June 11, 2006
YA FALL, YA GET BACK UP:
U.S. Seeking New Strategy for Buttressing Iraq's Government (DAVID E. SANGER and JAMES GLANZ, 6/11/06, NY Times)
President Bush's two-day strategy session starting Monday at Camp David is intended to revive highly tangible efforts to shore up Iraq's new government, from getting the electricity back on in Baghdad to purging the security forces of revenge-seeking militias, White House officials said. [...]One of the senior officials involved in the strategy session characterized it as a "last, best chance to get this right," an implicit acknowledgment that previous American-led efforts had gone astray.
He said the decision to hold a joint cabinet meeting on Tuesday, between Mr. Bush's top advisers and the newly appointed cabinet of Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki of Iraq via a video link from Baghdad, was intended to set an agenda for the new government that could begin to win the loyalty of disaffected Iraqis. It is also an effort to hand off leadership to Mr. Maliki's government and, in an analogy used by several American officials, to begin to let go of the bicycle seat and find out if the Iraqi government can stay upright with less American support.
Note how -- appropriately -- the metaphor refutes the message. Posted by Orrin Judd at June 11, 2006 4:15 PM
Excellent point. The Bush Administration has done absolutely everything stunningly wrong yet here they are having a meeting with the democratically and legitimately elected government of the new Iraq, discussing how they can best hand off responsibility for the country. If these people like these reporters really thought about it, their heads would likely explode.
PS - Would have posted earlier but fell asleep trying to watch the Mexico-Iran soccer game. Don't know why as the game was historic in that Mexico scored 3 goals for the FIRST TIME EVER in World Cup play.
Posted by: Rick T. at June 11, 2006 5:00 PMPPS - On the Fox morning show, Mr. Wallace asking Congressman Jane Harman if any of the Democrats would like to sit in. She wasn't interested unless firing Rumsfeld was on the agenda. Absolutely pathetic.
Posted by: Rick T. at June 11, 2006 5:19 PMo/t amd I'll probably be sorry I asked, but does this tournament work like the March Madness? Winner goes to the next round and loser goes home?
Posted by: erp at June 11, 2006 6:23 PMWho knows?
Posted by: jdkelly at June 11, 2006 6:28 PMerp:
Pretty sure each team plays a few games and accumulates points for wins and ties, then the top teams in each group go on in a tournament format.
Posted by: Rick T. at June 11, 2006 6:33 PMThanks, I guess I was kinda hoping that Iran's loss would send the team home before any fireworks could start.
Posted by: erp at June 12, 2006 9:35 AM