Timing Is Everything

When Bush's approval ratings hit an all time low, it's amazing how good news arrives just right then and there!

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said in an interview yesterday that the United States could withdraw as many as 50,000 troops by the end of the year, declaring there are enough Iraqi forces trained and ready to begin assuming control in cities throughout the country…

That assessment differs dramatically from those offered by Bush and by U.S. military commanders in Iraq…

Yes, that assessment does differ dramatically from American generals in Iraq.  How dramatically?  Just three months ago, they said Iraqis had about three battalions, or about 3000 guys ready for combat. 

I guess three thousand Iraqis are better than 50,000 Americans, huh?

Talabani's statement has the potential to put Bush in a difficult position if the troops are not pulled out by year's end, since critics are certain to ask why U.S. soldiers cannot come home when Iraq's own president says they can. The two leaders will hold a joint news conference today after their meeting…

No matter what, the Washington Post is not about to stop carrying water for the Bush administration.  And why would it?  With Charles Krauthammer on the board of editors?  With Bob "Bush At War" Woodward as Managing Editor? 

How funny is that?  "Talabani's statement has the potential to put Bush in a difficult position if the troops are not pulled out by year's end"??? 

Hahahahahahaha!

Good, Christ.  Iraq is suckhole of money and American lives.  With no end in sight.  And with American support plummeting, and Congressional elections looming, Bush is desperate to find a way to pull American troops out of Iraq without looking like he's adhering to a time table or cutting and running.

And the American puppet in Baghdad, who can't even leave the Green Zone without helicopters clearing the road for him, suddenly, the same week Bush's approval rating hits nearly rock bottom, says, "Americans can remove 50,000 troops this year!"

Things are going that well, are they?

And the Washington Post writes that puts Bush in a tough place?

Talabani said the number of "well-trained" Iraqi security forces stood at 60,000 and would reach 100,000 by the end of the year. All told, there about 190,000 Iraqis enlisted in the military or local security forces. "Some are well-trained, some are not so well-trained," he said. Iraqi troops have light arms, but he said they need 50 tanks and automatic weapons…

Amazing.  Three thousand well trained Iraqis in June.  Sixty thousand in September.  One hundred thousand by the end of the year!  And that's good news, but it's still not as many trained Iraqis as there were during the Presidential debates in September of 2004. 

BUSH: Let me first tell you that the best way for Iraq to be safe and secure is for Iraqi citizens to be trained to do the job.

And that's what we're doing. We've got 100,000 trained now, 125,000 by the end of this year, 200,000 by the end of next year. That is the best way. We'll never succeed in Iraq if the Iraqi citizens do not want to take matters into their own hands to protect themselves. I believe they want to. Prime Minister Allawi believes they want to.

Back then, a year ago, there were already 100,000 trained Iraqis, with another 25,000 soon to be trained by the end of 2004.  And by the end of this year?  Two hundred thousand!

And by June of this year?  3000.

And by September?  Sixty thousand!  With another forty thousand by the end of the year!

By next March?  There'll be seven trained Iraqis.  By May?  A million!  Then, in August?  Fifty nine.  But then, next October?  Four hundred thousand!

And that is the way it works with the Iraqi Army.  Some months:  there are no trained troops.  Other months?  There are more trained Iraqi troops than actual Iraqis.  Some months, the number of trained Iraqis actually eclipses the number of trained American troops.

In the world.

There's no logic to it.  There's no consistency to it.  And, without a more comprehensive understanding of the cultural complexities of Iraqi life, there's no point in even wondering about it.

The only thing Westerners can know for sure is that when Bush needs it, the trained Iraqi Army is huge.

And the Washington Post will dutifully type that shit up.

Comments

[Jigme Chhimi]

I just got in to work this morning and read the news and I was wondering Wow -- Timing is everything... Dood Great minds think alike. :D

[Ellen]

I didn't hear any of that. What a coincidence, and what an ass!

You do realize there are differences between 'well-trained' soldiers and 'training' soldiers, don't you? Unless my numbers are wrong there are currently over 100,000 enlisted of those approximately 3,000 are well trained, which means there are free standing with no U.S. assitance, i.e. troops that are not embedded with U.S. military personnel. Also, before you go bad mouthing our military and our country for brining people out of the dark ages, maybe do some freaking research on the other 95% of the story that the MSM does not show. Like Iraqis going to school for the first time, women being able to vote, hell anyone being able to vote. If you would take five minutes to pull you're head from your ass you'd see that what we are doing over there is good and necessary. You make me sick. Democrats are supposed to be the party of the people, but lately you are the party of whining about anything and everything that isn't about the Democrats.

[ricky]

There are no Iraqis going to school for the first time. Women will have fewer rights under the new Islamic Republic of Iraq. And no one on this blog has badmouthed the military.

And the trained/well trained distinction is goofy. If they are not well trained enough to do the job, why bring them up?

It's intentionally misleading by the Bush administration.

Though, if you could read, you would realize that the misleading distinction is not something that I've missed.

You are living in a fantasy world, having arguments with imaginary people.

Stop surfing blogs and go seek help.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/09/15/iraq.main/index.html

Read the captions under the pictures and see if anything jumps out at you...No? This situation is being handled by IRAQI soldiers, not Americans. You want proof that Iraqis are taking over, here's some

[ricky]

Would that be the Islamic Republic of Iraq? Fantastic!

I never thought I'd live to see the day, when with so little American sacrifice and money, there would actually be an Islamic Republic in the mideast.

It brings tears to my eyes.

And wow! That proof is conclusive! Who could argue with a single news story? With your grasp of evidence, your keen understanding of the difference between anecdotal and proof, you must be a lawyer!

Bring the troops home then!

You're silly.

[ricky]

I'm sorry. What was I thinking.

That's even lamer evidence than I thought. It's not an article. It is, as you said, just a caption under a picture!

There it is! Proof! A picture caption!

You're beyond silly. Stop wasting your time on blogs and go learn something.