report card is in: Bushco* message to Arabs was ineffective

[AussieInCA]

from www.juancole.com

Taguba Report Online; Bush tries Damage Control on Arab Satellite TV

The Taguba report on Abu Ghuraib prison abuse is now online at MSNBC, or at least an executive summary of it. On Wednesday, this story finally broke in the United States in a big way. On Tuesday night Koppel had Rami Khoury on, a respected Arab journalist, to talk about the impact in the Arab world. The president went on al-Arabibiya and al-Hurra but refused to do an interview with al-Jazeera. Inevitably, this fit of pique limited the impact of his message, since al-Jazeerah is the leading satellite television channel. Since Bush did not apologize, did not take responsibility, did not make anyone else take responsibility, and just talked in a vague way about investigations, I doubt his message will resonate. Even pro-American Adnan Pachachi, who tried to put the best face on the matter, said that an apology would have been helpful.
posted by Juan Cole at 5/5/2004 01:18:54 PM

[bahrbearian]

1. But he has so much to Apologize for where does he start?

[cosmicdot]

2. no surprise at that ... Reference: April 2003

the salesman lied, civilians died



"The nightmare that Saddam Hussein has brought to your nation will soon be over," Bush said in a 2 1/2 -minute message. "I assure every citizen of Iraq: Your nation will soon be free."


Posted 4/10/2003 10:02 AM

Text of Bush message to Iraq



"This is George W. Bush, the president of the United States. At this moment, the regime of Saddam Hussein is being removed from power and a long era of fear and cruelty is ending. American and coalition forces are now operating inside Baghdad — and we will not stop until Saddam's corrupt gang is gone. The government of Iraq and the future of your country will soon belong to you.

The goals of our coalition are clear and limited. We end a brutal regime, whose aggression and weapons of mass destruction make it a unique threat to the world. Coalition forces will help maintain law and order so that Iraqis can live in security. We will respect your great religious traditions, whose principles of equality and compassion are essential to Iraqi's future. We will help you build a peaceful and representative government that protects the rights of all citizens. And then our military forces will leave. Iraq will go forward as a unified, independent and sovereign nation that has regained a respected place in the world.

The United States and its coalition partners respect the people of Iraq. We are taking unprecedented measures to spare the lives of innocent Iraqi citizens and are beginning to deliver food, water and medicine to those in need. Our only enemy is Saddam's brutal regime — and that regime is your enemy as well.

In the new era that is coming to Iraq, your country will no longer be held captive to the will of a cruel dictator. You will be free to build a better life, instead of building more palaces for Saddam and his sons, free to pursue economic prosperity without the hardship of economic sanctions, free to travel and speak your mind, free to join in the political affairs of Iraq. And all the people who make up your country — Kurds, Shi'a, Turkomans, Sunnis and others — will be free of the terrible persecution that so many have endured.

The nightmare that Saddam Hussein has brought to your nation will soon be over. You are a good and gifted people — the heirs of a great civilization that contributes to all humanity. You deserve better than tyranny and corruption and torture chambers. You deserve to live as free people. And I assure every citizen of Iraq: your nation will soon be free.

Thank you."

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2003-04-10-bush-address_x.htm

[Hubert Flottz]

3. Math.......................F-

Reads and understands...........F-
Science.........................F-
History.........................0
Spelling........................F-
Civics..........................F-
English.........................F-
Arabic..........................F-
Tax.............................0
Total ..........................Asshole

Citizenship.....................0- Does no get along with others! Times Absent...........980675434521209,876
Times tardy..............9087890609871,666
Teacher Comments....does not know right from wrong, lies at the drop of a hat!
Recommendations...................Demote and Expel!

[Emboldened Chimp]

4. Of course it was ineffective...they knew it would be...

It was moore for our consumption, not theirs. I sincerely believe that this administration simply doesn't give a fuck about how this country is perceived in the Arab world.

[Skittles]

5. they don't give a f*** what ANYONE thinks

disgusting arrogance

[Emboldened Chimp]

7. true dat

[r_u_stuck2]

6. Does B* even understand what he says?

"The people in the Middle East must understand this is horrible, ...,"

I think they well understand it is horrible. What is this "must" business. Does he think he is going to have to convince THEM it is horrible.

He just opens his mouth and something pours out and he leaves his spinmeisters to clean it up and the press just laps like a puppy.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=1&u=/ap/20040505/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_prisoner_abuse_9

[KharmaTrain]

8. He Forgot Two Words...I Appologize

What a condescending piece of tripe those interviews were. Notice how he detatcehd himself not only from the actions of the military he sent in to invade that country, he also detached himself from the Amerian people.

You see, the soldiers appologize, yet it wasn't all, just the bad apples and the American people have appologized, yet not the leadership that supposedly represents them. Am I the only one who see this massive disconnect? It seemed too hard for this goon to say the words "I'm Sorry", "I Was Wrong" and "I Assume Responsibility". Has anyone ever found where this asshole has ever said any of those words in his public life????

Then there's the "we'll investigate" bullshit. Just like he'll investigate Enron and Wilsongate and Who Did What On 9/11 and so on. How long are people gonna take that crap without holding this regime's ass to the fire. Or do we need even more scandals? Guess we do.