in the morning, beautiful, clear skies in the afternoon, and nice, Spring-like days all around.
We’re here, they’re there.

Same as in Iraq — we came, we compeletly fucked the place up, and then we slithered away, leaving behind a truly all-American horror story.

(Illustration found here).

The country has become a killing field. This week alone: Police officials say the deadliest of Tuesday’s attacks took place at night when a suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden tanker into a security checkpoint in the northeast suburbs of Baghdad, killing six soldiers and three civilians. The officials added that 21 people were wounded in the attack.
And yesterday, 39 people were killed, and 79 wounded in attacks across the country, mostly at polling centers. Iraqis are supposed to hold elections next month, but the slaughter might interrupt the knock-down, drag-out politics.
Americans also left Iraq in an environmental nightmare.
From the New York Times:

An advocacy group representing American military veterans and Iraqi civilians arrived here on Wednesday armed with a message for the United States government: Washington must do something for the thousands of people suffering from what the group called the “environmental poisoning” of Iraq during the war.
The group, Right to Heal, says that veterans and civilians continue to feel the effects of the burn pits — banned by Congress four years ago — that were used to dispose of military waste, and that new health problems arise every day for Iraqis.
“Things are worse off today by a thousandfold,” Representative Jim McDermott, Democrat of Washington, said during a hearing in the House on Wednesday morning that featured witnesses from Right to Heal.
…
One of the resulting reports, from the Institute of Medicine, a branch of the National Academies, said not enough data existed to conclude that pollution from the burn pits had caused any long-term health problems.
But it conceded that five or more of the chemicals detected at the Joint Base Balad pit could lead to cancer, anemia, and liver, kidney, heart and respiratory problems.
The chemicals can also harm the brain and reproductive system, the study found.
Mozhgan Savabieasfahani, an environmental toxicologist, has sent two teams to Iraqi hospitals — one in Basra in the south, the other in Falluja, near Baghdad — to study the effects of war-related pollution.
She said she found higher rates of birth defects, heart abnormalities and various cancers in the two cities than elsewhere in the country.
Health experts said they were also concerned that Iraq’s powerful dust storms are laced with toxic substances released during the war.

So, in the face of such horrifying reality of the US invasion, President Obama pea-cocked himself yesterday during a speech in Brussels, claiming Russia’s taking Crimina was worse than what we did in Iraq — full of pure shit or what?
Amid applause, cheers and whatnot, Obama blubbered out this crap:

Moreover, Russia has pointed to America’s decision to go into Iraq as an example of Western hypocrisy.
Now, it is true that the Iraq war was a subject of vigorous debate, not just around the world but in the United States, as well.
I participated in that debate, and I opposed our military intervention there.
But even in Iraq, America sought to work within the international system.
We did not claim or annex Iraq’s territory.
We did not grab its resources for our own gain.
Instead, we ended our war and left Iraq to its people in a fully sovereign Iraqi state that can make decisions about its own future.

Such fine-tuned bullshit.
Concluded Joshua Keating at Slate: Obama probably still believes Iraq was a “dumb war,” but judging by recent statements and the fact that—without any real need to—he chose this speech as a venue to defend it, it certainly seems like his views have evolved in the 12 years since he warned against going into Iraq “without a clear rationale and without strong international support.”

And Americans have reached a low point with the president — via Time:

The Associated Press survey released Wednesday showed that 59 percent of Americans disapprove of the job Obama is doing, a record high for his presidency.
Americans increasingly disapprove of his handling of issues running the gamut from immigration reform to the dispute with Russia over Ukraine, according to the poll.
While Americans have typically given Obama relatively high marks on foreign policy, the new poll shows him registering his lowest level of support yet on the issue; just 40 percent of Americans approve of his foreign policy.
Most Americans disapprove of how he has handled the situation in Ukraine generally (57 percent) and his interactions with Russia (54 percent).

Most-likely the most disappointing president in US history, Obama has also proved himself to not only a coward, but a great bullshitter.
Transparency out of Iraq’s ass.

(Illustration out front found here).