FLASHBACK: One Year Ago, Bush Said He Would ‘Rely Upon Gen. Casey’s’ Advice On Troop Levels
FLASHBACK: One Year Ago, Bush Said He Would ‘Rely Upon Gen. Casey’s’ Advice On Troop Levels
One year ago, President Bush was unsure of the next move to make in the Iraq war. In a Rose Garden briefing, Bush expressed that he was very open to outside advice but that his final decision would ultimately rest on the advice given to him by then-Multinational Force commander Gen. George Casey:
BUSH: Well, I think — I’ve gotten a lot of advice from people. You know, one of the interesting debates from the outside community is troop levels. I’ve got people who say, you need to increase the number of forces — now. I’ve gotten people that said, well, the role of the United States ought to be more indirect than it has been, in other words, in a supporting role. To those folks, I say, look, I’m going to rely upon General Casey.
But Casey was always an outspoken opponent of the escalation. As early as December 2005, Casey publicly warned against an increased U.S. presence in Iraq:
As I’ve said before this is not a conventional war, and in this type of war that we’re fighting, more is not necessarily better. In fact, in Iraq, less coalition at this point in time, is better. Less is better because it doesn’t feed the notion of occupation, it doesn’t work the culture of dependency.
Again, in January 2007, Casey insisted that an escalation of troops was not necessary and could be “counterproductive.” But Bush quickly canned Casey, claiming that Casey “had become more fixated on withdrawal than victory.” In fact, Casey’s sentiments were echoed by all members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and bipartisan members of Congress, all recognizing the futility of increasing troop levels.
Instead of listening to his own military commanders, Bush appointed the loyal General David Petraeus, who “cannot be trusted to give an unbiased assessment on Iraq,” to promote the escalation strategy. The Bush administration and Petraeus are now actively colluding to extend the U.S. stay in Iraq.
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Just another example of the lies and political pandering that this criminal has done. He’s repeatedly given those on the fence a glimmer of hope that the war will end, but I believe the real intention is for it to go on perpetually – and expand.
We aren’t fighting for freedom, or security, or democracy or anything else these people have told us.
We’re fighting for power and profits.
Some follow up reading:
“Revealed: Why Your Sons and Daughters Died in Iraq”
June 14th, 2007 at 5:09 pmhttp://www.populistamerica.com/revealed_why_your_sons_and_daughters_died_in_iraq
Bull shit bush is a drunk,druggie, insane lunatick, he can’t remember what he said yesterday much less a year ago..Unless a speech writer put’s the info down for him he know’s nothing but arrogance and greed…….Blessings are in short supply
June 14th, 2007 at 5:12 pmHEY, why does Dubya need any generals on the ground?? As Snow-job has just told us, he is right there on the front lines, getting his information first hand…. codpiece and all!
June 14th, 2007 at 5:12 pmHas Bush found his next yes man, Petraeus will be unable to give the rosy assessment in Sept, so there is a real need to line up the next stooge.
June 14th, 2007 at 5:13 pmWorst President Ever. Worst Possible President. Not Really President.
June 14th, 2007 at 5:14 pmHi Sharon!
June 14th, 2007 at 5:14 pmHey, you mentioned a resort a couple of threads ago.
Any chance of telling me in some code how to get there?
…….and now Gen Casey has joined the Speed Bump Hall of Fame.
June 14th, 2007 at 5:18 pmRUC,
If Sharon says it’s ok, I can forward you her email address. :)
June 14th, 2007 at 5:18 pmRUCerious, never mind the code, think I have your email will try and send you direction’s later today or in the morning…Do you fish.?….It’s a tiny place, we rent a few boat’s, sell bait and people pay 2 buck’s to fish off our dock….Blessings
June 14th, 2007 at 5:19 pmOh, I think I just went to heaven. Yes I do fish, would love to come up and pay a visit!!!!
June 14th, 2007 at 5:22 pmAnd General Casey, so morally appalled and outraged at the atrocious disservice that Mr. Bush has done to this country, it’s military, and the constitution, decided that the best way to combat this heinous travesty would be to accept the demotion and then go hide under a rock and not do or say anything.
Hey General. The marines are looking for a “few good men” so I recommend that you stay in the army since you do not qualify. May your nightmares never cease.
June 14th, 2007 at 5:25 pmIf you don’t think what I tell you to think, then your thinking is done. Next…now serving number 49…49….general number 49 step up please.
June 14th, 2007 at 5:27 pmBush listens to his commanders on the ground – then he fires them if they don’t agree with his neocon plans.
June 14th, 2007 at 5:27 pmCasey got sacked, so Bush uses another butt kissing General now.
June 14th, 2007 at 5:29 pmYep! That would be O.K. Lady Z but I found the email you gave me and sent the direction’s already…Blessings
June 14th, 2007 at 5:31 pmLord o Lord, how long will this Bush insanity and Bush criminality go on? Until sixteen GOP Senators are willing to vote Yes to convicting Cheney and Bush after the House of Representatives has Impeached them…
June 14th, 2007 at 5:36 pmFlashback???
What da fukc???
Slow news day!?!?
June 14th, 2007 at 5:51 pmYet another very lame TP thread.
It needs some life.
How about this idea to be used against the Islamists. I know the left wants to harm our enemies, right?
Using Their Crazy Against Them
When we are fighting an enemy who only wants to kill us because of their crazy beliefs, shouldn’t we use those crazy beliefs against them?
Yeah, I can see you already rolling your eyes and saying, “This isn’t going to be about grinding up Muslim terrorists and feeding them to pigs again, is it?”
Well, yes, that is what this is about, and I’m going to keep repeating it until people listen!
Yes, I know, I get called a “heartless conservative” every time I bring this up since I don’t respect other cultures and I laugh when poor people get hurt (it’s funny because they don’t have health insurance), but it’s completely ludicrous we should have respect for the beliefs of those trying to kill us. If the same beliefs they use to justify trying to kill us also have something about pigs and damnation, shouldn’t we go for it? That’s why we should make it public knowledge that any terrorists we kill will get fed to pigs.
Some are going to worry that will offend the good Muslims, but shouldn’t the good Muslims have disowned the terrorists and be demanding we feed them to pigs for dragging the good name of their faith through the mud?
Others are going to worry about the health risks of grinding up people and feeding them to pigs. The simple solution to that is to have Mexicans do it. That’s what they’re here for: to do the jobs we don’t want to do.
That last concern I can think of is that how can we be sure everyone killed on the battlefield deserves the eternal damnation or whatever they’ll get from being fed to pigs. I have a little secret about that: God doesn’t actually care if your dead body gets ate by pigs or whatever; that’s just a silly belief this crazy cult made up.
If we’re serious about a war on terror, than let’s use what’s available — including their own idiotic beliefs. One of these days someone needs to read the Qu’ran and see if there’s anything else useful in there.
June 14th, 2007 at 6:07 pmWouldn’t work Frank. Pigs have a belief forbidding them from eating $hit.
June 14th, 2007 at 6:11 pm.
June 14th, 2007 at 6:12 pmCasey: An American hero neo-clowns hate
June 14th, 2007 at 6:13 pmFrank J & Unvarnished Truth = racist troll scum
Get lost.
June 14th, 2007 at 6:13 pmBush lover trolls like Frank J. believe it is OK to say putrid stuff on here, but TP hardly ever deletes it.
June 14th, 2007 at 6:17 pmSee Frank J’s Post, this is an excellent example of Troll speak, Frank J is an idiot, when you see his name on a post just skip right over it because it was posted by an Idiot.
IGNORE THE TROLLS – Debate good, Frank J bad
June 14th, 2007 at 6:23 pmJust what we don’t need, more black hearted troll’s polluting the thread’s..When will the reich winger’s learn……
June 14th, 2007 at 6:23 pmIf some citizens of the Middle East are Blowing up and Burning each others Mosques…they sure don’t need Pigs to send them to hell.
June 14th, 2007 at 6:29 pmReposted from yesterday
Sign on and add to the list of trolls not shown.
Comment by JPV — June 11, 2007 @ 1:52 pm
HEY GUYS, CAN WE MAKE A PACT, WITH EACH OTHER, TO COMPLETELY IGNORE THE TROLLS FROM NOW ON?
Comment by Buck Fush — June 11, 2007 @ 2:29 pm
“IGNORE THE TROLLS CLUB.â€
Good idea, guys!!
Why not take this list you started and expand it to include the rest not listed yet, and also as Trolls change their “handle.†Then automatically (cut & paste) post it on every thread on TP about, say, every 25 posts. All of us anti troll folks can post it if we see it hasn’t been posted in a while. Especially on troll heavy threads. “Members†can add their names as they wish forswearing communication with the trolls. Repetition is the name of the game! (Put the word “Reminder†on top in bold)
What do you think folks? Shall we band together formally? If I don’t hear from anyone I will begin to post it anyway.
IGNORE THE TROLLS CLUB
Members:
Buck Fush, JPV, Merlin, Mr. President
Reminder
Don’t Read A Trolls Post

Don’t Respond To A Trolls Post
IGNORE THE TROLLS – Debate good, Trolls bad
Here are the trolls currently posting on TP.
m12, Patrick1, Jake, Valiant Venus, Pres. Clinton, MAF54, Mr. President,
June 14th, 2007 at 6:31 pmThe Iraqi war is the dumbest war that America (the Bush team) has fought.
It was dumb from the start (yellow cake ); and it continued to be dumb (removed a government and replaced it with NOTHING ) four years later.
And we have seen a “dog and pony” show in an attempt to make a bad idea (the Iraq war) look good. We have seen a “dog and pony” show in an attempt to make, a bad choice and bad execution look good.
We have seen the gimmicks, “yellow cake”, “stay the course”, ” the Surge” and other attempts to make creditable the war and the war’s execution.
We have seen the Bush team wrap itself in every American “cherished belief (the flag, the uniform, national security and more…” in an attempt to ward off criticism of its “way less than professional” execution of the Iraqi war.
We have seen the Bush team use the American military to “TELL AMERICA” that the Iraqi war was going “just fine, thank you very much”. We have “HEARD” the Bush team’s quiet about Iraqi REFUGEES while the Red Cross and the United Nations ask other countries help in assisting Iraqi REFUGEES in their efforts to cope with the Bush team’s war.
We have seen the Bush teams diplomacy. It is not pretty nor is it professional – unless one considers a threat to “blow a country back into the stone age” pretty diplomacy.
And the Bush team seems to have developed an IMMUNITY to impeachment. The United States of America – starting with Ex President Bill Clinton, owes every American president who has ever been impeached by this Country, an apology. If the current American President has not earned the right to impeachment – no president did!!!!
Wh have seen failure built into the Iraqi war effort due to either lack of planning for the “civilian side” or the lack of caring about the “civilian side”. It makes no sense to remove a sitting government and replace it with NOTHING!!! Terrorists and terrorist in training might like the lawlessness that the Bush team enabled by removing a sitting government and replacing it with NOTHING.
And “good luck” to anyone who tries to reconcile the Bush team’s war behavior with any other war behavior in the history of this country.
June 14th, 2007 at 6:41 pmTP Satyam is an idiot. Casey explains why he changed his mind and was on-board with the strategy to secure Baghdad.
FLASHBACK to Jan 2007:
Q: General Casey, you were initially skeptical or expressed some reservations about sending more American troops into Iraq. What changed your mind, what made you think that now that is the right strategy?
Casey: I have said and done all along that I will ask for the troops that I need to accomplish the mission. The things that changed – one was the situation in Baghdad. Two was the commitments from the government that we just talked about, that these forces, if they came in, would have freedom of action to move with the Iraqi security forces. And three, it was clear that the reliability of the Iraqi security forces in the Baghdad area was not to the point where we could count on them to do the right thing without additional coalition support. So those three things combined to convince me that at this time we needed some additional forces to accomplish the mission.
June 14th, 2007 at 6:45 pmSomething not much mentioned is the obvious dualistic strategy these neocons are using.
On one track they are doing “Plan A” with a vengence. That is, by their own PNAC ideology, seeking empire.
The other track is what they promote and say in public. Their public comments serve to pacify, deceive and distract everyone else to what they are really doing.
June 14th, 2007 at 6:57 pmLooked at this way, all the confusing, contradictory statements make sense. Rove is not stupid. Bush says what his handlers tell him to say. Nothing the neocons do is stupid or without reason.
That was then; This is Now – besides, nothing Bush utters makes a bit of a difference anyway. Does anyone at this point actually expect him to live up to his words? If you do, you’ve got to be in a perpetual state of self-delusion. I hear that state is somewhere near Washington, D.C.
June 14th, 2007 at 7:54 pmMerlin – you hit the nail on the head. These guys aren’t stupid or crazy…saying so let’s them off the hook. They know exactly what they’re doing.
WE’RE the MORONS for being so shallow as to think we’re at War, trying to “win the war”, and all that BS. They’ve tricked us into thinking in terms of war so that we think of winning and losing, and ending “the war”. Their goal is to prolong things as long as possible. As you said, once you figure that out, everything makes perfect sense.
The next mental leap is to WHY they’re doing this? I guarantee it’s not for profits or even power…they’ve got that. It’s for that little thing we’re NOT allowed to think…world domination by a Christian nation.
June 14th, 2007 at 8:33 pm#32 Comment by Kane Jeeves — June 14, 2007 @ 8:33 pm
You said:
…world domination by a Christian nation.
Well, the Christian part is only a facade. Machiavelli said that the powers that be should use religious people as their foot soldiers. They did not have to believe in religion at all just profess to believe. Also use whatever religion is prevalent in the country they rule. Then use the fanatical believers to do their bidding and fight their wars. The result looks like a christian nation but it is an illusion. The ends justifies the means!
This neocon cabal, BushCo, is following Machiavelli’s advice updated by Leo Strauss in the 1960s. Irving Kristol, Wolfowitz etc. were his disciples. There are some very good books on this stuff available. If you have interest I will list them for you.
June 14th, 2007 at 10:56 pmFrank J…
…we’d love to feed you to the pigs…
…but your parents are probably dead…
June 14th, 2007 at 11:49 pmMay I kindly suggest that you don’t ignore your trolls. A pithy, sarcastic reply is always most acceptable as the anti-troll group is rather humorous. A long, angry rant in reply is not acceptable. Making humor out of the troll for everyone else to enjoy, on the other hand, is A-OK. I swear, it does no harm to the troll or I wouldn’t encourage it.
Every bridge has a troll under it and it keeps ya on your toes, surely, as you cross the bridge daily. The troll’s attempt at humor is sad as trolls are so lonely under the bridge and each time a troll says essentially “blow me” the troll is literally crying, sobbing and begging for love and attention. Trolls don’t give a damn about politics or whatever forum they seek as a receptacle for their pain. They simply take the opposite position in any forum in order to be seen, heard and noticed. It truly is that simple.
Cherish your trolls, but without getting emotionally involved. Life without them would be so boring even if they contribute not a single noteworthy thing. They have no choice but to troll. Troll, troll, troll. It’s their life. Don’t take it from them by ignoring them. Have mercy. Have pity. Help stop troll suicide. It’s expected of a progressive to stop troll suicide no matter how distasteful you find it to be and think of the smiles you bring to the faces of other progressives as they read your brief, snarky reply to a troll. Most pleasurable, I assure you.
I thank you for your time.
Snarfit
June 15th, 2007 at 9:27 amSAVE THE TROLLS!!! Hermione would….
The perception that GEN Casey was canned is off base. GEN Casey is currently serving as the Army Chief of Staff, which is the senior position in the Army. As the Army service chief he also is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The change from Commander of forces in Iraq, to being in charge of all the Army would be akin to a COO of a company becoming a CEO. I don’t believe anyone would consider that a demotion.
June 15th, 2007 at 9:43 amMerlin – what things could we look for to tell if the Christian Nation thing is a facade or for real? If it were mere saber-rattling I’d agree with you, but there are so many other instances where the administration is pushing a religious agenda that I think their religious-based foreign policy ISN’T just a facade.
June 15th, 2007 at 9:58 amOn the IGNORE THE TROLLS DEBATE –
I don’t mind the other side posting when their posts are not attacking, smearing propoganda. Debate is good, but our resident trolls as listed above post nothing worth reading.
It is fun to make fun of them, well because they are simple minded idiots.
But what I am talking about is sure make a joke about what they post, but don’t respond to their posts, it only encourages them in their baiting game they play.
IGNORE THE TROLLS – But make fun of them in the mean time.
June 15th, 2007 at 12:17 pmI wonder when I read peoples ignorant comments about our president and the military if any of the people writing this bullshit has any family or friends over in Iraq. I dont think there will ever be a president that everyone will agree on but to just disrespect the leader of our country all over the internet is just wrong. We were attacked before and it will happen agian if we dont stand behind each other not matter what or who is in charged. It makes me sick to hear people talk bad about the military. They needs us to support them untill this is over. Talk to a soldier ask him what it feels like to miss his family and friends for a bunch of people that sit around and talk shit. Atleast the military teaches them honor and self respect and to be proud of themselves because if they had to rely on America we would of already lost this war! Im sorry for our president. I couldnt do his job and neither could the people that run their mouth.
June 18th, 2007 at 4:08 pm