White House: Confusion Over Long-Term Agreement With Iraq Resulted From A Sloppy Arabic Translation
White House: Confusion Over Long-Term Agreement With Iraq Resulted From A Sloppy Arabic Translation
In November, President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki signed a non-binding “Declaration of Principles for a Long-Term Relationship” that committed America to defending Iraq:
Supporting the Republic of Iraq in defending its democratic system against internal and external threats. […]
Providing security assurances and commitments to the Republic of Iraq to deter foreign aggression against Iraq that violates its sovereignty and integrity of its territories, waters, or airspace.
At the time, the White House said that the unprecedented arrangement would not need “input” from Congress.
After facing intense criticism from lawmakers, the White House backed off, recently stating that arrangement is “not going to have a security guarantee.” Officials are now trying to come up with excuses to explain away their initial bumbling as well. Their latest? The long-term agreement was incorrectly translated from Arabic to English. Politico reports:
But the senior administration official, who briefed two Politico reporters on the condition that he not be identified by name, said that the “security assurances” phrase “was something we struggled with, it really was.” He said the original Arabic phrase was “translated in kind of an interesting way,” and that a better translation might have been, “We’ll consult.”
This excuse seems unlikely. First, White House officials have never before mentioned it. Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) said that the administration “certainly did not speak to this unfortunate translation from Arabic” when it briefed senators on the planned agreement recently. Rep. Bill Delahunt (D-MA) also said that he hadn’t heard the argument.
Second, Assistant Secretary of State Jeffrey Bergner recently stated that Bush does have “constitutional authority” to “continue combat operations” in Iraq without Congress’s authorization. As evidence, he cited the 2002 authorization of force against Saddam Hussein and the resolution passed after 9/11. Clearly, Bergner never thought there was an Arabic mistranslation.
Both Webb and Delahunt also have their doubts about the administration’s newest excuse:
Delahunt said he suspected that the administration, having been “outed, if you will” by congressional oversight, has decided that it’s the “safe course” to argue that the words aren’t what they appear to be. Webb’s spokeswoman, Jessica Smith, wondered why the White House didn’t “retranslate” the offending language before releasing the Declaration of Principles.
This distrust is understandable; in January, Bush attached a signing statement to a defense authorization bill saying that he would disregard a provision that “bars funding for permanent bases in Iraq.”
The truth is that White House officials tried to undermine Congress on Iraq and were forced to muster a weak excuse when they were caught.
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The truth is that White House officials tried to undermine Congress on Iraq and were forced to muster a weak excuse when they were caught.
That’s pretty much what they have been doing since the first day they took office. Don’t you find it interesting that this is the first administration in the history of this country that has never done anything wrong? It’s never their fault, it’s always some else’s fault. They are like a bunch of 4 year olds.
March 14th, 2008 at 4:31 pmI wonder if the original Arabic text is available somewhere. I’d love to debunk this one…
March 14th, 2008 at 4:36 pmWow, I didn’t know that the Constitution was written in Arabic. Here is an accurate translation. Would someone please send this to the White House, so there is no more “confusion”.
The United States Constitution
Article. II. - The Executive Branch
Section 2 - Civilian Power over Military, Cabinet, Pardon Power, Appointments
He [The President] shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur;
March 14th, 2008 at 4:37 pmLet’s not wait until next January for these idiots to leave.
March 14th, 2008 at 4:37 pmIt’s time to fire these clowns, NOW.
We should start by impeaching (which means starting the investigative process)Dickhead Cheney.
It would seem to me that when you are working on International treaties you would want to be sure that the translations are correct before you sign anything… of course, I probably have more than one auditor who spoke Arabic working on the books as well…
March 14th, 2008 at 4:37 pmI don’t know if it was part of the plan or, they just made lemonade, but this administration has stumbled on a gold mine of excuses. They can blame almost anything on Incompetence. Standy idly by while an American city is destroyed… “faulty intelligence” leads exactly where the neocons wanted to go all along (Iraq)… 12 billion in cash “goes missing” in Baghdad…is there ANYTHING they can’t lay off on the fact that Republicans are terrible at governing???
March 14th, 2008 at 4:39 pmWhat… no “Clinton Did it”™?
Wait… wait… the dog at the translator’s homework!
Hmmm… mebbe it was one of those “gay” translators ‘n he, or she, was out ta undermine tha President…
March 14th, 2008 at 4:40 pmProviding security assurances and commitments to the Republic of Iraq to deter foreign aggression against Iraq that violates its sovereignty and integrity of its territories, waters, or airspace.
So it’s not ok for any else to commit acts of aggression and violate the integrity of it’s territories……
March 14th, 2008 at 4:41 pmbut it’s ok when we did it.
Seems like the White House was pretty clear last November about what it meant…
March 14th, 2008 at 4:42 pmWhat’s really depressing is that this Administration is such an amazing collection of inept buffoons that I’m tempted to take their explanation at face value. New lows reached, once again. When, oh when, will Congress remember that Oversight is one of their duties?
Impeach Cheney and Bush and Save the Constitution!
Abu Ben Hussein Leporello
March 14th, 2008 at 4:46 pmOK, OK, so the chymp thought a treaty was something he made Barney do trickeys for.
March 14th, 2008 at 4:46 pmtest
March 14th, 2008 at 4:48 pmflavorino Says:
So it’s not ok for any else to commit acts of aggression and violate the integrity of it’s territories……
but it’s ok when we did it.
Well, yeah. I mean, just because a guy beats his wife doesn’t mean he is going to let other guys beat her.
March 14th, 2008 at 4:48 pmha! - like they ever cared what, or didn’t dictate exactly what it says. what a sorry bunch of excuse-makers.
March 14th, 2008 at 4:49 pmWhen will we see the big headlines on all of the MSM decrying the fact that the administration once again resorts to revisionist history and lies to cover its own miserable record? Will we see the Democratic party response to the President’s saturday radio address calling him on this lie and questioning why we should believe him on any topic?
March 14th, 2008 at 4:51 pmTotal incompetence- a Bush/Cheney administration trademark.
March 14th, 2008 at 4:53 pmWolfie was pushing for a permanent presence in 1998…
March 14th, 2008 at 4:56 pmBULLSHlT!!! THE HEAT IS ON MOFO’S!
March 14th, 2008 at 4:59 pm“The Air Force presence in the Gulf region is a vital one for U.S. military strategy, and the United States should consider it a de facto permanent presence, even as it seeks ways to lessen Saudi, Kuwaiti and regional concerns about U.S. presence” (p. 35).
March 14th, 2008 at 5:04 pm-Wolfie-wits
1/ Doubts linger in Big Oil’s mind over signing time for new deals
Iraq is unlikely to sign technical support contracts with oil majors for work on some of its biggest oilfields until the summer
Technical support contracts are shite they last two years and get paid in Oil ……… meanwhile China get a real contract
ITS OVER 82% of Iraqis want the US out
America is using Turkey to justify long term contracts to stay to Protect Iraq from turkey
March 14th, 2008 at 5:05 pmIraq has cut the official selling price of its Basra Light crude for April loading by $2.20 a barrel to European buyers and raised prices for the United States
its all here
http://iraqoilreport.com/
March 14th, 2008 at 5:06 pmIt is international law which states that the occupying forces have no right to impose laws which reflect their interests only, and do not reflect the interests of the occupied people and that such laws are null and void if any future elected Iraqi parliament declares them to be so.
Iraq just has to sit its time
March 14th, 2008 at 5:10 pmMore people now think Britain invaded Iraq to gain control of the country’s oil than for any other reason, a new poll reveals today.
http://www.bushagenda.net/article.php?id=478
March 14th, 2008 at 5:12 pmIraqi oil should be used to rebuild Iraq, not to swell the profits of oil multinationals.
Fifth anniversary of the Iraq war
March 14th, 2008 at 5:13 pmSaturday, 15 March 2008 – global demonstrations, including London and Glasgow
Eddie Haskell is in the Oval Office. The Bushies have been lying to us from the first day when they claimed all the typewriter keys were missing the “W” key. That was a school-boy lie — they progressed to international lies and subterfuge.
March 14th, 2008 at 5:21 pmThe obvious exposure of the latest lie by the gang that can’t tell the truth, causes them to tell even another lie to cover it up. They were caught with their pants down and they are scrambling to recover. They simply cannot tell the truth — ever. They lied, they were caught, they lied again.
I speak good enough Arabic to tell you, that even the worst translator wouldn’t translate “security assurances” to “we’ll consult”.
Sorry but this is Bullsh*t
March 14th, 2008 at 5:23 pmYou Dem’s couldn’t run a ferrous wheel?
March 14th, 2008 at 5:27 pmIs this some new type of iron amusement/torture that you republicans are inflicting on each other?
Tell me oh, stone-pile on the wall…
March 14th, 2008 at 5:29 pmWho is the Ferrous Maiden of them all?
Iron Maiden?!? Sweet!!!
I’ll make you a deal, al Stone-pile…
March 14th, 2008 at 5:38 pmWe’ll let you guys run the Ferris Wheels and all other amusement park rides and you guys stop running the country into the ground and leave governing to grown-ups… Deal?
JEREMIAH WRIGHT??????
March 14th, 2008 at 5:42 pm“You Dem’s couldn’t run a ferrous wheel…”
__________
Ah yeas… the sad, sad results of home schooling…
March 14th, 2008 at 5:55 pmStone-pile…
March 14th, 2008 at 6:02 pmCan you and your two friends tell me why the President’s office can’t translate documents into English?
Based on your posts, I know you couldn’t but considering there are at least two people on this thread who could- why do you think this administration can’t? Is their learning somehow impeded by their education?
Or perhaps you can offer a compelling reason that the president must lie about our permanent presence in Iraq… I’ll let you three chew that over before assigning you your Carnival duties…
Yeah, we all got a kick “outta” that. You’re too funny. Not much of a speller, though.
March 14th, 2008 at 6:12 pmThecairngman Spews:
You Dem’s couldn’t run a ferrous wheel. Your no different than Obama or the KKK. All you need is a common enemy to hate so your little pathetic lives can be justified.
Ok, tard let’s take a look at your ignorance of the english language again today, shall we.
Ferris not ferrous, You’re not your. Hell even you spelled your name wrong, idiot.
Thecaringman not Thecairngman.
You really don’t need to post here and embarrass yourself all day long. When you can’t do better than a 3rd grader then you won’t be taken seriously on anything you post, idiot.
March 14th, 2008 at 6:40 pmBushCo does whatever its corporate handlers want it to do. There is no other reason. Now if what they do does not get by scrutiny, be it illegal, immoral or fattening, the program is to exaggerate, lie, evade, avoid, and hide through secrecy. They expect that the public will raise a stink, which they will ignore, manning their guns that all is OK.
We, blame them for being inept, stupid, incompetent, etc. when in fact those judgments are totally off base. They LIKE it when we do that! It diverts us from the reality that everything that they do is done on purpose, for selfish reasons, and the country be damned!
We need to loudly proclaim that they are NOT stupid or inept! We (the Congress) need to grow the balls to confront this crap EVERY TIME they do it, and press them like prosecutors seeking a conviction! We the people, need to grow the balls to vote out these weak and compliant Dems (think Blue Dog) so we can stop these criminals from dragging our country into the mud.
First things First!… Impeach Cheney!
March 14th, 2008 at 6:47 pmWasn’t there a group of military personnel kicked out of the military for being gay that could translate Arabic? My now disbelieving and questioning mind says the Bush crime family got rid of them because they could translate Arabic.
March 14th, 2008 at 7:52 pmI guess they need to fire that lone translator then.
.
March 14th, 2008 at 8:00 pm“White House: Confusion Over Long-Term Agreement With Iraq Resulted From A Sloppy Arabic Translation”
See kids? This is what happens when you don’t have translators hired, because you’re too idiot to compagine the concepts “fluent in arab language” and “faithful american” in your little Presidunce mind, resulting in idiotic policies.
March 14th, 2008 at 10:25 pmThecairngman Says:
March 14th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
Sounds great!! I have no party affiliation so me and my 2 friends will be glad accommodate!
“Me…will”? “Will be glad accomodate”? Come back when you learn basic grammar. Oh, and hurry please, I’m over fifty, so time is short.
March 15th, 2008 at 3:30 am