Bush’s Shift of Tone on Iraq: The Grim Cost of Losing

[Human Torch]

News Analysis
Bush’s Shift of Tone on Iraq: The Grim Cost of Losing

By DAVID E. SANGER
Published: September 2, 2006

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/02/world/middleeast/02prexy.html

WASHINGTON, Sept. 1 — President Bush’s newest effort to rebuild eroding support for the war in Iraq features a distinct shift in approach: Rather than stressing the benefits of eventual victory, he and his top aides are beginning to lay out the grim consequences of failure. It is a striking change of tone for a president who prides himself on optimism and has usually maintained that demeanor, at least in public, while his aides cast critics as defeatists.

But in his speech on Thursday in Salt Lake City — the first in a series to commemorate the Sept. 11 anniversary — he picked up on an approach that Gen. John P. Abizaid, Vice President Dick Cheney and others have refined in the past few months: a warning that defeat in Iraq will only move the battle elsewhere, threatening allies in the Middle East and eventually, Mr. Bush insisted, Americans “in the streets of our own cities.”

“We can allow the Middle East to continue on its course — on the course it was headed before September the 11th,” Mr. Bush said, “and a generation from now, our children will face a region dominated by terrorist states and radical dictators armed with nuclear weapons. Or we can stop that from happening, by rallying the world to confront the ideology of hate and give the people of the Middle East a future of hope.”

It is reminiscent of — updated for a different war, and a different time — President Lyndon B. Johnson’s adoption of the “domino theory,” in which South Vietnam’s fall could lead to Communism’s spread through Southeast Asia and beyond. In the case of Iraq, Mr. Bush’s argument boils down to a statement he quoted from General Abizaid, his top commander in the Middle East: “If we leave, they will follow us.”

[HysteryDiagnosis]

1. If we leave, they will follow us?? How come shrub doesn't just

strut out there and say willy nilly "BRING IT ON!!!"?????

[bhikkhu]

12. no one ever "followed us"

win, lose or draw, no one. Not the Vietnamese, not the Koreans, not the Germans or the Japanese, or the Mexicans, the Hawaiians, the Panamanians or Grenadians...or many others I can't recall at the moment. Simply put, however fearful we might be, that isn't how people are. People want to live in peace in their own countries, not to war and die in ours.

[wellst0nev0ter]

16. The "Stray Dog" Theory?

Shit, like Bush even has a choice on the matter. Come December there will be so few troops that we'll need a draft.

[Demeter]

2. Bush Has Already Lost

so he can spare the rest of us any more damage by being a man about it and rectifying his error in going to Iraq in the first place by getting us out, now!

Besides, the Iraqis are too busy blowing each other up to follow us home.

[C_U_L8R]

3. A mistake that should have never been started

It's Bush's mess... he's gotta fix it

Send the twins

[uppityperson]

4. How about we go meddle first, make things worse, and guarantee that result

Hey Mr.bush, the world is rallying to confront the ideology of hate and give the people of Middle East a future of hope. Too bad who they are rallying to confront is you/us. Camn you to hell Mr.bush for making sure the hatred is worse, for risking my children's future and safety.

[SOS]

5. Since Bush is fond of Iraqi elections

How about a referendum?

Should US troops stay or go?

Let the people of Iraq decide.

[90-percent]

6. "If we leave they will follow us"

Just how fucking stupid does he think us Americans are?

Like they have to follow us back here to figure out where we live?

And since Bush is so good at fighting the "War on airline hijackings", aren't we all perfectly safe, anyway? I mean, National Security is Job One for the White House, so our country would be IMPERVIOUS to the terrorists currently terrorizing us in Iraq following us back home, wouldn't they?

Does that also mean these terrorists have to charter massive amounts of flights to bring over all them Iraqi's so they can kill them all over here, too?

-85% Jimmy

[Human Torch]

8. "More terrorist cells in the U.S. right now than in Iraq"

...I wish I remember who said that last night on MSNBC (might have been Ron Reagan) but it's TRUE...

PLUS, the 9/11 hijackers were LIVING IN THE US...they FOLLOWED US HERE without our LEAVING IRAQ because we weren't IN IRAQ...

Bush's whole game plan, as he stumbles toward the November elections like Mayberry's town drunk Otis Campbell, is not even remotely based in logic or linear thought. I personally think that the U.S. has "fear fatigue." We can't walk around feeling afraid 24 hours a day, no matter how badly Junior wants us to.

And yes, I apologize to the Otis Campbell fans for comparing him to Bush (I know you're out there...)

:patriot:

[Jim__]

7. "...by rallying the world ..."

Too late, you fucking idiot. The world rallied to our side after 9/11. You basically spit on them. Guess what. They ain't rallying to our side any more.

[NOLADEM]

9. Sad really...

I mean, when your only argument in a war you are losing is that quitting would be an even WORSE bloodbath than the bloodbath you are already experiencing, it is truly a sad day.

[Joe Chi Minh]

10. I think there are some Viet Cong who aren't going to take kindly

to being pre-empted by the Iraqis.

[theanarch]

11. apart from the fact that...

..."they" will follow US home is utter rubbish, the counter-argument should be: let them; we might actually have a chance of beating them here, 'cause we sure as hell aren't beating them there. And if we have lose a Wal-Mart and a few Starbucks when we fight them in our shopping malls (thank you Rep. Curt Weldon, R-PA/of course), well, it's a sacrifice i'm willing to make...

[truthisfreedom]

13. bush done plumb run us out of fear.

i'm feared out. so who gives a crap what he says?

on edit:

obviously rove is trying this new tactic because bush's numbers simply won't rise, and thugs nationwide are distancing themselves from him... Mark Kennedy said in a debate against his Democratic challenger that "everyone is obsessed with bush. well this election isn't about bush. president bush is not going to be voting in the Senate. it's about me..." (i paraphrased but did not exaggerate his comments.)

[cyberpj]

14. Wasn't someone keeping a list of the "frames"? #1=WMD, #2=welcome us...

and so on and so on -
they have a new frame every time the situation shifts worse!

[HuffleClaw]

15. what bullshit

their propaganda has descended to truly desperate levels.

[pinniped]

17. Ya, let them follow us here.

There are over 200,000 firearms in private hands and most of us know how to use them.:silly:

Hey, I saw Invasion USA, if we call Chuck Norris it's game over.

[radfringe]

18. still comes down to the same pile of crap

FEAR

He's on the "air" to "scare" -- terrorists will follow us home. Guess what - they are already here according to bush, why else would he want to tap our phones and do other illegal surveillance on Americans? Why do we have to go through security checks at airports and other venues? Why do we have terrorist alerts for homeland places like subways or sporting arenas?

Does it make sense to have an alert for the New York Subways if the terrorists haven't "followed us home"? Or is the purpose of alerts to keep us in a constant state of fear?

fear and smear -- It should come as no big surprise that a new al-qeada video was released this weekend. There will be more between now and Nov. 7 - as well as more terror alerts to ensure the fear factor is sufficiently heightened.

and if you have an opposing or critical views - why then you must be a traitor, unpatriotic, an appeaser, a fascist sympathizer...

[Ravy]

19. He hasn't been right on a SINGLE thing about Iraq yet.

WMD
Mobile Labs
Drones
Atomic Bombs
Oil will pay for the war and reconstruction
Flowers greeting us
Saddam harboring terrorists
Turn the corner
Send in someone to oversee
Send someone *else* in to oversee
Disable the Iraq army
Reinstate the Iraq army
Turn the corner
No government until the constitution
Set up a government to hammer out a constitution
Hold elections
Turned the corner
Ratify a constitution
Turn the corner
Elect government, who needs to change the constitution
Where is the government?
Last throes
Found the weapons
Didn't find the weapons
Government is in place, doing fine
Shias kill Sunnis
Sunnis kill Shias
Civil War

Just what the fuck has he EVER been right about?

[nolabels]

20. Just imagine with him being wrong so much about Iraq what would...

happen if he was actually in charge of anything over here the United States :hide: