What Of The Surge?

Purge And Surge


I have been watching the Super Bowl of political tap dancing for over a month. The president is slowly and methodically replacing anyone who will not stay on message with his "new" program, A Way Forward.

He purged Rumsfeld and found the perfect yes man to takes his palce, Robt Gates then he moved Negroponte to the #2 spot; yet another yes man, who will play the Bush game to the fullest. So now, we have the deck stacked in Bush's favor.

How about the military? Good you ask, Gen. Casey will be replaced as senior co in Iraq and Gen Abizaid, will be replaced as Co of Central Command. Casey will be replaced by Gen. Petraeus, a supporter of the esc alation of troops for Iraq. Abizaid is to be replaced by Adm. Fallon, who is a good choice if a new Iran plan is to include the Naval forces. Now the military leadership is in the Bush camp and will rubber stamp all the president proposes for the military.

But wait there is more! Amb. Khalizad will be replaced and it seems to be because he was off message when he suggested the US have talks with Iran about the security probs in Iraq. Khalizad will be sent as the new Ambassador to the UN.

Purge is near completion. How about the surge, you ask? Good question!

It seems just a couple of months ago was the election--WAIT!--It was a couple of months ago. Please let me know if I missed something, but was not the last election billed as the repudiation of the war in Iraq? And did not a study group issue a report saying that recommendations for the easing of US involvement in Iraq? Did this happen or was I just dreaming? Apparedntly I was dreaming!

The president in his speech outline the deployment of 20,000+ additional troops for Iraq and there were some money mentions in there also. He has totally disgarded the Iraq Study Group report and just figured out a way to "stay the course".

If none of this tap dancing gets the job done, will BUsh be held accountable? Or will it be those damn democrats fault? What will the cost of the escalation? More violence and bloodshed will be the most obvious. Since this "new" plan will not be effective, I think al-Maliki will start looking for a new job. Why? Since Bush has said that most of his new plan is an Iraqi plan, all failures will fall on Maliki's shoulders and I do not think he can bear the weight.


CHUQ
11/01/07