Tony Snow: “violence, unfortunately at least for a while, is going to be a fact of Iraqi life’

[sabra]

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/news_theswamp/2007/05/measuring_succe.html#more

<snip>

How much violence is acceptable in Iraq, the White House was asked today. This is the White House’s answer:

“We’re now playing the adjective game,’’ Tony Snow, White House press secretary, said somewhat dismissively. “In abstract terms, zero violence is acceptable.’’

But “violence, unfortunately at least for a while, is going to be a fact of Iraqi life,’’ he said. The goal for U.S. military forces and the Iraqi government is “trying to create a level of security’’ for people to go about their lives, Snow said. “What you’re trying to do is address the kinds of violence that are designed to destroy Iraq… What you want to do is… have the government in a position where it can stand by itself.’’

[earthboundmisfit]

1. Ah, yes - lowering the expectations bar yet again

n/t

[rodeodance]

11. this is the prelude to the end of summer

[Little Wing]

2. Playing politics. Blame game. Adjective game.

All a game to these people./

[Bucky]

3. Gosh, how could those Iraqis be so irresponsible? Really, what's gotten into them?

I mean, besides us.

[tabasco]

4. How nice of us to make that determination for them.

What ever happened to the lofty goal of self-determination that this Nation declared in the Atlantic Charter?

I guess now that we're an empire we don't think that it's so good for countries to sort out their own problems.

We pressured Great Britain to dismantle their empire after WWII. Now we have our own. Disgusting.

[DawnIsis]

5. This is why the MSM sucks, the logical follow up question is how do you expect the Iraqis to defend

themselves if the US military recently declared training Iraqi forces is no longer a priority?

[Robbien]

6. Homes no longer

Would it interest anyone to know that another member of our extended family has perished?

Or has death in Iraq become old, boring news?

He was killed on his doorstep, in full view of his wife and three daughters.

Our men couldn't attend the funeral, because the deceased was Shiite, and the ceremony was held in his brother’s home in a Shiite neighbourhood.

My mother, my cousin and I decided that we would do our best to attend the women’s ceremony.

They (the family of the diseased) asked for the car’s registration no, its make and colour, and the number of women expected in it. They said we were to reach the former Central Market building (now a great heap of rubble) and stop to await our escort, without which we would not be able to enter the neighbourhood at all – we would be shot, or worse – abducted.

We drove slowly to the meeting place, kept the car running, and waited.

Some minutes (ages) later a car stopped in front of us.

One of the brothers, with him his daughter (20) stepped out of the car and approached us.

He greeted us gravely, and told his daughter to ride with us. He told us that this was insurance given by him, that we were “safe”, his daughter was to ride with us.

We entered the neighbourhood.

Slowly, slowly, we drove through the once familiar streets.

I kept looking around.

I wanted to recognize my surroundings, but they looked so unfamiliar.

The streets were deserted. Most were blocked with half-length cement barriers.

Plastic bags were being blown about.

Stray dogs were roaming about freely.

On our left was the Shiite community, and on our right, a no-man’s-land.

A whole living district quite, quite empty.

Hundreds of homes, quite, quite empty.

Shops shuttered, schools hollow, and windswept courts, where the laughter of children used to fill the air.

And the dust, a deep layer of dust, perhaps the most telling sign that these homes were homes no longer …

We paid our respects, wept together with any who came in to show their sorrow.

But in our hearts we knew – we were weeping for ourselves and for our sorry existence bereft of our loved ones.

http://washingtonbureau.typepad.com/iraq/

Tony you should be shamed.

[genie_weenie]

7. Could be 10 years could be 10 generations...

<smirk smirk smirk> Awww, gee, shucks, Democracy is hard... <smirk smirk smirk>

[mike_c]

8. that is why the Bush administration should face war crimes prosecution....

eom

[rhiannon55]

9. It's the "Blame the Iraqis" game

If they weren't so wimpy and weak, we could leave...

The thing is, they weren't "wimpy and weak" until we invaded and destroyed their country.

[Beelzebud]

10. You live with the level of violence you have, not the level of violence you might wish you had.

[Karenina]

12. How very White (House) of him.

:puke: