Latest Lie
NYT: “U.S. Generals Request Delay in Judging Iraq.”
WASHINGTON, July 19 — The top commanders in Iraq and the American ambassador to Baghdad appealed for more time beyond their mid-September assessment to more fully judge if the new strategy was making gains.
Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, the No. 2 commander in Iraq, told Pentagon reporters that while he would provide the mid-September assessment of the new military strategy that Congress has required, it would take “at least until November” to judge with confidence whether the strategy was working.
Not exactly. Some nuance lacking. Here’s what Odierno actually said. AP:
WASHINGTON — Trying to change the military strategy in Iraq too quickly would mean more danger for U.S. forces, a top commander said Thursday.
Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno also told Pentagon reporters that while he will be able to give U.S. leaders the assessment due in September on progress in Iraq, he will need more time to tell if improvements represent long-term trends.
“In order to do a good assessment I need at least until November,” Odierno said in a video conference from Iraq.
Pressed on the issue, Odierno said he is not looking to extend the time he needs for the September review. In 45 days, he’ll be able to tell if some improvements in Iraq are going to continue or if they were “something that was just a blip,” he said.
“September’s the first, and then, I would argue that in order to see if it’s a long-term (change), you would still need a little bit more time,” he said.
The military, he said, will probably have to “do assessments that follow that initial assessment in September. … I’m assuming we’ll continue to do assessments while we’re here.”
Presumeably the Democrats, if progress is cited in September and they are once again unable to pull the plug, will want progress further monitored in November, January and March. However, they have another Bush lie to seize on, and seize on it they have. I’ve got NPR’s Tom Ashbrook on the radio. He just unequivocally repeated the distortion.
More Bush lied outrage:
Crooks and Liars: September talk a time-buying line. Lying Crook doesn’t get into what that makes the July abandonment effort.
Carpetbagger quotes Hagel, “fifth year in Iraq and going backward.” No kidding, if he has his way. From the mouths of abandonment enthusiasts.
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 10:22 am on Friday, July 20, 2007
One Response to “Latest Lie”
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July 21st, 2007 at 1:08 am
What Petraus and Crocker say in September, will make absolutely no difference to the Democrats, who are absolutely committed to losing the war no matter the cost. If they are optimistic, their report will be discounted as propaganda, and they will be attacked as partisans. If pessimistic, it will be seized on as proof that the war is irretrievably lost.