What's Bushes real plan?

[cutthemdown]

Bush just said that the British pulling out is a sign that the Basra area is stablizing and is part of the plan. I'm starting to wonder if he isn't going to at some point call Iraq stable(even when it's obviously not) then right before elections start a phased withdraw/redeployment. Politically that would change the whole landscape of the elections and really change everyones strategy.

[Bronco Bob]

Originally Posted by cutthemdown

Bush just said that the British pulling out is a sign that the Basra area is stablizing and is part of the plan. I'm starting to wonder if he isn't going to at some point call Iraq stable(even when it's obviously not) then right before elections start a phased withdraw/redeployment. Politically that would change the whole landscape of the elections and really change everyones strategy.

The Brits are getting out while the getting is good. They don't want to
get stuck there when/if things go completely to hell and then be blamed
for abandoning the US. Plus Blair is on his way out, and unlike Bush,
Blair doesn't want to leave it for the next guy to deal with.

[Dudeskey]

This is mostly political on Blair's part... not only is he getting killed politically, but the Labour party seems to be going down with him

[cutthemdown]

Originally Posted by Bronco Bob

The Brits are getting out while the getting is good. They don't want to
get stuck there when/if things go completely to hell and then be blamed
for abandoning the US. Plus Blair is on his way out, and unlike Bush,
Blair doesn't want to leave it for the next guy to deal with.

So then you don't see a major shift in Bushes strategy aimed politically for elections?

[Blueflame]

Originally Posted by cutthemdown

So then you don't see a major shift in Bushes strategy aimed politically for elections?

I honestly don't believe Bush cares one whit what the American public thinks. He's going to do what he wants to do regardless of public opinion as long as Congress keeps letting him get away with it.

[N.O.Bronco]

Originally Posted by Blueflame

I honestly don't believe Bush cares one whit what the American public thinks. He's going to do what he wants to do regardless of public opinion as long as Congress keeps letting him get away with it.

Bingo, everyone who supported him during the first election said how great it was the guy was gonna stick by something no matter what and not care what everyone thinks. Guess you bush voters get what you wish for.

Stephen Colbert said it best *paraphrasing* "With Bush, you get a guy who will believe on Wednesday whatever it was he believed on Monday. Regardless of what happened on Tuesday!"

[defenseman]

Originally Posted by cutthemdown

Bush just said that the British pulling out is a sign that the Basra area is stablizing and is part of the plan. I'm starting to wonder if he isn't going to at some point call Iraq stable(even when it's obviously not) then right before elections start a phased withdraw/redeployment. Politically that would change the whole landscape of the elections and really change everyones strategy.

An army msgt was on the radio today. He unequivocably stated the basra region was ready to be turned over to the iraqi's simple as that. The media? Well they are displaying why they are now referred to as the "drive by" media. Claiming the brits are baleing because they want out, bottom line is, according to the msgt, they don't need to be there and time to turn it over to the iraqis. Sounds simple to me, but you'll never hear that out of our "drive by" media..dman

Stable? there is this place called baghdad that says otherwise. He won't play the cards as you have laid out.

[Bronco_Beerslug]

Originally Posted by defenseman

An army msgt was on the radio today. He unequivocably stated the basra region was ready to be turned over to the iraqi's simple as that. The media? Well they are displaying why they are now referred to as the "drive by" media. Claiming the brits are baleing because they want out, bottom line is, according to the msgt, they don't need to be there and time to turn it over to the iraqis. Sounds simple to me, but you'll never hear that out of our "drive by" media..dman

Stable? there is this place called baghdad that says otherwise. He won't play the cards as you have laid out.

The southern region is Shiite (see Iran), no Sunnis, no religious territory to fight for.

And the British are leaving ASAP because of their government is being ripped to pieces for helping Bush attack and occupy Iraq.

[Cito Pelon]

Originally Posted by Bronco Bob

The Brits are getting out while the getting is good. They don't want to
get stuck there when/if things go completely to hell and then be blamed
for abandoning the US. Plus Blair is on his way out, and unlike Bush,
Blair doesn't want to leave it for the next guy to deal with.

US withdrawals will have to go through Basra unless every troop and civilian will be airlifted out. That means the Brits will have to provide cover while every Arab with a rifle will be taking potshots at the convoys. Not a glorious scenario for the Brits. They went through a similar scenario in 1948 in Palestine.

[Cito Pelon]

Originally Posted by cutthemdown

So then you don't see a major shift in Bushes strategy aimed politically for elections?

I don't presume to answer for somebody else, but my opinion is Bush is certainly looking at whatever he does with an eye to restoring the Republican Party to power. There's still money to be made.

[defenseman]

Originally Posted by Bronco_Beerslug

The southern region is Shiite (see Iran), no Sunnis, no religious territory to fight for.

And the British are leaving ASAP because of their government is being ripped to pieces for helping Bush attack and occupy Iraq.

Believe the hype if you wish, the media is spinning this one good..dman

[TailgateNut]

Originally Posted by defenseman

Believe the hype if you wish, the media is spinning this one good..dman

The media isn't spinning anything.

http://www.cfr.org/publication/9340/...breadcrumb=%2F

The facts are that Bush originally spun his lies and created this mess, he also suckered quite few other countries into his adventure, those who couldn't be "suckered" were bought.

What we have is that the leaders of those countries have realized the mistake and are not willing to rubberstamp support for Bush because it's equivalent to political suicide aside from labeling themselves as being lemmings.

[Bronco Bob]

Originally Posted by defenseman

An army msgt was on the radio today. He unequivocably stated the basra region was ready to be turned over to the iraqi's simple as that. The media? Well they are displaying why they are now referred to as the "drive by" media. Claiming the brits are baleing because they want out, bottom line is, according to the msgt, they don't need to be there and time to turn it over to the iraqis. Sounds simple to me, but you'll never hear that out of our "drive by" media..dman

Stable? there is this place called baghdad that says otherwise. He won't play the cards as you have laid out.

Okay, lets say that Basra is stable and the Brits are no longer needed in Basra.
Why not redeploy them in Baghdad where they are needed? I mean isn't
the reason for the surge to help stabilize Baghdad? So wouldn't several
thousand British troops be very useful to help out the Americans troops?
I guess I don't see how if Iraq is so peaceful thousands of Brits can
go home, and yet Iraq is so violent that 10's of thousands of more
Americans need to go there.
This is the sort of thing the drive by media should really be questioning
yet I don't hear anyone in the media asking that.

[Spider]

Bushs real plan ? Make Nixon look like a saint .........

[Bronco Bob]

Originally Posted by §Pide®

Bushs real plan ? Make Nixon look like a saint .........

Saint Richard the Milhous.

[Spider]

Originally Posted by Bronco Bob

Saint Richard the Milhous.

[Rohirrim]

I think Bush is still waiting to get the plan from his "higher father." Sometimes that takes a while.

[cutthemdown]

Originally Posted by Bronco Bob

Okay, lets say that Basra is stable and the Brits are no longer needed in Basra.
Why not redeploy them in Baghdad where they are needed? I mean isn't
the reason for the surge to help stabilize Baghdad? So wouldn't several
thousand British troops be very useful to help out the Americans troops?
I guess I don't see how if Iraq is so peaceful thousands of Brits can
go home, and yet Iraq is so violent that 10's of thousands of more
Americans need to go there.
This is the sort of thing the drive by media should really be questioning
yet I don't hear anyone in the media asking that.

British are leaving because they want out not because they aren't needed. But politically often you say what you want people to believe and then do what needs to be done. I could see USA pulling back in about 6-9 months and saying same thing. They will say Iraqis can police themselves now and handle the violence themselves now and we are going to redeploy etc. Of course we will probably never leave all the way but at some point Bush will make a political move based on the election and not the war. Bush getting Americans out of harms way in Iraq even if it's only 2-3 months before election could help a republican win swing states like ark/fla/mo etc

[cutthemdown]

Originally Posted by Cito Pelon

I don't presume to answer for somebody else, but my opinion is Bush is certainly looking at whatever he does with an eye to restoring the Republican Party to power. There's still money to be made.

exactly!!!

[TailgateNut]

Originally Posted by cutthemdown

Bush getting Americans out of harms way in Iraq even if it's only 2-3 months before election could help a republican win swing states like ark/fla/mo etc

Just what I would expect from this lowlife of a president. You know just how they operate!

[Blueflame]

Originally Posted by cutthemdown

British are leaving because they want out not because they aren't needed. But politically often you say what you want people to believe and then do what needs to be done. I could see USA pulling back in about 6-9 months and saying same thing. They will say Iraqis can police themselves now and handle the violence themselves now and we are going to redeploy etc. Of course we will probably never leave all the way but at some point Bush will make a political move based on the election and not the war. Bush getting Americans out of harms way in Iraq even if it's only 2-3 months before election could help a republican win swing states like ark/fla/mo etc

The British are leaving Iraq because Bush's war has been just as... if not more... politically damaging to Blair than it has been to Bush himself. Public support for British involvement in Iraq is at a very low level. The British people want their troops home.

[cutthemdown]

Originally Posted by TailgateNut

Just what I would expect from this lowlife of a president. You know just how they operate!

I actually do really like to follow politics and I think I don't get quite as upset as some of the others on here because of that. I love to try and read between the lines when these masters spin their plan. Often you can catch a glimpse of what is to come. Petreaus the new general in command comes in. They will try and get the us body count down. Get the number of Iraq police increased. Then try and do something big as far as bringing boys home. They will prob do this just in time for the election.

[cutthemdown]

Originally Posted by Blueflame

The British are leaving Iraq because Bush's war has been just as... if not more... politically damaging to Blair than it has been to Bush himself. Public support for British involvement in Iraq is at a very low level. The British people want their troops home.

Like I said the are leaving because they want to leave not because they aren't needed. I'm not sure if you are even trying to disagree with me or just agreeing?
Of course it's a political move for Blair thats my whole point. Don't be surprised to see a move by Bush in say 8 months or so.

[Blueflame]

Originally Posted by cutthemdown

Like I said the are leaving because they want to leave not because they aren't needed. I'm not sure if you are even trying to disagree with me or just agreeing?
Of course it's a political move for Blair thats my whole point. Don't be surprised to see a move by Bush in say 8 months or so.

It seems we agree... Bush's war isn't exactly popular anywhere and the rest of the "coalition of the willing" are suffering political repercussions from their constituents. Just as Cheney himself said back in the '90s, Iraq is a quagmire (does that qualify as a flip-flop? )

[cutthemdown]

Originally Posted by Blueflame

It seems we agree... Bush's war isn't exactly popular anywhere and the rest of the "coalition of the willing" are suffering political repercussions from their constituents. Just as Cheney himself said back in the '90s, Iraq is a quagmire (does that qualify as a flip-flop? )

I'm not sure any politician can say they have never ever flipped on an issue. I guess there could be some but not many.