Operation: Cover George's butt?

March 31, 2003 11:31 AM

Operation: Cover George's butt? As the backpeddling and fingerpointing over "cakewalk" predictions continues, Talking Points Memo notes a recent article in the Charlotte Observer that quotes "senior administration officials" in saying that "dissenting views [about the war plan]' were not fully or energetically communicated to the president.'" Sounds like someones taking out an insurance policy, don't it?
posted by Gilbert (15 comments total)

Cover Geroge's butt?
i wish someone would. the stink of ass is ruining the nation.
posted by quonsar at 11:40 AM on March 31, 2003

Gilbert. Good catch! I also heard today (BBC radio) that Don Rumsfeld has taken to calling the invasion of Iraq "Tommy Frank's War" (!)
posted by troutfishing at 11:54 AM on March 31, 2003

Turn on the light, and so fast they do scuttle.
posted by troutfishing at 11:55 AM on March 31, 2003

a taxing morality:

If things go according to the hawks plan, less people will die, but it will be against what some perceive as traditional American values.

However, if things become botched, it is bad for Bush and his administration, which works well for the anti-war congeries. But if things go badly, this means more US soldiers will die. More deaths. More things going wrong.

Simply, be cautious when patting yourself on the back, over the failure of others. There are times when there is much more to be be held to than well worn schadenfreude.
posted by the fire you left me at 11:57 AM on March 31, 2003

One more thing - "Pentagon officials told reporters last week that "I think we underestimated" the strength and capability of Iraq's paramilitaries. Last fall a Defense official dismissed them as insignificant, predicting, "the Fedayeen will run with their tails between their legs." If war planners worried about the paramilitaries at all, they assumed the trouble might come in Baghdad. The CIA says it distributed a classified report in early February to policymakers warning that the Fedayeen could be expected to employ guerrilla tactics against U.S. rear units. These Washington intelligence analysts now complain that their views were softened as the report moved up the chain of command. The intelligence was there, an official told TIME, but "I have no idea how much attention they paid to it."

Starting in February, Saddam himself telegraphed his intention to use unorthodox forces to hinder a U.S. invasion in televised appearances certainly monitored by U.S analysts. Maybe they dismissed his declarations as bombast. Last week he even listed Baath militia, tribal warriors and the Fedayeen by name when explaining how he would triumph, and then publicly commended them: "Under various names and descriptions, the Iraqi mujahedin are inflicting serious losses on the enemy." "

this Time Magazine story
posted by troutfishing at 12:02 PM on March 31, 2003

Seymour Hirsch's article in the New Yorker is here, pieces of which we've been seeing for the last couple of days. Far more complete and in more detail than any other seen so far.

The plan so far certainly has a civilian stink to it, to my grognard's nose. If I were Franks I would have resigned already, but that's just me.
posted by Cerebus at 12:20 PM on March 31, 2003

Insurance, exactly. Also, that darn liberal media is messing up the war planning. etc etc etc....

Aw, c'mon, you don't actually ecpect Bush (or his handlers) to take responsibility for something, do ya?

Watching that crooked bastard take the long walk to the helicopter, after he gets fired next year, will be sweet. If, he doesn't get impeached first.
posted by BarneyFifesBullet at 12:42 PM on March 31, 2003

Love that title Gilbert!

Good thing the adults are now in charge, huh?

Someone will take the fall for this but I guarantee the buck will get passed away from the unelected fraud.

The Unaccountable Administration.

Indeed. [instacracker sarcasm alert]
posted by nofundy at 12:58 PM on March 31, 2003

Watching that crooked bastard take the long walk to the helicopter, after he gets fired next year, will be sweet. If, he doesn't get impeached first.

...if there's a god!
posted by LouReedsSon at 1:11 PM on March 31, 2003

the fire you left me: I do not believe that our leaders approached this action the right way, and I have nearly innumerable criticisms of the way this war has been handled. That being said, I would never wish failure upon them at this point, as we long ago crossed the point of no return.

I certainly hope I'm not alone in this belief.
posted by mosch at 2:25 PM on March 31, 2003

Mosch...Those are my exact thoughts.
posted by aaronscool at 2:47 PM on March 31, 2003

Watching that crooked bastard take the long walk to the helicopter, after he gets fired next year, will be sweet. If, he doesn't get impeached first.

It will be even more fun to watch MetaFilter nearly implode when he gets re-elected.
posted by Witty at 3:30 PM on March 31, 2003

You folks still think there'll be another election?
posted by muckster at 5:39 PM on March 31, 2003

mosch, aaronscool: you are not alone but you are the minority.

But who needs elections when you've got electronic voting? Everyone knows what the outcome will be.
posted by cbrody at 12:50 AM on April 1, 2003

Actually cbrody I'm not so sure that we are in the minority.

I would bet that better than half of people in the US have these opinions:

--We should have waited longer for the UN inspectors to search before we invaded.

--We should have provided concrete proof of either WoMD or their manufacture in Iraq before invading.

--We should have worked harder to get more international support and comittments (not just supporters who refuse to be named) before invading Iraq.

I think that many people who had or still have these opinions will say they support the current war because they wish to support our country/troops or because even though they had these opinions they felt that war was inevitable.

I would agree that the majority of Americans do support military conflict in some form to end the Saddam regime in Iraq. I don't agree that a majority of people think we have gone about this the right way.
posted by aaronscool at 10:41 AM on April 1, 2003