Report on "Surge" pushed back to November

[ck4829]

For months September has been cast as a pivotal time for determining the course of the war in Iraq, yet a top general now says a solid judgment on the U.S. troop buildup there may not come until November.

Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno told he would need beyond September to tell if improvements in Iraq represent long-term trends.

"In order to do a good assessment I need at least until November," said Odierno, a deputy to Gen. David Petraeus, the U.S. military commander in Iraq.

Odierno briefed Pentagon reporters by video link from Baghdad. Also on Wednesday, Petraeus and Ryan Crocker, the top U.S. diplomat in Iraq, participated in a classified question-and-answer session with lawmakers, also via satellite. Crocker later testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070720/ap_on_go_co/us_iraq_152

[underpants]

1. "The Bush administration has been saying that they need AT LEAST until September..."

Meredity Viera on the Today Show opening this morning

[necso]

2. Republican "opposition"

to the "war" having shown itself to be gutless and feeble, chimpy will keep trying to put off any sort of real reckoning. Besides, short of impeachment, chimpy will have his "war" until he leaves office (being a weakling/loser of epic proportions -- as well as an egomaniac -- he's terrified of looking like a weakling/loser).

The political calculus is how long republicans can delay dissociating themselves from failed policies/persons without completely destroying their chances in 2008. (Keeping in mind that many republican senators aren't up for reelection in 2008, and therefore don't really give a damn.)

[sharp_stick]

3. Notice he said at least November

Nobody can possibly believe that they will actually issue a full report at all do they? Come September they will put out another piece of shit like they did last week giving the Iraqi Government some bizarre passing grades that are purely bullshit and say they need a few more months to kill people to see if it's taking hold. Then they do the same shit in November and February...

All they're doing now is trying to run the clock out on the shrub dynasty so they can pass the mess off to the next poor schmuck and make some more blood money in the meantime.