WP: The Questions Bush Won't Answer

[Bhaisahab]

The Questions Bush Won't Answer

By Dan Froomkin
Special to washingtonpost.com
Monday, March 5, 2007; 3:28 PM

Ever since President Bush announced on Jan. 10 that he was defying the public will and increasing the U.S. military commitment in Iraq, he has been emphatic that his latest plan -- unlike all those previous ones -- would work. The key to his confidence: Iraqis, this time, are being told to get with the program -- or else.

The two obvious follow-up questions: But what do we do if it doesn't work? And "or else" what?

Bush has consistently refused to say. And nobody else in his administration will explain, either.

Given how Bush's previous plans in Iraq have failed -- and given his continued insistence that failure is "not an option" lest Iraq become a safe haven for terrorists -- it would have been entirely appropriate for the press corps to repeatedly, if not incessantly, demand answers to those two critical questions.

That didn't happen. And after a while, the stunning illogic of there being no apparent Plan B and no credible leverage with the Iraqis became just another inexplicable and yet almost entirely unmentioned part of the backstory.


CONTINUED:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/blog/2007/03/05/BL2007030500585.html

[EST]

1. Not to put a too fine point on it, but copyright law limits

direct unauthorized quotation to approximately four paragraphs or less.

You may want to do some clipping and snipping to fit this valuable post into those limits before having to confront a mod and then do it.

[Bhaisahab]

3. sure. thanks for pointing it out.

I've modified it. I was under the impression you could paste a certain percentage of the text rather than paragraphs. Since this was a five-pager, i thought i would do ok if i pasted just one page.

Anyway, thanks again. :)

[EST]

8. You're welcome.

Here's rule number five on copyrights.

5. Copyrights: Do not copy-and-paste entire articles onto this discussion forum. When referencing copyrighted work, post a short excerpt (not exceeding 4 paragraphs) with a link back to the original.

[Skittles]

2. their Plan B is for Plan A to work

:puke:

[okoboji]

4. failure is "not an option"......

lest Iraq become a safe haven for terrorists


It just occurred to me, that Iraq, has already become a safe haven for terrorists....

[ClintonTyree]

5. There is no, "Plan B".......

anything less than what Bush considers "total victory" is not an option. I think Andrew Sullivan said it best (believe it or not)...

"Andrew Sullivan wrote in the Sunday Times of London on Jan. 14: "My fear is that Bush has not thought this through. There is no plan B because his rigid, incurious mind doesn't have the dexterity to entertain it. The fundamentalist psyche doesn't like paradox or nuance. But in dealing with this complex and metastasising problem, paradox and nuance and ruthless self interest are indispensable."

And there's the rub: Bush is so inflexible he will not even entertain a, "Plan B". It's his way or nothing at all and with someone as unyielding as that "total victory" is damned near impossible.

It's quite apparent to me that Bush fully intends to keep this war going until he can sluff it off the next President, thereby escaping "blame" (although history will crucify him for his actions) for doing what should have been done years ago: total withdrawal of American troops. Bush (as always) is a coward. He doesn't have the integrity to admit his mistakes and take actions to minimize American losses in a losing cause. America will pay dearly for his gigantic ego, a man born on third base who later thinks he's hit a home run.

Worst. President. Ever. A disgrace to his country and the world, and history will undoubtedly bear that out

[Uben]

6. Plan "B"

Isn't this plan "B"? Nothing has worked so far. Plan "C" is to recruit the Boy Scouts and hold their annual Jamboree in Bagdad. MAybe the added uniforms will scare the hell outta the insurgents. Plan "D" would send in the Salvation Army. (thats all thats left)

[Gato Moteado]

7. i say send in the free republic

nt

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. Aren't Websites of Massed Dumbasses outlawed under the Geneva Conventions?

I mean, there's no quicker way to devastate a country than fill it with ignorant bigots.

[Demeter]

10. Plan B Is the Rapture!

Get out of Hell Free card--no non-born-agains need apply.

[groovedaddy]

11. If Iraq was stable, there would be no need for U.S. presence

and that runs counter to the state goal of the Neo-Cons: A permanent U.S. military presence in Iraq, as well as control of the oil.
THEY DO NOT WANT PEACE AND TRANQUILITY IN IRAQ!!!