What we should be talking about, Wolfie's "pronouncement"

[mrgorth]

This administration just gets more and more arrogant by the minute.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/12/10/sprj.irq.contracts/index.html

BERLIN, Germany (CNN) -- A decision by the U.S. to bar some of its major trading partners from bidding for Iraqi reconstruction contracts has been greeted around the world with amazement.

Countries that did not back the U.S.-led coalition that toppled Saddam Hussein will not be eligible to compete for $18.6 billion worth of contracts, U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said.

According to a memo posted on a Pentagon Web site, those countries that either participated in the Coalition effort in the war or supported it -- including Britain, Australia, Spain, Italy, Poland, Turkey and Japan -- were on the list.

While officials from some of the excluded countries speculated that the memo was not official U.S. policy, the White House put such notions to rest Wednesday, when spokesman Scott McClellan said decision to limit the list was "totally appropriate."

[killbotfactory]

1. Now that's how you get other nations involved!

Flip 'em the bird!

[Fovea]

2. Scott McClellan said decision to limit the list was

Totally Criminal, and the worst Foreign Policy decision since burning Ottawa.

[mrgorth]

4. Isn't that

the WH spokesman?

[NewJeffCT]

9. Or is it another Scott McClellan?

I have no idea...?

[Maple]

5. Er...not to be nit-picky and all

but when did you burn Ottawa?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

6. Ottawa was burned in 1812

Thats why the Brits came south and torched Washington....

[Maple]

8. It was not

Ottawa didn't even exist then.

[boxster]

11. Huh?

What's with the revisionist history?

You must be reading from a different history book than the rest of us. There was nothing there to burn in 1812. Ottawa wasn't even called Ottawa until the 1850's.

[TankLV]

13. Actually, it was Toronto

there were many raiding parties of Americans to Canada at the time, from the shores of Lake Ontario.

Kinda backfired big time for the Niagara Frontier at the time.

Admiral Perry, Fort Niagara and all.

Fort Niagara was a British garrison for a long time. Big sore spot for the US.

That's how Grand Island lost all it's trees - the US was busy cutting them all down to build warships for the Upper and Lower Great Lakes.

and I believe the reaction was for the Brits to burn what was the village of Buffalo at the time, not DC.

[BOSSHOG]

3. The bush administration also

wants France and Germany to give up what Iraq owes them. And, be assured, this administration will not pass on problems to future administrations. I didn't know there was any "competition" for contracts. I guess now that Chenyburton has gotten all it can handle bids can now be open.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. But..but..this war isn't about oil and money!!

or, is it?

[NewJeffCT]

10. Why wolfie

Why is the Deputy Defense Secretary making a policy announcement regarding reconstruction contracts? Shouldn't that be handled by the State Dept? Is this another slap in the face of Colin Powell?

[Papa]

12. again, this administration does the opposite of what it should do

When the Bush administration cancelled the ABM treaty we said something like "look there's just a difference of opinion, we still have a strong relationship."

When we pulled out of the Kyoto protocols we said (Powell) "we have a difference of opinion with respect to the analysis of the current situation but that does not prevent us from being allies and friends and having very close links that go beyond a specific situation."

Bush said "Friends are able to speak candidly and constructively, Our relationship between … the United States and the European Union is strong and it is healthy."

When we don't agree with our allies initiatives, ideas or policies, we call it a difference of opinion, don't worry, our relationship is still strong. When our allies don't go along with us we tell them in effect "you are with us or against us", and we'll stab you motherfuckers in the back if you don't get on board and tow the line. Forget about difference of opinion. We have all the answers.

It makes me want to scream. What kind of statesman or leader would act this way? Might = right ? If Bush is elected in 2004, the USA is finished, we will have no allies except for Great Britain.

[maddezmom]

14. watching the re-reun of Scott McCellan right now

he's having a difficult time answering the ?'s.