Reality makes reappearance
Post-invasion iraq - - Posted on August, 11 at 7:40 pm by Ken L
Remember the Bushies in their prime? The ones who were going to make their own reality?
It rather looks like reality is going to unmake them. Having vowed they would never consent to a timetable to withdraw troops from Iraq because it would (insert chosen catastrophic consequence such as ‘embolden the enemy’, ‘dishonour the brave troops who have made the ultimate sacrifice’, ‘open the way for a bloodbath’), it now looks as if they will have to agree to exactly that if they want to remain in Iraq with any semblance of legality:
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The United States must provide a “very clear timeline” to withdraw its troops from Iraq as part of an agreement allowing them to stay beyond this year, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari said on Sunday.
It was the strongest public assertion yet that Iraq is demanding a timeline. U.S. President George W. Bush has long resisted setting a firm schedule for pulling troops out of Iraq, although last month the White House began speaking of a general “time horizon” and “aspirational goals” to withdraw.
When Nouri al Maliki stated that he supported Barack Obama’s timetable for withdrawing combat troops, people like John McCain preposterously pooh-poohed the idea on the grounds that they knew better than al Maliki what the latter really meant. Since then various representatives of the Iraqi government have restated their commitment to a timetable regardless of the ‘conditions on the ground’ so beloved by the politicians who want to delegate to soldiers decisions about first-rank political issues like wars and occupations. Only completely deluded wingnuts can believe now that the Iraqi government wants anything other than a total withdrawal of occupation combat troops in accordance with an agreed timetable over a comparatively short period.
This presents the Bush mob with an exquisite dilemma. With their rhetoric of freedom and democracy and stepping down as the Iraqis step up and the awesome success of Teh Surge, they can hardly turn round and refuse to honour the wishes of the Iraqi government. That would be a tacit admission of the truth, that they are a military occupying force which will remain as long as they feel like it. However by agreeing to the Iraqi demands they effectively concede that their bluster over the last 12 months has been wrong. Moreover, they will be cutting the ground right from under the feet of McCain, who continues to condemn timetables as a calamitous way of turning imminent victory into defeat.
Expect to read all kinds of entertaining word games from the White House over coming weeks as Bush and his shrinking coterie find endless ways to avoid describing a timetable as what it actually is … while Dick Cheney prowls in the background fingering his plan for world domination and trying to keep his head from exploding.
If only they had had the sense to declare victory and leave six months ago. They could have salvaged some dignity with cries about the glorious triumph of Teh Surge. But no, like crap poker machine players they had to keep trying to win back their losses and now ít’s hard to see how their ultimate withdrawal will be seen as anything other than complete humiliation. Idiots.
Posted in Post-invasion iraq |
August 11th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
And there’s only one thing worse than idiots and that’s dangerous idiots.
August 11th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
Hoshyar Zebari also reckons that Iran has a right to improve it’s scientific capabilities and use nuclear power for peaceful purposes.
He’s probably in line for an unfortunate accident.
August 12th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
Yes and was it not Howard who was making his own reality and ‘aspirational’ some crap or other, just before he was booted out? Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
August 12th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
I suspect the ‘aspirationals’ are still out there. They just decided that Rudd had a better deal for THEM (not the community as whole, mind). That was the brilliance of the “working families” tag, it was something which everyone could identify with.
August 12th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
The Rudd(er) is an aspiraer,(can’t pronounce it) is there no end to this fellow.Well, yes, but is there?.
August 13th, 2008 at 2:44 am
I wish I had your faith that they actually will ever withdraw. The only thing that gives me hope is that they want to send more troops to Afghanistan….but that’s not really that wonderful either.
August 13th, 2008 at 9:30 am
I’m following the universal practice of distinguishing between ‘combat troops’ and … ummm … ‘non-combat troops’ (the latter seldom get a label, maybe because something like ‘garrison troops’ smacks too much of occupation). Withdrawing combat troops means that there’ll be no more US forces driving around shooting people with impunity and no more planes bombing apartment blocks. It’s an essential move if Iraqis are ever going to start managing their own affairs.
All parties in Washington intend to leave masses of non-combat troops - not many mind you, only about double the size of Australia’s whole military. A token force, really. If you mean they’re not going anywhere any time soon, I agree completely.
August 13th, 2008 at 9:57 am
Haven’t I been reading that the military troops in Iraq are outnumbered by the “contractor” thugs?
August 13th, 2008 at 11:15 am
Ken, the correct term for non-combat troops is “rear echelon”, iirc.
August 16th, 2008 at 3:43 am
Ken gets it exactly wrong as usual. Far, far, far better analysis
here.
Amusing to see Iraq now has over $90 billion from oil sales as well - I thought the yanks were there to steal it all? Please explain.