Choices, choices. Too coward to decide or is he trapped?
The ISG report has attracted much ink. Largely dissected and rejected by our allies – Shiites and Kurds in Iraq. These prescriptions for a people deep in the quagmire are not seen as the way out and forward.
What to make of Bush’s indecision? He’s been given 79 recommendations and can’t decide! Some see Bush as just plain stubborn and others, he’s a coward?
Here’s a collection of interesting views on Bush-the-decider being disabled.
Josh Marshall citing an item from USNews writes, What a pitiful coward this man is.
“White House advisers say Bush won’t react in detail to the ISG report for several weeks, while he assesses it and awaits various internal government reports on the situation from his own advisers. Bush tells aides he doesn’t want to “outsource” his role as commander in chief.
Some Bush allies say this is a way to buy some time as the president tries to decide how to deal with rising pressure to alter his strategy in Iraq and hopes the critical media focus on the Iraq war will soften.[.][A] former adviser to Bush the elder. “If President Bush changes his policy in Iraq in a fundamental way, it undermines the whole premise of his presidency. I just don’t believe he will ever do that.”
Josh concludes: “He won’t ever change course. Not because there’s anyone who can’t see that the present course is a catastrophe, but because changing course would cut the legs from under the collective denial of the president and his supporters. As bad as things get they can still pretend they’re on the way to getting better. It’s a long hard slog to January 2009 when it becomes someone else’s fault.”
But Bush disagrees he’s a coward. Kevin Drum at The Washington Monthly has a post: Harry S. Bush on the president comparing himself with our ‘the buck stops here’ Harry Truman.
Kevin, (via Atrios), links to the McClatchy report that the meeting with Democratic leaders on Friday, to review the 79 recommendations, found Bush not too interested:]
“Instead, Bush began his talk by comparing himself to President Harry S Truman, who launched the Truman Doctrine to fight communism, got bogged down in the Korean War and left office unpopular.
Bush said that “in years to come they realized he was right and then his doctrine became the standard for America,” recalled Senate Majority Whip-elect Richard Durbin, D-Ill. “He’s trying to position himself in history and to justify those who continue to stand by him, saying sometimes if you’re right you’re unpopular, and be prepared for criticism.”
Durbin said he challenged Bush’s analogy, reminding him that Truman had the NATO alliance behind him and negotiated with his enemies at the United Nations. Durbin said that’s what the Iraq Study Group is recommending that Bush do now — work more with allies and negotiate with adversaries on Iraq.
Bush, Durbin said, “reacted very strongly. He got very animated in his response” and emphasized that he is “the commander in chief.”
Hmmm. He’s the commander-in-chief but can’t decide or maybe is he keeping company with the JD juice man?
a borrowed quote from Dem. VP candidate, the late Lloyd Bentsen –
Perish that thought George W. You are no Harry Truman.
Professor Juan Cole asks, Will Bush choose his new friends over his old: Bush/Shiites vs. Baker/Saudis?
Professor Cole concludes “Bush’s Shiite clients contribute to his policy making but that he’s the same old W” [he] ‘wants compromise before negotiation as a prerequisite even for talks.’
Imho, Bush is a coward and insecure. He’s also trapped, thumb sucking his way as he flounders. More below.
Within days of his `summit meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister al-Maliki, Bush had Al-Hakim, Al Maliki’s main Shiite rival, over at the White House. Professor Cole on profile:
“Al-Hakim said US Troops Should Stay;
Urges harsher Measures against Sunni Guerrillas.”
“Al-Hakim is the leader of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, a Shiite fundamentalist organization founded in Tehran in 1982 when many Iraqi Shiite activists had sought Ayatollah Khomeini’s protection from Saddam Hussein. He spent over 20 years in Iran.”
We can all agree Iraq is a complex problem but imho, Bush has proven he’s a coward. He is also a trapped and trampled by ‘the Saudi elephant’ and as always Cheney will make the decision for him – this decision will come at the Saudis’ behest.
And this administration needs a cover, needs to be seen as having been invited to stay.
Greg Palast writes the outcome foregone: “The Baker Boys” – we’ll stay half the course
“Saudi Arabia is the elephant in the room (camel in the tent?) that can’t be acknowledged — and the reason Baker is so desperately anxious to sell America on keeping half our soldiers in harm’s way.
Why is Baker, ordinarily such a tough guy, so coy with the Saudis? Baker Botts, the law firm he founded, became a wealthy powerhouse by representing Saudi Arabia.
But don’t worry, the Iraq Study Group is balanced by Democrats including Vernon Jordan of the law firm of Akin, Gump which represents … Saudi royals.Of course, the connections between Baker, the Bush Family and the Saudis go way beyond a few legal bills.[…]
Baker is more than aware that, two weeks ago, Dick Cheney dropped his Thanksgiving turkey to fly to Riyadh, at the demand of the Saudis, for a dressing down by King Abdullah. The King wants US forces to stay to baby-sit the Shias in Iraq’s army.
The Saudis have made it clear that, if the US pulls out our troops, Saudi Arabians will crank up payments to their brothers, the Sunni warlords in Iraq, and Baghdad, or the entire region, will run with blood.King Abdullah’s wish is Cheney’s command — and Baker’s too. And so 70,000 of our soldiers will stay.
Mr. Palast concludes:
“And therein lies the danger. Behind the fratricidal fracas in Iraq is something even more dangerous than civil war — a proxy war between Iran and Saudi Arabia over control of Iraq’s pivotal position in OPEC, the oil cartel.
Because what is painted by Baker’s Iraq Study Group as an ancient local clash between Shia and Sunni over the Kingdom of God, is, in fact, a remote control war between Iran and Saudi Arabia over the Kingdom of Oil.”
Half the course? Steve Clemons thinks not. The next hurdle for Bush is selling America on why he will stay the full course, an option rejected by 71% of Americans in the recent AP-Ipsos poll.
