Bush gave what the AP describes as a "pep talk" to the troops in a July 4th speech at Fort Bragg.
"At this moment of vulnerability for the enemy," he said, "we will continue to strike their network. We will disrupt their operations, and we will bring their leaders to justice."A few observations.
The outlook was less optimistic in Baghdad.
Gunmen in camouflaged uniforms kidnapped Iraq's deputy electricity minister, Raed al-Hares, and 11 of his bodyguards in eastern Baghdad. The kidnapping occurred three days after gunmen seized a Sunni female legislator in east Baghdad; she and seven bodyguards are still missing.
Tense conditions also exist currently in Afghanistan, where U.S.-led troops are facing fierce resistance from the Taliban in southern sections of the nation.
Bush paid special recognition to members of the U.S. military services who have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003.
"I will make you this promise, I'm not going to allow the sacrifice of 2,527 troops who have died in Iraq to be in vain," Bush said to the crowd of uniformed troops, who responded with a chorus of "Hooah."
First, what on earth kind of bodyguards allow themselves to be taken hostage, rather than die defending their principal? Can you imagine a team of Secret Service agents allowing President Bush to be taken captive without losing their lives trying to stop it? It defies logic to suggest that government officials can be kidnapped, along with their official bodyguards, without some degree of cooperation between the security team and the kidnappers. How could such a thing not be an inside job?
Also, note that Bush has now begun an effort to innoculate himself from criticism over the growing American death toll in Iraq. Turning into the storm, he is wielding the precise number of lives lost as a rhetorical weapon, rather than letting his critics use it as a bludgeon against him. Using this tactic, he is refusing to acknowledge the death toll as evidence of his failed policy. Rather, he is turning it into a rallying cry to smear the "cut and runners," whose plan to end the occupation would mean, according to his spin, that those deaths were in vain.
The occupation of Iraq is going from bad to worse, but Bush refuses to accept responsibility for any of it.
2 comments:
he doesn't have a choice. cheney and rumsfeld are really running this show. in 2000, while george and condi were in mexico- cheney and rumsefeld sent airstrikes to iraq. why? bigger question is why didn't george and condi know? the valerie plame leak came from cheney's office. bush is the scapegoat here- the man isn't in charge of dressing himself. i don't have sympathy but i do have pity. i genuinely believe that he was told that he would be in charge when he ran- and then cheney came into the white house and took over. i am working on a post right now that will hopefully prove my theory.
in 2000, while george and condi were in mexico- cheney and rumsefeld sent airstrikes to iraq. why? bigger question is why didn't george and condi know?
"2000?" That's a typo, I'm sure. Dub didn't take office until January, 2001. ;-)
What incident are you referring to, though? I don't remember this.
What I do remember is when Cheney, on September 11, 2001, issued an order for a civilian plane to be shot down. It didn't happen, ultimately, but I remember being shocked at the fact of it. Absent the invocation of section 3 of the 25th Amendment, I am unaware of any authority that the vice president has over the military. It was quite revealing to learn that Cheney thought he wielded such authority.
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