Diplomat admits U.S. "arrogance" in Iraq

[Fridays Child]

Diplomat admits U.S. "arrogance" in Iraq

By Claudia Parsons

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The United States has shown "arrogance" and "stupidity" in Iraq, a senior U.S. diplomat said in an interview aired on Sunday, after President Bush said he was flexible on tactics, if not strategy.

U.S. military deaths in Iraq in October reached 80 this weekend, making it the most deadly month for Americans this year and raising pressure ahead of nest month's Congressional elections in which Bush's Republican party could lose its majority in both houses.

"We tried to do our best (in Iraq) but I think there is much room for criticism because, undoubtedly, there was arrogance and there was stupidity from the United States in Iraq," senior U.S. State Department official Alberto Fernandez told Al Jazeera, according to a Reuters reporter who heard the interview, which was conducted in Arabic.


Earlier, the State Department had said that the same English translation of the comments posted on Al Jazeera's English language Web site had misquoted Fernandez, its director of public diplomacy in the bureau of Near Eastern affairs.

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2006-10-22T182254Z_01_GEO743062_RTRUKOC_0_US-IRAQ.xml&WTmodLoc=NewsArt-R2-Today-3">More

[kestrel91316]

1. Arrogance? Really, now? Wherever would he get THAT idea????

[marmar]

2. Even when they make feeble attempts at contrition...

they sound like pricks. The entire Bush administration needs to be shown the door ... to a prison cell.

[Fridays Child]

3. I'd buy a lottery ticket, if the prize was slamming that prison door shut.

[jazzjunkysue]

4. Glad this made reuters. Let's see it on network, and then I'll know

my country has woken up.

[Igel]

5. He's a fool.

That's the very least that can be said.

And hammers home the point that he's also ignorant.

He should be recalled immediately and demoted to fetching coffee and sodas for the Congressional pages.