Poppy sends James Baker to take "The Kid" to the woodshed over Iraq.

[KoKo]

Baker Advises Administration to Consider a Phased Withdrawal of Troops
- BARRY SCHWEID, AP Diplomatic Writer
Thursday, January 13, 2005

(01-13) 13:23 PST WASHINGTON (AP) --

Former Secretary of State James A. Baker III, an architect of the U.S. war with Iraq in 1991, is advising the Bush administration to consider a phased withdrawal of some of the 150,000 U.S. troops in Iraq.

Otherwise, Baker says, the United States risks being suspected of having an "imperial design" in the region.

A protracted U.S. military presence in Iraq is probably unavoidable since attacks on U.S.-led coalition forces and on Iraqi security forces are likely to continue, Baker said Tuesday in a speech at Rice University in Houston.

"Even under the best of circumstances, the new Iraqi government will remain extremely vulnerable to internal divisions and external meddling," he said.

Still, former President George H.W. Bush's secretary of state said, "any appearance of a permanent occupation will both undermine domestic support here in the United States and play directly into the hands of those in the Middle East who -- however wrongly -- suspect us of imperial design."
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/a/2005/01...

[AlabamaYankee]

1. "Imperial Design" The United States?!?

Can't be. And we really aren't building all of those permanent bases or otherwise settling in for the long haul once those pesky "insurgents" are taken care of.

Right. And I also believe in the tooth fairy

[CottonBear]

2. * only consults his "higher power."

He doesn't listen to his earthly father.

[King Coal]

3. I guess Baker didn't get the PNAC memo.

[coloradodem2005]

4. We've already crossed that bridge.

n/t

[Inland]

5. My Prediction: US withdrawal begins Feb 7

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=2945772&mesg_id=2945772

[KoKo]

6. What's odd about this is that Baker was "relieved of his Ambassadorship

by Chimp recently...which some took as a "slap in the face to Poppy" and now Baker is out there defying the Chimp.

Why didn't Baker/Poppy wait until "The Kid" was Crowned before they began their attack?

Iraq Elections or after would have been a better time for Baker to come out.

It makes me think...something BIG is going on behind the scenes...but I don't know what. :shrug:

[Technowitch]

7. Hardly. President Oedipus has already slain his daddy...

[Cheswick2.0]

8. James Baker: Liar

What he really means is; We went in there with imperial designs on the area, but you screwed it up son. As long as we have to get out anyway to preserve the republican party rule in the US, let's at least continue the pretense that we were there for the right reasons.

[KoKo]

9. But...but...stutter...Some of us think Baker is the "GODFATHER!" He

is the MASTERMIND of BUSH/CHENEY...he's indeed the GODFATHER.

So when BAKER SPEAKS..folks lie down and "spread their legs." I hate to be GROSS about this...but it's the way some of us "Oldie DU'ers" see him. :shrug: