Today, The Whitehouse decided that "stay the course" was no longer acceptable as a talking point. After years of demonizing anyone who even suggestied any changes in tactics, the administration wishes to paint itself as a flexible, nimble and ever changing force. Too little, too late.
If someone suggested more troops, the administration said "no, we need to stay the course." If someone suggested less troops, they were told "no, we need to stay the course." If someone suggested trying to bring in more countries to help, they were told "no, we have to stay the course." If someone suggested that maybe we should re evaluate and change tactics, they were told "no, we need to stay the course."
Anyone who suggested anything but "staying the course" was labeled a "cut and runner" or "soft" or "emboldening the enemy." Anyone who suggested any kind of phased redeployment was demonized and called words like "coward" and the like.
Today, in a totally political move, the Whitehouse, in damage control mode miraculously eliminated "stay the course. this, as it becomes more and more obvious to even people who aren't paying attention to the war that the administration's prosecution of this war has been bad at best and grossly incompetent at worst.
So now, "stay the course" is out of the administration venacular like buckshot out of Dick Cheney's quail gun. Now the are claiming to "constantly adjusting tactics" just like their madison avenue demographic research says they should be saying. Now they are planning on handing over control to the 400,000 part time security forces.
And yes, the Iraqi forces do operate part time. Reports confirm that 25% of all the divisions are "on leave" at any given time. When called up, commanders in the field are lucky to have more than 40% of their "soldiers" show up. Then it's a scramble to try to figure out which securiy forces are really loyal to the malitia that they serve in. Although, in all fairness, they have more show up and less backstabbing when paychecks are being given out.
The biggest militia leader is a cabinet member. And Al Sadr, like many of the clerics and religious leaders in the country, won't even talk to 'the infidels." The goverment he serves in, part - time, is crumbling. He and other officials don't really seem to mind.
The situation is chaos, and only getting worse by the day. Our administrations brilliant plan features changing talking points to the American people. I'm sure the Iraqi's being let down by our government, at least the 20% who still want us there, or at least the 40% who don't think shooting us for sport is good policy, are feelin good bout that.
Jim Baker's commission is expected to reccomend we take 1 of 2 courses of action. The 1st involves adding upwards of 100,000 more troops. We don't have those kinds of troops available, according to military sources. Those fighters would have to come from allies and countries in the region. Good luck on that happening at this point.
The 2nd, and considered more realistic proposal involves a federalist system of partitioning Iraq off into it's more natural sectarian borders. A plan suggested by democrat Joe Biden well over a year ago. Biden was called names for his suggesting it of course. After the election, watch the administration embrace the plagarized plan suggested by old family friend, James Baker.
Also on Baker's report...why hold it till after the election? It's sad that this administration is willing to let American soldiers die for their mistakes because they don't want a report that makes them look less than stellar be released and acted on now. It's actually more than sad, it's a disgrace.
Also, the administration, that until today contended that any kind of timeline only "emboldened the enemy" has put out...you guessed it...a timeline! But this one is ok, according to them, cause it's the Iraqi's suggesting it, allegedly. What a coincidence!
Now that republicans are threatened with a loss of absolute power, the administration has embraced the concept of a timeline. But they don't govern by polls, remember.
So now that the administration feels that timelines and partitioning the country no longer "emboldens the enemy" wil the people who suggested as much be apologized to? Hell no! This is an election year. Oh, by the way, Saddam Hussein is going to be "coincidentally" sentenced on November 5th.
From what I can see, all that "emboldens the enemy" anymore is the incompetent prosecution of this war as the enemy no longer fears us and the ads the RNC has been putting out. On the latter, I have a feeling that Osama is sitting somewhere watchin his satellite feed of Fox News and saying "Thank You for the free publicity George Bush. Thank you for scaring your people for us while not doing anything to stop us and help our numbers grow faster than ever."
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