Bush under fire in rift over Iraq(no confidence Bush has exit strategy)

[papau]

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1065996617618&call_pageid=968332188854&col=968350060724

Bush under fire in rift over Iraq
Washington's credibility at stake, critics say

TIM HARPER WASHINGTON BUREAU

WASHINGTON—U.S. President George W. Bush came under fire from senior Republicans and Democrats yesterday for not forcefully ending a rift over Iraq policy within the upper ranks of his administration.
The dispute, pitting U.S. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Vice-President Dick Cheney on one side, and U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell on the other, is hurting American efforts in Iraq because it is conveying a message of a strategy in disarray, they said.
Richard Lugar, the Republican chair of the Senate foreign affairs committee, said four administration officials, including Bush, gave four different speeches on Iraq last week and gave four different messages. <snip>

"Mr. President, take charge," said Biden of Delaware. The disarray in the administration, he added, is costing Washington credibility in Iraq and leading to widespread and more elaborate resistance because no one in that country can have confidence that Bush has an exit strategy.

"Settle this dispute," Biden said. "Let your secretary of defence, your secretary of state and your vice-president know this is my policy. Anyone who diverts from the policy is off the team. Take charge. Tell the American people, your plan, your cost and who is going to pay for it."

Lugar predicted Americans could be in Iraq another seven or eight years and he said another $50 billion (U.S.) at least, will be needed for reconstruction. <snip>

[ninkasi]

1. Plan?

His plan is simple...get his monkey paws on the oil, give the contracts to rebuild to Halliburton and his other cronies, and have the American taxpayer foot the bill. Other than that, I don't think he's capable of any longer range planning than what to play next on his gameboy.

[jbfam4]

4. Other important plans

To do list;
Play golf

go fishing

get to Crawford

Clean out those Bushes.....

[Gman]

9. Plan? We doan' need no stinkin' plan..

[qanda]

2. I guess they think the Bush* is really the President.

Newsflash: Bush* doesn't know what he's doing!!!!!

[Media_Lies_Daily]

3. Who's Lugar kidding? Another $50 billion for reconstruction?....

We're getting hammered with $87 billion just to pay the bills for next year alone! One year!! And Lugar's throwing out the figure of $50 billion "at least" will be needed for reconstruction???

Sounds like the old GOP shell game to me.

[Sagan]

5. And here it all comes apart...

So, * is a great "manager" who will direct those really smart people? Why doesn't he?

* is a "big picture" executive type who only gets involved in the big thinking. So, let's see it.

The fact of the matter is that * does not have the intellectual capacity or the work ethic to do his job. This is becoming readily apparent, even to those who have not believed it to date.

[rocktivity]

6. There is no exit strategy because there was never a strategy to exit

With an agenda that includes invading other Mideast countries and profiteering from oil and reconstruction, what's the hurry?


rocknation

[underpants]

8. May 29, 1998 PNAC letter to Lott and Gingrich

-- We should use U.S. and allied military power to provide protection for liberated areas in northern and southern Iraq; and -- We should establish and maintain a strong U.S. military presence in the region, and be prepared to use that force to protect our vital interests in the Gulf - and, if necessary, to help remove Saddam from power

http://www.newamericancentury.org/iraqletter1998.htm

[ConcernedCanuk]

7. ____Americans could be in Iraq another seven or eight years !!!

. . .

Americans could be in Iraq another seven or eight years !!!

Frigadee, sounds more and more like Vietnam

Will the USA WH ever learn ???

Eventually, I believe it will, but at great cost to the American People and American pride and dignity.

(sigh)

[Homer12]

10. Lack of a real plan to exit =

There never was a plan in the first place.

Invading Iraq was for long-term strategic gain.

[Bandit]

11. But don't you remember Senator Biden that Bush* doesn't have to be

Smart because he has all those smart people making decisions for him. Bush* ran on that premise, so don't expect to see brilliance at this point in time.