So does President Bush's speech today mean anything?

[JoeChalupa]

I agree with Bill O'Reilly on his take.

Who the cares. It'll be the same old crap about more training needed for the Iraqi troops, blah, blah. How long does it take to train the Iraqi troops?
We've been at it for 3 years now.

How long is boot camp now a days for the Army? , after they are done they are ready to go to Iraq. Why are we still training Iraqi troops after 3 years.

Do they just not get it or what?

Tell us something new!!

[boutons]

"today mean anything"

It means the WH is RE-acting to the disastrous polls, since the WH hasn't been ACTing to run the Repub war as a priority, just like the WH/admin is failing to clear up the hurricane messes, or run the US govt with competence and seriousness.

"America will not run in the face of car bombers and assassins," Bush told the audience of uniformed U.S. Navy midshipmen. "America will not abandon Iraq."

Cheap talk from a dumb liar and war evader. He's lost all credibility and any moral authority his naive followers ever gave him. People don't respect him, don't believe him, and his bull slogans and sound bites, plus sliming and trashing by head, won't turn that around.

160K US military are being beaten by the 10K - 20K insurgents, "diffuse and sophisticated" (and with probably 100K sympathsizers providing cover and support) such that the daily violence continues, public security is absent, re-building the Iraq broken by the Repubs is being delayed by years, even impossible.

The US military runs a campaign to clear out a town or area, and then leaves, not having enoguh US or Iraqi forces (the fundamental problem) to keep the area clear, so the insurgents return.

[101A]

"today mean anything"

It means the WH is RE-acting to the disastrous polls, since the WH hasn't been ACTing to run the Repub war as a priority, just like the WH/admin is failing to clear up the hurricane messes, or run the US govt with competence and seriousness.

"America will not run in the face of car bombers and assassins," Bush told the audience of uniformed U.S. Navy midshipmen. "America will not abandon Iraq."

Cheap talk from a dumb liar and war evader. He's lost all credibility and any moral authority his naive followers ever gave him. People don't respect him, don't believe him, and his bull slogans and sound bites, plus sliming and trashing by head, won't turn that around.

160K US military are being beaten by the 10K - 20K insurgents, "diffuse and sophisticated" (and with probably 100K sympathsizers providing cover and support) such that the daily violence continues, public security is absent, re-building the Iraq broken by the Repubs is being delayed by years, even impossible.

The US military runs a campaign to clear out a town or area, and then leaves, not having enoguh US or Iraqi forces (the fundamental problem) to keep the area clear, so the insurgents return.

I guess you are just going to ignore Lieberman's piece which pretty much refutes all you have to say on the war, huh?

Cheap talk from a liberal hate monger.

[Spurminator]

How long is boot camp now a days for the Army? , after they are done they are ready to go to Iraq. Why are we still training Iraqi troops after 3 years.

I'm no military expert by any means, but I would imagine we're talking about a lot more training than boot camp noobs here... The entire military hierarchy has to be trained.

[George Gervin's Afro]

I guess you are just going to ignore Lieberman's piece which pretty much refutes all you have to say on the war, huh?

Cheap talk from a liberal hate monger.

Well I like Lieberman but I think he is part of the 'optimistic' crowd as oppsed to the 'realistic' crowd that most of America resides in.. I am a liberal but far from a hate monger..

[101A]

Well I like Lieberman but I think he is part of the 'optimistic' crowd as oppsed to the 'realistic' crowd that most of America resides in.. I am a liberal but far from a hate monger..

The label was pointed squarely at Boutons - he's obviously blinded by hatred.

As for Lieberman, he's been there 4 times in the past 17 months - so I give his optimism more weight than the pessism of people who are relying on what news is chosen to be reported for their opinions.

Have you read his article?

[spurster]

The Iraqization of the war is the right, maybe the only, exit strategy, but it isn't working too well even after a couple of year of "training". If Iraqi forces (the non-insurgent ones) were capable or becoming capable, the US would already be heading out, or at least I would hope so.

As for Lieberman's article, it's very hard to know the truth from what anyone says. The reporters can't move much because it's too dangerous so they get information and misinformation secondhand. Any major official like Lieberman is going to get a show put on for them. No Bush officials can be remotely critical otherwise they're fired.

The only thing that seems pretty sure is that we are still there with no immediate or clear plans to get out, which has pretty much been the status quo for a couple of years. That tells me Iraqization is not working as far as their armed forces are concerned. Politically, there has been progress with a cons ution and elections, though there I think Iraq (minus the Kurds) will end up as an Islamic state more allied with Iran than friendly to the US.

[boutons]

101A, you're blinded by stupidity and the in your eyes from having your head up your ass.

Lieb, a politician (ie, with an agenda trying to exploit Iraq for his own ends), writes a single puff piece, in a sea of relentlessly negative reports, and you're so ing desparate for ANY good news from Iraq, that you ignore all the bad stuff.

Did Lieb mention that public security, the KEY issue now, is so low and hard to assure that he probably had 100's of US military and mercenaries on the ground and air support for any move he made outside of Green zone or other armed camps?

Vigorous dissent against the Repub war, and total disrespect for dubya/ head/friends is based on their disastrous peformances of the past 5 years. Has nothing to do with hate.

[101A]

Scream louder, Boutons, it really helps make your point.

There is good new out of Iraq, Lieberman aside.

Saddam is out of power, his murderous sons are dead. Elections have been held, a cons ution voted upon & there are more to come. The insurgency is not growing, and seems to focus more and more on soft targets - terrorism, not war. By the accounts of most soldiers they are welcomed by the Iraqi people, and those same people do not wish to leave prematurely, there have been no terrorist attacks on American soil since 9/11. The economy is booming, house sales are up, I've got a nice bonus headed my way.

I have plenty to be thankful for, and positive about. If things are so bad for the adminstration, why are you so damned pissed all the time?

[101A]

The only thing that seems pretty sure is that we are still there with no immediate or clear plans to get out, which has pretty much been the status quo for a couple of years. That tells me Iraqization is not working as far as their armed forces are concerned.

From Lieberman's article:

Nationwide, American military leaders estimate that about one-third of the approximately 100,000 members of the Iraqi military are able to "lead the fight" themselves with logistical support from the U.S., and that that number should double by next year. If that happens, American military forces could begin a drawdown in numbers proportional to the increasing self-sufficiency of the Iraqi forces in 2006. If all goes well, I believe we can have a much smaller American military presence there by the end of 2006 or in 2007, but it is also likely that our presence will need to be significant in Iraq or nearby for years to come.

Did I miss something? Sounds like a plan to me.

[SA210]

Just politics from Bush today. Meant nothing. His numbers are still down. That's what today's speech was about.

[boutons]

Same as his "border security" bull in the Valley yesterday.

Reacting to in-the-toilet polls with bull speeches/slogans/sound bites because border security is a big hot button for a lot of red-staters, but also a negaive hot button for a lot of MA's who want the MX border porous, was NOT a program to actually spend the $$$ to increase real border security.

[SA210]

he always seems to make his speeches in front of a military crowd.

[101A]

His speech was primarily to introduce this:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/ir...y_nov2005.html

[boutons]

"to introduce this:"

.... should have been introduced 3 years ago, and voted upon in Congress as part of the war authorization.

Too ing little, too ing late.

The Repug war was bull , half-truths, outright lies in conception, and has been bull in execution. Nothing can change that.

THAT is the unforgettable, unavoidable background (that dubya/ head wish everybody WOULD forget) to whatever new bull dubya/ head are laying us this week as they squirm under the weight of the The Great American People calling them on their bulll .

[Oh, Gee!!]

The applause was canned

[Vashner]

Bush kicked some ass today.

Soldiers win.. you loose. Go back to watching reruns of Platoon loozers.

[Oh, Gee!!]

Bush kicked some ass today.

Soldiers win.. you loose.

It must be true if Bush says so.

[Useruser666]

Let's see, everyone still have their own preconceived notions? Check.

[Mr. Peabody]

It must be true if Bush says so.

Shut up, you flaming liberal. If you had any balls, you'd be in Iraq spreading the seeds of democracy, instead of in your room spreading your seed on your keyboard.

[Oh, Gee!!]

spreading your seed on your keyboard.

Doesn't this imply that I do in fact have balls? I couldn't produce my pimp fluid without 'em could I?

[Mr. Peabody]

Wouldn't I need balls for this activity?

Doh!

<-----

[Yonivore]

I agree with Bill O'Reilly on his take.

Who the cares. It'll be the same old crap about more training needed for the Iraqi troops, blah, blah. How long does it take to train the Iraqi troops?
We've been at it for 3 years now.

I don't know Joe, how long did it take to train all the U. S. Marines now involved in Operation Iraqi Freedom? Were they all trained in armed in one boot camp?

How long is boot camp now a days for the Army? , after they are done they are ready to go to Iraq. Why are we still training Iraqi troops after 3 years.

Do they just not get it or what?

I think it's you that doesn't get it.

Tell us something new!!

Okay...but, will you listen?

Here's four succint facts for ya.

• U.S. forces have turned over control of about 29 military bases to the Iraqis.

• Baghdad's once-violent Haifa Street is now more peaceful and under the control of an Iraqi army battalion.

• The Iraqi army has seven division and 31 brigade headquarters in operation, compared with none in July 2004.

• The number of Iraq army battalions "in the fight" has grown to 95, compared to five in August 2004.

Progress takes time...

[SA210]

It must be true if Bush says so.

[SequSpur]

This war is not what it was 3 years ago. Back then, it was about changing the leadership of the country and instilling a democratic society.

Now its about policing a country that has terroristic problems.

The battles and war were won long ago. Obviously Boutons doesn't know about the military.

Let me tell you something, the US military can take out an entire neighborhood in about 2 seconds. No other military has this capability.

When called upon, the US military takes swift action and destroys whatever is necessary to accomplish the mission.

Currently, the military is policing a country, which is not the mission of the military. Sorry...

I have had 3 nephews that have gone over there, 2 military police officers and 1 Ranger. They all experienced some sort of attack while there and the force they used was overwhelming and insurgents were scraped up off the floor after they were finished.

How do you stop car bombs? Suicide missions? Landmines? You don't.

I am quite sure that the deployment is already underway, troops are coming home and not being replaced.

There are more support troops now than there are combat troops.

To sit here and say that we are getting our ass kicked is frickin stupid.