If this memo is accurate then clearly the leaders in the U.S. and British governments feel that enough progress will have been made in Iraq by the middle of next year to allow reduction in coalition forces and more dependence on Iraqi forces for security. Which is a positive thing.
That aside, why on earth is this memo being made public? All along President Bush and Prime Minister Blair have refused to announce a deadline for removing troops from Iraq because announcing such a deadline gives hope to the enemies we’re fighting in Iraq. They’ll now believe that if they keep fighting until a specific date (now, clearly, sometime in the middle of next year) the coalition forces they’re fighting against will leave and they can re-claim control of the country. We don’t want them to have that kind of hope. We want them to know that they’ll be going up against the toughest troops in the world until they are defeated.
One has to wonder just how many additional troops will now die in Iraq because the spirits of the terrorists have been renewed by this unauthorized release of information.
Rob Port is the owner and operator of Say Anything.
Yes…you hit the nail on the head..Why is this memo being made public???..something funny going on here…..this is too easy…..
Note that the memo was leaked by the Brits and only mentions specific Brit troop reductions, all in the southern Shia areas. Sounds to me like a weak-kneed Laborite trying to reassure the public after the London bombing by pulling a Spanish-gambit (please don’t attack us any more — we’re going to withdraw) behind Blair’s back.
This “memo” smells to high heaven. I have to disagree with your point about how it will renew the terrorists’ spirits towards the pullout date, encouraging them to attack full bore up to that time. I think they would rather lay low, bait the Coalition into a sense of security, and then let the shit hit the fan when they’ve pulled out. They are in such dire straits that they would rather take potshots at the remaining few than get liquidated by the larger group we have there now.
But Rob if you believe what you say in the first paragraph, that this memo suggests the “U.S. and British governments feel that enough progress will have been made in Iraq by the middle of next year to allow reduction in coalition forces and more dependence on Iraqi forces for security,” then why so much handwringing in the second that the insurgents will “now believe that if they keep fighting until a specific date … they can re-claim control of the country?” Setting your consistently illogical rhetoric aside, do you trust what Bush and Blair are telling you or not? Which is it? Either Iraqi troops will be ready to stand up or they won’t.
Hmmm.
Or this “memo” could have been written by an anti-war bureaucrat who then conveniently “leaks” it. Just because some schmuck writes a memo doesn’t mean it has any real provenance.
I lump this into the same category of “anonymous source”. I.e. bullshit until it’s proven to come from someone who actually IS someone, and not just a functionary.
Sounds like the MSM has another “fake but accurate” memo.
Since you say this memo will cause a lot of death becasue the enemy just has to wait us out. Does that make Bush a murderer for raising a stink and pressuring Clinton to enforce some kind of time table? Just asking, not that you’re a hypocrite or anything.
Hmmm.
“… Does that make Bush a murderer for raising a stink and pressuring Clinton to enforce some kind of time table? …”
What the heck are you talking about?
This is perfect symmetry for GWB and his brain.
A terrorist only has to be right once…
Karl Rove has to be right all the time…
…or else he’s exposed.
In the background I keep hearing some maniac yelling about political capital…how he’s going to use it unlike his father.
Sad, so sad to see an admin go down before it’s time.
Because I imagine that the criteria for the events described in the first paragraph hinge upon the plan being kept a secret from our enemies until we’re ready to release it.
I’m not buying this leaked memo. Funny how we never get to see the originals — always copies or — in the case of the Downing Street memo — a written version with the original destroyed. These lefties think Americans are stupid. Wait… they may be right.
Yeah, so much “progress” has been made that any time American politicians visit Iraq it is ALWAYS a “surprise” visit, arriving before dawn and they have to be FLOWN from the Green Zone to the airport just across town because the airport road is a deathtrap!! Just like they said in Vietnam when they claimed the South Vietnamese had made so much “progress” American troops could come home…and South Vietnam soon collapsed. No, the truth is that every day the Rebellion grows and every day the occupiers get weaker. THIS is why they’re leaving; they’ve realized this is unwinnable and that they have broken their military in this venture. They will not be able to keep 138,000 American so-called troops in Iraq for another year. Their recruitment has fallen off a cliff and retainment is abysmal. This is 100% unsustainable for America and withdrawl plans are a sign they are realizing it. Looks like what was expected to be a showcase of American military “might” has turned out to be a showcase of American military WEAKNESS. They’re getting an ass-kicking from guys with rifles and RPGs while they have Bradleys, night-vision devices, artillery, tanks, on-call air support (without the air support they’d be up a creek because they prove time and again that the infantry doesn’t have the balls to actually fight as infantry, cowering and calling for air support at the first sign of trouble)… How pathetic, especially since America picked this fight. Better stick to bullying Panama or Grenada, it’s about all America’s military can handle.
RE: Lenny Goldmann’s post (July 11, 2005 02:45 PM)
…No, the truth is that every day the Rebellion grows and every day the occupiers get weaker.
…they’ve realized this is unwinnable and that they have broken their military in this venture.
…138,000 American so-called troops…
recruitment has fallen off a cliff
retainment is abysmal
Looks like what was expected to be a showcase of American military “might” has turned out to be a showcase of American military WEAKNESS.
They’re getting an ass-kicking…
…they prove time and again that the infantry doesn’t have the balls to actually fight as infantry…
…Better stick to bullying Panama or Grenada, it’s about all America’s military can handle.
Umm, this post speaks for itself. It’s a cry for help, truly. So, Lenny… how is Baghdad Bob?