Bush Drops Hopes for NATO Troops in Iraq

[Lorien]

Bush Drops Hopes for NATO Troops in Iraq
France, Turkey Rebuff President
By Dana Milbank
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, June 11, 2004; Page A06

SAVANNAH, Ga., June 10 -- President Bush said Thursday that he did not expect NATO to provide troops to Iraq, abandoning hope for such help after partners in the alliance raised

In a news conference ending the three-day Group of Eight meeting of industrialized nations, which Bush hosted in Sea Island, Ga., the president said his only hope for the military alliance would be for help in training Iraqi troops if the new interim government requests it. "I don't expect more troops from NATO to be offered up," he said. "That's an unrealistic expectation. Nobody is suggesting that"

Administration officials had been hoping that passage Tuesday of the U.N. Security Council resolution endorsing U.S. plans for Iraq would make it easier to recruit more international funds and manpower. Bush said Wednesday that "NATO ought to be involved" in Iraq -- a contention quickly rebutted by French President Jacques Chirac and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayy.

More: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32704-2004Jun10.html

[struggle4progress]

1. What a surprise, Mr. President! Who knew?

[opihimoimoi]

2. French Toast anyone? Fries?

We get what we put out..... we give shit.... we git shit.

[struggle4progress]

3. I expect major long-term military realignments ...

to result from this administration's bullying behavior.

[Bandit]

7. Texas Fries and Texas Toast ~ Remember there is America & Texas

:shrug:

[coloradodem2005]

4. I think we would do better with someone else.

Kerry might be able to convince people to help us.

[stickdog]

5. Yes, it is wholly unrealistic

as long as Bush is President.

[teryang]

6. The man is totally delusional

What happened to the bandwagon effect Mr. Cheney?

[Dhalgren]

8. Because the rest of the "free" world is not made up of

ill-educated, uninformed, uncaring, greedy bastards like the US is. I get so disgusted at the way Americans seem so shocked and surprized that the rest of the world does not believe in the same moronically stupid mythology that the average US citizen does.

[Demonaut]

14. well I would appreciate a more specific attack on individuals

than such a broad brush stroke that includes all americans, the country is split 50/50 on the war.

[underpants]

9. AGAIN-No one is going to help us out unless they get a cut

Money Money Money that is what this, the biggest heist ever, is all about. The Russians, Germans, and French will be more than happy to lend support if there is some money on the backend...to date Winc. have been unwilling to let anyone (even the Brits) get their hands in the moneybag.

[teryang]

10. Re: the moneybag

The normal pattern of American foreign policy is hardball when it comes to money, never yield might have been its motto. With this group it is about taking not sharing. Their motto, is F.U.

I think the European attitude toward this is "it's your funeral, go for it."

[gratuitous]

11. "Nobody is suggesting that"

Well, certainly not anymore you dope!

I swear to Cthulu, this administration has the reasoning skills of a slow 5-year-old! One day, their most fervent wish and desire that will 100% guaranteed come true is that all the free nations of the world will join the U.S. in its overreaching. Then reality sets in, and suddenly, "nobody" is suggesting that at all. Where did anyone get such a crazy idea? It's just ignorant! You're ignorant if you think that!

[calimary]

12. As you sow...

My father used to revel in his own favorite expression (well one of 'em, anyway): "IGMFU." It stands for "I Got Mine, F-U." You've raised that one to a high art, george. And now it comes back to bite you. Hope you're not TOO surprised, schmucko. Now go eat your "freedom fries." With a side of crow. I'd add some humble pie, too, but you'll never even recognize that.

Sorry, guys, I'm writing this while little george (EXTREMELY little) is speaking at the Reagan funeral. How thin. How lacking in gravitas. How much a lesser man. Mulroney came out and spoke in deep, dulcet tones, making some lovely points. Then Twerp Number One. That's the only word that comes to mind for george-the-elder. He's just a twerp. An old twerp, but a twerp nonetheless. And now Twerp Number Two. Both thin, tinny, flat. No gravitas. Mulroney was like a thick steak. THESE other two - like pieces of paper. JEEZ, how far we've fallen. I'd bet there are more than a few people watching or attending who are thinking that same thing.

[cliss]

13. This is what I call

"post-mortem accuracy". Note his words; "That's an unrealistic expectation. Nobody is suggesting that".

BUT, before they had the G-8 summit, they pompously bombasted that they were confident about getting NATO troops to help out in Iraq (even though these troops are supposed to be for defending Europe), and they will now be getting all the support they need because by golly everybody is on board now. If there was hesitation before, that's all gone now.

They build up false expectations, and then when reality hits, they have to revise downward. They've done this so many times, I simply to not believe anything they say any more. They're so stupid.

The State Department does this too.