“As a creature of Congress (an institution that Bush dislikes), Baker’s group spells trouble for Bush when it releases its report Wednesday,” columnist Robert Novak said of the conclusions to be drawn by the group headed by former Secretary of State James Baker. “It will propose, however muted its tone, gradual withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from Iraq before the president is ready for it. The hope is that Baker will nuance the report’s words sufficiently and hedge calls for withdrawal in such a way that Bush can say that is what he has been doing anyway.”
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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19 Comments
GW Bush’s response to this report will indicate whether there really is a shifting of influence on his administration. Is Cheney having less control and Poppy having more? I thought this was starting to happen, but maybe not.
I think we see more of the “same old same old” in the name of “stay the course. I don’t think Bush has the manhood to acknowledge his mistakes.
Until Congress takes the reins away from him somehow we will just continue digging the hole deeper.
Hey, RETREATACONS
Remember “we’ll never cut and run cut and run cut and run . . .”
Doesn’t have quite the same panache anymore, does it.
Hopefully, the Iraq Study Group’s report will not contain cover for W in the form of weasel words; I’ll not hold my breath, however.
There was a point in time where I felt that the Baker-Hamilton Commission might actually provide an “out” for Iraq, however, since reading some of the leaked information, I now have to believe that it is just going to be more of the same. That truly makes me sick to my stomach.
My frustration with Bush and his Iraqi mission grows daily. I cannot imagine a worse foreign policy initiative. Vietnam would have ended with the same result regardless of when we pulled out, whether it was ‘68 or ‘72. Iraq, on the other hand, was a disaster from the beginning, but it gets worse every day that we stay.
It is depressing, to say the least. There are no really good answers. Iran and Syria have a vested interest in a stable Iraq, however, their version of a stable Iraq will not be in America’s best interest.
Bush blew it – there is no other way of looking at it. Hundreds of billions of dollars and, more importantly, 3,000 American lives have been wasted so that Junior could call himself a “war president.”
We will be paying for the Bush debacle for decades to come.
Sad.
George W. Bush will treat this report just like he did the 9/11 Commission Report. Nothing will change – he has already stated as much. What is interesting is this Rumsfeld memo that he supposedly wrote a few days before resigning. Now that is interesting to watch because it contains many of the same possibilities that many Democrats have been saying for the past 2 years. Is this Bush’s way to now take credit for changing his Iraq stance because he has to change his stance or risk getting impeached? Or, is he changing his stance on Iraq because the GOP is demanding it because they know their party is in trouble for 2008 presidential race?
Rummy’s memo, and I didn’t say this first, it was on Olbermann last night, was a classic CYA written so maybe history won’t treat him so bad.
That could be true Dennis but sad to say that thousands of our soldiers had to die, thousands more disabled and how many thousands more Iraqi civilians area dead because of politicians that are now ‘covering their ass’.
Is this really what democracy is all about?
Apparently
This nation is in that horrible position of watching our men die while our leaders scramble to walk about so their legacies aren’t so weak. If only the citizens were truly in charge – we could deny our Chump Pres. his library. The SOB plans to spend 500 million on it. Forget his papaers, just put in some smoke and mirrors and that’ll be the equivelant.These are horrible times for America. We should not be in Iraq today.
The thing that really amazes me is that so many Americans think that the way to support our troops is to get more of our troops killed. What kind of bizzaro idea is that?
Show me somebody who really thinks we’re going to prevail in Iraq, and I’ll show you a F*ing idiot.
Wanna see something really scary?Check this out:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/04/AR2006120401347.html
fleettwood and golfnuts seem to think that by sheer stubborness BushCo will prevail. And I guess the lemmings thought the next ones off the cliff would magically fly.
GOOD link X and good to see you!
I wonder how all that equipment repair is gonna get paid for?
Want more scary? I heard an interview with a major in Iraq. He works with the Iraqi security forces. According to him the Sunnis in the units don’t want to go on patrol…..unless they can shoot Shia. The Shia don’t want to go on patrol unless they can shoot Sunni.
As soon as we leave? I guess they can skip patrol entirely and kill each other.
X, I agree; good link which confirms some things I had read/heard earlier.
Irrespective of what side of the Iraq issue one is on, the existence of so much materiel out of current service, needing maintenance, while not unexpected when operation in combat conditions are ongoing, gives one concern over the ability to respond should any number of regimes decide to “act up”; sounds like to me that should something like that happen, the state in question better be accessible by air, with an ocean nearby, and the problem amenable to solution without the need for ground forces.
THey’ve taken almost 4 years to look into the Iraq “problem.” Shouldn’t that have been done 6 months into the operation? And in 6-month intervals?
Where has the oversight been? Congress is supposed to get reports from the president during times like this at specified intervals? Has this not happened? And if it has, what information has congress received, and who’s been giving it? Has it been accurate, or the usual b.s. job Dubya is so good at?
rox – with new blood in the Intelligence Comm I think we will start seeing things – by subpoena if needed.
but … but …
I thought we were winning! The “deadenders” were in their “last throes”. What happened? Bush hasn’t been lying to us has he?
“Panel: Try Diplomacy in Iraq, Then LeaveWASHINGTON (AP) – The United States faces a “grave anddeteriorating” situation after three years of war in Iraq, ahigh-level commission warned bluntly on Wednesday, recommendingenhanced diplomacy to stabilize the country and hopefully permitthe withdrawal of most combat troops by early 2008.“There is no path that can guarantee success, but the prospectscan be improved,” the commission said after an eight-month reviewof a war that has resulted in the deaths of more than 2,900 U.S.troops and grown so unpopular at home that it helped trigger aDemocratic takeover of Congress in last month’s elections.”
more …
http://my.netscape.com/corewidgets/news/story.psp?cat=51180&id=2006120609140001427650
Ben, I sure hope so.
BTW, where is Tony? He hasn’t posted for a while, and I, at least, miss his more youthful observances.
hmmmmm,
I just saw that (Baker report findings) and was going to post it. I’d lay odds that Bush ignores it all.
One link to the report itself, for those who, as I, prefer to read such things for themselves rather than relying on others to tell us what it says:
http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2006/images/12/06/iraq.report.pdf