Preparing for withdrawal from Iraq
Republicans went nuts after John Murtha called for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq, and I myself do not favour immediate withdrawal, but it already looks as though the Pentagon is preparing for withdrawal:
Of course, the tide has turned. The Bush Administration, which has flip-flopped so often on everything to do with the Iraq War that nothing it says is credible, is trying to "relieve enormous pressure by war opponents".
So the latest "story," already told by Rice and soon to be pushed by Bush himself, is that the Iraqis are almost ready to defend themselves. Are they? Maybe. We'll have to see. (I suspect that the Iraqis are far from ready.)
But you can see what's going on, can't you? The Bush Administration is trying to set up a win-win situation for itself. If Iraq succeeds, with success defined broadly as stable self-governance that is more or less democratic, Bush can take all the credit (the war was worth it, see?). If Iraq fails, with failure defined as civil war and/or anarchy, Bush can blame the Iraqis themselves (the war was worth it, but those good-for-nothing Iraqis let us down, see?). And Iraq ends up somewhere between success and failure, which seems likely, Bush can spin whatever story makes him look good and helps him stick it to his opponents.
Don't get me wrong. I hope Iraq succeeds. But don't let Bush define the terms.
**********
Joe Gandelman gets it right at The Moderate Voice: "The Bush administration has insisted that setting any kind of even nebulous date for a withdrawal encourages the enemy to hold out and get even bolder. Translation: it has insinuated that by setting a timetable more American military could be killed. And it turned this into a partisan jihad, going after one political party when even some members of the GOP are voicing increasing doubts."
For this White House, it's all political, isn't it?
See John Cole at Balloon Juice (with whom I've had my differences but who is one of the more thoughtful conservatives out there): "While drawing down 40k of 160k troops over the next year is certainly not cutting and running, I think it is pretty clear this decision is being based on domestic political considerations rather than facts on the ground. Which, of course, makes this administration no better than the cynical Democrats who have been using this issue for their own political reasons. Worse, some might argue, since this adminstration led us into this war, and now seems unwilling to win it."
Here's John Aravosis at AMERICAblog: "So, basically, in order to save his political behind, Bush will put even more US soldiers in danger by trying to split the baby in half. And, within days of Dick Cheney suggesting anybody advocating a troop pull out is a coward and emboldening the terrorists (even though most of the folks we're fighting in Iraq aren't terrorists, but are actually Iraqis we've pissed off), Bush is now proposing the same thing."
And Josh Marshall at Talking Points Memo: "What we have is posturing and positioning over the political consequences of withdrawal. The White House and the president's partisans will lay down a wall of covering fire, calling anybody who considers withdrawal an appeaser, to allow the president to go about the business of drawing down the American presence in Iraq in time to game the 2006 elections."
And Justin Gardner at Donklephant: "The Roveian way of doing things is to double the PR budget and forget about what’s right or wrong, because history is written by the winners. My grave fear, though, is while we may seem like the winners to some right now, the Iraqis will end up losing so much."
See also Eschaton, The Heretik, Middle Earth Journal, Rising Hegemon, The Mahablog, and Just a Bump in the Beltway.
**********
I just have one word for how the Bush Administration is handling all this: DISGUSTING.
Even as debate over the Iraq war continues to rage, signs are emerging of a convergence of opinion on how the Bush administration might begin to exit the conflict.
In a departure from previous statements, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said this week that the training of Iraqi soldiers had advanced so far that the current number of U.S. troops in the country probably would not be needed much longer...
The developments seemed to lay the groundwork for potentially large withdrawals in 2006 and 2007, consistent with scenarios outlined by Pentagon planners. The approach also tracks the thinking of some centrist Democrats...
Of course, the tide has turned. The Bush Administration, which has flip-flopped so often on everything to do with the Iraq War that nothing it says is credible, is trying to "relieve enormous pressure by war opponents".
So the latest "story," already told by Rice and soon to be pushed by Bush himself, is that the Iraqis are almost ready to defend themselves. Are they? Maybe. We'll have to see. (I suspect that the Iraqis are far from ready.)
But you can see what's going on, can't you? The Bush Administration is trying to set up a win-win situation for itself. If Iraq succeeds, with success defined broadly as stable self-governance that is more or less democratic, Bush can take all the credit (the war was worth it, see?). If Iraq fails, with failure defined as civil war and/or anarchy, Bush can blame the Iraqis themselves (the war was worth it, but those good-for-nothing Iraqis let us down, see?). And Iraq ends up somewhere between success and failure, which seems likely, Bush can spin whatever story makes him look good and helps him stick it to his opponents.
Don't get me wrong. I hope Iraq succeeds. But don't let Bush define the terms.
**********
Joe Gandelman gets it right at The Moderate Voice: "The Bush administration has insisted that setting any kind of even nebulous date for a withdrawal encourages the enemy to hold out and get even bolder. Translation: it has insinuated that by setting a timetable more American military could be killed. And it turned this into a partisan jihad, going after one political party when even some members of the GOP are voicing increasing doubts."
For this White House, it's all political, isn't it?
See John Cole at Balloon Juice (with whom I've had my differences but who is one of the more thoughtful conservatives out there): "While drawing down 40k of 160k troops over the next year is certainly not cutting and running, I think it is pretty clear this decision is being based on domestic political considerations rather than facts on the ground. Which, of course, makes this administration no better than the cynical Democrats who have been using this issue for their own political reasons. Worse, some might argue, since this adminstration led us into this war, and now seems unwilling to win it."
Here's John Aravosis at AMERICAblog: "So, basically, in order to save his political behind, Bush will put even more US soldiers in danger by trying to split the baby in half. And, within days of Dick Cheney suggesting anybody advocating a troop pull out is a coward and emboldening the terrorists (even though most of the folks we're fighting in Iraq aren't terrorists, but are actually Iraqis we've pissed off), Bush is now proposing the same thing."
And Josh Marshall at Talking Points Memo: "What we have is posturing and positioning over the political consequences of withdrawal. The White House and the president's partisans will lay down a wall of covering fire, calling anybody who considers withdrawal an appeaser, to allow the president to go about the business of drawing down the American presence in Iraq in time to game the 2006 elections."
And Justin Gardner at Donklephant: "The Roveian way of doing things is to double the PR budget and forget about what’s right or wrong, because history is written by the winners. My grave fear, though, is while we may seem like the winners to some right now, the Iraqis will end up losing so much."
See also Eschaton, The Heretik, Middle Earth Journal, Rising Hegemon, The Mahablog, and Just a Bump in the Beltway.
**********
I just have one word for how the Bush Administration is handling all this: DISGUSTING.
4 Comments:
The honorable Senate Democrats
in the United States are doing an
honorable investigation to find out
exactly what happened to cause
me to lose my country, and until
these honorable Senate Democrats
in the United States get every one
of their questions answered about
the manipulation and the distortion
of the intelligence -- and of course
all of the lies about my having weapons
of mass destruction; all this before
my country was invaded -- I can't
get a fair trial, until all these questions
are answered by the Senate Democrats.
And after these Senate Democrats get
the answers that we all know are out
there, I, Saddam Hussein, would argue
that I never had any weapons of mass
destruction, and whatever bad intelligence
was generated by a cowboy, fratboy
president and his indicted staff, who
have poisoned world opinion about
me and my government, and as such,
I can't get a fair trial anywhere -- and
I want my country back. I'm going to
make this trial about George W. Bush,
and I'm going to be calling as witnesses
people like Dick Durbin and Ted Kennedy.
I'm going to call Chuck Schumer.
I would call Senator Jay Rockefeller
as a witness, if I were Saddam Hussein.
I'm serious, folks -- and I wouldn't be
surprised if his defense lawyers pick up
on this at some point. If I were Saddam
Hussein I would never, ever get off the
line of attack of Senate Democrats. I
would "want answers." I would accuse
the lying President Bush of manufacturing
evidence and spreading propaganda to
a bunch of gullible reporters like Judith
Miller of the New York Times and who
knows who all at NBC, and say that there
exists a massive conspiracy just like Hillary
Clinton said; a massive right-wing conspiracy
to prop up a failed presidency, and to distract
the world from the damage the Bush White
House has done to the world's environment,
the world's workers, the world's unions, the
world's teachers -- and most of all the world's
children. If I were Saddam Hussein, I would
be making this case, and I would say, "I'm
following the lead of these great honorable
Senate Democrats of the United States Senate
who have the guts and the courage to have
the temerity to get to the bottom of all of this."
I would follow them down the path they're on.
I, Saddam Hussein, would say that the Senate
Democrats are on the way to proving that
President Bush has led a false war,
permanently screwed up children all over
the world as to how you solve problems.
My country is Muslim. We are very
different from western countries, and
that scares stupid, evangelical cowboys
like George Bush.Why, Prince Charles
even had to go tell Bush, "You misunder -
stood Islam," the other day. I'd call Prince
Charles as a witness! So what does this
cowboy Bush do when his oil baron buddies
can't have my oil for themselves? Well, they
start a war on false pretenses because every -
body knows that this war was about nothing
but oil and that's why all the intelligence was
trumped up, and that's why all of the lies
were told and that's why everybody was told
and agreed that I had weapons of mass
destruction, is because the world wants my
oil led by the cowboy Bush, and I thank God --
I thank Allah daily -- for the Senate Democrats,
the Democrats of the United States Senate
who are leading this courageous effort to
prove what a liar and a disaster on the world
stage George W. Bush has been. I can't get
a fair trial, and until I get a fair trial -- which
is not possible -- I demand my country back.
All of this that has happened has been based
on lies. The world can't sleep at night.
If the world can do this to me, a man with
nothing but benevolence and love in his heart
for his people, what will they do next? Who
will they do it to next?
The cowboy Bush -- Cheney, Libby, Rove --
they must be stopped, and it's the Senate
Democrats in that great institution, the
United States Senate, who are leading the way.
If I were Saddam Hussein, I would say,
"I have no hope for a fair trial."
What I'm saying is being said by
elected members of the United States
Senate. As I listen to the elected
senators, Democrats of the United
States Senate, as they pursue this
honorable investigation of George W.
Bush, I say to myself, "This is what
I said to the UN.
This is what I said to the weapons
inspectors." This is what I said to
the world when I was confronted
with what everybody now knows
(thanks to the Senate Democrats)
are bogus, fake and trumped -
up charges.
Bush is a liar! He lied about the
reasons for and the need to invade
my country, and I want it back.
He hires liars. It is George Bush
who should be impeached and
convicted in his own country and
then tried at The Hague in my place.
Not me. I had nothing to do with
9/11. Yet I'm the one paying the
price. You may not like me; I am
Saddam Hussein.
You may not agree with the ways
of Muslim leaders in the Middle
East, but does that give you the right
to invade my country? No! The
United States Senate Democrats
obviously agree with me. They
are honorable people. The world
should align behind the Democrats
of the United States Senate who
are trying to wrong one of the most
terrible injustices in the history of the
world. It is George W. Bush who
must be brought to justice by the
brave and honorable members of the
Democratic Party in the United States
Senate. Because leaders of the world
and people of the world, I, Saddam
Hussein, say to you that it is the
senators, the Democrat senators
in the United States Senate are all
that stand between peace and
bloodthirsty imperialism by the
United States. May Allah bless
the good and decent truth -
tellers in the Senate who will
not let George Bush continue
his lies to his country and to
the world! George Bush hides
behind his faith, but he's a liar
just like these Senate Democrats
are saying.
I, Saddam Hussein, from the
bottom of my sizable heart,
thank the Democrat senators
in the United States and all
of the websites that support
them, and all of the Hollywood
Democrats who are asking
the Senate Democrats to
continue this investigation.
I thank all of the American
media, because I think the
American media is one of
the last bastions of honesty
and trustworthiness second
only to the Democrats of the
United States Senate. So I
want to thank the mainstream
media of the United States.
I want to further point out
that if my trial is not post -
poned -- if I can't get a
postponement and if I
can't get a dismissal of
the charges, and if I don't
get my country back --
if there is a trial, I demand
that I be brought to the
US for trial, in a United
States civilian court. I
can't get a fair trial in Iraq
because it's Bush cronies.
I can only get a fair trial in
the United States where
liberal Democrats run the
court system. They're
the ones doing the great
work, the work of Allah,
in order to maintain the
lies of Bush and the
distortions of the war.
I want my country back.
The United States does
not recognize, the US
court system doesn't
recognize the Geneva
Conventions; they don't
recognize the due-process
rights of illegal combatants
like me or those held at
Guantanamo Bay. John
McCain and the Democrats
wanted them tried under
our justice system, and if
illegal combatants are to
be afforded with such
treatment -- if you're
going to give real
terrorists the opportunity
to be tried in your court
system -- I, Saddam
Hussein, demand to be
tried in your court system
because I am covered
under the Geneva
Conventions, and I
should receive better
treatment. And, by
the way, I wish to
point out -- and I
know many people
in the American
ACLU will agree
with me on this --
I, Saddam Hussein,
was not Mirandized
by the soldiers who
captured me. I was
denied a speedy trial
as compelled by the
Bill of Rights in the
US Constitution.
The charges ought
to be dismissed. They
did nothing but point
weapons to me in that
foxhole. They didn't tell
me my rights! They didn't
tell me I had to shut up;
they didn't tell me anything
I said could be used against
me. I was lied to not only
by Bush but the by the whole
US military, by Rumsfeld.
I was lied to by Condoleezza
Rice. I can't even count on
Colin Powell anymore because
he was part of the original
cowboy cabal that kicked
me out of my country.
If I get my trial in the United
States of America as I so
rightly deserve, I, Saddam
Hussein, would like to call
Dick Durbin as a witness
because he would be able
to testify that US troops are
like Nazi storm troopers. He
would be able to testify that
US troops are no different
than the murdering thugs of
Pol Pot and the gulags of Stalin.
I would next call Senator Kennedy
who would be able to testify
that US troops are no better
than Hussein's thugs -- my thugs.
I would call Michael Isikoff of
Newsweek magazine. He would
be able to testify how US troops
mistreat prisoners by flushing their
Korans down the toilet at G'itmo.
I would do my best to get rid of
Rush Limbaugh for turning Club
G'itmo into Club G'itmo. It's not
a joke what's happening there,
and it's not a joke what's
happening to me. I would
also call Ambassador Joe
Wilson, of course. He would
be my star witness, because
Joe Wilson would testify that
I was not a bad guy; I was
not somebody that posed a
danger. I never once sought
uranium from anywhere,
because I didn't have any
weapons of mass destruction,
and Joe Wilson knows it and
his wife, Valerie Plame, knows
it. And so, my friends, I,
Saddam Hussein, throw in
with the Democrats in the
United States Senate. They
are my allies, and until they
finish their great and glorious
work for Allah in uncovering
the truth about the lies and the
distortions of the cowboy
Bush, I demand these trials
of me be postponed and the
charges dismissed -- and I
get my country back.
By Videos by Professor Howdy, at 9:15 PM
Hmmm. I guess I'll let that last comment stay up. Whatever the claims to humour, it's awfully obnoxious. But such, it seems, is what the right-wing is all about.
Care to debate the actual issues? No, of course not.
By Michael J.W. Stickings, at 9:39 PM
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haber
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