New Group Intended To Speed Iraq Efforts (Purpose Is To "Crack The Whip)

[Khephra]

Bush announced yesterday that the White House will take a stronger role in overseeing the struggling effort to rebuild Iraq through a new group intended to speed the flow of money and staff to Baghdad and streamline decision-making in Washington.

The purpose of the new Iraq Stabilization Group is to "crack the whip, frankly," said a senior administration official, who described a sense of urgency amid persistent trouble in Iraq and polls showing declining confidence in Bush.

The announcement comes as some Democrats are intensifying their criticism of the administration for delays in restoring power, providing security and formulating a plan to cope with the complexities of rebuilding a country of 24 million people. As Congress debates the administration's request for $20 billion for reconstruction, lawmakers are appealing to the White House for a more effective and transparent effort.

The new group, to be led by national security adviser Condoleezza Rice and drawn from more than a half-dozen Cabinet agencies, is intended to remove a bottleneck in decision-making by identifying and resolving problems faced by the U.S.-led occupation. Responsibility for running postwar Iraq will remain with the Defense Department, and civilian administrator L. Paul Bremer will retain considerable autonomy.

more.........

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A53560-2003Oct6.html

Ok...I'm saying it right here and now: this group is going to make things a thousand times worse if they think that they can just come in a push the Iraqis into doing what the Bushies want now. WAY worse.

Rice is one of the most arrogant members of this entire administration, AND she frequently starts flubbing under stress. She's a horrible choice to head this.

Now if they had put Powell in charge of the group we might have seen success, but this is a disaster waiting to happen.

[LearnedHand]

1. Man, I heard this today, both on Democracy Now...

...and NPR. And the only thought I had was :wtf: !! I've never seen a more mysterious "reorganization" in my life!

[kskiska]

2. You're absolutely right, Kef.

Condi is the worst choice for this. She's already in way over her head. She should have been fired long ago, but Preznit Junior couldn't survive without her. He has a very small gene pool to draw on, and even people who have left are called back to "serve" more time.

[priller]

8. Yep, way over her head

and out of her element entirely. I've read in several places that Condi has resisted any sort of "operational" job so far, sticking solely to role of an advisor. I don't think she has any real organizational or management experience.

The good news in all of this, though, is that if things stay screwed up in Iraq, the blame now falls squarely on the White House. They can no longer pass the buck to the Pentagon or State Dept.

[dutchdemocrat]

3. I think the objective is...

To take power out of Rumsfeld's hands. He's been bumped it looks like.

[ReadTomPaine]

4. Rumsfeld was starting to lose the faith.

Ironically, Rumsfeld was beginning to grasp the depth of this quagmire and stress some form of pullout/handover lately to try and save face. It’s no surprise that Condi “generational commitment” Rice was tapped to oversee things.

[Spentastic]

5. Clueless

"The purpose of the new Iraq Stabilization Group is to "crack the whip, frankly," said a senior administration official, who described a sense of urgency amid persistent trouble in Iraq and polls showing declining confidence in Bush."

Reminds me of the Simpsons "Max Power" episode.

Homer "There's the right way, the wrong way and the Max Power way"
Bart "Isn't that the wrong way?"
Homer " Yes, but faster!"

[dbt]

6. 'Crack the whip.' Such a thoroughly bu$hian image!

Can't have those dark-skinned ones getting out of line, can we? Must send in the Overseers to crack the whip across their disobedient backs.

bu$h anyhow!
dbt

[chemenger]

7. Just Imagine ...

Condi Rice as a dominatrix. I wish I knew something about Photoshopping. Imagine the possibilities.

[olmy]

9. Reorg? More like needing to cut checks to Halliburton faster.

[Kitsune]

10. Ohhhh boy....

The fecal matter is definitely about to impact upon the rotary oscillator.

[Palacsinta]

11. Unbelievable!

Un-freaking-believable!!!! Bush is going to give MORE RESPONSIBILITY to a person, who, on national telelvison, claimed that she FORGOT about a CIA memo re: Saddam's nuclear capabilities, and ACTUALLY SAID that she was going to put into place "measures that don't rely on memory"!!!????????? I was tempted to send her a picture of my bulletin board along with a pack of post-it notes and some thumbtacks)

She is either a liar, or a dolt, or both. Either way....

[gratuitous]

12. "Okay you men, back off and let the horses have a go at it"

But sadly, all the Dope's horses and all the Dope's men couldn't put Humpty back together again.

It's a lot easier breakin' stuff than buildin', ain't it Georgie? And, given this corrupt administration's proclivities, the metaphor of choice is to "crack the whip." Sure hope those Iraqis don't get uppity, or they'll get the lash end of things! And, naturally, there is no hint that what they were doing before was a total failure; it's just time to let them Eye-rackis know who's in charge around these parts.

And you'll by God be thankful it's not Saddam Hussein!

[underpants]

13. Homer:"Do you want it done right or do you want it done quickly?"

Marge"Like any American I want it done quickly"

[underpants]

14. Homer:"Do you want it done right or do you want it done quickly?"

Marge"Like any American I want it done quickly"

[Beetwasher]

15. Condi Rice Who Coulnd't Envision Planes Flying Into Bldgs

Who didn't know the niger document was a forgery, who ignored warnings about 9/11 is going to be in charge of Iraq? Condi Rice, the Nat'l Security advisor who has the worst record of protecting THIS country of any Nat'l Security advisor in history is now going to be in charge of the security of ANOTHER country too?!? That makes sense...:eyes: You'd think she'd have her hands full trying to keep this country safe considering there are traitors in her midst and now she's taking on Iraq too! RUN FOR THE HILLS, CONDI'S IN CHARGE!!!!!

[Terran]

16. Well, at least we can be confident now

that things will continue to get worse, and not better, in Iraq.
Condoleeza "Know Nothing" Rice, what an excellent choice for this position.

I really don't envy whoever wins in 2004. It's one thing to say that the Iraq invasion was a mistake, but it's another to act effectively based on that position. The new president is going to have some difficult political decisions to make regarding our presence there.

[ninkasi]

17. Oh, great...

A great number of the problems in Iraq today are caused by this administration's blind, stubborn inability to make even the most tepid attempt to understand the Iraqui people, or their customs. This insane new policy will only escalate the violence, increase the resentment, and cause things to go downhill even quicker.

There has never been a worse president in our country's history. With Dubya, we have truly scraped the bottom of the barrel. My heart goes out to everybody there, from the innocent Iraquis, who are suffering even more than ever, to our soldiers, who are facing death, maiming, and destruction of life.

Just when I think they can't do anything stupider than they already have, they prove me wrong.

[TahitiNut]

18. dupe

See http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=153420

I'm locking this thread. Interested DUers are welcome to continue discussing this in the referenced thread.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation,
TahitiNut - DU moderator

[MO_Dem]

19. I'd think that the job of advisor to Gee Duh b

would be an "8 days a week" job--wonder who's going to fulfill that job now that Condi's got a new gig? Or, does she?