It seems today that ridiculous spin from the white house is so over the top and inauthentic that we don't really expect truth or honesty at all anymore. There is a chosen position which they stick to and anything that happens that is contrary to it is denied or side-stepped. The UK phasing their troops out of Iraq is not a direct result of how great things have been going over there. We are in the process of adding tens of thousands of troops at a cost of over a million dollars per man, per year. If we weren't so accustomed to pointless spin this would come off as downright insulting to the average citizen. Let us all strive to be mindful of our conditioning.
Bush administration representatives led by Dick Cheney, the US vice-president portrayed the move by Britain as a sign of that conditions were improving in Iraq.Tony Snow, the White House spokesman, rejected suggestions the British announcement amounted to a timeline to withdraw forces from the country.
He said: "What you had is progress first and then the removal. This was not in response to any calendar that had been set by the parliament or by the prime minister."
Earlier, Cheney said the British move was a direct result of progress made in the British area of operations around the southern Iraqi city of Basra.
"Well, I look at it and see it is actually an affirmation that there are parts of Iraq where things are going pretty well," Cheney said.
Basra & southern Iraq have been deteriorating for quite some time, mostly because the British troops have simply worn out their welcome and have come to be seen as the occupiers no Iraqi wanted. It is true that there is rising sectarian violence spilling into the area, but that is not something any foreign contingency can control or stop. I in fact believe that the foreign occupation is a catalyst for this kind of violence.
As for Bush and Cheney, well what can you say? The Hague awaits.
Posted by: Zen | February 22, 2007 at 01:02 PM
The day after 9/11 all of America supported the idea of going to war with Al Queida and destroying them wherever they may be found. Now a short 5 years later we are engaged in the war with Al Queida and the spineless liberals in our country want to run away. It doesn't matter if there were no weapons of mass destruction found, and it doesn't matter if Saddam Hussein was part of 9/11. The only fact that does matter is that we are currently fighting the Al Queida terrorists side by side with the Iraqi soldiers. This is what America wanted 5 years ago, and now we have got it. This is the perfect time to destroy the vermin, not turn and run, to let them regroup stronger and attack us again. You liberals should join America in defeating the real enemy, one that has vowed to destroy ALL of us, and stop attacking our great president who seeks to defend ALL of us.
Dan&Dawn
Posted by: Dan & Dawn | February 25, 2007 at 09:00 AM
Just thought you should know this is the exact opposite of how it is portrayed in British media. ;)
Posted by: | February 26, 2007 at 04:33 PM