Bush visits Iraq
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h2T1wFQNTLeu3KkNd2F0Gg8pezVw
On his way to Australia, somebody's President stopped in Iraq on a surprise visit. The press was, of course, informed early but told that if news of the trip leaked, it would be canceled. The press had to know, because it was a photo-op, but the trip had to be kept secret, because if anyone within 2 days' camel ride knew he was coming, America would currently be dealing with the idea of a year and some change of President Cheney.
Here's an idea, Mr. Bush: You're trying to show us how the majority of Iraq is secure, right? You want us to see that coalition forces and Iraqi police have combined to quell most insurgency, and that what little remains is the product of small pockets of rebellion combined with a defeatist media view that magnifies these things to make us believe Iraq is in serious peril, am I correct? Well, show us how secure it is. Announce, one month in advance, that you'll be going to speak in front of a particular building in Basra. Or Tikrit. Or Arbil or Ramadi or Baquba. Tell everyone on the planet exactly where you'll be, give our troops one month to secure the area the way they've been successfully securing the rest of Iraq since you declared this war to be over 4 1/2 years ago, then show up. If you think we're doing that well, then surely there must be somewhere secure enough for you to deliver a 30 minute speech.
Or are things still so chaotic in Iraq that you have to fly by night into the country, tell us how perfect everything is, then scoot booty out of there before anyone knows you showed up in the first place? Did you really have your wife pretend she had pinched a nerve in her neck, because you were too afraid to bring her into the country? Show a little confidence, man. If you honestly thought you were going someplace safe, I don't see why Laura, Jenna and Barbara Jr couldn't all accompany you.
But you weren't going somewhere safe, were you?
On his way to Australia, somebody's President stopped in Iraq on a surprise visit. The press was, of course, informed early but told that if news of the trip leaked, it would be canceled. The press had to know, because it was a photo-op, but the trip had to be kept secret, because if anyone within 2 days' camel ride knew he was coming, America would currently be dealing with the idea of a year and some change of President Cheney.
Here's an idea, Mr. Bush: You're trying to show us how the majority of Iraq is secure, right? You want us to see that coalition forces and Iraqi police have combined to quell most insurgency, and that what little remains is the product of small pockets of rebellion combined with a defeatist media view that magnifies these things to make us believe Iraq is in serious peril, am I correct? Well, show us how secure it is. Announce, one month in advance, that you'll be going to speak in front of a particular building in Basra. Or Tikrit. Or Arbil or Ramadi or Baquba. Tell everyone on the planet exactly where you'll be, give our troops one month to secure the area the way they've been successfully securing the rest of Iraq since you declared this war to be over 4 1/2 years ago, then show up. If you think we're doing that well, then surely there must be somewhere secure enough for you to deliver a 30 minute speech.
Or are things still so chaotic in Iraq that you have to fly by night into the country, tell us how perfect everything is, then scoot booty out of there before anyone knows you showed up in the first place? Did you really have your wife pretend she had pinched a nerve in her neck, because you were too afraid to bring her into the country? Show a little confidence, man. If you honestly thought you were going someplace safe, I don't see why Laura, Jenna and Barbara Jr couldn't all accompany you.
But you weren't going somewhere safe, were you?