Yes, there are a few bright spots in the country, but so what if the Iraqis can’t or won’t take over from us and keep it going. Are we just prolonging the inevitable? This article details the problems with the report Bush’s press conference danced around with.
The outrageous White House report on Iraq
The White House report released today, on how far Iraq has progressed toward 18 political and military benchmarks, is a sham.
According to the report, which was required by Congress, progress has been “satisfactory” on eight of the benchmarks, “unsatisfactory” on another eight, and mixed on two. At his press conference this morning, President Bush, seeing the glass half full, pronounced the report “a cause for optimism”—and for staying on course.
Yet a close look at the 25-page report reveals a far more dismal picture and a deliberately distorted assessment. The eight instances of “satisfactory” progress are not at all satisfactory by any reasonable measure—or, in some cases, they indicate a purely procedural advance. The eight “unsatisfactory” categories concern the central issues of Iraqi politics—the disputes that must be resolved if Iraq is to be a viable state and if the U.S. mission is to have the slightest chance of success.
Here’s another article that discusses the “disconnect between the military and political views” on the war.
Iraq Report May Mean Longer U.S. Surge
While many in Congress are pushing President Bush to alter course in Iraq by September if not sooner, his new status report on the war strongly implies that the administration believes its military strategy will take many more months to meet its goals.
The report cited no specific timeframe, but its language suggests what some U.S. commanders have hinted at recently: The troop reinforcements that Bush ordered in January may need to remain until spring 2008.
The one reason I can see to stay is — as Bush stated — to keep Iraq from becoming a terrorist enclave (which it already is), a situation we created by starting the war. But is that worth the price?
“to keep Iraq from becoming a terrorist enclave (which it already is)”
Asked and answered.
I’ve got friends of mine who can’t even get to sleep at night without taking pills, and when they do the only dreams they have are variations of the same nightmares. It’s lucky for Bush that the only consequence to him from this war is that people don’t seem to like him much any more.
I have nightmares as well of whining, do nothing liberals who seem to think that everything will be alright if we just stay at home with our heads under a rock.
Actually, for some liberals that might be a good use for a rock.
Please don’t get the idea that I’m fond of GW or his policies I just believe that it’s better to exterminate that vermin over there.
#3, actually, this do nothing conservative would rather we not go around the world pissing everybody off by insisting that they all be like us, and then pretend to be the righteous ones when they push back.
4 – S&B – You nailed it. If you can keep ’em scared enough to give up their rights, and keep screaming about foreign threats, the voters will let you get away with anything. And to think all Cheney probably wanted was to suck dry the Clinton budget surplus and move to Dubai.
Ahh yes, good old Slate.com known for their great unbiased articles that provide great insight on a myriad of issues. The people that the US electorate need to be angry at most are the politicians in *IRAQ* for being pathetic bickering children that are about to cause a raping of their country that history will be sure to pin on them and their families, the ones the survive the slaughter to come that is.
Also of interest to me, where is all the outrage at the UN here? Bush bashers seem to overlook that part of Bush’s plan when this all started was we would go in, with approval, and hoped the UN would do the right thing, the thing they are there to do, come in and help Iraq out for the sake of humanity and the haves helping the have nots. The corrupt UN has gotten a complete pass in all this.
>>I just believe that it’s better to exterminate that vermin over there.
Well, if there’s one thing Dumbya’s failed “war policy” is guaranteed NOT to do, it’s exterminate al Qaeda.
Nothing has given a greater boost to worldwide terrorism than his misbegotten, ill-conceived, botched, bungled, and just generally fucked up incompetence in Iraq.
Sometimes you gotta shit; sometimes you gotta get off the pot. And the time for the US to get off the pot came loooooong ago.
As the carnage increases in Iraq and the death toll mounts, Dumbya is just cementing his legacy: Idiot, warmonger, and killer of thousands of Americans and Iraquis. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED, Junior. Have Daddy get you another job. I’m sure there’s SOMETHING you can do right. The Taco Bell not too far from me is hiring…..
Barbara Boxer: This Is As Close As We’ve Ever Come To A Dictatorship”
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/24602
“They are ignoring the Congress. They keep signing these statements which mean that he’s decided not to enforce the law. This is as close as we’ve ever come to a dictatorship. When you have a situation where Congress is stepped on, that means the American people are stepped on.”
Hey, Herr President! Eight out of eighteen areas show progress? That’s not even your half-full glass… that’s only 44% full. Fuzzy math at work again, eh? Or is this figure from some kid that went through your No Child Left Behind program in a public school?
You’re doing a heckuva job, Bushie!
How cute: You guys still think you have a voice in this fight.
4.
That whole comment reminded me of the scene from Farenheit 9/11 when all of the “terror reports” go flashing across the screen, and every five seconds you would see Osama Bin Laden accompanied by the sound of a woman screaming.
The scary thing is that it indeed is almost exactly how Hitler took over Germany. Everyone was sad, confused, depressed and angered by their loss (much like many americans today. Thiers was WWI, ours was 9/11), then one day some dude said “I blame the Jews!”. The confused and angry mob finally had something to point a finger at and then *BAM!* World War II and the Holocaust.
The more confused and stupified the people are, the more willing they are to blindly follow the first person who appears not to be.
Think it’s bad there now? Wait until Israel gets a wild hair and decides to cancel the ticket on Iran’s nuclear plans with a preempted tactical nuc strike. That’s the problem, Iran not what’s left of Iraq. Now that we’ve destabilized the region, it may be foolish to withdrawal now. In for a penny, in for a pound.
#11: No, I’m just venting.
#7 – Your last sentence, “The currupt UN…”. Just the most idiotic thing I’ve read so far today.
My god man, when are you (Bush administration, Bust supporters) ever going to stop pointing fingers and start taking responsibility for your actions in this country?!
The only person/administration that has thus far recieved any sort of “Pass” as you say, is GWB. You Bush supporters just keep allowing him to shat over and over on our constitution.
Truly just a sad, sad day for our America.
>>Eight out of eighteen areas show progress
The glass is even emptier than you claim, OvenMaster. Eight out of eighteen areas do not “meet expectations”, they “show SOME progress”. Pfffft. If the US is not out of Iraq by the time Santa comes down the chimney, watch for Dumbya’s approval ratings to dive into NEGATIVE numbers. Not that he cares; there’s brush to be cleared in Crawford!
There’s also the interests of the Iraqi people who are happy to see Saddam overthrown, and want the US to stay. There would be a crisis if America left, and we would see a real civil war. Though I agree, this isn’t much of a US interest, since that reasoning leads to fighting everywhere. Does anyone submit to Colin Powell’s Pottery Barn rule of ‘you break it you buy it’?
#14 OvenMaster – You guys have to stop arguing with “James Hill.” He’s not a person. It’s basically a spam bot modified to start flame wars on blogs. The code is actually quite brilliant, even though the comments themselves are pretty lame. We’ve tried blocking the IP addresses but that was pointless as it constantly changes. Just ignore it, we do.
#11 James Hill AKA bot
YES, we still have a voice in this battle.
Court to ‘nullify’ black box election results
http://pressesc.com/01184316026_black_box_voting
A judge in California will today rule results of an election conducted using paperless Diebold voting machines null and void and impose tough sanctions against Almeda County for withholding and destroying evidence while ordering a re-vote.
>>There’s also the interests of the Iraqi people who are
>>happy to see Saddam overthrown, and want the US to stay.
Well woopdie-fucking-doo. Maybe they should do something to start carrying the load then, instead of going on fucking vacation. While American kids get their legs blown off by IEDs.
As to the civil war, we are ALREADY seeing it. Have you been paying attention to the death counts??
#7 – The people that the US electorate need to be angry at most are the politicians in *IRAQ*
Why? They didn’t invade a sovereign nation and destabilize the Middle East and create a field day for terrorist recruiters. The neo-can jack-asses in the White House did.
I get tired of hearing that Iraq needs to take responsibility. Iraq was mugged. Iraq is a victim, and now it is unstable and embroiled in violence, and you guys want a just-add-water democracy to flourish there…
It ain’t gonna happen.
We broke it (well, Bush and the right wingers in this country did) and we have to fix it.
#12 – The more confused and stupified the people are, the more willing they are to blindly follow the first person who appears not to be.
And in truly ironic fashion, the first person who seemed not to be was a draft dodging nepotism beneficiary with a C-average from Yale, who had a history of alcohol and coke addiction and a string of failed businesses?
#17 – Does anyone submit to Colin Powell’s Pottery Barn rule of ‘you break it you buy it’?
Speaking as a liberal and a Democrat… Yes. I do.
hhopper, I hope your not serious about blocking James’ IP address, as his comments are just as inflammatory as other peoples, however he tends to quick and to the point, while other ramble on and on.
I recently heard an independent journalist say, “I really think the Iraq War is just a political event now, and people are not looking at it objectively.” The above comments certainly reinforce that notion, as no one has analyzed the specific benchmarks that were achieved or missed, and most of the comments are filled with childish name calling of the President. I’ve been around the loony left enough (I do go to a very Liberal university, where I take political science courses), and never before have I seen such ill informed, misinformed, or generally ignorant points and propositions.
Why link to a Slate article, why not just go strait to the source over at whitehouse.gov? Having to analyze the situation for yourself does take some effort, but you’ll feel and sound more intelligent when you make comments. All page references below will be from the official report from whitehouse.gov.
Up until page 9 there is a nice overview of what is currently occurring in Iraq, along with how the Baghdad Security Operation and Operation Phantom Thunder are changing the security climate for the better. I would suggest reading this first because to quote Jesse Jackson, “text, without context, is pretext.” Now, some of these benchmarks are overly optimistic to the extreme, and could easily be interpreted as being setups for a guaranteed failure. Moreover, even if all the benchmarks were met, I find it hard to believe that the critics and pundits would call it a resounding success and give credit where credit is due, but instead point to the continuing, albeit lesser levels, of violence and proclaim the quagmire continues.
With regards to the benchmarks that are more fitting for a 1-3 year time period, instead of 6 months: numbers ii (pg. 10), iii (pg. 11), vi (pg. 13), vii (pg. 14), xi (pg. 17), xvi (pg. 22). So there are six benchmarks that should not be considered as failures, areas in dire need of improvement absolutely, but instead as long-term political goals. Case point number (iii) for example, “Although the KRG and the Shi’a parties have agreed to the text of the Revenue Management Law, Council of Ministers’ approval has been delayed by a Sunni party boycott” (pg. 10). This just sounds like democracy, how long has it taken for the U.S. to pass meaningful immigration reform since Regan’s time in office? I would expect this to be an issue that could be resolved by September, but realistically November/December passage could also occur. Baghdad summer heat is a beeyatch.
Case point number vi: “However, a general amnesty program would be counterproductive in the current environment. As long as violence remains extensive and no major armed group has signaled a willingness to cooperate with the Iraqi Government and renounce violence, there is no group for which amnesty would be appropriate” (pg. 13). Given the current security climate of Iraq it is unrealistic to assume that a wide-sweeping amnesty program could have been adopted in the desired time period. A counter point would be the role of the Al-Anbar Salvation Council, as no amnesty has been given to their fighters, but are not currently being pressed with pending criminal cases, even though some members past action may warrant such action.
A final case point number vii (pg. 17): “The necessary preconditions for a DDR program, such as political reconciliation and security provided by the government, do not yet exist despite considerable efforts by the Iraqi Government, MNF-I, and the Embassy.” Assuming that militias would disarm within a six-month time period, especially without ISF present to fill the security void that would naturally form, is asinine to the extreme. Currently, the cabinet is going through a significant shake-up after Maliki stood up to the Sadr bloc, and Sadr’s Mahdi Militia. His second vacation to Iran is another sign that pro-government forces are pressuring Sadr that he is going to have to accept the rules of the game, if he wants to continue to be a legitimate power player in Iraqi politics.
Everything is not rosy and that should go without saying, and I can see two examples that highlight clear policy failings of the Iraqi government, the MNF-I, and Washington. Case point v – While it is true that the IHEC Commission has been formed, the lack of progress with regard to Election Law & Provincial Council Authorities is unacceptable. Progress in this area should be the main focus of the Iraqi government as successful provincial elections would bode well for the under-represented Sunnas, along with starting the process of learning-by-doing by local leaders.
Case point xv – Getting all ISF to Level 1 status should continue to be a top priority and a lack of progress in this area is also unacceptable. While it is not hard to imagine that the ISF currently engaged in the Baghdad Security Operation, Op. Phantom Thunder, or the other 2 main ops may not have enough time to carry out tasks related to achieving Level 1 status, this trend is disconcerting. “ISF performance has generally been adequate, particularly when units are partnered with Coalition Forces (pg. 22). Certainly this is a good sign, but over time the brigades need to be swapped out with others so each brigade can operate independently.
While certain benchmarks have yet to be fulfilled and other benchmarks should not have had such illogical time periods, success should not be overlooked, nor underestimated for future progress. I for one see this as a glass half-full, and I don’t think that belief is being naïve, as several battlefield commanders, and those capable of rising above petty political bickering reinforce the belief.
>>Why link to a Slate article, why not just go strait to the
>>source over at whitehouse.gov?
OMG, mxpwr03, you have to be kidding. Of all the places I would NOT go, whitehouse.gov tops the list. We already know that anyone in “president” Bush’s administration who does not toe the party line of Presidents Cheney/ Rove is either muzzled or fired. I guess you could look to Pravda of the sixties for a MORE biased source of information, but nowadays? I’m hard pressed.
The bottom line is that Iraq and “president” Bush’s continuing trophy war have met NONE of the milestones that had been set. Some made little progress, most made none. And maybe the benchmarks were more fitting for a 1-3 year time frame, or maybe a 10-30 year time frame, or maybe a 100-300 year time frame. That’s not what the “administration” promised though. Six months. And it’s not like this is the FIRST promise they’ve fucked up. Let’s just hope it will be the last.
#25, it’s always best to rely on the third party commentary of others, than to read for yourself what they are commenting on. That is what I just got from your post.
I’ve been paying attention to the death counts, and I think things would be substantially worse if the US withdrew, though the US death toll would drop.
The negative aspect of creating a safe haven isn’t so troublesome. There are plenty of other safe havens and you have to work against all of them. The bigger problem I see is that a withdrawal in the face of losses would encourage more attacks. Indeed, this was part of Bin Laden’s recruiting, referring to Somalia and Lebanon.
>>#25, it’s always best to rely on the third party commentary
>>of others, than to read for yourself what they are
>>commenting on.
No, usually it’s better to read what “they” say. However, there is no original thought at whitehouse.gov. In this case, it’s just a 3rd party interpretation of the report. Which I DID read. I know exactly what “they” said. I’m just not that interested in reading what Dumbya has to say about what “they” said, as he doesn’t exactly have a stellar record in the Truth and Honesty department. And Dumbya’s trophy war is turning into an even bigger failure than it already was, if such a thing is possible.
>>I’ve been paying attention to the death counts, and
>>I think things would be substantially worse if the US withdrew
Well, as I’ve said before, whoopdie-fucking-doo. If the Iraquis choose not to take responsiblity for their own country, how many more young Americans should we throw into Dumbya’s meatgrinder?
There are plenty of places on earth where people are killing each other. I don’t see any big “surge” underway to protect innocent victims in Darfur. But hey, they don’t have much oil. So President Cheney isn’t intererested. Not going to boost the value of his Halliburton stock options. And that’s really all that matters.
#26: Some people, myself included, consider anything coming from the Whitehouse shallow propaganda. For five years there has been evident a disconnect between consensus reality and the reports and pressers of the Executive. We should ignor this because a certain report is long enough to contain some contestable figures, a report to congress, or it warranted a few commentaries? I don’t have the patience.
The only people, it seems, who have the patience are those without time to listen to a little bit of reality from more than one or two perspectives.
#24 – I recently heard an independent journalist say, “I really think the Iraq War is just a political event now, and people are not looking at it objectively.”
There is some truth in that… But there is truth in the notion that most of us have a connection to it in the form or friends or family serving there, and we know the reasons for starting the war were faulty (at best).
The above comments certainly reinforce that notion, as no one has analyzed the specific benchmarks that were achieved or missed
Well… SOMEONE has.
, and most of the comments are filled with childish name calling of the President.
Well Good Lord… How much longer can a vocal minority keep defending him. He is a dullard. He lacks vision, creativity, compassion, or a clear understanding of global or domestic issues… and if he actually does get it, he effectively hides that fact with his patronizing and paternal tone. He answers every question like an indignant kindergarten teacher scolding a petulant child, which I have come to believe is because that’s how his advisers must explain things to him.
Dude. He is out of his depth. He is a bad president. He is uniquely unqualified. AND he treats the American people with contempt.
I think calling him childish names is simply the natural result of his so called leadership.
I’ve been around the loony left enough (I do go to a very Liberal university, where I take political science courses), and never before have I seen such ill informed, misinformed, or generally ignorant points and propositions.
Another way to say that is that you have another way of looking at things than those around you do. Perhaps the “loony left” has a way of describing you too…
By the way… You go to a University? So you aren’t like an official at the Pentagon or a Washington insider? So, why are you better informed or more credible than your leftist profs?
Why link to a Slate article, why not just go strait to the source over at whitehouse.gov?
Is whitehouse.gov a trustworthy source? I don’t think so.
All I’m saying is this… While you are an intelligent guy with a worthwhile contribution to make to the dialog, and while you are one of the poster’s I look forward to reading (no… really… I’m not yanking your chain) it bears note that you are as guilty of slanting and politicizing your comments as everyone else is.
I agree Slate is biased. I just think the bias is toward the truth whereas I imagine that you don’t… 😉