Bush tells Brown not to withdraw from Iraq.
Bush tells Brown not to withdraw from Iraq.
This week, media reports indicated that British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will soon announce a final timetable for the withdrawal of Britain’s remaining 4,000 troops from southern Iraq by the end of the year. In an interview with the Observer, President Bush, who arrives in London tomorrow, issued a “stern” warning to Brown urging him not to “announce a timetable for a British pull-out from Iraq”:
But while he said both allies obviously wanted to bring their troops home, this could only be ‘based upon success’. On the reported possibility of a formal timetable for major reductions, Bush was unequivocal: ‘Our answer is: there should be no definitive timetable.’
He pointedly noted that Brown had retreated last year on the scale of an earlier planned pullout - and that Britain still had 4,200 soldiers in Iraq rather than the projected 3,500. ‘I am confident that he, like me, will listen to our commanders to make sure that the sacrifices that have gone forward won’t be unravelled by draw-downs that may not be warranted at this point in time. I look forward to discussing it with him.’
Bush also delivered “a major policy address during his final presidential trip to Europe not in Britain, but France - which he called America’s ‘first friend,’” the Guardian notes.
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Can someone please tell me again how this person got to be our President and represent America?
Oh... never mind. Is it 2009 yet?
June 14th, 2008 at 11:49 pmFace it, Shrub, you have zero credibility and even less leverage.
What an embarrassment.
June 14th, 2008 at 11:50 pmMust be hard to be the Commander Guy and no one will allow you to command them.
Does Barney still come when you call?
June 14th, 2008 at 11:51 pmIt's just embarrassing when he tries to bully people into doing what he wants, in this case, playing his game until he's ready to call it quits.
Makes me think of this article from 2000, The Accidental Candidate:
"If you were playing basketball and you were playing to 11 and he was down, you went to 15," says (Doug) Hannah, now a Dallas insurance executive. "If he wasn't winning, he would quit. He would just walk off.… It's what we called Bush Effort: If I don't like the game, I take my ball and go home"
Says a lot about the man the trolls have been supporting for eight years.
Here's a good psychological evaluation of the man:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0704/S00200.htm
June 15th, 2008 at 12:11 amALSO, this half-a-dim-wit texas scrub brush also made the following proclamation:
"I freed millions from barbarism, says President with no regrets" - this is from the same article/interview with Ned Temco from the Observer published today (Sunday) in the UK..I'm astonished at the utter ego and blatant stupidity of this statement.. I'm amazed he can show his face in public. What a disgrace.
Link to the Observer interview if anyone can stomach it.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jun/15/georgebush.usa
June 15th, 2008 at 12:17 amSo does Bush/Cheney in all their delusion think they are the Prime Minister of Great Britain now?
June 15th, 2008 at 12:34 amActually, Bush is correct. When our newly formed nation was fighting against the British, France was America's ally, therefore, out "first friend."
June 15th, 2008 at 12:50 amBush's pro-war Iraq friends is running thin. This is a test for Brown. If Brown caves into Bush, all hell will break loose among the UK citizens. Go ask the Poodle.
June 15th, 2008 at 1:03 amWhy is chimpy afraid of ending his war? he has got to be the vilest person on earth. All the repug dirt is crumbling faster than they can make up bs. Sooooo Pathetic!
So where are the hundreds of thousands of US troops? What are they doing? Why does Brown have an commitment of less than 5000 troops in Iraq?
June 15th, 2008 at 1:05 amdrock23 Says:
B. Hussein Obama 2008 yayayayaya
June 15th, 2008 at 12:28 am
______
Ahhh, that Hussein. It's such a nice name, isn't it? It means "little beauty" in Arabic. :)
June 15th, 2008 at 1:10 amWinski@#5
From the article:
Can you believe this white supremacist arrogant killer?
June 15th, 2008 at 1:25 amSo is the surge not working?
June 15th, 2008 at 1:42 amSo he`s freed The Iraqi people from barbarism, who is going to free them from the SHRUBS FACSISM ?
You got lots of splainin to do W!
Drock23, what are you afraid of? That he will do what the shrub and his crime family wouldn`t do, end corruption , greed and cronyism and not to mention bring our soldiers home and fix our economy and basically right the wrongs of the SHRUB....
June 15th, 2008 at 1:50 amDoes this mean that Bush is concerned by what al-Sadr may do next? A couple of months ago al-Sistani announced in a Fatwa that it was fine to shoot the occupiers. Now al-Sadr has announced that he is splitting the Mahdi Army into two units. One that roughly translates into a police force and the other that will conduct minitary attacks against the occupier.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/14/AR2008061401960.html?nav=rss_world/mideast/iraq
If al-Sadr manages to mount any type of serious military operation it will expose the surge as a failed policy. Is there any wonder then as to why Bush wants to keep as many troops in Iraq as possible? Brown is in trouble with the voters back home so why would he want to be Bush's lap dog like Tony Blair was. We know the consequences for Tony Blair.
June 15th, 2008 at 1:55 amdrock23, GO trolling on the right, we speak intelligent and without racism, we are not like most of the Reich, we don`t hate. I don`t feel the need to say anything deragatory or racist,only political remarks for me because of the First Amendment and it`s guarantee, Freedom of Speech, not the SHRUBS version........
June 15th, 2008 at 2:01 amBush tells Brown not to withdraw from Iraq
Yeah, Brown is so lucky to have George Bush advise him in matters of foreign policy, Bush being such a hugely successful president and statesman so beloved around the world -specially in the Middle East.
/sarc off
June 15th, 2008 at 2:03 amWe have always been friends with France, except for the time we had to eat "Freedom Fries" and "Freedom Bread" and "Freedom Toast", yeah, otherwise, we love them, and they love us! right?
June 15th, 2008 at 2:08 amthat was all back in the "olden" days of 2002 or 03, right?
June 15th, 2008 at 2:09 amdrock23 Says:
So lets vote for a dude that has a Mortal Kombat first name a middle name of arabic descent and a last name from God knows where. Im not racist but I am a realist.
Somehow I doubt that you are entirely free of prejudices...
June 15th, 2008 at 3:20 amFunny how Bush calls France a friend now that a conservative is in power over there...
June 15th, 2008 at 3:28 amucsbclassics53 Says:
Funny how Bush calls France a friend now that a conservative is in power over there…
Yeah!
Our love hate relationship with France goes way back. In world War I (I believe) there was a marching ditty that went:
The French, they are a funny race,
They fight with their feet, and
F*** with their face.
Our "national friendships" are determined by the puppet or dictator de jour.
June 15th, 2008 at 5:37 amIs anyone surprised that our President is acting like a spoiled little brat who isn't getting his own way? Now he is acting like a rich bully even toward our oldest and most reliable ally, England, by issuing them "stern" warnings.
The English are not children. They don't need to be issued stern warnings. Or else what? And calling the French our "first" friends can't be rubbing any Brit the right way. We need to distinguish between bad diplomacy and mental problems.
Impeachment may be too difficult for many reasons. Can't some doctors with a straightjacket do the trick?
June 15th, 2008 at 6:45 amFrom the London Times:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article4138791.ece
President George W Bush has enlisted British special forces in a final attempt to capture Osama Bin Laden before he leaves the White House.
Defence and intelligence sources in Washington and London confirmed that a renewed hunt was on for the leader of the September 11 attacks. “If he [Bush] can say he has killed Saddam Hussein and captured Bin Laden, he can claim to have left the world a safer place,” said a US intelligence source.
This takes outsourcing to a whole new level. Better late than never.
June 15th, 2008 at 7:08 amPrime Minister Brown should throw Bush/Cheney rhetoric right back at him.
When Bush tells you it is the wrong time to complete the British withdrawl, simply answer "So?"
When Bush threatens and calls Britain weak, answer "I know you are but what am I?"
If you dumb down your discussions with Bush, he's more likely to understand. OOOPS! My bad... Bush never "discusses" anything.
The saddest part, for both Iraq and America, is that Bush will just replace the British troops with more corporate mercenaries, at a very high price, both in terms of lives and treasure.
PEACE
June 15th, 2008 at 7:10 amBrown tells Bush, Mr. Lame Duck, that he can put his "don't withdraw" where the sun don't shine.
Bush, you've raped Iraq enough. It's time to withdraw.
June 15th, 2008 at 7:18 amBrown can also add, "Mr.Bush, you've already destroyed the political life of Mr. Blair, don't try to ruin mine too."
June 15th, 2008 at 7:19 amdrock23 Says:
Troll has been flagged for off topic and abusive behavior.
June 15th, 2008 at 7:26 amSo what will Bush do if Brown defies him? Will he invade England?
June 15th, 2008 at 7:27 am#33 TheToonGuy Says:
So what will Bush do if Brown defies him? Will he invade England?
Bush will go home and pout..
June 15th, 2008 at 7:43 amWouldn't surprise me if the British people showed up at the airport with a noose. You know, the old eye for an eye thing.
June 15th, 2008 at 7:55 amSo, is it now patriotic to eat french fries?
What we going to have to start calling English muffins?
June 15th, 2008 at 8:08 amNevar, would that be "cut-and-runners muffins"?
June 15th, 2008 at 8:11 amBrown Buns
June 15th, 2008 at 8:16 amIn W's mind he is Emperor of the World, "saving millions from barbarism", the Decider reviling the French then calling them his best friend. The rest of the world laughs in derision, we're not safer against actual threats, and the 24% zealots are obnoxious as ever.
Fook em, happy Father's day.
June 15th, 2008 at 8:28 amI sincerely hope Brown tells Der Chimperer to go Cheney himself!
June 15th, 2008 at 8:52 amBush:"I am confident that he,like me, will listen to our commanders to make sure that the sacrifices that have gone forward won't be unravelled by draw-downs that may not be warranted at this point".
Politicians should not let military commanders make national policies.
June 15th, 2008 at 8:55 amBush has been for years hiding behind commanders words to deflect blame and criticism.
McCain , lieberman and company now all singing the same song ,they want General Petraeus to set the policy.
Bush is the president..commanders don't make policies..they fight wars.
Now Bush is injecting the word 'commanders' again before talking to Brown .
Everytime Bush is cornered with his failed policies in Iraq..he brings the commanders story again.
It is the president who tells commanders what to do and not the other way around.
Nevar Says:
Brown Buns
ewwwwwwww ;)
June 15th, 2008 at 9:46 amBrown's response should have been: "Do I look like Tony? Go find him, he ruined his career doing what you wanted him to do. So, shove off and have a good life in Texas."
June 15th, 2008 at 9:54 amSWBob Says:
Brown’s response should have been: “Do I look like Tony? Go find him, he ruined his career doing what you wanted him to do. So, shove off and have a good life in Texas.”
Nah, his response should have been
"You ruin your country, I'll run mine."
June 15th, 2008 at 10:03 amBrown: I say old Bushie old chap. You looked like a poofter prancing around in that flight suit with the codpiece stuffed with a baked potato.
Carry on being a nitwit.
-GSD
June 15th, 2008 at 10:06 amleft_hack Says:
Flagged for being off topic. Try to keep up with the discussion, please.
June 15th, 2008 at 10:08 amI want Brown to arrest GW Botch and ship his criminal a$$ to The Hague for trial.
June 15th, 2008 at 10:17 amHappy Father's Day, all you Dads. And now, a Father's Day message from President George W. Bush in Europe, who reminds us that fatherhood is all about terrorism.
June 15th, 2008 at 10:29 amleft_hack Says:
Dems pay scant attention to successes in Iraq
I guess the superior judgment of Obama wasn’t all that superior after all. Obama was wrong, and, face it, opposing the surge was the politically easy thing to do. This guy is a joke !!
June 15th, 2008 at 9:53 am
What successes? Muqtada as-Sadr's cease-fire?
June 15th, 2008 at 10:47 amMany who opposed the Iraq war did so on the grounds that it would lead to a quagmire that would cost many lives, much US treasure, take our focus off of BinLaden and the Taliban. Guess what, it happened.
Here we are five years after our "victory" in Iraq and we are finally hearing that we are winning in Iraq.
1. The victory cost us over 4000 US soldiers, another 1000 plus US contractor personnel and tens of thousands of casualties. Iraqi deaths likely exceed a hundred thousand and more than a quarter of their population has been displaced. 2.7 trillion will be spent on the war. We know that we will be there for at least another 4-5 years. BinLaden struck the World Trade Center with the intent of drawing the US into a protracted struggle in the middle east to accomplish exactly what has happened.
2. The Taliban has regained strength and continues to bedevil us in Afghanistan. AQ's ability to use Pakistan as a refuge has permitted it to build to its former strength. We now face a similarly protracted conflict. Strange, we would probably have settled this matter at the beginning had we not moved precious resources to support the Iraq invasion and had handled the reconstruction in a competent manner. Thus the fears that the Iraq war would divert our attention from AQ proved to be true.
3. The Iraq war did indeed create many more terrorists. Iraq is the perfect example. There had been no connection between Iraq and AQ prior to the war. Indeed, Saddam had every reason to oppose AQ given the secular nature of his regime. AQ in Iraq was an out growth of our own incompetent handling of Iraq in the aftermath of the invasion. Their actual forces accounted for a relatively small number of those involved in the conflict. Their initial successes were indeed fueled by our failure to have utilized the existing Iraqi military, failure to secure munitions dumps, deploy adequate US security forces and clamp down on civil disorder in the early days of occupation.
4. The Iraq invasion certainly fanned the flames of terrorism in Muslim countries. BinLaden was able to franchise and decentralize his group. Attacks in London and Spain were a result of emboldened radicals because of the resentment stirred up by the Iraq invasion. Contrast this to the universal support throughout the Muslim world for taking down Afghanistan.
We saw a president and administration projecting that the war would only cost a $100 billion with most troops out within a matter of months. Iraq was to be a stepping off base to change the rest of the middle east and serve as a shining model of democracy for other middle east countries to emulate. The fact is that Iraq has been a quagmire costing far more in US and Iraqi lives than necessary. It has placed a considerable drain on the US budget and military preparedness.
Do not get off on the false dichotomy that we either invaded when and how we did or that we supported Saddam Hussein. That is intellectual dishonesty. You need only to look at military history to understand that a well fought war always prioritized targets and sought to defeat an enemy in detail.
The US did not have to invade Iraq when it did. It could have waited until BinLaen had been caught and substantive reconstruction completed. It then could have turned to Iraq having created a very viable example of US nation building efforts and a very clear example of the consequences in standing up to the US. Finishing up one before the other would have permitted time for adequate planning for occupation.
It is way too late to set this forth as a shining victory five years after mission accomplished. Do not complain that these things just happen in war. No operation goes exactly as planned. However, the lack of adequate planning, poor command and control as well as the inability to adapt to changing conditions on the field of battle just demonstrate incompetence.
June 15th, 2008 at 10:50 amObamaFan Says:
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Obama will never ask this of a another country. He will pull out troops fast saving hundreds of American lives. Obama will be a hero.
Hopefully Obama will pull our troops out of Japan, Korea, and Germany also. Take our troops out of harms way. Use them in the US to fight criminal gangs and to secure our borders. They can also be used to help people after a natural disaster.
Helping people is what Obama is all about.
While this was supposed to be sarcastic, he offers some good points, albiet unintentionally.
June 15th, 2008 at 10:55 amObamaFan Says:
Hopefully Obama will pull our troops out of Japan, Korea, and Germany also. Take our troops out of harms way.
June 15th, 2008 at 10:48 am
_____
Sounds good - I'm sure the Korean people won't mind us leaving.
June 15th, 2008 at 10:59 amHappy Fathers day to all the ladys who will have to be 'fathers' as their husbands are now dead in this bush war.
June 15th, 2008 at 11:01 amWhat happened to the sour view republicans had of being the world's police?
June 15th, 2008 at 11:02 amSounds good - I’m sure the Korean people won’t mind us leaving.
And it would reduce our outrageous amount of military spending, at least a little.
June 15th, 2008 at 11:03 amThe Ministry of Defence has said no decision had been taken on troop withdrawals. And a Downing Street spokeswoman said there was no disagreement with the US. "It is not our policy to set arbitrary timetables."
That sounds like a quick back pedal to me. The UK and all of Europe are looking forward to Bush leaving BUT, they still have 7 more months before the new administration takes over. He is suppose to meet with Tony Blair on this trip also, I can't wait to hear what those two come up with.
June 15th, 2008 at 11:04 amWhat happened to the sour view republicans had of being the world’s police?
That ennabler of fascists, 9/11.
June 15th, 2008 at 11:04 amO/T HAPPY FATHERS DAY to all the Great Dads out there this morning!!! :)
June 15th, 2008 at 11:05 amObamafan must be really hurting, knowing his namesake will be the leader of the free world ..... when he finally frees the US from Herr Dubya and his NeoCon BushCO Cabal.
Gotta suck to be one of the 23%ers, huh, OF.
June 15th, 2008 at 11:12 amBrown: 'I say Bush, why don't you go home and eat some 'Freedom' muffins and sit on your cowboy hat..eah?'
June 15th, 2008 at 11:21 amJMOHR, Excellent points.
As far as the surge being responsible for the Greatly Appreciated Decrease in the Level of Violence in Iraq:
One could argue that it is the expected Victory of the Democrats in November that has cause in Insurgents to put their AK47's under their beds, and Wait until November.
If Iraqi insugents believe that the US Occupation will End thru American Political Action, why would they risk their lives fighting Americans when they are set to leave anyhow?
No OCCUPATION....NO INSURGENCY
June 15th, 2008 at 11:42 amUh, ObamaFan, news flash for you: There are women whose husbands are serving in Iraq, and who have been shouldering the responsibilities of head of a household by themselves.
I am not sure what your reply to Wisedup was supposed to convey, but it missed their point entirely.
June 15th, 2008 at 12:15 pmCan someone please tell me why this dick is in the UK and not IA?
More war, another Katrina.
June 15th, 2008 at 12:40 pmObamaFan@ 60,
"Men abandon their children."
I know what you mean. John McCain, Rudy Guiliani, Newt Gingrich, Ronald Reagan all did this.
Two bad they couldn't be good fathers like Barack Obama, John Edwards, Al Gore and Bill Clinton.
June 15th, 2008 at 1:03 pmWoodguy:
June 15th, 2008 at 3:04 pmYou forgot dbadass
3. There are 18,000 murders in the US each year. 40% of them are fathers. Police = Failure to Protect Fathers.
Baloney. And not particularly well-made baloney, at that.
June 15th, 2008 at 3:12 pmIn an interview with the Observer, President Bush, who arrives in London tomorrow, issued a “stern” warning to Brown urging him not to “announce a timetable for a British pull-out from Iraq”:
But while he said both allies obviously wanted to bring their troops home, this could only be ‘based upon success’.
And of course you Chimpy , being such an acknowledged military historian and tactician , with unequalled successes throughout your presidency , should be making such statements.....
This imbecile is the single biggest moronic jackass I have ever had the sorry displeasure of having to put up with ; he makes some of the dunderheaded jocks I attended school with seem capable of atom splitting as a mere after-thought.....
June 15th, 2008 at 3:25 pm6. Southrnbelle - Of course they're the prime minister of England. Look at how long Blair would sit, fetch and roll over to entertain Bush.
Now the question is if Brown is dumb enough to do likewise
June 15th, 2008 at 6:54 pmdbadass,
Happy Father's Day to ya.
June 15th, 2008 at 7:40 pmIf G. H. W. Bush had withdrawn from Barbara at a crucial moment, the World would be a much better place!
June 15th, 2008 at 9:57 pmleft_hack Says:
Dems pay scant attention to successes in Iraq
Thus spoke Ripe Limburger, William Kristol, O' Reilly, Dick Cheney, GW Bush, Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin, and AIPAC. Naturally, these people never lie, never distort, not in the pockets of large corporations, and are out for the Little People.
June 15th, 2008 at 10:51 pmfor Nevar - FREEDOM muffins, of course! Don't you love freedom!
June 16th, 2008 at 11:58 am