"gullible members of Congress" = Ken Salazar
Posted by Flamethrower at June 8, 2007 10:22 AMIt was clear very early on that the "surge" was just a certain-to-fail set-up for a slow, never to to be completed drawdown of troops, which would "continue" until the plane to the Crawford pig ranch took its last merciful flight.
Nero/Deadeye just want to leave the WH with "their" soldiers "democratizin" Iraq, there isn't really much thought behind how this will help (or hurt) the Repubs after '08, I don't think. It's too far a timeline, too many variables.
At this point, it's up the Iraqis to end the US occupation of their country and its oil fields. Call Bush and the GOP's bluff, Iraqi parliament: vote 'em out! America is certainly not going to do it. No way, no how.
Iraq: No Way Out.
Posted by euzoius at June 8, 2007 11:56 AMThere is no end. All the decisions that need to be made are not being made and will not be made to end this War. It will go on for years. Oh well, think I will go shopping.
Posted by Judith at June 8, 2007 12:24 PM"the program to bring the Iraqi Army to readiness" There is NO program to bring the Iraqi troops to combat readiness. Our own government has discarded that idea-publically-. And Al Maliki has said the Iraqi troops are not being trained or equipped with armor, artillery, helicopters or air support. One more time I'll say it: The Bush military is not going to train and, more importantly, equip the Iraqis with the weaponry needed to take control of their country because we know, without question, they would use those weapons and that training to drive us OUT. The whole fatal flaw in any discussions of Iraq is failure to come to grips with the fact that we invaded a nation, without reason, blew it up and have killed thousands of innocent and not-so-innocent civilians. They are simply fighting an invader/Crusader. As long as that invader is still in the country, they'll keep fighting.
Now..on to the Gonzo No Confidence vote now set for Monday. We will see, for once and for all, how the cards stack in the House of Bush. I'm betting right here that no more than 5 GOP senators vote No Confidence. And Lieberman's vote is a given. You better be damned sure you got the votes, Mr. Reid.
Posted by T2 at June 8, 2007 01:06 PMWhat I want to know is, what makes Bush et al think that the next president will keep Bush's plan for eternal Iraq occupation going? Is it that we will have spent so much money on the bases and embassy that we will be unable to turn them over to the Iraqis?
Posted by Katherine at June 8, 2007 01:06 PMSo, George poops in his pants, and someone else has to clean his mess up. How long after the next president sits in the oval office will it no longer be George's war?
Posted by Judith at June 8, 2007 02:54 PMThat's why this was such a huge strategic mistake - if you are minimally intelligent and not delusional, it would be apparent that destroying the secular society and brutish stability of Iraq under Saddam would lead to another Islamic state in the middle east. Democracy in Iraq was always destined to turn into a political win for the Shi-ites and an alignment with Iran. We should not have gone to this spot without significant planning and diplomacy with Iran. We should have sent Dobson over to visit with the mullahs before we started this foolishness. I think I am still willing to support sending Dobson to Tehran for a little face time with his fundamentalist mirrors in the Islamic world.
Posted by angel at June 9, 2007 07:44 AMJudith - sh-ite happens. It's not Dubya's fault. Nothing has ever been his fault.
Posted by angel at June 9, 2007 07:46 AM