LAT: Bush Foresees a Deeper U.S. Role in Iraq

[NoPasaran]

WASHINGTON — President Bush warned the American people Monday that the U.S. engagement in Iraq will intensify in the coming year, with the Jan. 30 election marking the "beginning of a process" toward democracy that will require higher troop levels and continue through 2005.

Painting a far more sober picture of the situation in Iraq than he did during his reelection campaign, Bush acknowledged that efforts to train Iraqi security forces have had only "mixed" results and that a violent insurgency has eroded morale among Iraqis and Americans.

In what is likely to be his last full-dress news conference before his inauguration next month, Bush appeared to be laying the groundwork for the first year of his second term. He argued that the Social Security system was in "crisis" and needed dramatic reform. He pledged to start simplifying the tax system. And he made it clear that troop levels in Iraq — which the Pentagon plans to raise from 138,000 to 150,000 to increase security during the election — are unlikely to be reduced next year.

The president shielded Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, who has come under renewed attack even by Bush's Republican allies for failing to adequately prepare for the aftermath of the war and adequately equip troops in the field and for displaying callousness to the families of the fallen by using a machine to sign condolence letters.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-bushiraq21dec21.story

[Skittles]

1. warmongering bastard

nt

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. Coming clean about one lie, perpetrating another

SS is not in crisis. This is Bush's Achilles' heel. We need to have people write and phone their congresspeople telling them not to mess with SS. Even my Repuke Conman is running scared on this one. This is one we can win.

[0007]

4. Like Medicare and the Iraq war nothing is gonna stop this

little prick.

[LynnTheDem]

3. bush forsees a DEEPER US HOLE in Iraq.

Now that would be bush doing the unthinkable...telling the truth based on actual reality.

[NoPasaran]

6. Things must be pretty grim

If Bush is actually facing reality.

[roguevalley]

12. Oh god. This is so funny:

>>bush forsees a DEEPER US HOLE in Iraq.

If I couldn't laugh, I would cry. There are four draft baits in my family. And 2 non-active reserves.

[MyDogSpot]

5. How many in our military believed Rumsfeld's early prognosis of Iraq?

"I can't tell you if the use of force in Iraq today will last five days, five weeks or five months, but it won't last any longer than that."

Donald Rumsfeld

[RC]

7. Keep counting

Five years, five centuries...

[Tesla]

8. The bad thing is he is messing with our future!!!

Our children will have to clean up our mess.
These old bastards are reaping and sowing and our kids will be left to tend the dead soil.

You can't get rid of Bush, cause that just puts the real DEVIL in the chair. Imagine President Cheney!!!

[flordehinojos]

9. Why should this headline"Bush Foresees a Deeper U.S. Role in Iraq"

surprise anyone. We all knew that once he got his hands into Iraq and into Iraqi oil bush would not want to let go JUST LIKE HE DOES NOT WANT TO LET GO OF THE WHITE HOUSE AND WE SHOULD ALL BE PREPARED FOR WHATEVER EXCUSE HE WILL PUT UP WHEN TIME FOR HIM TO LEAVE WASHINGTON AND THE WHITE HOUSE COMES AROUND AND HE REFUSES TO GO.

The man is a bastard and a dictator at that.

[necso]

10. So are our "leaders" going to be a little more truthful

about Iraq now, as a way to bring back the draft? (After all, there are limits to our further imperial adventures unless we can find more troops -- regardless of neocon delusions or spin.)

I had thought that the "administration" was waiting on some "incident" (domestic or otherwise) for bringing back the draft, but maybe the "truth" will suffice.

And I wonder how many Bush voters are realizing that they were snookered. The postponement until after the "election" of bad news, bad legislation and bad policies is so transparent now.

[Demeter]

11. First Rule About Holes---

when you find yourself in one, stop digging.

Bush has yet to master this basic natural law (or any other). His life is a minefield of self-dug booby traps, and there are enough idiots to permit him to undermine the lives of all
Americans and much of the Free World as we understand it. \

So we have holes in Iraq, the economy, the job market, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, our national security, our budgets, world opinion, the armed forces, and any day now, Social Security.

[KingChicken]

13. They promised that those extra troops were temporary, lying bastard! n/t

[Voltaire99]

14. Good time to remember why we're in this mess...

...because our own party wouldn't stand up to Bush.

Think it might do better next time?

[leftchick]

16. not a chance!

Watching the election being stolen again with nary a wimper from the Dems ( save my hero John Conyers and a few others!)does not give me any hope for the future.

:(

[tibbiit]

18. I sure agree with you

Watching the election being stolen again with nary a wimper from the Dems ( save my hero John Conyers and a few others!)does not give me any hope for the future.

Nary a fucking wimper.
tib

[ogradda]

15. getting ready to drop the draft on us.

slime:puke:

[rvgwinn]

17. WAS THERE EVER ANY DOUBT?

[Supersedeas]

19. Jan 30 is just the beginning....hmmm....

[htuttle]

20. We're already in up to our eyeballs

How deep does the fool want us to get?