Poor George. This is not his week. First off, as millions of Americans slurped down their Monday morning coffee, Matt Lauer of NBC’s the Today Show announced that NBC is calling the war in a Iraq a “civil war.” This concession to the obvious has been likened to Walter Cronkite’s 1968 declaration on CBS that the US was losing the Vietnam War—a statement that helped turn Middle America against that war.
A major news network’s use of the term “civil war” might cause present-day Middle America to view the war in Iraq not as the US helping a budding democracy fight off an evil insurgency or as a battle against terrorism (the WMD thing seems to be forgotten), but instead as the quagmire it really is. Middle America may never question the fabricated evidence that was used to justify this illegal war of aggression, but the withdrawal of their support for it will necessitate a change in policy by Bush & Co. The election results three weeks ago signified that public opinion has already shifted, and NBC’s use of “civil war” will likely increase the negative tide.
At press briefings in preparation for his planned two-day summit with Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki and Jordan’s King Abdullah, Bush has been adamant that only victory will do in Iraq and that the US will not leave a moment before. Bush and his lackeys have been on the offensive that Iraq is not in a state of civil war and that it’s all al Qaeda’s fault that things are such a mess there (well, gee, guys, how did al Qaeda get into a secular country, anyway?).
Media outlets were repeating all of this, but then, OOPSIE! This little national security memo to Bush by national security adviser Stephen J. Hadley revealed that the US government does not have a heck of a lot of confidence in Prime Minister Maliki. The memo broke this morning in the New York Times (the text of the memo is available in the link). Seems like Maliki just might be abetting the civil war by trying to strengthen the Shiite position in Iraq. Although the memo says that while Maliki says the right things to the US, something isn’t adding up.
“…The reality on the streets of Baghdad suggests Maliki is either ignorant of what is going on, misrepresenting his intentions, or that his capabilities are not yet sufficient to turn his good intentions into action,” the memo reads in its most damning section.
Hmm… Something isn’t adding up with the Bush & Co. line on Iraq, either. The White House denies that the leaked memo caused this, but King Abdullah cancelled today's scheduled meeting with Bush and Maliki “at the last minute,” according to this story on the New York Times’s web site.
A major news network’s use of the term “civil war” might cause present-day Middle America to view the war in Iraq not as the US helping a budding democracy fight off an evil insurgency or as a battle against terrorism (the WMD thing seems to be forgotten), but instead as the quagmire it really is. Middle America may never question the fabricated evidence that was used to justify this illegal war of aggression, but the withdrawal of their support for it will necessitate a change in policy by Bush & Co. The election results three weeks ago signified that public opinion has already shifted, and NBC’s use of “civil war” will likely increase the negative tide.
At press briefings in preparation for his planned two-day summit with Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki and Jordan’s King Abdullah, Bush has been adamant that only victory will do in Iraq and that the US will not leave a moment before. Bush and his lackeys have been on the offensive that Iraq is not in a state of civil war and that it’s all al Qaeda’s fault that things are such a mess there (well, gee, guys, how did al Qaeda get into a secular country, anyway?).
Media outlets were repeating all of this, but then, OOPSIE! This little national security memo to Bush by national security adviser Stephen J. Hadley revealed that the US government does not have a heck of a lot of confidence in Prime Minister Maliki. The memo broke this morning in the New York Times (the text of the memo is available in the link). Seems like Maliki just might be abetting the civil war by trying to strengthen the Shiite position in Iraq. Although the memo says that while Maliki says the right things to the US, something isn’t adding up.
“…The reality on the streets of Baghdad suggests Maliki is either ignorant of what is going on, misrepresenting his intentions, or that his capabilities are not yet sufficient to turn his good intentions into action,” the memo reads in its most damning section.
Hmm… Something isn’t adding up with the Bush & Co. line on Iraq, either. The White House denies that the leaked memo caused this, but King Abdullah cancelled today's scheduled meeting with Bush and Maliki “at the last minute,” according to this story on the New York Times’s web site.
Like I said, this just isn’t George’s week. I’m afraid that I only hope it gets worse for him.
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10 comments:
Jimmy Carter was interviewed by Larry King last night and asked if he thought Iraq had fallen into a civil war. He wasn't sure what to call it but thought it was all semantics anyway--a mess was a mess. But still, we all knew it was coming.
Carter was a president I liked. I don't agree with what CBS is trying to do. Also when I read about a leak I wonder who it will aide and what is the actual agenda, this may look bad for Bush right now but they could just be putting out feelers and laying ground work, something smells and its not me.
word verification is 'unbad', someone is sending me a message.
Hee hee, Sassy …
Oh, George …
Yet another in the long and tragic list of US interference in other people's countries draws to a sticky end. But THIS mess wasn't started for any idealogical idea; oh, no … This was started for your own personal family vendetta against your old military chum Saddam, coupled with the planned billions of dollars of "reconstruction" money destined for your crony friends (that's fraud, George).
No wonder your own party is now exchanging covert glances and quietly shuffling away from you.
Asshole.
Jimmy Carter is the ultimate diplomat. By using "civil war" he'd be shutting some doors. So good for him for not saying anything.
Unbad, eh? My word verification is "spqpak." I don't know what that means. I'd agree that there was an agenda with the memo leak, but anything that makes George uncomfortable is fine with me these days.
Dive, I think we need to trust you to be the memory for us. Many people are surprised when they learn about the history between the US and Saddam.
I got up way too late today, and I have tons to do, so I'll be doing blog reading later.
Thanks, Sassy.
Remember, I was already old and ranty when the Iran/Iraq war was raging and the US was pouring arms and money in to help Saddam.
Ditto the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, where the US armed and trained the mujahadin which later spawned the Taliban and al Qaeda …
And don't get me started on the Saudis …
What goes around comes around, Georgie …
I had graduated from the Big Wheel to my Schwin bicycle.
Hee hee.
Reminds me of QOTSA's "Quick And To The Pointless" … "You're so young; I'm so old" …
Doh!
I hate to simplify international affairs with quips, but I think the appropriate quip here is "oh the tangled web we weave..."
Robyn, quips often become quips because they are true.
I hope George doesn't decide to bring peace and democracy over here. We might have to become insurgents, and then we'd be the bad guys.
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