Arrianna Huffington - Iraq: The Battle of September Has Already Begun

[Hissyspit]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/iraq-the-battle-of-septe_b_52516.html

Iraq: The Battle of September Has Already Begun
47 Comments | Posted June 17, 2007 | 06:54 PM (EST)

According to the White House -- and to the dwindling number of Congressional dead-enders still backing the war in Iraq -- we have to wait until September to be able to judge whether President Bush's escalation strategy has been a success.

Well, I've just returned from September and I can tell you two things:

1) I've seen the future and it doesn't work.

2) The administration will lie and claim that it does.

How did I accomplish this time-traveling feat? Very simple -- I just watched Meet the Press, and there was Ryan Crocker, U.S. ambassador to Iraq, who together with General Petraeus will testify to Congress. He demonstrated that along with the surge in troops, there's also been a surge in BS.

- snip -

Today's show was required viewing for anyone who cares about ending this war, because it's clear that Crocker's talking points are a preview of the spin the administration will use come September. They were trial balloons, and Democrats should start shooting them down now.

"The other thing I think we're going to do , because we owe it to our leadership at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, is also try to provide an assessment of what the consequences might be if we pursue other directions." Translation: Even if the surge isn't going so well come September, we are going to tell everyone -- especially those in Congress -- that if we leave Iraq we will unleash a genocidal bloodbath and war throughout the planet and, indeed, the entire galaxy. So we really need to give it more time.

MORE

[TwilightGardener]

1. Wow--backing away from September promises, and it's only June? Things must

suck worse than we thought--scary.

[mike_c]

2. when congress rolls over and spreads its legs in September...

...the apologists will inevitably say "well they were lied to by Crocker, Petraeus, Rice, etc." Mark that now-- members of congress do not live in a vacuum-- they have access to the same information we have, and more. They will KNOW they're being lied to. Their decision will not be whether to believe the lies or not-- it will be whether to behave as though the lies give them sufficient political cover. They won't be fooled. Will we?

[Hissyspit]

3. .