Sidney Blumenthal (Salon): Empty Words

[Jack Rabbit]

From Salon.com (Subscription or Day Pass Required)
Dated Thrusday June 30

Empty Words
Trying to revive his political credibility, Bush succeeded only in reminding us how clueless and reckless he has been as commander in chief.
By Sidney Blumenthal

"They're just wrong about our strategy. We've had a strategy from the beginning," said President Bush on May 13, 2003. It was only 13 days since he had made his triumphant tailhook landing of an F-18 Hornet on the USS Lincoln ("I flew it"), stepped before the sailors in a flight suit and declared the conflict concluded as a large banner behind him proclaimed "Mission Accomplished."

Then he flicked off pesky congressional critics of the immediate postwar transition policy. "Jerry Bremer is running the strategy, and we are making very good progress about the establishment of a free Iraq." Appointed by Bush as the head of the Coalition Provisional Authority, Bremer had disbanded the Iraqi army and was purging the Baath Party, acts that convinced the Sunnis that the United States intended to exclude them from any new arrangement. "And the person who is in charge is me," Bush continued. "Look, I just don't make decisions on polls and I can't worry about polls."

A year later, on June 28, 2004, Iraq's new prime minister, Ayad Allawi, projected optimism as the CPA handed over authority to his government. "In a few days, Iraq will radiate with stability and security," he promised.

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[susu369]

1. As always, Blumenthal's writing is superb

:kick:

[Dudley_DUright]

2. He and Joe Conason make the subscription price worth every penny

[wallwriter]

3. As usual, the very basic issues of politics,

articulated astutely here regarding the factions of Sunnis, Shiites, Kurds and the interaction with Iran, are crucial to understanding the situation, but are utterly lost of most Americans, especially the war-mongers. How many Americans could explain the major factionsin Iraq?