"war in Iraq can still be won" Yay! - wait a minute - can still be won?

[Alexander's Horse]

This is what Rumsfeld told US troops on Christmas Eve.

Link is here

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=7177634

This is a striking downshift in rhetoric from one of the Bush Administration Hawks and a main architect of the war.

First we were told the war was won, remember Bush's infamous "Mission Accomplished" stunt?

Then we were told combat ops were winding down - Baath dead enders and regime die hards were to blame for ongoing violence. Rumsfeld ran hardest with that spin, which is all it ever was.

Then we were told the war was being won - the latest time this was trotted out was after the Fallujah "empty bag" fiasco - witness Bush Cheney foxnews and other blowhards...foreign terrorists were to blame. No Al Qaeda there before the war boys!

Then we told the war will be won after a long fight - witness testimony to US Senate from senior military officers. Time to blame the Sunni minority for fighting because they were losing power....yeah right.....foreign occupation of course has nothing to do with it.

Now we are being told the war "can still" be won. WTF? Did I miss something here? This right after a mess hall was bombed to beeJesus and the US suffered its largest single loss of life. But fear not - we're winning!


This all raises a question for me. Is the US public being prepared for an unseemly withdrawal as soon as possible after the Iraqi elections in January 2005? You are free now - congratulations and goodbye! Or are we hunkering down for a long war which will draw in draftees?

Think about it - how is the US going to find the troops to sustain a long occupation? They are having trouble maintaining troop numbers now - stop loss, extending tours and even sending amputees back there.

It's Vietnam with palm trees. The only thing missing is the draft. I hope some of you young US Chickenhawks can march and shoot straight

[Geronimo]

AH, don't you wonder if the presence of the US troops might be doing as much to fuel the insurrection as it is doing to stabilise the country? I don 't understand why pulling troops out soon after the elections would necessarily be a bad thing. The insurrection appears to mainly be about popular opposition to being occupied by foreigners in which case no amount or duration of forgien troop presence will ever be able to make the country safe again.

Bush screwed up badly. Most reasonable people saw this disaster coming as soon as he resolved to invade Iraq. Perhaps pulling the troops out is the only thing that can allow the damage to heal.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Oy... you wonder why oh why does Rumsfeld still have his job? He always leads to bad PR for Bush.

[Theben]

Obviously there's only one group responsible for this mess-

THE LIBERAL MEDIA!

They didn't have to report what he said!

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Oy... you wonder why oh why does Rumsfeld still have his job? He always leads to bad PR for Bush.

[Alexander's Horse]

Rumsfeld keeps his job so he can make insightful analysis like this

"This is a tough situation here in Iraq. It is dangerous, people are being wounded, people are being killed."

Brilliant Don.

Isn't it time this guy was retired to Maimi?

[Zkribbler]

Re: "war in Iraq can still be won" Yay! - wait a minute - can still be won?

Originally posted by Alexander's Horse
It's Vietnam with palm trees.

Wait a minute, Vietnam had palm trees. I'm sure you meant Vietnam with dry heat.

[Alexander's Horse]

Vietnam with camels?

[techumseh]

Is Michael the Great still around?

[Kuciwalker]

Yes. He's watching you.

[Alexander's Horse]

not lately - he's working for government - which makes me wonder why he doesn't here all day

[techumseh]

They're losing. Lot's of overtime.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Alexander's Horse
Isn't it time this guy was retired to Maimi?

I don't want him anywhere near me.

[Alexander's Horse]

Originally posted by techumseh
They're losing. Lot's of overtime.

so true - 9/11 has been wonderful employment wise if you are in government.

[Ted Striker]

Most Americans want Rumsfeld gone

I think it's time for him to leave

When your coach isn't doing the job it's time for a new one.