The Mad Monk
The war in Iraq is really about peace
--GWB (2003)
Military power solves about 20% of your problem
in the region. The rest of it needs to be diplomatic,
economic, political
--General John Abizaid, former CENTCOM Commander (2007)
_________
In another page from the annals of the "Mission-accomplished" script, GWB went on an Iraqi junket today and proclaimed, from the safety of the secured and isolated desert Al-Asad Air Base in Anbar province, when you talk to the people on the ground here, you get a feeling for what Iraq could be.
Very nice, Mr. Bush, save for the fact you didn't speak with any of the people on the ground (Bush, Advisers Make Surprise Visit to Iraq.)
Perhaps the horizon looked very promising through a Texas oilman's eyes, which could envision that desert peopled with oil derricks, producing 24/7. I'm not sure any longer if Mr. Bush is actually a Know-Nothing or a Wobbly.
But lest you think this was just a shallow photo op, Press Secretary Dana Perino said the meeting gave GWB the chance "to look Prime Minister Maliki in the eye and talk with him about the progress that is starting to happen in Iraq." One wonders if Bush will divine Mr. al-Maliki's essense, in the same way he soul-gazed into Russian President Putin's eyes, in his Rasputin-esque way ("I looked the man in the eye. . .I was able to get a sense of his soul.")
GWB seems to have a built-in meter for soul-searching. Odd, coming from a man who does not demonstrably have one himself.
The trip follows on the heels of a bleak GAO report which concludes "at least 13 of the 18 benchmarks set to judge the Iraqi government's performance in the political and security arenas haven't been met."
"At the White House, officials argued that the GAO report, which was required by legislation President Bush signed last spring, was unrealistic because it assigned 'pass or fail' grades to each benchmark, rather than assessing whether the Iraqis have made progress toward reaching the benchmark goals (Pentagon Disputes Negative Iraq Report.)"
This is such a bean-counter process. Pass-fail should be a much lower bar, after all. That means they can be an A, B or C and still pass. But all the reports, speeches, benchmarks are only words. The proof is in the pudding -- the facts as they are on the ground. Words can be amended and reports can be polished, but the fact remains: Iraq is a turd in the punchbowl.
(Regarding the above imagery, attempts were made to dissuade Ranger from the scatological, but he was well-pleased with what he felt the appropriateness of the metaphor, and so could not be swayed. His Infantry pedigree is showing, and he will not be invited to a State dinner any time in the forseeable future.)
As Ranger continued, you can mold a turd, but it is still that. Would somebody please inform the administration of this fact?
--Jim and Lisa
Labels: bush soul gaze, Bush surprise visit, GAO report
posted by rangeragainstwar at 9:01 AM
10 Comments:
i especially have been galled by the administration trumpeting the reduced casualties in august as a result of their strategy working. if you stack up the years you'll find that casualties in iraq always go down in august. because it's 125 fucking degrees outside and nobody goes there.
roosters taking credit for the rising sun.
facts are stubborn things, to say it with eloquence - - -
The truth is incontrovertible; malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.
- Sir Winston Churchill
Fortunately, Minstrel Boy, when it cools down in October and November, (after Ramadan) and the bloodletting increases again they will have sold the dead parrot for another six months.
As for the Ranger's choice of artwork: Bad Ranger. Bad.
Very apt. Take a bow.
To lurch and minstrel boy,
Ranger here: As of this writing, I'm surprised that they have not engineered for GWB a Martinez-type incident to boost GWB's stateside approval ratings.
I am anticipating some sort of phony media event (proximity to a mortar attack, firing of some sort on AF 1 upon takeoff, or somesuch) to bolster his sagging war effort.
This would garner some sympathy, ala the Guiliani effect.
The sad thing is that this type of conflict is that it's much more open to manipulation. If you were Hitler in the bunker, surrounded by the Soviets in 1945, there would be no possible way of obsfucating the public into believing that there was light at the end of the tunnel. But given that so much about COIN is poli-sci and sociology style metrics, there is nothing quite as obvious. Thus, the Spinner-in-Chief can continue to point to small, unimportant tactical victories without having to account for the immense strategic failure.
Regarding the reduced casualties, the media continues to ignor one of the strategies used to try and reduce casualties. The air war, which has quadrupled in the last year. This may save some boots on the ground but it doesn't do much for winning the hearts and minds of the locals.
As Ranger continued, you can mold a turd, but it is still that. Would somebody please inform the administration of this fact?
I'm sure the architects of this fiasco are well aware of the type of modelling clay they're using. It's just that they've become so doggone good at it...
I'd invite you to a non-State dinner if at anytime you entered the state of Washington, Ranger....we like the infantry pedigree just fine here. Much better than what Maru at WTF calls the "Chimpy McAwol" pedigree, for instance.
And with American deaths in August over 80...I don't think I'd claim too much of a benefit. Asshats, they are!
trip wire,
Excellent point, and the air war has to be based upon solid intelligence, which is a result of boots on the ground. If the bombings are not "surgical," we are losing the population, as you state.
Afghanistan is a good illustration of your point.
trog69,
Fortunately, we have new antibacterial soap now. I imagine there's a station outside of every salient Pentagon office.
Ranger is now feeling vindicated in his use of symbology.
labrys,
Thanks for the invite. If I'm ever up your way, it'd be a pleasure. Likewise, if you come to the tourist death knell state.
We were just discussing the upcoming documentary on HBO on the 9th interviewing wounded soldiers (Alive Day), and were considering the effect that these now 25,000+ soldiers will have on our society upon their return. Can you imagine?
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