"We listen to the generals on the ground!"*

[PixelPusher]

*The preceding statement is conditional, and only applies to statements and assertions that are in accord with the Bush Administration's approved dogma

Department of Homeland Security Advisor Fran Townsend, clearing expecting nothing less than the kid gloves treatment on Fox News: WMV
MOV

General Odierno’s remarks suggest that they don’t have the capability. I respect that-he’s on the ground, he’s in the best position to make that judgment, but we’ve seen al Qaeda in Iraq export violence before, like the wedding reception in Amman, Jordan. So we’ve got to presume they’ve got the capability and the potential to act on it. Al Qaeda in Iraq in Iraq is not a distraction. We’ve heard from bin Laden’s own words that he views it as World War III, a war of destiny for al Qaeda that they must win. So it is in no way a distraction, it’s actually a critical enabler and capability for al Qaeda Central. And we see them extending their influence, not only in Iraq, but in North Africa, for example, where they now have al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. This is part of bin Laden’s plan, trying to extend the influence of al Qaeda.

Here's a question for the Iraq war cheerleaders: Why is this administration allowing our strategic policy to be directed by the rhetoric of Osama bin-Laden?

[boutons_]

dubya and head have dumbed-down their Iraqi war from finding WMD, oops!, then bringing democracy and freedom to Iraq, oops!, to beating just AQI.

AQI is of course the same AQ that hit WTC, oops!

AQI didn't exist in Iraq before dubya's bogus war, oops!

It sounds like Petraeus is kicking some AQI ass, great.

However, the US military is having little effect on significantly stopping the Sunni/Shiite civil war and ethnic cleansing which keeps jobs off the market, kids out of school, and people imprisoned in their homes.

We will hear everything about AQI-ass-kicking come September, and NOTHING about the total failure to secure Bagdad, the 60% unemployment rate, the pervasiveness of failed reconstruction and failing infrastructure, the Iraqi army/police of any significant size incapable of full autonomy, the total lack of anything but "trending" on the benchmarks, certainly still no benchmarks archieved (and stably achieved)

I listened to this DHS Townsend last week, all the way through her press conference. She's another Brownie, but with power hair and power clothes, all style and no substance, she can't even shill believably, another DHS Repug operative/political appointee way out of her depth, with an at ude reeking of condescension and insults and combativeness.