Bush's speech analysis

[cutlassmama]

“The premise of our strategy is that securing the Iraqi population is the foundation for all other progress… The goal of the surge is to provide that security – and to help prepare Iraqi forces to maintain it…”


The President’s justification for the surge was that “reducing the violence in Baghdad will help make reconciliation possible.” But by all accounts, including that of General Petraeus, the Iraqi government’s political progress is stalled.

General David Petraeus: “One of the justifications of the surge, after all, was that it would help create the space for Iraqi leaders to tackle the tough questions and agree on key pieces of national reconciliation legislation…It has not worked out as we had hoped.”

National Intelligence Estimate stated: “Iraqi political leaders remain unable to govern effectively.”

The GAO concluded the Iraqi Government had failed to meet 15 of 18 political, security, and economic benchmarks. <9/07>

The Congressional Research Service describes the Iraqi Government as “collapsing.”

“…Yet Iraq’s national leaders are getting some things done. For example, they have passed a budget. They are sharing oil revenues with the provinces… And local reconciliation is taking place. The key now is to link this progress in the provinces to progress in Baghdad…”


Congressional Research Service (CRS) Report: The September 6th update of this report entitled “Post-Saddam Iraq Government and Security,” the author describes the government as “collapsing.”

Independent Jones Commission on the Security Forces of Iraq report: “Iraqi society is being convulsed by sectarianism that if not swiftly and significantly curtailed could contribute to a rapid deterioration of Iraq…”

Just today, the New York Times reported that the “carefully constructed compromise on a draft law governing Iraq’s rich oil fields…appears to have collapsed.”

“…Yet those of us who believe success in Iraq is essential to our security, and those who believe we should bring our troops home, have been at odds. Now, because of the measure of success we are seeing in Iraq, we can begin seeing troops come home.”


Our military forces are “stretched thin” and the current level of troop commitment to Iraq is unsustainable. Given the strain on the military, the Bush Administration has little choice but to drawdown troops to at least the pre-surge level.

All 38 of the Army’s available combat units are deployed, have or are just returning or are already scheduled to deploy to Iraq, Afghanistan or elsewhere – leaving the U.S. without any available combat-ready units.

“Senior officials have said that unless the President chooses to break a promise to limit deployments to 15 months and guarantee 12 months at home …, the troop increase must end next spring.”

Retired Army General Robert Gard: “When you look at 160,000 plus troops, removing 4,000 is hardly a major …And the other drawdowns that come next year are inevitable unless you make some fundamental changes in touring or bring in some guardsmen who haven’t had enough rest.”

“This vision for a reduced American presence also has the support of Iraqi leaders from all communities. At the same time, they understand that their success will require U.S. political, economic, and security engagement that extends beyond my Presidency. These Iraqi leaders have asked for an enduring relationship with America.”


Neither the American public nor the Iraqi people support the President’s “surge” strategy and stay-the-course plan in Iraq.

78 percent of Americans believe the U.S. should withdraw some or all of our troops from Iraq.

60 percent of Americans say the U.S. should set a timetable to withdraw our forces from Iraq and should “stick to that timetable regardless of what is going on in Iraq.”

“Every person interviewed in Baghdad and Anbar province, a Sunni-dominated area where Bush recently visited and cited progress, said the troop increase has worsened security.” 70 percent believe security has deteriorated in the areas where the U.S. “surge” troops were located.

Between 67 percent and 70 percent say the surge has “hampered conditions for political dialogue, reconstruction and economic development.

57 percent of Iraqis say that attacking coalition forces is “acceptable” – more than three times higher than when polled in February 2004.

“The success of a free Iraq is critical to the security of the United States. Realizing this vision will be difficult – but it is achievable. Our military commanders believe we can succeed. Our diplomats believe we can succeed. And for the safety of future generations of Americans, we must succeed.”


Former Senator Gary Hart, Lieutenant General Robert Gard (USA, ret.), and Brigadier General John Johns (USA, ret.): “The series of recent reports on the situation in Iraq add up to only one clear conclusion: while there has been some limited success in recent months, there is little if any prospect of resolving the insurgency anytime in the next decade, if not longer…The uncertain future of Iraq cannot be accurately addressed while the primary problem remains uncorrected. As long as the United States remains, nothing can be resolved.” <9/13/07>

When questioned by Sen. John Warner if the war in Iraq was making America safer, General David Petraeus replied, “Sir, I don’t know, actually. I haven’t sat down and sorted it out in my head.”

Today: new report says over 80,000 USGI's wounded and maimed--and over 1 million men women and little children killed by bush & cheney's criminal lies.

[JeffR]

1. Well done

K & R.
:kick:

[Didereaux]

4. The speech was written by...

You didn't actually believe GeeDub could write a speech did you? No, it was his new Speechwriter...



http://www.flickr.com/photos/12461951@N03/

heh

[cutlassmama]

5. Thank you very much

[opihimoimoi]

2. Bush doesn't know how to look good.....he does the wrong things and sez worse

First President in US History to keep Training Wheels On for 8 straight years....

[calimary]

3. Good compilation.

It's surprisingly refreshing to hear and see "truth squad" follow-ups in some of the coverage of the bush speech. There is actual "fact checking" going on in some quarters. Years late, but it's finally there.

Well how 'bout that. We're getting our "George Galloway Moment" (when he smacked smarmy normy coleman upside the head during a Senate committee hearing when Galloway was supposedly going to be raked over the coals, and turned the tables - from May, 2005):

"Senator, in everything I said about Iraq, I turned out to be right and you turned out to be wrong, and 100,000 people paid with their lives; 1,600 of them American soldiers sent to their deaths on a pack of lies; 15,000 of them wounded, many of them disabled forever on a pack of lies."

http://www.rense.com/general65/drool.htm