Today, the news is that George Bush wants the PM of Iraq to know he has all the time he needs to build a political consensus and quell domestic violence.
Bush Reassures Iraqi That There Is No Timetable for Withdrawal
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG
Published: October 17, 2006
WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 — President Bush reassured Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki of Iraq on Monday that he would not set a timetable for withdrawal of American troops and would continue to support the prime minister, despite recent reports that military officials and some Republican lawmakers were dissatisfied with the Iraqi government’s performance.
Gosh, now I wonder where the idea could possibly have come from that the Bush administration is getting frustrated and might impose some sort of time constraint?
Rice makes unannounced visit to Baghdad
Secretary of state says Iraqi leaders have limited time to settle differences
Updated: 2:56 p.m. ET Oct 5, 2006
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, making an election-season visit to Iraq, said Thursday that its leaders have limited time to settle political differences spurring sectarian and insurgent violence.
We’ve got to get out of there. Now. It would be far cheaper and safer to simply give Iraq the money it needs to rebuild. Send the National Guard home where it belongs, let half of the regular Army rest, and redeploy the other half to Afghanistan. I’m no military strategist, but this is obvious.
Excellent commentary, Liz! You should do your own Web log! 😉
One thing I noticed is the clothing of men and boys in the photo. Very Western. Not very Islamo-Fascist.
To paraphrase Colin Powell recently, “To ‘stay the course’ should mean that there’s some kind of END in sight, to this strategy.” Lots of people voted to return Bush to the Oval Office because they didn’t want to “change horses in midstream” during a war.
Okay, let’s ask what Ronald Reagan asked in his debate against Jimmy Carter: “Are you better off than you were 4 years ago?” Do you really feel that the Department of Homeland Security has created a solid, comprehensive strategy for dealing with a crisis? (Don’t ask the people of New Orleans!!!) Do you feel pretty confident now, to dismiss the thought of terrorism as highly unlikely, on our airplanes? Do you feel that cargo coming into our seaports is satisfactorily inspected? Do you believe our national borders are adequately secure? Do you think the fence to be erected along the Mexican border will be an effective deterrant against illegal entry into the USA? Do you think the days of the price of gasoline going significantly below $2 a gallon will ever return to STAY? Do you think that trying to create a democratic form of government, in an area where Sunnis and Shiite Muslims have hated each other for hundreds of years, will stick?
I think our entire country is, for the most part, woefully ignorant of Middle Eastern history and culture, and our government is pitifully lacking in an adequate number of translators. This stacks the deck against us and can lead to disastrous mistakes. The “my way or the highway” attitude of the current Administration completely closes the door on diplomacy, whether it be with the Middle East, Iran, or North Korea. (Former President Jimmy Carter basically made the same point in a recent interview with Larry King.) …And we wonder why the world fears and hates us as a Superpower who can and will dismantle another government at will in a pre-emptive action?