Tony Snow: Higher levels of violence in Iraq are expected "pushback" by insurgents

[sabra]

http://www.kuna.net.kw/home/story.aspx?Language=en&DSNO=944890

Higher levels of violence in Iraq are expected "pushback" by insurgents - US

WASHINGTON, Jan 22 (KUNA) -- Responding to news over the weekend of the third-worst day in the nearly four-year-old Iraq war in terms of U.S. casualties, as well as reports of some 70 people killed in Baghdad today, White House spokesman Tony Snow on Monday said the violence is an expected "pushback" to announcements of plans to deploy more U.S. and Iraqi forces.

However, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is being more assertive in dealing with militias and in political reconciliation, Snow said during a White House briefing.

"The benchmarks and the kinds of things that people have identified as absolutely necessary toward the long-term progress of democracy in Iraq, the Maliki government has been addressing," Snow said. "We do not yet have the Iraqi brigades into Baghdad, but they are on the move. We do not have the U.S. battalions deployed, but they will be ready to support when the Iraqis get there." The Maliki government is very serious about addressing on a non-sectarian basis the problem of those who are trying to operate outside the law in Iraq, Snow said.

Insurgents in Iraq know that the news media will focus on body counts and large acts of violence "because that, for the terrorists, is a victory," Snow said. "But what is a defeat are some of the things going on behind the scenes right now in terms of the political reconciliation efforts, in terms of you saw Muqtada al-Sadr saying to the members of his party in the Council of Representatives, get back to doing business." The Bush administration has been urging Maliki to crack down on fellow Shiite Sadr and his militia, the Mahdi Army.

"So we are at the beginning stages now of this new way forward, and certainly on what we have seen on the part of the Iraqi government are affirmative actions in terms of security and in terms of political reconciliation that I think satisfy conditions that members of both (U.S. political) parties wanted to see," Snow said.

[Wickerman]

1. Oh, I get it, "pushback" deaths don't count

:eyes:

[marmar]

2. Perhaps, "Blowback" is a better term, Tony Snowjob.

And blowback is a bitch.

[RedEarth]

3. Tony, we've been hearing that for four years......... that line is a little worn out

[spanone]

4. He's got a snarky, smart-assed answer for eveything except the truth.