U.S. State Department: There was arrogance and stupidity from U.S. in Iraq

[Clarkie1]

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- A senior U.S. diplomat said the United States had shown "arrogance" and "stupidity" in Iraq but was now ready to talk with any group except al Qaeda in Iraq to facilitate national reconciliation.

In an interview with Al-Jazeera television aired late Saturday, Alberto Fernandez, director of public diplomacy in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs at the State Department offered an unusually candid assessment of America's war in Iraq.

"We tried to do our best but I think there is much room for criticism because, undoubtedly, there was arrogance and there was stupidity from the United States in Iraq," he said.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/10/21/us.arrogant.ap/index.html

[OwnedByFerrets]

1. How long before he gets redirected.nt

[MadMaddie]

2. or Retired or Dissapeared..

[jimshoes]

3. From th earticle....

Fernandez spoke to the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera after a man claiming to speak for Saddam Hussein's outlawed Baath Party told the network the United States was seeking a face-saving exodus from Iraq and that insurgents were ready to negotiate but won't lay down arms.

"Abu Mohammed," a pseudonym for the man, appeared to set near impossible conditions for the start of any talks with the Americans, including the return to service of Saddam's armed forces, the annulment of every law adopted since Saddam's ouster, the recognition of insurgent groups as the sole representatives of the Iraqi people and a timetable for a gradual, unconditional withdrawal of U.S. and other foreign troops in Iraq.

Those aren't negotiations, those are surrender terms. If we're considering anything like that, we're really talking out of desperation.

[burrowowl]

4. NOOOOOOOO! Really!?

"We tried to do our best but I think there is much room for criticism because, undoubtedly, there was arrogance and there was stupidity from the United States in Iraq," he said.

The US of A arrogant, etc. Really! The most arrogant f#$king nation in the world including the French and Chilians and that says something!

[TheCowsCameHome]

5. "Was"? Doesn't he mean "is" ?

[davekriss]

Ah, the ol' "best intentions" card!

Noam Chomsky makes much of the propaganda value of the crimes perpetuated by our State with the best of intentions!

[MannyGoldstein]

6. This is the Weekend We Surrendered Iraq

Does anyone else realize that, this weekend, the Bush Administration recognized that Iraq was all over. We'll be out of there fairly soon - it's utterly untenable. They're just hoping for a pleasant euphamism for "surrender" that they can use for two weeks and a few days.

What's even more astonishing is that Saddam may well be back in power soon.

Amazing.

[Vidar]

7. This also may be a pre-emptive measure before something worse

gets leaked.

[Moderator]

8. Locking as a Duplicate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2574057