The Real Disaster

[bemildred]

President Bush told Americans last night that failure in Iraq would be a disaster. The disaster is Mr. Bush’s war, and he has already failed. Last night was his chance to stop offering more fog and be honest with the nation, and he did not take it.

Americans needed to hear a clear plan to extricate United States troops from the disaster that Mr. Bush created. What they got was more gauzy talk of victory in the war on terrorism and of creating a “young democracy” in Iraq. In other words, a way for this president to run out the clock and leave his mess for the next one.

Mr. Bush did acknowledge that some of his previous tactics had failed. But even then, the president sounded as if he were an accidental tourist in Iraq. He described the failure of last year’s effort to pacify Baghdad as if the White House and the Pentagon bore no responsibility.

In any case, Mr. Bush’s excuses were tragically inadequate. The nation needs an eyes-wide-open recognition that the only goal left is to get the U.S. military out of this civil war in a way that could minimize the slaughter of Iraqis and reduce the chances that the chaos Mr. Bush unleashed will engulf Iraq’s neighbors.

NY Times

[The_Casual_Observer]

1. "Where mistakes were made, I take responsibility"

Quite an apology.

[Vincardog]

2. While aWoL says that "to the extent mistakes were made I bear responsibility" He refuses

to take responsibility for the Cluster fuck that is his war in Iraq.

It does no good to try to make sense of the imbecile's actions until you realize that death destruction and Chaos are his plan to extort billions from our pockets,

[Mojorabbit]

3. I couldn't watch it

I lasted till he mentioned 9-11 and had to turn the channel to watch reruns of Rome on hbo. I am amazed at myself that my stomach knotted up with rage. I am normally so serene. No one has ever affected me this way.

[aquart]

4. Does the last paragraph mean what I think? OUT NOW!???

"We have argued that the United States has a moral obligation to stay in Iraq as long as there is a chance to mitigate the damage that a quick withdrawal might cause. We have called for an effort to secure Baghdad, but as part of the sort of comprehensive political solution utterly lacking in Mr. Bush’s speech. This war has reached the point that merely prolonging it could make a bad ending even worse. Without a real plan to bring it to a close, there is no point in talking about jobs programs and military offensives. There is nothing ahead but even greater disaster in Iraq."