Via WaPo: Rumsfeld Tells Iraq Critics to ‘Back Off’
“You ought to just back off, take a look at it, relax, understand that it’s complicated, it’s difficult,” Rumsfeld said, appearing unusually combative as he sparred with reporters at the Pentagon. “Honorable people are working on these things together,” he said, adding emphatically that “no daylight” exists between the U.S. and Iraqi sides.
That may be one of the singularly most unhelpful things that I have heard in a while (the “back off” and “relax” bits). And the second part (the “no daylight” part) is demonstrably false, as there have been some public disagreements with Maliki over how to handle Sadr.
Here are a few examples:
- ABC news: Defiant Iraqi PM Disavows Timetable
- The Chicago Sun-Times: Iraqi leader rips U.S. on Sadr raid
- The Mercury News: Iraq’s al-Maliki sharply delineates differences with U.S. leadership
Rumsfeld’s state of denial on a host of issues regarding Iraq is a substantial reason for why we are in the trouble that we are currently in. And as the state of denial continues it makes it all the more difficult to find anything approaching a solution to the situation. That he wasn’t replaced some time back is remarkable given the results on the ground.
What are the chances of Rummy being replaced after the midterm elections? If he is in fact asked to leave, what would such an event do for the Presidents popularity numbers?
Comment by Timothy — Friday, October 27, 2024 @ 9:31 am
[…] ***** Other points of view: RealClearPolitics, Think Progress, PoliBlog, The Democratic Daily, MyDD, The Drudge Retort Technorati Tags: 2006, 2024, Bush, Current Events, Cut And Run, Democrats, GOP, Headlines, Iraq, News, News and Politics, Politics, Republicans, Rumsfeld, stay the course […]
Pingback by Gun Toting Liberal » Blog Archive » Republicans call for Sect’y Rumsfeld to step down; ‘back off’, says The Rumster to critics of Iraq war — Friday, October 27, 2024 @ 9:48 am
Speaking of “no daylight” between Washington and Baghdad . . . Daylight Saving Time ends this Sunday!
How’s that for a segue?
Seriously, what does “no daylight” mean, anyway?
Comment by B. Minich — Friday, October 27, 2024 @ 9:52 am
[…] Relax? Rumsfeld could be more condescending. It’s unfortunate the conquest occupation transformation of the Middle East fiasco didn’t go so smoothly. Relax is something you say when somebody isn’t so excited with what you’ve done. […]
Pingback by The Heretik : Back Off — Friday, October 27, 2024 @ 9:52 am
[…] Let’s recap: the war in Iraq has not gone anywhere near as was expected in terms of the post-invasion phase, which now over three years old. One of the chief architects of the strategy regarding both the size of the force needed to secure Iraq and the processes necessary to rebuild Iraq is Donald Rumsfeld. He was wrong about the size of the force needed in the first place, and was quite public about the fact that he was right and others were wrong on the subject. He was wrong about what to do in the immediate aftermath of the invasion. He was wrong about the insurgency. He was wrong just the other day when he said that there was “no daylight” between the US and the Iraqi governments over what to do in Iraq. […]
Pingback by PoliBlog: A Rough Draft of my Thoughts » So, What Does That Say About the Base? — Thursday, November 2, 2024 @ 8:41 am