According to CNN:
WASHINGTON (CNN) — The Iraq Study Group report gives a “tough assessment of the situation in Iraq” but provides “common ground” for a way forward, President Bush said Wednesday.
Bush spoke at the White House after receiving the group’s report in a breakfast meeting.
According to two sources who have seen the executive summary of the group’s report, the panel urges Bush to move most U.S. troops out of combat roles by early 2008.
The bipartisan panel, however, stops short of a timetable for withdrawal.
“We will take every proposal seriously, and we will act in a timely fashion,” Bush said.
Will this really change anything in Iraq? Will Bush seriously consider these proposals? Will US troops phase out their combat role in Iraq by early 2008?
Of course not.
To steal from paraphrase Atrios, this has been another edition of simple answers to simple questions.
Of course nothing will truly change with the policies of CheneyCo. They were determined to plop their evil asses in the middle of the Middle East, and they plan on staying in their fortress bases with olympic-sized swimming pools and TCBY yogurt stands. (TCBY — FOBillClinton)
The Iraq Smokescreen Group. Liberal pundits saying things like Bush could have used this report as a breaking point from their insane “stay the course” policy, but face it, the only honest statement out of ChencyCo’s mouth has been “stay the course.”
They are there, in the middle of the Middle East — could have been Kuwait, could have been Iran, could have been Saudi Arabia (WAS Saudi Arabia until 2001), and the nasty bully boys ain’t movin’ from their turf.
I love to use the word “evil” when talking about the neocon movement in the US. But I wonder, are they really just, psychologically speaking, little second grade kiddies fighting over their marbles with their arbitrary and ever-changing rules?
To what end this geopolitical strategizing? Global warming is going to wipe out the face of the planet as we know it, what are they thinking, or are they “thinking?”
nothing much new to see hear. This clusterfuck will not change one bit before 2008. It will be left for a new president to clean up. George doesn’t give a shit about anything and all he wants to do right now is take his ball and go home. This is too much hard work and he can’t take the pressure.
Poppy’s breakdown at the speech he was given for Jeb’s departure from the Gov. House wasn’t about Jeb, it was about his shame of George.
I’ll have to hunt it up if I can find it.
Try this link. It has video too.
http://articles.news.aol.com/news/_a/first-president-bush-sobs-while-talking/20061204194509990018
content of late until this morning. I have accepted that the Dems have a voice now and a level of patience has found my soul for a time and applied a balm. I have some hope again and then I turn on the Telly this morning. I know exactly how the schmooze goes. I’ve been schmoozy smoochie schmoozed as a soldier’s spouse now for five years and I have no patience for the fucking schmooze any longer. I heard the words Iraq Study Group at least twenty times in four minutes. Frist said it so many times trying to spew out two sentences that he fucked up because it got to the point of sounding like she sells sea shells down by the sea shore. Then the president said that the report had some interesting suggestions, and I think that Frist said that Iraq was a substantial problem. Interesting and substantial problem my fucking ass. The Army is broken. We have some retention and fresh faces yes but the numbers don’t match what we need, they just lowered the enlistment goals. We have PTSD, many soldiers still in are on Zoloft regularly after an Iraq tour. We have people limbless, lifeless, brain damaged…we have lots of that. The fresh faces know almost nothing and just about every soldier with a brain got out when they could so who is going to teach them what they need to know to be U.S. soldiers and hopefully survive and not needlessly kill anyone else? I hate these fuckers I see on TV this morning. I absolutely hate them and detest them like you cannot imagine! I would scream but it would only scare the dogs.
IMHO, The ISG was made irrelevant once selective leaks of what it would contain was put in play. Also, Bush-the-decider set up his own internal review and then named one the ISG members to replace Rumsfeld.
Prof. Juan Cole finds now that his new Sec. Defense was a member of the ISG panel, it gets interesting:
Watch Cheney and Saudi Arabia. Together ALL are on the same page. Saudi princes are really scared of the pandora’s box opened by Dubya. Iraq’s chaos will be ‘monitored’ but the real focus is now Iran.
Oil will be the weapon and we’re staying put in Iraq – all 250,000 Americans. That figure includes the 100,000 American contractors in Iraq.(-Wapo-h/t: World Affairs)
Steve Clemons is currently in Dubai and has posted this tidbit- shares a discussion he had with a top tier sultan, sheik – national security advisor –
Credibly Challenging Iran: A Coordinated Plan to Get Oil Below $40/Barrel
My first reaction on that inferred challenge to Iran is how really easy it is to manipulate the price of oil. A cut will have the Chinese and Indians hooting, “make my day.” China is currently stockpiling, building up their strategic reserves. So cutting the price of oil- though we won’t look a gift horse in the mouth – also means other oil producers will be hurt- how about Venezuela?
Anyhow they’re so cynical. We’re up against a slowing economy – and perhaps the beginning of a harsh recession of global impact that will lower the demand for oil. How low a price before it bites other Gulf producers?
” My name is George and I’m a war monger.”