… in its post yesterday, which theorized the Arab League conference in Cairo Monday calling for a timetable for a US troop withdrawal had actually been pre-negotiated with the US administration? The announcement today by Condoleeza Rice (via AP) would seem to confirm that.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says the United States will probably not need to maintain its current troop levels in Iraq “very much longer,” though she declined to provide a precise timetable for reduction in U.S. forces.
Rice appeared to set the stage for such a reduction, saying the Iraqi forces are doing a better job of holding their own against insurgents.
The conspiracy theorist in me wonders if this is exactly why Murtha did his thing last week: he actually knew the troop drawdown was about to be announced, and he and the Dems wanted to take credit for it in the manner of the rooster taking credit for the dawn.
Of course, the real reason is the successful efforts of our troops in the field and the training and field deployment of the Iraqi military, and the recent operations in the Sunni Triangle, which have been widely covered (or not) by our glorious MSM.
It’s more than likely that this is true. There is only one boat in Iraq and there are only two types of people relating to that boat.
One group wants to get the damn thing to a safe port, offload everything, and start living normal lives, after a convivial dinner and for the non-Islamists a few drinks as well. Common agenda(at least the BIG issue), therefore common cause, and the ever-related, common sense .
The other group want to drill holes in the hull so that everyone is floundering around in the water on the mad hope that they will be the ones who manage to claw their way to shore in the final analysis.
The Iraqis and the US talk all the time about strategy and communication points. A BIG issue such as this would hardly have been just dropped on the table without everyone being in on the joke. If nothing else, the Kurds can be counted on to keep us in the loop. All the ‘players’ are obviously on the same page, and at least trying to sing the same basic tune.
As for the Democrats — they just suck. In another ‘better’ world, they would already be consigned to the ash-heap along with all the other nasty little demagogues. I don’t think they were in on the joke. They are just clueless and defeatist as a default position. Why go for a ‘conspiracy’ among the loonies when just their being loonies is probably adequate explanation?
So, Roger, are you going to accuse the administration of “betrayal” and wanting to hand Iraq over to Al Qaeda when they start withdrawing troops?
Or does that only apply when Democrats suggest it?
It must really be shi++y to be a democrat. Born to Loose is not the song I’d choose to be hung around my neck for the rest of my life. But Biden, Kerry, Murtha and the entire bunch are really captivated by it. They even sing it a capella. They have an old standby backup “Scheisse Tagen sind wieder hier”!
Or does that only apply when Democrats suggest it?–Mork
Usually yes.
speaking only for myself, i DO hereby accuse the administration of betrayal. they are obviously out to sabotage themselves, an administration duly elected by the american people. it is a shameless partisan attack.
So, Roger, are you going to accuse the administration of “betrayal” and wanting to hand Iraq over to Al Qaeda when they start withdrawing troops?
Or does that only apply when Democrats suggest it?
Learn. To. Read.
Murtha called for the termination of our deployment in Iraq in his bill, and “immediate redeployment” in his speech. (His words. He said “immediate redeployment” twice.)
Military plans call for a gradual drawdown of of deployment levels as new Iraqi army battalions are judged operationally ready; I think it is one US battalion for every three Iraqi battalions assessed at level two readiness.
The Democrat plan is a cut-and-run, a betrayal of Iraq and of America.
There is no possible way to spin this so that the Democrats look good… Except that they overwhelmingly rejected their own proposal. Which makes them look merely hypocritcal rather than insane. I suppose you can count that as a plus.
It’s been clear for awhile that Bush would draw down troops after
a) the Iraqi security becomes “strong enough” and
b) there is a new election, according to the democratically ratified Iraqi Constitution — FIRST in any Muslim country, and
c) the elected Iraqis ask the US to leave; or draw down.
I think the Dems little “immediate withdrawal” gambit succeeded in eliminating any “victory welcome” for troops coming home after a,b,c.
Sigh.
Too bad no Reps had the gumption to speak about how the Dems wanted the US out of Vietnam, how the US left (like the Dems wanted), but the Dems don’t take “credit” for the genocide afterwards.
Dems also don’t take much credit for losing 0 American lives in their (non-)response to genocide in Rwanda — but the Reps in 1996 also didn’t make it an issue.
The Sunnis are likely to want the Americans to stay — to save their not-yet-convicted terrorist sympathizers who are likely to start being kept prisoner by Shiites. Many of whom have lost relatives to Sunni murderers…
When the US turns Abu Ghraib over to Shia, I wonder how Al Jazeera will respond.
I still don’t like this. McCain is saying the Generals are saying we need more troops to maintain the country. The Iraqi police forces, I don’t know for sure but am willing to bet, have not made miraculous and sudden progress. Their may be a Faustian phony deal under the table with Iran… Either way this is a LOOOSER.
If we withdraw any forces Assad, Iran and Mubarrek will be doing jumping jacks.
Maybe that is the point? DOUBT IT
Mabye we are hoping to relieve pressure for Iraq because we got Iran on the radar? DOUBT IT
This would be plain and simple a defeat caused by PR plain and simple.
The Media, most Democrats, Europeans and Arab Media Satellites will have caused a fast or slow implosion in Iraq and all the forces throughout the Middle East that are now weary of us and some like Omar, Sandmonkey, Big Pharaoh, Tony Badran, Michael Young are rooting for us quietly or vociferously, will be seriously affected.
However we got there we got there…. leaving now is an unqualified DISASTER.
PLAIN AND SIMPLE.
Mike – it’s a disaster either way. The only question is whether it costs more American lives and money.
Too bad no Reps had the gumption to speak about how the Dems wanted the US out of Vietnam, how the US left (like the Dems wanted), but the Dems don’t take “credit” for the genocide afterwards.
Um, just speculating, but might that not be because it was a Republican administration that effected the withdrawal?
Of course, they wasted five years and 30,000 American lives before they got there, but when it happened, it was 100% Nixon and Kissenger.
ANSWER -
http://pajamasmedia.com/newsml/html/2005/11/23/6482203_Lieberman_US_to_.shtml
Can’t say it much better than that.
Mike, Joe Lieberman is one of the “Iraq’s WMD are a threat to the US”/”we’ll be greeted as liberators” crowd.
He’s not exactly Mr. Credibility when it comes to sizing up the situation on the ground and anticipating how things will develop.
So, why would I find him persuasive now?
Call me crazy, but I tend to place more weight on the views of those who were right about how the invasion would go.
I’d say the liberation of Iraq went pretty well. Actually, i’d say there isn’t a better example in the history of the world. We defeated the army of the enemy with very few casualties and the best they could do was jump down into spider holes and hide.
We won the war so quickly and so decisively that some people don’t even call it a war.
Of course, a lot of cowards went into hiding after the war was over in order to wage a shadow war. We couldn’t exactly leave Iraq after the war was won or the cowards would have come out of their spider holes to once again dominate their fellow countrymen. So, we did the most honorable thing we could do, we stuck around (Even though it cost us the lives of our sons and daughters) so that they could prepare themselves for what would come.
That day is almost upon us. Soon, Iraq will be ready to defend itself against the cowards who fled into the shadows after being defeated by the United States military. When that day comes, we will have a muslim democracy in the middle east and our troops can come home. If the above story is correct, that day will be soon.
It will be a good day. Let’s hope that we can all celebrate together. Shoot, let’s even let the Cindy Sheehan’s of the world lead the ticker tape parades and take credit. What should we care who takes credit? Let’s just have a parade and be thankful for George W. Bush and what he has done for this country and for the world.