Gates Contradicts Bush, Cheney On Timelines
Gates Contradicts Bush, Cheney On Timelines
Via Kevin Drum, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said yesterday that Congress’ debate over a withdrawal timeline is having a positive impact:
Gates, on a Middle East tour, called for a range of efforts from inside and outside Iraq to speed up the formation of a broad-based government of Iraq’s majority Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish factions.
….”The debate in Congress…has been helpful in demonstrating to the Iraqis that American patience is limited,” Gates told Pentagon reporters traveling with him in Jordan. “The strong feelings expressed in the Congress about the timetable probably has had a positive impact…in terms of communicating to the Iraqis that this is not an open-ended commitment.”
Gate’s argument contradicts President Bush’s claim that timelines “send the wrong message to the Iraqis,” and prove al Qaeda’s accusations that America is “weak,” “corrupt,” and “can’t stand it.”
Artificial timetable for withdrawal send the wrong message to the Iraqis, they’re seeing it’s not worth it. There’s a lot of Iraqis over there determined — trying to make up their mind whether they want to be a part of democracy, or whether or not they’re going to take to the hills and see what happens. Artificial timetable for withdrawal, an early withdrawal before this finishes sends the message to the enemy, we were right about America. That’s what they said. Al Qaeda has said it’s just a matter of time before America withdraws. They’re weak, they’re corrupt, they can’t stand it, and they’ll withdraw. And all that would do is confirm what the enemy thinks.
Likewise, Vice President Cheney said last week:
It is impossible to argue that an unconditional timetable for retreat could serve the security interests of the United States or our friends in the region. Instead, it sends a message to our enemies that the calendar is their friend, that all they have to do is wait us out — wait for the date certain, and then claim victory the day after.
Such hypocrisy isn’t confined to the Bush administration. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), who regularly maligns timelines as a “date certain for surrender,” admitted he used those very calls for redeployment to “motivate the Maliki government” during a dinner last month with Prime Minister Maliki.
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Why does our own Secretary of Defense hate our freedom?
April 18th, 2007 at 10:07 amEver occurred to anyone that we keep commenting on their lies, hypocracy….etc. day after day after day and there is no huge tipping point? What is wrong with this country? I’m tired of readiing posts like this. It’s almost as if people just report this stuff and accept for a few outraged or witty comments like “what do you expect?” we all let them all get away with it. Bush has all but ruined our country. Does that register with people on a level that is real? Do people realize that BushCo has systematically attempted to destroy our social service infrastructure our of greed and delusion? I do not get it–why we are not all up in arms. .
April 18th, 2007 at 10:08 amCongress’ debate over an Iraq timeline is helping to pressure the Iraqi government
the first time i heard this idea was when al franken brought it up on his show… he would talk to many of his guests about it and they would say, ‘that is an interesting idea, yes, bush should take advantage of that’…
… heh… you go, al…
April 18th, 2007 at 10:10 amWhy does Gates hate our freedom, hate America, hate our troops, coddle Osama bin Laden, give comfort to our enemies, and embolden the terrorists?
April 18th, 2007 at 10:16 amGate’s argument contradicts President Bush’s claim that timelines “send the wrong message to the Iraqis,†and prove al Qaeda’s accusations that America is “weak,†“corrupt,†and “can’t stand it.â€
Well it’s debatable whether one set of comments contradicts the other since they aren’t speaking to the same thing.
Wouldn’t it be more useful though to point out how Bush is wrong instead of pussying about with contradictions?
Superpower. Committed troops to the point of breaking the military. Bunch of mujahadeen, nationalists with basic military training, small amount of terrorists, basic arms. Retreat after 4 years.
April 18th, 2007 at 10:17 amExplanation of how accusations that America is “weak,†“corrupt,†and “can’t stand it” are wrong. Go.
The right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing.
I love watching the current admins. implosion right before my very eyes.
Sounds similar to bldg. #7.
April 18th, 2007 at 10:19 amThis is just game playing by Gates a Bush Regime stooge!
April 18th, 2007 at 10:20 amYes s, it does seem like there’s a whole industry that makes their living off of commenting on their lies, corruption, illegal actions, etc.
April 18th, 2007 at 10:23 amThen the next day . . . more of the same.
I mean, we sure wouldn’t want to throw them out on their ears . . . where would our next . . . easy story with no overhead cost come from ?
They might actually have to spend time, money and effort when it comes to actual reporting.
It’s really quite a bit like any other crap in the news that just keeps getting milked.
For them . . . another day . . . another dollar.
Memo to Cheney:
April 18th, 2007 at 10:23 amOur “enemies” aren’t waiting for shit!!! They are bombing hell out of people right now. And their victory is the result of your epic incompetence so STFU!!
Comment by Kilo — April 18, 2007 @ 10:17 am
You make a good point. We won the war long ago, but you cannot win an occupation. What little there was of an Iraqi military was defeated quickly. Their government was overthrown and a new one put in its place. In my opinion, that is when we should have left. Instead, this superpower has left its troops in theater trying to do a job that is political, not military, in nature. Yes, committing troops to this point, with no defined mission, goals, objectives, or enemy is pushing our military to the breaking point. America is not weak, but you cannot acheive “victory” if you cannot define victory.
April 18th, 2007 at 10:26 amCheney says:
It is impossible to argue that an unconditional timetable for retreat could serve the security interests of the United States or our friends in the region.
This is what I hate and this is taken for granted for the general population of US, WTF the Middle East has to do with US interests? I mean, what if Uruguay says that it has its interests in Indiana or New York? Imagine Uruguay has some friends in the region, lets say Canadians, and therefore they invade Indianapolis and NY to free them from the evil grip of whatever I want invent. That would be fair according to US foreign policy, except that, well, Uruguay doesnt so many jet carriers.
Our friends? Who can believe seriously this kind of kindergarten lingo?
April 18th, 2007 at 10:31 amBush and Cheney and Gates can talk all they want but it means nothing to the Iraqi people who today suffer horrendous loss of life and injury while we go on with our lives.
While what happened at VT is terrible it is what the Iraqi people live with EVERY DAY. They have a population where every citizen is suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome and will for the rest of their lives.
So while Bush, Cheney and Gates play their game of semantics which is no doubt aimed at them demanding more troops and more money we the people need to demand that congress stop pussy footing and take some action NOW. Obviously WE are the problem in Iraq and as such WE can’t solve the problem.
April 18th, 2007 at 10:33 amGates better look out. He may have to soon retire because he wants to spend more time with his family.
He wants us to talk to help pressure the Iraq government, but not really do anything about it. Iraq is not going to stand up and defend it’s country as long as they have US soldiers to hide behind. Why hasn’t Mr. Bush given us a report on how the Iraq government has met the benchmarks he set for them? Why? Because they haven’t and they won’t.
We are going to be in Iraq until the day that our puppet Iraqi parliament signs the law giving 70% of Iraq’s oil revenues for 30 years to US and British oil companies. That’s why we are there and we won’t leave until this is accomplished. Remember, Andrea Mitchell said she was told that there are a lot of Republic legislators who will agree to a time line for withdrawal in August, which is when they expect the bill will be signed. These Republics have no conscience. They are willing to allow our children to die to steal a natural resource from a country that never harmed us in any way. May god have mercy on their souls.
April 18th, 2007 at 10:37 amWhy hasn’t Mr. Bush given us a report on how the Iraq government has met the benchmarks he set for them?
Comment by Kate Henry — April 18, 2007 @ 10:37 am
Why won’t congress and the MSM hammer that point home to the American population?
April 18th, 2007 at 10:43 amKate Henry > you are correct that Bush invaded and occupied Iraq to control its OIL reserves. Many in the Congress are accomplices in this, because even Sen. Hillary Clinton has admitted she would keep troops in Iraq as president to secure the OIL. US government has committed a horrible crime for OIL in Iraq.
April 18th, 2007 at 10:48 amFlashback to the Clinton Presidency and Kosovo…
“If we are going to commit American troops, we must be certain they have a clear mission, an achievable goal and an exit strategy.â€
-Karen Hughes, speaking on behalf of presidential candidate George W. Bush
“No goal, no objective, not until we have those things and a compelling case is made, then I say, back out of it, because innocent people are going to die for nothing. That’s why I’m against it.â€
-Sean Hannity, Fox News, 4/5/99
“I had doubts about the bombing campaign from the beginning…I didn’t think we had done enough in the diplomatic area.â€
-Senator Trent Lott (R-MS)
“You think Vietnam was bad? Vietnam is nothing next to Kosovo.â€
-Tony Snow, Fox News 3/24/99
“Well, I just think it’s a bad idea. What’s going to happen is they’re going to be over there for 10, 15, maybe 20 yearsâ€
-Joe Scarborough (R-FL)
“I’m on the Senate Intelligence Committee, so you can trust me and believe me when I say we’re running out of cruise missles. I can’t tell you exactly how many we have left, for security reasons, but we’re almost out of cruise missles.â€
-Senator Inhofe (R-OK )
“I cannot support a failed foreign policy. History teaches us that it is often easier to make war than peace. This administration is just learning that lesson right now. The President began this mission with very vague objectives and lots of unanswered questions. A month later, these questions are still unanswered. There are no clarifiedrules of engagement. There is no timetable. There is no legitimate definition of victory. There is no contingency plan for mission creep. There is no clear funding program. There is no agenda to bolster our overextended military. There is no explanation defining what vital national interests are at stake. There was no strategic plan for war when the President started this thing, and there still is no plan todayâ€
-Representative Tom Delay (R-TX)
“Explain to the mothers and fathers of American servicemen that may come home in body bags why their son or daughter have to give up their life?â€
-Sean Hannity, Fox News, 4/6/99
Victory means exit strategy, and it’s important for the President to explain to us what the exit strategy is.â€
April 18th, 2007 at 10:55 am-Governor George W. Bush (R-TX)

“You can support the troops but not the presidentâ€
-Representative Tom Delay (R-TX)

“This has been an unmitigated disaster … Ask the Chinese embassy. Ask all the people in Belgrade that we’ve killed. Ask the refugees that we’ve killed. Ask the people in nursing homes. Ask the people in hospitals.â€
-Representative Joe Scarborough (R-FL)
Heard this on the radio (satellite, not open air) so went a found the story by using “the google”. Looks like the US withdrawal date should be Jan 1, 2008 accordingly to the freely elected Iraqi government or will the US take exception to that and stay anyway.
PM says Iraq plans to control whole nation by end 2007
AMARA, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraq plans to take security control of all its provinces from foreign forces before the end of the year, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said in a speech read out by a senior official on Wednesday.
Maliki is under growing pressure from powerful anti-American Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr to set a timetable for the withdrawal of 146,000 U.S. troops from Iraq.
In a speech delivered on his behalf by National Security Adviser Mowaffaq al-Rubaie at a ceremony marking the handover of southern Maysan province from British forces to Iraqi control, Maliki said three provinces in the autonomous Kurdistan region would follow next.
“Maysan … will be followed by the three Kurdistan provinces, a month from now,” Maliki said.
“After that Kerbala and Wasit (provinces). Then it will be province by province until we achieve (this transfer) before the end of the year.”
The transfer of Maysan means four of the country’s 18 provinces are now under Iraq’s security control.
Sadr withdrew six ministers from his political movement from Maliki’s government on Monday to press his demand for a timetable for the pullout of American troops.
Maliki has repeatedly said U.S. troops would leave Iraq only when Iraqi forces were ready to take over security.
Reuters (IDS)
April 18th, 2007 at 11:29 amNo. 16 Comment by Larry from C — April 18, 2007 @ 10:55 am
Thanks for the work, time and effort it took to amass these quotes! A tip of my hat to ya!
It speaks volumes to the utter hypocracy of these people.
That there are still some 30% of the American public still believing these horses asses, leads me to think I should be selling kool-aid. I could make a killi..er lot of money. Millions watch Faux in awe and admiration! Can’t you just hear the register ringing?
April 18th, 2007 at 12:04 pmNo. 17 Comment by UpstateJoe — April 18, 2007 @ 11:29 am
Well, that should let Bush off the hook nicely. Now he can declare a “real” war with the “new Iraq” and “surge” to a new “mission accomplished” a few months later. Then we can begin to fight the “insurgents” in a new “war on terra,” to keep the terrarists from coming over here.
April 18th, 2007 at 12:15 pmI love quotes like this. It’s like walking into a restaurant, throwing every dish on the floor, shattering them all, spilling all the condiments, spilling everything in the kitchen, making a huge mess, beating up all the servers and cooks, and then yelling out “MY PATIENCE WITH YOU IS LIMITED! WHEN DO I GET SERVED?!”
April 18th, 2007 at 12:17 pmGates quotes you won’t see on the front page of TP….
Gates: Iraq failure would hit Mideast
28 minutes ago
CAIRO, Egypt - Failure in Iraq would unleash sectarian strife and extremism and would be felt first in the Middle East, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Wednesday.
That scenario does indeed show them a withdrawal will have serious consequences.
April 18th, 2007 at 12:28 pmBut the real news is of course that the ever so hard to fault President was found to be contradicted by a different aspect of this scenario. Point scored. Bravo.
From the article:
“Defense Secretary Robert Gates said yesterday that Congress’ debate over a withdrawal timeline is having a positive impact”
The utter arrogance of this remark is mind boggling. Again twisting reality to suit his position and disasterous agenda. The real point is to get out of Iraq, not put pressure on the Iraquis to do what we want. Talking about playing politics!
April 18th, 2007 at 12:34 pmFrom the article:
“Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), who regularly maligns timelines as a “date certain for surrender,†admitted he used those very calls for redeployment to “motivate the Maliki governmentâ€
The “master manipulator” in action. Totally unfit for the presidency! Wonderful that he is self destructing.
April 18th, 2007 at 12:43 pmFrom the article:
Quote from Cheney:
“Instead, it sends a message to our enemies that the calendar is their friend, that all they have to do is wait us out…”
Now what is wrong with that. Maybe they will stop fighting because they have “won?” Why should they waste their time?
Ah! now for the BushCo problem in a nutshell
April 18th, 2007 at 12:53 pm“— wait for the date certain, and then claim victory the day after.”
Oh my God! They will “win” and that means I, (BushCo,) will lose! My manhood will go down the drain and my legacy as the greatest ruler in American history will go down with it. No, no! Stay the course, we must win at all costs, (as long as I don’t pay any price.)
Obvious that the head of the CIA cannot be a stupid helpless idiot, unlike the Commander in Chief.For that position any brainless american patriot-idiot is well suited.
Wonder why the russian president Putin was former KGB chief? Vital ingredient….intelligence…..
April 18th, 2007 at 12:54 pmhey … al Qaeda is right on this, thats no accusation, thats a fact :-)
April 18th, 2007 at 9:27 pmEither that or he had everyone else at the job interview killed. If he wasn’t doing that back then he’s certainly taken to the idea lately.
April 18th, 2007 at 9:28 pmFirst of all, define “victory” in Iraq.
If all we wanted to do was get rid of Saddam Hussein, well, we won, let’s go home, mission accomplished. For all of the right wing blather about surrender dates, do you want to just flat lose or withdraw with what little self-respect remains? Yes, we either continue to _LOSE_ or we leave and let the Iraqis sort themselves out. We sat and watched the genocide in Darfur, what’s a few hundred-thousand Iraqis matter anyway…?
The violence in Iraq has nothing to do with the USA save for the fact that we unleashed a gob of ancient hatred that would have had to play itself out anyway. The fact that Saddam used murderous suppression to keep his state in line, well, how is what the Coalition Forces are doing any better? Is our body count superior? Do we measure success by how many Iraqi women and children are blown to bits by their neighbors down the road? Or by how filthy rich your oil-monger war-profiteering buddies get?
America has a choice, to lose or withdraw.
Lose or withdraw.
Perhaps you should have thought this one through a bit, Mr. President, before you sent thousands of Americans to die in vain.
April 18th, 2007 at 10:16 pmIt seems that the Iraqi parliment has learned something from our government.
When faced with important issues….take a two month’s vacation.
Of course, the sub-govenment will carry on.
May 3rd, 2007 at 2:39 pm