"Bush Insists He's 'In Charge' of Iraq Policy" - Now voters know who to go after.

[Drift3r]

Well I guess now we voters know who to go after for this giant mess of a turd known as Iraq we have steped into.

"Bush Insists He's 'In Charge' of Iraq Policy"
1 hour, 7 minutes ago
By Steve Holland

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush (news - web sites) on Monday rejected complaints from some members of Congress that he needs to assert more control over Iraq (news - web sites) policy, saying, "The person who is in charge is me."

A key Republican lawmaker, Indiana's Sen. Richard Lugar (news, bio, voting record), who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said on Sunday that "the president has to be president" as top advisers appeared to disagree over Iraq.

Bush gave a series of television interviews on Monday to regional news outlets as part of a public relations offensive to underscore progress being made in Iraq and defend the U.S.-led invasion.

"The person who is in charge is me," Bush told Tribune Broadcasting when asked about the infighting and who was in charge.

Bush said his administration had a strategy and it was being carried out by U.S. civil administrator in Iraq, Paul Bremer, whose nickname is Jerry.

"In all due respect to politicians here in Washington, D.C., who make comments, they're just wrong about our strategy. We've had a strategy from the beginning, Jerry Bremer is running the strategy and we are making very good progress about the establishment of a free Iraq," Bush said.

Ideological differences within Bush's inner circle have led to frictions. Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites) and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld are more hawkish and inclined toward unilateral action and have disagreed with Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites), who prefers a more multilateral policy.

TENSIONS IN THE OPEN

The tensions spilled into the open last week when Rumsfeld complained he was not consulted about creation of the "Iraq Stabilization Group" to lead the Iraq reconstruction effort, headed by national security adviser Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites).

Many in Washington saw the move as a diminution of Rumsfeld's authority in Iraq amid rising concern about postwar chaos. The White House said the reason was to ensure smooth coordination of Iraqi reconstruction with Congress expected to approve $20 billion for the effort.

In addition, at a time when Bush is seeking international support for postwar Iraq, Cheney gave a speech on Friday in which he said opponents of the U.S.-led war favored "doing exactly nothing."

Lugar told NBC's "Meet the Press" that Bush had to take control of the policy.

"That means the president over the vice president, and over these secretaries" of state and defense, he said. And he said Rice "cannot carry that burden alone."

Delaware Democratic Sen. Joe Biden said on the same program Bush had to "take charge, settle this dispute. Let your secretary of defense know, 'This is my policy. Any one of you that divert from the policy is off the team."'

Bush, whose job approval ratings have fallen to about the 50 percent level, the lowest since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, said he was not worried about the polls with little more than a year left until Election Day.

"If the people don't think I'm doing my job, they'll find somebody they think ... can, that's my attitude," Bush said. "Look, I just don't make decisions on polls and I can't worry about polls."

 

[GrGr]

"In all due respect to politicians here in Washington, D.C., who make comments, they're just wrong about our strategy. We've had a strategy from the beginning, Jerry Bremer is running the strategy and we are making very good progress about the establishment of a free Iraq," Bush said.

A free Iraq liberated from it's resources it seems

"This fits in neatly with plans announced in June by Paul Bremer, the head of Iraq's provisional authority, to sell off the country's state-owned industries (excluding, for the time being, oil, gas and minerals) and turn it into a US-style capitalist wonderland.

Last month, Mr Bremer issued CPA order number 39, giving foreign investors unrestricted rights to establish businesses in Iraq and/or buy up Iraqi companies.

The order also allows foreign investors to repatriate profits, dividends, interest and royalties immediately and in full. In other words, they can make a fast buck if they want to, without putting anything back. "

 

[Czar]

wasnt the original plan that for the army to only stay there for 2 months or something and elections to be held one month after the end of the war?

 

[BOBDN]

Originally posted by: Czar
wasnt the original plan that for the army to only stay there for 2 months or something and elections to be held one month after the end of the war?

I remember something similar being planned in Viet Nam. A quick decisive military victory followed immediately by the South Vietnamese taking control of their nation and electing a democratic government. Ten years later, 58,000 US dead, 2 to 3 MILLION estimated Vietnamese dead, untold billions wasted, we finally realized the crime we as a nation had perpetrated.

History repeats itself.

 

[rjain]

Originally posted by: GrGr

"The order also allows foreign investors to repatriate profits, dividends, interest and royalties immediately and in full. In other words, they can make a fast buck if they want to, without putting anything back."

That sounds suspiciously like outsourcing to me. So it's the Americans that suffer from outsourcing, now? This policy is a tragedy! We'll have an outflow of jobs unparalleled in the history of the universe, all because we've allowed American companies to do business in Iraq!

Edit: It also sounds a bit like putting money in the bank or investing in a company. The horrors! Those evil people with their savings accounts and 401(k)s and pension plans. They're just trying to make money and take it for their own!

 

[Czar]

Originally posted by: BOBDN

Originally posted by: Czar
wasnt the original plan that for the army to only stay there for 2 months or something and elections to be held one month after the end of the war?

I remember something similar being planned in Viet Nam. A quick decisive military victory followed immediately by the South Vietnamese taking control of their nation and electing a democratic government. Ten years later, 58,000 US dead, 2 to 3 MILLION estimated Vietnamese dead, untold billions wasted, we finally realized the crime we as a nation had perpetrated.

History repeats itself.

except that it is highly unlikely that it will reach the same scale

 

[Moonbeam]

I should think it's obvious that Bush is in charge. That's exactly why everything is f*cked up beyond recognition.

 

[BOBDN]

Originally posted by: Czar

Originally posted by: BOBDN

Originally posted by: Czar
wasnt the original plan that for the army to only stay there for 2 months or something and elections to be held one month after the end of the war?

I remember something similar being planned in Viet Nam. A quick decisive military victory followed immediately by the South Vietnamese taking control of their nation and electing a democratic government. Ten years later, 58,000 US dead, 2 to 3 MILLION estimated Vietnamese dead, untold billions wasted, we finally realized the crime we as a nation had perpetrated.

History repeats itself.

except that it is highly unlikely that it will reach the same scale

The same was said at the beginning of the Viet Nam war. Given time this administration can easily fvck up Iraq better than Johnson/Nixon fvcked up Viet Nam.

The domino principle proved to be false. Just like the imminent threat from Iraq and their WMD. Our enemies in the region would like nothing better than to have the USA bogged down in Iraq for a decade or more.

Time will tell. Look at how well the Bush administration has fvcked up things over there in only 7 short months. And for NO REASON WHATSOEVER.

Give them time. They are capable of much worse.

Read the history of the British in Iraq. Some very frightening parallels.

 

[CaptnKirk]

G.W. Bush, "I'm the King of the World !"

Wasn't that a line from the Titanic ?
U.S.S. Foriegn Policy.

 

[BOBDN]

Originally posted by: CaptnKirk
G.W. Bush, "I'm the King of the World !"

Wasn't that a line from the Titanic ?
U.S.S. Foriegn Policy.

And as unlikely as it seems, here comes one hell of a big iceberg...........IN THE DESERT! IN IRAQ!

 

[chowderhead]

In the yahoo link of this story, I like how GWB is on the golf course holding 3 golf clubs!
I am conflicted as to whether I want him working at his job or taking this much time off to vacation/golf/fund-raise. I can't decide which is worse.
Bush Insists He's 'In Charge' of Iraq Policy

It is actually kind of scary if you think about it, when GWB as the President of the United States of America and leader of the free world, needs to declare that he is in charge of his own policy.