All I need to know I didn't learn from General Abizaid

[Coexist]

After watching hours of question-and-answer between the Senate, Congress and the General, here is what I came away with:

- what we are doing is not working as well as we had hoped
- we need to keep doing what we are doing
- we should not stay the course
- we are doing what works best
- if we redeploy, there will be a bloodbath
- there is not currently a bloodbath
- there is bloody sectarian violence
- we are "unhappy" with the mass kidnapping and violence
- we are saddened by loss of life
- we can train 18 year old Americans in 6 months and send them into battle as soldiers
- we need 18 months to train Iraqi troops to work under the close supervision of American soldiers
- the Iraqi Prime Minister wants us out quickly
- the Iraqi Defense Minister wants us to stay
- American contractors made billions off reconstruction that no one else was able to do
- we need to give contracts for rebuilding to Iraqis to rebuild their economy
- we are willing to discuss new ideas
- redeployment is a bad idea
- sending more troops in is a bad idea
- brining the troops home is a bad idea

I have had more truly meaningful question-and-answer sessions with Kindergartners regarding the teaching of prejudice in Dr. Seuss' "Horton Hears a Who".

[Ouabache]

1. So was he just trying to make everyone happy?

Pick your soundbyte? Looks like it.

[Coexist]

2. he looked a little miffed and seemed put off that people didn't realize

how well things were going there.

[lapfog_1]

3. But it was all delivered with all those military terms and stuff...

so you just got to go with it.

After all, we don't believe bureaucrats in Washington... we go with what the generals say is needed, after all they are the "boots on the ground".

:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

I hate it when Generals start talking about policy. This was a policy speech. Policy should be set by the civilian authority, not the army. I am so tired of the "boots on the ground" catch phrase.

[Dhalgren]

4. Abizaid should be cashiered. He is a liar and a place-server and

an incompetent. He is getting American soldiers and Iraqi civilians killed, by his ineptness and his self aggrandizement. He is a poltroon and a bad officer. "I just follow orders." Bullshit!

[Bobbie Jo]

5. So to sum it up.....

It's a huge clusterfuck....Gee, yet another productive congressional hearing. :banghead:

[Coexist]

6. it seemed he just wanted to "stay the course"

but refused to say so.

[bigtree]

7. exactly. where was the acknowledgement of the failure?

. . . the failure that Americans told Bush in the election they weren't tolerating any more?

This administration is stalling. Come January . . .