Reyes' Syndrome

According to Josh Marshal

This is a key quote out of Sen. McCain's remarks this afternoon at AEI.

[snip]

Similary, the Marines in Anbar province report very positive effects in reducing the non-sectarian Al Qaeda based violence that is the predominant cause of instability there.

Yes outstanding statesman John McCain just said "non-sectarian Al Qaeda". At least he didn't call them "Godless Al Qaeda" or "liberal Al Qaeda" or something.

Al Qaeda in Iraq formerly known as Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia fomerly an independent organisation called monotheism and Jihan was lead by Abu Musab al Zarqawi until his death (heard of him senator McCain ?). His views are known from a captured CD he was sending to Osama Bin Laden proposing the alliance of their forces (you have heard of Bin Laden Senator, He is very religious but a bit sectarian). In the CD Zarqawi proposes attempting to provoke a sectarian civil war in Iraq. His group then proceded to do so by blowing up the Mosque in Samarra.

There are relatively non sectarian insurgents in Anbar province (remember about separating the insurgents and the terrorists). They are separate from Al Qaeda in Iraq.

The title of my post is a reference to the new chairman of the intelligence committe who, like McCain, asserted that al Qaeda is not sectarian. Didn't say they were pacifists though, so it could be worse.

[I am suddenly wondering if McCain was misquoted. This is not an update as I am worrying before posting. If McCain said "non sectarian and Al Qaeda based" as opposed to "non sectarian Al Qaeda based" he would have been sensibly stressing the difference between "non sectarian" and "Al Qaeda baesd" non ignorantly denying it. His howler howls so loud that I can't trust my eyes, transcriber's ears or McCain's tongue]

As Marshall points out, the main thrust of McCain's argument is, if possible, even more appalling than the "non sectarian Al Qaeda" snippet. McCain argues that surges have always worked fine in the past in Iraq. This is an insane claim.

It is, however, also a wonderfully idiotic rhetorical strategy. The only appeal of a surge is that it is not more of the same and here McCain argues that it is just staying the same old course that has worked so well in Iraq. Keep it up senator McCain. America needs you to stay in the Senate and not move over to that other building nearby.

update: Sorry for the bracketed weasle words above about how maybe McCain isn't an ignoramus. I was temporarily incapable of believing in his ignorance. A more complete quote is unambiguous. The ignorance on display is clearly real, not a misquotation or slip of the tongue. Take the long long quote "non-sectarian Al Qaeda based violence that is the". The word "the" implies that McCain thinks that "non-sectarian Al Qaeda based violence" is a single pheonomenon. This implies that he is phenomenally ignorant.

As is obvious from my clearly false alternative interpretation in brackets above, I am geniuninely astounded, shocked and appalled.