The Knights of NIE!!!!!!

This is clearly part of a campaign to discredit Maliki so they can get rid of him and put a new guy in his place then declare that we have to be patient and give the new guy a chance. You watch -- that's exactly what's going on here.

Shia have to face deranged Arab Sunni nutcases, I do not blame them for wanting all guarantees.

The AP didn't just "get a hold of" a copy of the intelligence assessment. It was deliberately leaked by the White House.

Damn the torpedos -- stay right where we are!

[deleted by popular demand]

All evidence probably would be treated as a reason to stick around - but why?

What does Bush want with that place now? Is it just that he doesn't want the spectacle of withdrawal on his watch? Because I don't think they really are planning on the permanent bases anymore.

It's the same thing with the GOP and tax cuts. If the economy is doing poorly, it's time to cut taxes because we need to stimulate the economy. If the economy is doing great, it's time to cut taxes because we can afford it. If the economy is merely just doing all right, well, those tax cuts just pay for themselves, don't they?

Never mind that targeted tax cuts that favor the rich almost never have the effect of stimulating the economy, as the rich tend to save their returned millions (and oftentimes not in U.S. banks). But that's class warfare, isn't it?

Why does the AP hate America?

Al, read why violence in Baghdad has decreased:

(quote)

"Decrease in Baghdad violence due to sectarian cleansing:

The polarization of communities is most evident in Baghdad, where the Shia are a clear majority in more than half of all neighborhoods and Sunni areas have become surrounded by predominately Shia districts. Where population displacements have led to significant sectarian separation, conflict levels have diminished to some extent because warring communities find it more difficult to penetrate communal enclaves."

(end quote)

It's more like the peace of a grave yard in Rwanda.

Well, yeah, but the "intelligence community" was right on target with all of the WMD predictions, right? And we know how those intelligence community-proffered linkages between Saddam and al-Qaeda turned out.

The safe bet is to assume that the reality is precisely the opposite of the assessments of the intelligence community.

This is clearly part of a campaign to discredit Maliki so they can get rid of him and put a new guy in his place

Not quite. They want to replace Maliki with an *old* guy, Allawi.

There is something wrong with our system of governance of this war, that has now become a issue of vanity for a single person but is opposed by all but the congenitally retarded, cannot be stopped by legal means

Oh Geez, another NIE. Does this one contain as much bullshit as the NIE they spent a coupla all-nighters cobbling together in Fall 2002?

[Trolling deleted. Take it elsewhere.]

This is clearly part of a campaign to discredit Maliki so they can get rid of him and put a new guy in his place then declare that we have to be patient and give the new guy a chance.

That's exactly what they're doing, but it's Allawi they want in.

Ah, Kevin.

Why don't you listen to our President, once and a while.

The President says that if the government becomes unresponsive to the demands of the people, then the people will vote out the government. That is PRECISLY what is going on here.

This is democracy at work, Kevin.

Nonsense Kevin. It has just been reported attacks in Iraq have gone DOWN 50% because of the Surge.

I know you don't care, but comparing a March number to a July number is flawed. Why? July numbers have been lower than March numbers throughout the war. Why? one reason is it's really freaking hot.

The correct way to compare is to last year's July numbers, and every comparison I have seen using that metric shows tiny improvements or none at all.

With all the talk (and leaks) about how Maliki is ineffective, I wouldn't be surprised if they remove Maliki and place someone else in his place. Then Bush will go out and tell us that the new puppet in Iraq needs a year before we pass judgement on him. And on and on this continues.

But wait a minute here...I thought Iraq was an independent state, a democracy wherein they select their own leaders, make their own government. How in the world can we "get rid of Maliki" and replace him with chalabi, err...I mean someone else?

egbert, shut the fuck up, you drooling, mendacious fucktard.

Enlisted yet, you yellow-bellied coward?

With all the talk (and leaks) about how Maliki is ineffective, I wouldn't be surprised if they remove Maliki and place someone else in his place. Then Bush will go out and tell us that the new puppet in Iraq needs a year before we pass judgement on him. And on and on this continues.

Yeah, 'cause that worked so well in Vietnam. Oh, wait...

The fact that all this is out in the open shows how all the wheels have done come off the White House's little red PR wagon. Does anyone really think that all the trash talk about Maliki and hints of a coup that would oust the current government of Iraq The Failing State is anything other than ample evidence of Bush's miserable failure of a war? Hint: when Bush has to refer to the Vietnam war to make his case, it's clear that despite the best PR efforts of some, the war situation has developed not necessarily to America's advantage.

The President says that if the government becomes unresponsive to the demands of the people, then the people will vote out the government. That is PRECISLY what is going on here.

This is democracy at work, Kevin.

Golly, they've scheduled elections? Somehow I missed that.

.

The correct way to compare is to last year's July numbers, and every comparison I have seen using that metric shows tiny improvements or none at all.

so:
7-2003 48 US killed
7-2004 54 US killed
7-2005 54 US killed
7-2006 43 US killed
7-2007 79 US killed

Chart detailing summertime deaths of Americans in Iraq (culled from a .pdf) is available here.

Hm... Precariouser and precariouser...

I believe most Americans are idiots, and will believe what the CNN's tell them.

It's more like the peace of a grave yard in Rwanda.

Oooh, that's a good one.

The assessment also expresses deep doubts that the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki can overcome sectarian divisions and meet benchmarks intended to promote political unity.

They're kidding right? Is that horse still on life support?

al-Maliki never had any intention of uniting Iraq. His goal like Hakim's was to turn Iraq into a suburb of Tehran.

Failing? Not as far as Iran is concerned.

Kevin, it's time to ban Al. He doesn't actually read the posts and he never responds to direct questions. Why provide a venue for grade-Z flacks?

Why is "Social Disease" Hanson on my radio right now???

Thanks benjoya and BGRS. I actually meant to say, "tiny improvement, none at all, or regression" (or something alone those lines) and forgot.

Actually, I have seen this same narrative year after year. Every year, fatalities and drop in the summertime. The neocons and warbloggers throw it in everyone's face as proof Freedom is on the March. Then, the attacks jump in the Fall, eclipsing both the summertime and previous year numbers. Then we are back to square one. This year, I give them credit, they've been much better at controlling the message, and the media has been typically lax at providing the full context of their statements (for example, the stuff about Anbar). But then again, a lot is at stake for them.

With all the talk (and leaks) about how Maliki is ineffective, I wouldn't be surprised if they remove Maliki and place someone else in his place. Then Bush will go out and tell us that the new puppet in Iraq needs a year before we pass judgement on him. And on and on this continues.
Posted by: rational on August 23, 2007 at 1:45 PM | PERMALINK

Rational gets it. . .

This is just another delaying tactic, in case they're unable to con us with the Petreus song-n-dance on 9/11.

I thought we couldn't leave Iraq because it would get worse if we left. Doesn't this report mean, therefore, that we cannot stay because Iraq will get worse if we stay?

Now if we could just get rid of that egsmell, every "once and a while".
On second thought, every village needs an idiot. (Well, one who isn't president, I mean.)

The situation is pretty grim, however the army seems to be saying that they will not extend the tours of duty beyond 15 months, so it could be very likely that the number of troops will be drawn down regardless of what Bush does. There's going to be a big fight in the Congress though when the Iraq report comes out in 3 weeks.

-stuart

Precariouser and precariouser!