NYT: Fresh Starts: One for Iraq, One for Bush

[kskiska]

WASHINGTON, June 28 — Seconds after President Bush received a handwritten note from Condoleezza Rice during a NATO meeting early Monday in Istanbul, telling him that their secret plan to turn over formal sovereignty to the Iraqis two days early had been consummated at 10:26 a.m., he smiled and scrawled a quick response.

"Let freedom reign!" he wrote on it.

Yet for all the quiet celebration of the moment, Mr. Bush's mission is far from accomplished. The transfer represents yet another new start for Mr. Bush in Iraq. It is the president's last, best hope of turning the page, of refocusing America and the world on the possibilities of remaking a broken nation, and of moving beyond the gruesome images of a star-crossed occupation. Several of his own advisers, in their more candid moments, admit they do not know whether that is still possible.

If Mr. Bush's accomplishments in Iraq are judged on the events of the past 14 months, he has clearly succeeded in only one of his tasks: dismantling a tyrannical government. The so-far fruitless search for unconventional weapons — the primary justification for invading Iraq — undermined his credibility, making what Mr. Bush described as a war of necessity appear to have been one of choice. His argument that a change of rule in Iraq would quell terrorism is similarly questioned, undercut by a rewritten State Department assessment that now concedes an increase in terrorist incidents. The attacks on American troops in Iraq were not part of the count.

And it will be years, or even decades, Mr. Bush himself says, before anyone knows if the war in Iraq plants any seeds of democratic reform in the Middle East.

more…
http://nytimes.com/2004/06/29/politics/29ASSE.html?hp

[shraby]

1. It was a war of choice, huh!

Then why isn't he into trouble with congress about it????

[gratuitous]

2. Oh goody, a fresh start for Stupidhead

I guess the first three and a half years of his term was just "practice," huh? Forget all they stuff he Cheneyed up, judge Stupidhead solely on his record from June 29, 2004 on.

Or the terrorists win, and you don't want that, do you?

[Cha]

3. Oh Pulleez! It's all about the Oil,

Halliburton and the war machine! And the NYT is a Big Fat Whore!

[the Kelly Gang]

4. please tell me Americans won't fall for this shell game trick !

[grytpype]

5. "it will be years, or even decades"

So Bush concedes that "it will be years, or even decades" before we know if we have succeeded in Iraq.

If that is true, then this Iraqi adventure was an act of pure insanity. No one can confidently project political trends over a course of years or decades. That means that Bush could not possibly have been in possession of a reasonable case for the war based on a democratic political outcome in Iraq.

[kskiska]

6. Remember what he said when asked how history will judge him:

"History? We'll all be dead."

[pinniped]

11. Should do like the Egyptians and erase POS from written text.

No statues, no memorials or libraries etc...for the idiot.

But future scholars may demand to know what kind of idiots caused this FUBAR in Iraq and this is where *'s name is destined to come up.

[cliss]

12. So true, Gryt.

A very fine post, if I may say so. You captured it right on: "this Iraqi adventure was an actu of pure insanity".

This is what we've all known, ever since they made the insane decision, against the wishes of an entire world, to go ahead with their macabre scheme. It was about the oil, and also to establish a puppet state where they could control the rest of the Middle East.

Judging from their actions and later reactions, they had NO idea what they were getting themselves into. They were just clueless. Paul Wolfowitz, who is an overpaid pencil pusher who's never been out in the real world, dreamed up these delusional schemes and he crossed his fingers, as did the rest of them.

Now that we're mired in the Quicksand called Iraq, they're not sure what to do next. They think they will still be able to pull it off...even though it's been a helluva wild ride and thousands of people have paid with their lives.

But - being the reckless riverboat gamblers that they are, they've taken it this far, and right now they're congratulating themselves on their incredible courage to stand firm in the face of opposition, and they will prevail......at least for today.......

[grytpype]

14. Wolfowitz tried to talk Clinton into invading Iraq!

Clinton said in the <a href="http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2004/06/25/clinton/index2.html">Salon interview</a>, "Paul Wolfowitz tried to get me to depose Saddam ..."

Clinton, of course, was smart enough to say "No." And Bush turned out to be the perfect patsy!

[WillParkinson]

7. He succeeded in dismantling a tyrannical government?

And the one that is there now will last how long?

[StClone]

8. New start for Bush, fresh horse

For one of the Riders of the Apocalypse.

[TahitiNut]

9. So, he thinks he gets a mulligan, huh?

Tell him to go Cheney himself. This sociopath never seems to find a standard low enough. He probably can't even get around a golf course without several FootJoy assists ... and fore caddies like the ones in Mooseport.

[pinniped]

10. Fresh start my ass.

I hope people don't give the biggest ahole in the solar system a free pass on this shit.

* personally has caused the needless death and destruction of tens of thousands of people and created billions of dollars of debt.

POS * was itching to invade Iraq by any means. All you have to do is look under POS's bed-bug ridden pillow at night. Sadaams's pistola is guaranteed to be there. That should be telling in itself.

[demgrrrll]

13. I always look at the Howler to see what Somerby has written about

just about any NYT writer. He's not a huge fan of Sanger and has successfully critiqued a number of his pieces. From a very cursory look it appeared that he is a bit of a WH stenographer.

[Rose Siding]

15. This is THE GOP talking point: No Looking Back

Thanks, NYT :hi:

Accountability, facing the music, responsible parties are all so twentieth century.

[progressivebydesign]

16. Bush washed his hands of the blood spilled on both sides..

.. convenient that the M.F. gets his summer vacation after this ceremonial handoff today. Our troops are still there, still suffering in the 115 degree heat, still dying.. and Bush will be golfing by August.

[symbolman]

17. I'm fairly sure

that the note that Bush handed back to Rice said..

"Let Freedum Rain.."

[leftchick]

18. what Horse Crap! This is no stinkin fresh start for idiotface*....

It will be his "Mission Accomplished" Part II!

[0007]

19. 'O twitchy fart face is spewing and sputtering more unbelievable shit

Bremer ran faster to catch that jet outta Iraq than Kobe Bryant going for a slam dunk shot.