Bush says this is an honorable exercise that must go to completion. We must attack the "terrorists" on their home ground before they invade our homeland. Cindy Sheehan calls Bush a liar. We already knew that.

Recently, Salah al-Mukhtar, former Iraqi ambassador to India, China and Vietnam, conducted an interview in which he gave the most accurate assessment of the Iraqi resistance yet chronicled. He mentioned that it was planned well in advance of the March 2003 invasion of Iraq and has enough weapons to last at least 10 years.

For those who are amazed at today’s Iraq and could not envisage what is now occurring, the same Salah al-Mukhtar, in an interview with the Indian website www.rediff.com, told of the consequences of a U.S. invasion more than a month before the actual hostilities began.

Among other items addressed, al-Mukhtar stated:

We shall not oblige America to retreat because we have a long-term strategy of war. America has a very short-term strategy. We shall fight from the north to the south, from street to street, and from house to house. We shall prolong the war as much as possible. That’s the only way to defeat America. We can’t compete with America or its army, but we can destroy the morale of the soldiers …

These allegations (al-Qaida/Iraq collaboration) are made by our enemies. Deal with facts. Three months ago, Americans found 60 video cassettes in Afghanistan. The cassettes show Osama asking his followers to fight Saddam. Iraq is ideologically opposite to Saddam. Al-Qaida believes in fundamentalism. We are not just a secular regime, we are a secular nation …

2003 is not 1991. It’s not a war against the army of Iraq, it’s a war against each Iraqi citizen. Out of 23 million people, 10 million Iraqis are carrying guns.

Saddam Hussein and Tariq Aziz made similar statements. However, the U.S. called them "propaganda" and relished in a quick victory, as shown by George Bush’s proclamation of "Mission Accomplished" in May 2003.

We now know that the mission was just beginning. The U.S. was trapped in Iraq and the real battles were just starting.

When the U.S. attributed the ease of which it took Baghdad, it said the Iraqis fled before battling U.S. troops. Nobody knew at the time that the crack Republican Guard units were ordered to go home and the officers were told to wait for their next instructions. These same units that the U.S. called cowards are not in the forefront of the battle for Iraq.

Saddam Hussein, Tariq Aziz and Salah al-Mukhtar all laid out Iraq’s plans for the world to see. The U.S. government (Republican and Democrat) laughed at such statements. No one is laughing now, but those who were fooled still don’t get it.

I have begun an extensive interview with al-Mukhtar and should be posting it within a week.

Now, let’s look at nomenclature. The U.S. public is intrigued with slogans in every aspect of American life and culture. With the invasion of Panama came the name of the operation: Operation Just Cause. Then we had Operation Desert Shield followed by Operation Desert Storm. Then Operation Desert Fox.

In March 2003, the illegal invasion was called Operation Iraqi Freedom. But, since it has lasted more than two years, the military script-writers had to come up with new names for operations. After all, no one thought the U.S. would still be fighting more than two years later. One name led to another. Below is a list of U.S. operations from May 2003 to May 2005. Most of them depict violence and many refer to the good old Wild West days of U.S. history. The U.S. may just have to stay in Iraq long enough for the policymakers to run out of words in the dictionary for future operations. The information was obtained from www.globalsecurity.org.

In reality, George Bush did make an accurate designation when he affixed the moniker "Operation Iraqi Freedom." It is occurring currently in Iraq with the resistance at the forefront.

Operations
Operation Planet X (15 May 2003)
Operation Peninsula Strike (09 June 2003 - 12 June 2003)
Operation Desert Scorpion (15 June 2003 - 29 June 2003)
Operation Scorpion Sting
Operation Spartan Scorpion
Operation Rifles Scorpion
Operation Sidewinder (29 June 2003 - 07 July 2003)
Operation Soda Mountain (12 July 2003 - 17 July 2003)
Operation Ivy Serpent (12 July 2003 - 21 July 2003)
Operation Iron Bullet (July 2003)
Operation Tyr (July 2004)
Operation Ivy Lightning (12 August 2003)
Operation Silverado (16 August 2003)
Operation Ivy Needle (26 August 2003 - ?)
Operation Longstreet (September 2003)
Operation Tiger Clean Sweep (07 September 2003)
Operation Industrial Sweep (October 2003)
Operation Chamberlain (15 October 2003 - ?)
Operation Sweeney (15 October 2003 - ?)
Operation O.K. Corral (19 October 2003)
Operation Iron Hammer (November 2003)
Operation Eagle Curtain (November 2003)
Operation All American Tiger (06 November 2003 - ?)
Operation Ivy Cyclone (07 November 2003 - ?)
Operation Ivy Cyclone II (17 November 2003 - ?)
Operation Boothill (10 November 2003)
Operation Rifles Blitz (20 November 2003 - ?)
Operation Rifle Sweep(26 November 2003)
Operation Bayonet Lightning (02 December 2003)
Operation Bulldog Mammoth (04 December 2003 - ?)
Operation Clear Area (06 December 2003)
Operation Abilene (08 December 2003)
Operation Panther Squeeze (10 December 2003)
Operation Red Dawn (13 December 2003)
Operation Panther Backroads (15 December 2003)
Operation Ivy Blizzard (17 December 2003 - ?)
Operation Arrowhead Blizzard (17 December 2003 - ?)
Operation Iron Justice (18 December 2003 - ?)
Operation Rifles Fury (21 December 2003 - ?)
Operation Salm (23 December 2003)
Operation Devil Siphon (23 December 2003 - ?)
Operation Iron Grip (24 December 2003 - ?)
Operation Iron Force (24 December 2003 - ?)
Operation Choke Hold (30 December 2003)
Operation Warhorse Whirlwind (January 2004)
Operation Iron Resolve (January 2004)
Operation Market Sweep (13 January 2004)
Operation Saloon (14 January 2004)
Operation Rock Slide (15 January 2004)
Operation Final Cut (28 January 2004 - ?)
Operation Saber Turner II (February 2004)
Operation Tomahawk (February 2004)
Operation Trailblazer (February 2004)
Operation Eagle Liberty 3 (19 February 2004)
Operation Devil Clinch (21 February 2004)
Operation Rocketman (26 February 2004)
Operation Iron Promise (March 2004)
Operation Shillelagh (March 2004)
Operation Devil Thrust (March 2004)
Operation Aloha (March 2004)
Operation Centaur Rodeo (March 2004)
Operation Warrior (03 March 2004)
Operation Suicide Kings (17 March 2004)
Operation Tiger Fury (30 March 2004 - ?)
Operation Iron Saber (April 2004 - June 2004)
Operation Duke Fortitude (April 2004)
Operation Lancer Fury (April 2004)
Operation Lancer Lightning
Operation Vigilant Resolve (05 April 2004)
Operation Resolute Sword (08 April 2004)
Operation Danger Fortitude (11 April 2004 - 17 April 2004)
Operation Ripper Sweep (12 April 2004 - ?)
Operation Yellow Stone (23 April 2004)
Operation Rapier Thrust (May 2004)
Operation Spring Clean-up (May 2004)
Operation Striker Hurricane (1 May 2004)
Operation Wolfpack Crunch (4 May 2004)
Operation Disarm (19 May 2004)
Operation Giuliani (June 2004)
Operation Slim Shady (June 2004)
Operation Striker Tornado (June 2004)
Operation Rocketman III (June 2004)
Operation Dragon Victory (19 June 2004 - ?)
Operation Gimlet Crusader (24 June 2004)
Operation Gimlet Silent Sniper (July 2004)
Operation Outlaw Destroyer (July 2004)
Operation Haifa Street (July 2004)
Operation Mutual Security (02 July 2004 - ?)
Operation Tombstone Pile Driver (15 July 2004)
Operation Mayfield III (19 July 2004)
Operation Cobra Sweep (28 July 2004)
Operation Showdown (August 2004)
Operation Grizzly Forced Entry (August 2004)
Operation Warrior Resolve (August 2004)
Operation Quarterhorse Rides (August 2004)
Operation Phantom Linebacker (04 August 2004)
Operation Cajun Mousetrap II (05 August 2004 - ?)
Operation Cajun Mousetrap III (13 August 2004 - 15 August 2004)
Operation Iron Fury (17 August 2004 - ?)
Operation Iron Fury II
Operation Wolverine (19 August 2004)
Operation Clean Sweep (23-24 August 2004)
Operation True Grit (23-24 August 2004)
Operation Black Typhoon (09 September 2004 - ?)
Operation Hurricane (16 September 2004)
Operation Hurricane II (18 September 2004)
Operation Iron Fist 2 (23 September 2004 - ?)
Operation Longhorn (30 September 2004 - ?)
Operation Blue Tiger (October 2004)
Operation Baton Rouge (01 October 2004 - ?)
Operation Phantom Fury (05 October 2004 - ?)
Operation Bulldog (06 October 2004 - ?)
Operation Centaur Strike II (11 October 2004)
Operation Centaur Strike III (13 October 2004)
Operation Mandarin Squeeze (14 October 2004)
Operations in Fallujah (14 October 2004 - ?)
Operation Dallas (29 October 2004)
Operation al-Fajr (Dawn) / Phantom Fury [Fallujah] (8 November 2004 - ?)
Operation Plymouth Rock (23 November 2004 - ?)
Operation Tobruk [UK] (28 November 2004)
Operation Rock Bottom (24 November 2004 - ?)
Operation Falcon Freedom (5 December 2004)
Operation Soprano Sunset (6 December 2004)
Operation Wonderland (24 December 2004)
Operation Powder River (December 31, 2004-January 14, 2005)
Operation Triple Play (December 31, 2004 - January 2, 2005)
Operation Therapist (~January 9, 2005 - ?)
Operation Lanthonid (~January 9, 2005 - ?)
Operation Copperas Cove (January 12, 2005)
Operation Checkmate (January 19, 2005 - ?)
Operation River Blitz (February 20, 2005 - )
Operation Fontana (2-6 April 2005)
Operation Cobweb [MND-CS] (May 6-10, 2005)
Operation Matador (May 7-14, 2005)
Operation Peninsula [MND-CS] (May 19-20, 2005)
Operation Squeeze Play (May 23(?), 2005 - ? )
Operation Hudson (?, 2005)
Operation New Market (Souk Jadeed) (May 25-29, 2005)
Operation Lightning (May 29, 2005 - )