U.S. Lowers Sights On What Can Be Achieved in Iraq

[FreedomAngel82]

Link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2005/08/13/AR2005081300853.html

<U.S. Lowers Sights On What Can Be Achieved in Iraq
Administration Is Shedding 'Unreality' That Dominated Invasion,
Official Says

By Robin Wright and Ellen Knickmeyer
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, August 14, 2005; A01

The Bush administration is significantly lowering expectations of
what can be achieved in Iraq, recognizing that the United States will
have to settle for far less progress than originally envisioned
during the transition due to end in four months, according to U.S.
officials in Washington and Baghdad.

The United States no longer expects to see a model new democracy, a
self-supporting oil industry or a society where the majority of
people are free from serious security or economic challenges, U.S.
officials say.

"What we expected to achieve was never realistic given the timetable
or what unfolded on the ground," said a senior official involved in
policy since the 2003 invasion. "We are in a process of absorbing the
factors of the situation we're in and shedding the unreality that
dominated at the beginning."

Administration officials still emphasize how much they have achieved
despite the postwar chaos and escalating insurgency. "Iraqis are
taking control of their country, building a free nation that can
govern itself, sustain itself and defend itself. And we're helping
Iraqis succeed," President Bush said yesterday in his radio address.

Iraqi officials yesterday struggled to agree on a draft constitution
by a deadline of tomorrow so the document can be submitted to a vote
in October. The political transition would be completed in December
by elections for a permanent government.>

[wanpete]

1. How often will this mission's goal be changed? How long can America fall

for this. Stopy the lying now *co and bring our troops home.

[tuvor]

2. bush is the poster brat for lowered expectations n/t

[rateyes]

3. I remember watching TV after Hurricane Andrew..

blew through FL---cat.5---and a news station had their camera in the face of somebody who tried to ride the storm out---he was asked why he stayed instead of obeying the evacuation order---as he looked around at the devastation he said with a dazed expression on his face, "I didn't think it was going to be this bad. I really didn't think it was going to be this bad."


I remember thinking to myself, "They told you it was going to be that bad. Why didn't you believe them?"

As we survey the devastation in Iraq, suffer the cost of an illegal, immoral, unjustified war---and, then hear the the administration is "lowering the bar" of success in Iraq by now saying, "What we expected to achieve was never realistic given the timetable or what unfolded on the ground," I want to say, "We told you so... you bunch of ignorant jackasses."

[confludemocrat]

4. "In a process of absorbing reality" they say. Too late f'heads you blew it

A bit late you pack of bloody, murderous numbnuts. This is a facilated PR feed by the Post to the MSM who will echo this around by repeating the supposed "achievements" none of which are true but are treated in this story as a done deal.

[rateyes]

7. The other day, for the first time in my life..

I slam-dunked a basketball...

because I lowered the goal to 6 feet. "Ain't I a stud!!"

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

5. Is this the 'soft bigotry' of lowered expectations we heard about so often

during campaign 04?

[Inland]

9. Indeed. Lowering expectations so that Bush can make the passing grade. nt

[jimshoes]

6. Well on a scale of 1 to 10

we were hoping for a 10 of course, but the reality is (we really hate to use that word, reality) it has turned into something more like a minus 6. In other words this thing has turned into what the naysayers and nattering nabobs of negativism refer to as a clusterfuck. Now we don't use terms like clusterfuck in these politically and morally correct times, we simply lie. So with that in mind the minus 6 that we have concluded that Iraq has turned into is in actual point of fact a massively and robust good thing. Our horrific loss is actually a resounding victory. On to Iran!

[MnFats]

8. and, Mr. Bush, what do you say now to the dead?

"Sorry but your lives are worth even less than I thought at the outset?"

play 'em that stupid new country-western song?

this is a trial balloon in anticipation of disaster.