Rumfeld’s Rules: How To Assess Progress In Iraq
Rumfeld’s Rules: How To Assess Progress In Iraq
In a speech today, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld offered some pointers on how to assess the situation in Iraq.
Don’t pay attention to terrorist attacks:
“To be responsible, one needs to stop defining success in Iraq as the absence of terrorist attacks,” Rumsfeld said in remarks at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.
Don’t pay attention to U.S. fatalities:
Pressure on the administration over the war has grown as the number of U.S. military deaths has surpassed 2,100. Rumsfeld said a focus on that number would be as misleading as concentrating on the large numbers of deaths at battles like Iwo Jima during World War II, without acknowledging the victories eventually achieved.
Don’t pay attention to the media:
Rumsfeld also delivered a broadside against the media, saying that in the present era of the 24-hour new cycle, events in Iraq may be reported too quickly and without context, and at times with little substantiation.
The only thing to pay attention to, it seems, is whatever Rumsfeld tells you.
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Don’t pay attention while we f*ck up this thing called Iraq.
December 5th, 2005 at 12:56 pmRumfeld’s Rules: How To Assess Progress In Iraq .
December 5th, 2005 at 12:56 pmclose your eyes and pretend alls well.
hear no evil, see no evil, do no evil?
December 5th, 2005 at 12:57 pmpollyana rumsfeld is into magical thinking and wishcraft. he simply believes and therefore thinks he will be transported over the rainbow. he’s watched one too many musicals if you ask me…
December 5th, 2005 at 12:58 pmI think the message is “Don’t Pay Attention” at all.
December 5th, 2005 at 12:58 pmThey like it better that way.
Let’s go shopping!
oops, speak NO evil!
December 5th, 2005 at 12:58 pmin other words, SHUT UP You Left wing Ding Bats!
Maybe this is how they will spin replacing Rummy
December 5th, 2005 at 1:02 pmwith Joe:
“Mr. Rumsfeld wants to spend more time with a padded room”
Donald Rumsfeld is Joseph Goebbels reincarnate.
A problem for Rumsfeld is that people are slowly waking to the truth, or in his instance, the lack thereof.
December 5th, 2005 at 1:03 pmBINGO,Its about the OIL!
How will history judge, if it does, the reporting some decades from now when Iraq’s path is settled,” Rumsfeld said.
He acknowledged that the war has not gone according to plan, but also said that many things that were feared including destruction of oil fields did not happen. And he said the insurgency was much larger than some people expected.
December 5th, 2005 at 1:04 pmOops…I forgot one
December 5th, 2005 at 1:11 pmDon’t listen to the VP of Iraq.
Here
December 5th, 2005 at 1:12 pmHe is merely stating, don’t look at the everyday cost of the operation, IE; Bodies, bucks & blowhard critics. He was given a carte blanche budget and doesn’t have a Zero tolerance policy when it comes to soldiers dying. This what you get when you vote for some one, Appointments. If the man is casual and flippiant and not interested in the ugly details, then why should he be held to a different standard in the execution of his job? Remember he was the one who wante an office of Dis-imformation and thought that Blitzkrieg Nato forces would be the next thing. Tie this behavior together with a Thug run congress without the necessary oversight combined with a mislead opposition party and it is what it is. The spine of your representative governtment comes from YOU the voters. Why is any one suprised? Shock and Awe is what the GOP put in the voters during the elections with gay initiatives on the ballot, 11 states I believe, so all i can suggest is educate your friends. I have politics as my hobby because I know this affects my every day life, not football, sports or entertainment. READ it does a country good.
December 5th, 2005 at 1:36 pmThey’re doing all of their thinking deep underground in their bunkers, just like Hitler did.
They surface now and then to inform the great unwashed. give ‘em a break.
December 5th, 2005 at 1:42 pmJust pay attention to me : BIG DADDY
December 5th, 2005 at 1:43 pmTo announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.” Theodore Roosevelt
December 5th, 2005 at 1:49 pmHow dare you hold me accountable for anything I may have done or may not have done, or thought about not having done or didn’t think about not having done.
December 5th, 2005 at 1:56 pmrandy,danny k,i wrong y, wwallace, etc,etc,…
December 5th, 2005 at 1:56 pmmorally treasonable
Apply the same context (that we are defining this “war” by) to past wars … We lost 2,100 soldiers in single days during WWII (We lost tens of thousands during the Civil War). The success of the Germans was grossly under-reported to the US public and the soldiers. There were times that our command thought we may lose.
Whatever the reasons for the Iraq engagement, the focus of the criticism (at least those that focus on death and setbacks) should be filtered through a big picture lens … that’s all the Rumsfield is saying.
December 5th, 2005 at 1:59 pmare YOU commiting Treason?
December 5th, 2005 at 1:59 pmbingo.
December 5th, 2005 at 2:01 pmat least those that focus on death and setbacks
and OIL!
December 5th, 2005 at 2:02 pmcannot forget about the OIL!
December 5th, 2005 at 2:02 pmSuccess would best be expressed with a graph showing a “New Deomcracies” baseline paired with a “Number of Terrorists” baseline.
December 5th, 2005 at 2:03 pm#18 two years after we entered WWII, several countries were already liberated and their citizens were not still attacking us!
And WWII was over in Europe when Hitler was killed. We captured Saddam, and…? Mission Accomplished?
December 5th, 2005 at 2:03 pm“To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public”
I don’t believe anyone’s said that … the president actually said, “you can disagree with my conclusions (the need for war), but don’t question my motives (ie. Oil, etc.)” (paraphrase). He’s saying disagree with my methods, but don’t degrade/question who I am (the only people who could fairly do this are those whom have actually had contact with him anyway) … he did say to support the troops.
December 5th, 2005 at 2:03 pmand OIL baseline. do not forget about the OIL!
December 5th, 2005 at 2:04 pmHitler supposedly committed suicide, noone knows for sure.
December 5th, 2005 at 2:07 pmonce the ldr of the pack is dead. what are the followers supposed to do?
Saddams still alive, reason to keep fighting.
When he says “my way or the highway” he pretty much somes up any ambiguity. Same goes for “complete and total” riff-raff. We know what he means.
December 5th, 2005 at 2:08 pmnow if Bush and Cheney Suddenly Dies, say, oh, in an Airplane, or Vehicle accident or something,
December 5th, 2005 at 2:08 pmWhat would happen to America?
Sums up, even.
December 5th, 2005 at 2:08 pmso you think once Saddam is executed Iraqis will stop attacking our troops? Interesting theory there, based on some abstract notion I suppose?
December 5th, 2005 at 2:08 pmeither you are for US or Against US, irregardless, We will still Go to WAR!
December 5th, 2005 at 2:10 pmRumsfeld also said recently that “it’s time” to let the Iraqis run their own country:
“Our problem is that any time something needs to be done, we have a feeling we should rush in and fill the vacuum and do it ourselves. You know what happens when you do that? First of all, you can’t do it, because it’s not our country, it’s their country. And the second thing that happens is they don’t develop the skills and the ability and the equipment and the orientation and the habit patterns of doing it for themselves. They have to do it for themselves. There isn’t an Iraqi that comes into this country and visits with me that doesn’t say that. They know that. They know that they’re the ones that are going to have to grab that country. And it’s time.”
http://www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/2005/tr20051129-secdef4361.html
December 5th, 2005 at 2:10 pm“two years after we entered WWII, several countries were already liberated and their citizens were not still attacking us”
That’s partially true … but there were still many deaths and many setbacks to the Germans/Japanese. I’d love to know how many “citizens” of Iraq are attacking us, and how much of it is zealot inflow from neighboring regions.
December 5th, 2005 at 2:11 pmI support the troops!
December 5th, 2005 at 2:11 pmirregardless aint a word. Sorry.
December 5th, 2005 at 2:11 pmRegardless of what you have heard, “irregardless†is a redundancy. The suffix “-less†on the end of the word already makes the word negative. It doesn’t need the negative prefix “ir-†added to make it even more negative.
December 5th, 2005 at 2:15 pm#25, er Zell Miller did on national TV ….
December 5th, 2005 at 2:16 pmgotcha
December 5th, 2005 at 2:16 pmbut don’t question my motives (ie. Oil, etc.)â€
December 5th, 2005 at 2:19 pmTreason not to Question.
but don’t question my motives (ie. Oil, etc.)â€
December 5th, 2005 at 2:20 pmJust like a Thief.
the Thief actually said, “you can disagree with my conclusions (the need for war), but don’t question my motives (ie. Oil, etc.)†(paraphrase).
December 5th, 2005 at 2:22 pmThou Shalt NOT Steal.
most thieves wind up behind bars.
Giacomo, AKA GeoMetro,
You’re so slow. I guess you missed the admission this week by the US Army that the insurgents are MOSTLY iraqis…
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/12/04/wirq04.xml&sSheet=/portal/2005/12/04/ixportal.html
No surprise, that’s what happens when you only get your news from rigthwingnews.com and the rest of the propaganda smear and lie outlets.
Ignorance is bliss, and republicans consistently exhibit reckless blissfulness.
December 5th, 2005 at 2:26 pm“As an example, he said allegations from two former Iraqi detainees that they were thrust into a cage of lions in Baghdad and quickly pulled out as an interrogation technique have yet to be substantiated.”
HA hahahahaaaaa….ho ho ho….that is some funny stuff! Now we are throwing them to the lions! That’s great! I wish it were true.
December 5th, 2005 at 2:27 pm“If someone throws a grenade at a soldier and he runs into a crowd, noone in that crowd is going to help us find that person.”
-Murtha
December 5th, 2005 at 2:30 pmwould you question the motives of someone stealing from the church offerings?
December 5th, 2005 at 2:32 pmyes , you would.
#45, that used to happen in the streets of N.Y. S.D , Chicago, etc… on a daily basis, didn,t it?
December 5th, 2005 at 2:35 pmMofia, Gangsters etc…
I heard crime is again on the rise in america, is it true?
Iraqis, rather than foreign fighters, now form the vast majority of the insurgents who are waging a ferocious guerrilla war against United States forces in Sunni western Iraq, American commanders have revealed.
December 5th, 2005 at 2:37 pmI-WRONG-I, Giacomo
December 5th, 2005 at 2:40 pmAre either of you presently employed by the US government or this administration? I’m gonna bet you are and also I bet you refuse to answer this question.
I work at the DMV.
December 5th, 2005 at 2:47 pmSo do I.
December 5th, 2005 at 2:47 pmNice try. I work at McDonald’s.
December 5th, 2005 at 2:48 pmIf we are to believe everything that the democrats have been saying about Bush’s lying and all, then the next logical step for the democratic party is to call for the reinstatement of Saddam. If we went to war under false pretenses and Saddam is innocent then he should get his country back. We should remodel his many presidential palaces to show how sorry we were for ever attacking his country. Saddam’s trial should be called off immediately and we should have a parade in Saddam’s honor since he is totally innocent of all wrong doing. Will this happen?
December 5th, 2005 at 3:03 pmRandy, can you find us someone who argues that Saddam is innocent? Just wondering…
December 5th, 2005 at 3:04 pmSo Rummy says don’t pay attention to the American death toll. It’s very easy for him to say that because he never cared about our troops. He can’t even provide the body and humvee armor they badly need. Instead he says, “You have to go with the army you have, not the army you want.” The whole Bush/Cheney/Rummy cabal never gave a rats ass about the troops. They are just pawns to fulfill their neocon dreams.
December 5th, 2005 at 3:04 pmOh and innocent of what, exactly?
December 5th, 2005 at 3:05 pmI think Randy uses the same hand lotion as Lyle.
December 5th, 2005 at 3:06 pmI-WRONG-I, Giacomo
Are either of you presently employed by the US government or this administration? I’m gonna bet you are and also I bet you refuse to answer this question.
Comment by kharma — December 5, 2005 @ 2:40 pm
I work at the DMV.
Comment by I-Right-I — December 5, 2005 @ 2:47 pm
So do I.
Comment by Giacomo — December 5, 2005 @ 2:47 pm
Nice try. I work at McDonald’s.
Comment by I-RIGHT-I — December 5, 2005 @ 2:48 pm
Still did not answer my question.
December 5th, 2005 at 3:10 pmThe left in this country think Saddam is innocent. Are you blind, deaf or just stupid? They would love to see Saddam go free because they think it would be another black eye for Bush. If you think that Saddam is not innocent, then Bush was rightly justifed in invading.
December 5th, 2005 at 3:11 pmThe left in this country think Saddam is innocent.
Comment by Randy — December 5, 2005 @ 3:11 pm
This is a text book example of a strawman argument.
If you mean innocent of barbaric practices against ordinay Iraqis, then the answer is no -he is not innocent. I don’t know anyone who argues this.
Are you blind, deaf or just stupid? They would love to see Saddam go free because they think it would be another black eye for Bush.
Comment by Randy — December 5, 2005 @ 3:11 pm
Yet another strawman argument.
Again, I don’t know anyone who argues Saddam should not be tried for his crimes.
If you think that Saddam is not innocent, then Bush was rightly justifed in invading.
Comment by Randy — December 5, 2005 @ 3:11 pm
This is a text book example of a false dilemma: Saddam was a dictator, and I am happy his trial in underway. But Bush was not justified in invading Iraq since he had to mislead and misrepresent the facts.
December 5th, 2005 at 3:17 pm#59, Randy, apart from you, who (in a significant policy-making position in this country) thinks that lots of people think Saddam is completely innocent of everything? You seem to have no facts… Innocent of what? You find me a quote to support your argument, eh? And cut out the insults, they just draw attention to your lack of substance.
December 5th, 2005 at 3:28 pmwar or innocence, c’mon man, are you 9 years old…there is a little grey area there
December 5th, 2005 at 3:29 pmWhen the democrats actually provide the proof that Bush manipulated the evidence in his effort to go to war, then I will provide your request. What else can I conclude given what the democrats have been doing to politicize the war. Saddam will walk free thanks to comments made by democratic leaders. He will return to power and overtake other middle eastern countries and we will be paying $5 for a gallon of gas. Thank you all very much.
December 5th, 2005 at 3:35 pm“If we are to believe everything that the democrats have been saying about Bush’s lying and all, then the next logical step for the democratic party is to call for the reinstatement of Saddam.” RandyRidiculous
Actually this is exactly the sort of retarded policy I WOULD expect out of republicans. Heck, the CIA put saddam there in the firstplace because he was a rightwing fascist who killed commies. Why should republicans flip flopping back to saddam as you’ve suggested be a surprise.
You heard it everyone, Randy prefers saddam over bush :()
December 5th, 2005 at 3:37 pm“When the democrats actually provide the proof that Bush manipulated the evidence in his effort to go to war, then I will provide your request.” Randy
When republicans stop stalling this investigation, I’ll believe you and your fellow crooks and terrorists have nothing to hide :()
December 5th, 2005 at 3:37 pmLet me disect the wild and ’short bus’ comments of Randy…
“What else can I conclude given what the democrats have been doing to politicize the war.”
Bahaha, very funny… Last time I checked, it was republicans who made this a ‘political’ as opposed to a bi-partisan affair. Heck, you and your fellow cronies were attacking democrats even as they were voting for your ridiculous and trumped up fabricated evidence! You’re such a liar, and a retarded fool…
” Saddam will walk free thanks to comments made by democratic leaders. ”
So you believe that the case for saddam doesn’t exist? Are you saying that if democrats will speak out, and we’ll discover saddam was ‘innocent’? Is that actually what you believe? Because if so, how do you justify holding an innocent man? If you do believe he’s ‘guilty’, then do you believe that republicans are so weak, inept and incompetent that they can’t convict him? Because that’s surely what you imply – and frankly I’m inclined to believe it.
“He will return to power and overtake other middle eastern countries and we will be paying $5 for a gallon of gas. Thank you all very much.”
Really? So that’s your goal? To have saddam to return to power? Wow, you’re an extra retarded republican aren’t you? Do you practice wishcraft, or is magical thinking something you do unconsciously? This is ridiculous, retarded, and insanely boring to listen to Randy. Did you even graduate primary school yet?
December 5th, 2005 at 3:43 pmWhen the democrats actually provide the proof that Bush manipulated the evidence in his effort to go to war, then I will provide your request.
Comment by Randy — December 5, 2005 @ 3:35 pm
This is an intellectually dishonest statement.
If you are responding to Terry, then I have to say Terry’s request was perfectly reasonable.
Your providing evidence that support your claim cannot be contingent on Terry supplying anything.
What else can I conclude given what the democrats have been doing to politicize the war. Saddam will walk free thanks to comments made by democratic leaders.
The war was politicised from the onset by a President who said “if you are not with us, yuo are against us”. Also, I must say I do not see the connection between Hussein walking free and the Democrats’ comments. Please elaborate.
He will return to power and overtake other middle eastern countries and we will be paying $5 for a gallon of gas. Thank you all very much.
“Overtake other Middle Eastern countries”? How do you know this? Are you a clairvoyant?
And are you saying this war is about oil?
December 5th, 2005 at 3:47 pmRyan,
You and your devoted followers are falling right into the trap. I explained to you a long time ago how to defeat me, you are just not smart enough to figure it out.
December 5th, 2005 at 3:48 pmRandy, seems you don’t want to post any facts. I guess you have no argument. Why should anyone pay attention to you again?
December 5th, 2005 at 3:49 pmEveryone look out, it seems Randy is trapped in some D&D fantasy and we are all his pawns…I can see him sitting at home right now telling his mom to leave him alone and that he doesn’t wanna do his homework until he is done talking to his friends
December 5th, 2005 at 3:50 pmI explained to you a long time ago how to defeat me, you are just not smart enough to figure it out.
Comment by Randy — December 5, 2005 @ 3:48 pm
Quit flattering yourself -you do not need to be “defeated” only debunked.
Now provide evidence to support yuor claims.
December 5th, 2005 at 3:53 pm#63
If you cannot backup your claims,then you are just talking BS Randy. But most of us here know that is what most of your claims are….. pure BS
December 5th, 2005 at 3:54 pm“You and your devoted followers are falling right into the trap. I explained to you a long time ago how to defeat me, you are just not smart enough to figure it out.
Comment by Randy”
You’re psychotic and paranoid, you would never tell someone how to defeat you on purpose. But since you’re also ‘retarded’, you inadvertantly show it constantly :()
December 5th, 2005 at 4:11 pmGregor,
Randy practices ‘wishcraft’, like most of the republican fools :()
December 5th, 2005 at 4:12 pmHere you go, Randy, I googled ‘Saddam Innocent’ and I found one Jude Wanninski but he uses the same argument you did, that if someone tells you one lie then they always tell you lies.
Then there’s Dr. Malik Duhan Al-Hasan, but since he is the Iraqi Justice Minister talking about one specific chemical weapons incident, I don’t know what to make of it.
So there you go, Google found me one person who thinks Saddam might be innocent of at least several of the many crimes he is alleged. Jude Wanninski may be a Democrat, we might have to ask him.
December 5th, 2005 at 4:13 pmMaybe I should have Googled ‘I feel lucky’ – sorry, I’m not being complete with my facts.
December 5th, 2005 at 4:13 pmRumsfeld should be examined — he exhibits signs of senility and irrationality. He is not in touch with reality.
December 5th, 2005 at 4:52 pmI know where Rummy’s sanity is: it in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and east, west, south and north somewhat
December 5th, 2005 at 5:00 pmI know where Rummy’s sanity is: it in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and east, west, south and north somewhat
Comment by TerrytheTurtle — December 5, 2005 @ 5:00 pm
This is funny stuff! :-))
December 5th, 2005 at 5:24 pmRule # 4: don’t pay attention to common, garden variety sense.
December 5th, 2005 at 5:33 pmSo is this the new measurement for success in Iraq? If we’re NOT throwing detainees to the lions, then we’re doing ok? Jeebus, he is insane… Oh, and comment #78 is the funniest thing I’ve read in a while. You nailed it Turtle.
December 5th, 2005 at 5:51 pmRandy, the Inspector General’s reports will show you how some things in Iraq are going well and some poorly . What is interesting about it, though is what it says about the pre-war planning to run the country. The October 2005 report,they’re issued to Congress quarterly, is 113 pages. I’ll summarize the pre-war planning part for you. There wasn’t any.
December 5th, 2005 at 6:07 pmIf that report doesn’t help, check out the State Department or the DoD both of which submit weekly, monthly and quarterly reports.
Rumsfeld should have been fired years ago, not for his policy failures but for the mere fact that he is an administrative incompetent.
(SAN ANTONIO) — Saying the “idea that we’re going to win the war in Iraq is an idea which is just plain wrong,” Democratic National Chairman Howard Dean predicted today that the Democratic Party will come together on a proposal to withdraw National Guard and Reserve troops immediately, and all US forces within two years.
Dean made his comments in an interview on WOAI Radio in San Antonio.
“I’ve seen this before in my life. This is the same situation we had in Vietnam.
Yep, it’s a lot like Vietnam except that the useful idiots/Enemy Within were not the leaders of the Democratic Party. Now they are. One hopefully two differences though. In Vietnam we didn’t win, the Filthy Left won that one. We will this time. And two; we didn’t hang the traitors like Fonda and Kerry. Hopefully this time we will.
December 5th, 2005 at 6:29 pmThe old right-wing canard about having to pick up a Baghdad paper to read something positive about the war has proved as bogus and contrived as the reasons for invading Iraq in the first place.
Suspicious over reports of actual progress in Iraq, the Los Angeles Times launched an investigation and was shocked to discover that the Pentagon had been paying the Iraqi media to publish articles that “while factually correct, presented a positive view of the conditions in Iraqâ€. As they descended further down the rabbit hole, the Times learned that many of the planted reports were penned by U.S. troops stationed in Iraq, most of whom don’t even have journalism degrees and therefore cannot accurately describe the pointless futility of an illegal and immoral war for oil. According to the Times, the stories would often “praise the efforts of U.S. and Iraqi troops, denounce terrorism and promote the country’s reconstruction effortsâ€, a total contradiction what the Los Angeles Times has been printing for over two years.
I guess this will put to rest the radical right’s constant attacks on the integrity of the mainstream press. Say what you will about the New York Times, but you certainly couldn’t pay the Old Gray Lady to write anything positive about the troops.
http://blamebush.typepad.com/
December 5th, 2005 at 6:45 pm“Yep, it’s a lot like Vietnam except that the useful idiots/Enemy Within were not the leaders of the Democratic Party. Now they are. One hopefully two differences though. In Vietnam we didn’t win, the Filthy Left won that one. We will this time. And two; we didn’t hang the traitors like Fonda and Kerry. Hopefully this time we will.”
And trolling here also?
December 5th, 2005 at 7:27 pmWORFEUS has an idea.
Suppose if we had “Rummy” set up house in the Bagdhad Hilton until the war was over. I mean it. Send Rummy, Condie and Karl on over, and say to them, “don’t come back until the wars over”.
I mean if it’s going soooo well, then why not?
How much does anyone want to bet that the war would be over in a week?
I bet those three would suddenly be full of new ideas on how to do it. I can hear it now.
“Hey Condie, pass me that Murtha thing again, will ya?”.
December 5th, 2005 at 7:29 pmin other words what rummy cheney and el-busho is saying is “stand aside while we plunder america on the pretext of irag-got it…I-RAG. Advise to rummy, take the rag and wipe the cr.p outa your mouth.
December 5th, 2005 at 8:00 pmWell, we could scream. But it won’t help. The man is deluding himself. His actions will catch up with him.
If Democrats screwed up like he is, can you imagine how he would judge them?
December 5th, 2005 at 11:05 pmClassic Bushco logic.
Terrorist are free to operate because we gave them freedom.
Our needlessly killed aren’t even enough to register.
Isn’t it all really the leberal medias fault!
December 5th, 2005 at 11:23 pm[...] Think Progress – Rumfeld’s Rules: How To Assess Progress In Iraq [...]
December 6th, 2005 at 12:05 amRummy used to like to scare us with doomsday scenarios of mushroom clouds over DC, courtesy of Saddam.
Of course that was just a fairy tale. But here, let me see if I can scare Rummy.
Lets talk bin laden.
Actually I strongly suspect ain’t bin laden in a while is in the disputed region, between India and Pakistan, known as Kashmir.
If you recall back in early 2002, bin laden was suspected of having frostbite on his hands. It was believed he got this by climbing up above the snow line.
When you look at the globe it’s clear that this would be a prime location for him to hold up. Thick dense jungle makes for poor quality satellite photos, constant fighting in the region makes it difficult to enter (US military is not permitted in without escort and jumping through a lot of hoops) and dangerous to send small forces.
Al Qaeda is purported to flourish in this region, and loyal supporters of bin laden comprise a large percentage of the Pakistani population.
Now consider this doomsday scenario.
Suppose bin laden and his army, move out from the Kashmir region and into Pakistan. There they rally loyal followers of bin laden, (purported to be over half the population)and overthrow the Pakistani army (or simply convince them to join them), and Musharraf and seize the Pakistani nuclear arsenal.
Then we would have a ball game.
As I am sure you are aware, these missiles don’t just threaten India, they threaten Israel.
In fact, this was a common concern back in early 2003, and was discussed openly.
“The CIA is clearly concerned about the very real possibility that an Islamic general could take over one day -and acquire control of the arsenalâ€. – The Independent – April 10, 2003
But somehow that concern has been overshadowed, by this administrations insistence on protecting us from a country that had no nuclear arsenal, presented no real threat to anyone, and was “contained†by international law and weapons inspections, not to mention the “no-fly†zones.
I guess President Bush should have just “stayed the courseâ€.
But now we ignore real threats, countries that really threaten the US, with Nukes and massive armies, and we don’t even bother looking for bin laden, because Bush is not concerned with capturing bin laden.
He’s too busy talking tough, and looking tough, and acting tough, to actually “be†tough.
An interesting note. Guess where Pakistan got their nuclear arsenal?
That’s right, North Korea.
December 6th, 2005 at 12:25 amAll I want for Christmas is to see Impeachment Proceedings Started!
December 6th, 2005 at 12:42 pm“To be responsible, one needs to stop defining success in Iraq as the absence of terrorist attacks,â€
Wait a minute… didn’t this administration tell us we must go to Iraq because of the “terrorist-threat” that Iraq posed to the U.S.? (e.g. Since 911, … rhetoric.) Now we are just to stop defining sucess because of the increasing frequency of these attacks over the past year?
So now, even the biggest tertirary reason for being in Iraq, as well as this allegedstrength of this Admin (or republicans in general) we are just to disregared and still believe that they can fight an effective war on terror?
What’s the Orwellian principle here? Yes, that’s right :
December 6th, 2005 at 12:47 pmdouble-think.
Okay folks! So we can’t seem to find the yellow cake, are we still expecting to eat it?
We all know the whole admin is full of it. Yet, we seem to continue to expect some kinds of “good” from a very evil source. Comment by #93 is so right on!
December 10th, 2005 at 8:02 pmBREAKING NEWS:
ABC/ TIME MAG NEW POLL
7 in 10 Iraqis say their own lives are going well, and nearly two-thirds expect things to improve in the year ahead.
You lost little liberal cowards are on the wrong side of history!
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