Gates on Iraq: "We can't turn it around overnight"

[ProSense]

Gates on Iraq: "We can't turn it around overnight"

24 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Defense Secretary Robert Gates played down expectations for rapid progress in Iraq Thursday and said US officials are now looking more to local groups than to the central government for progress on reconciliation.

Gates denied that his top general in Iraq is developing a new strategy but said contingency planning is underway for what might happen after a September assessment of a "surge" in US forces.

"I mean, we're as impatient for this thing to turn in a positive direction as anybody, maybe more so," Gates told reporters.

"And, you know, I'd give anything to have to stop doing as many of these condolence letters that I'm writing. It's a terrible thing and people are suffering.

"But we can't turn it around overnight," he said.

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Damn, they're already admitting that nothing will be different in September.

[TwilightGardener]

1. Overnight...or four years. Whatever.

[KansDem]

9. Yeah, seems like they had 1,460 "overnights"

...but the place is still a clusterfolly.

[TwilightGardener]

12. "Clusterfolly"! Very diplomatic, LOL!

[KansDem]

14. I have a nine-year-old son...He's asked me what "WTF" means...

He's seen it on computers and such. I tell him it means "What the Folly???"

He's content with that explanation...for now.

[TwilightGardener]

16. Good lie, Dad!

[Sherman A1]

2. True

and we can't leave overnight either, but we can get started doing so.

[Solly Mack]

3. LMAO

[mmonk]

4. Why? You did it in a few months a few years ago.

[Kagemusha]

5. With Talibani and al-Hakim out of the country he has little choice

Not many people left to reconciliate with.

And no chance it'll succeed either, with the big boys playing for keeps.

[Vincardog]

6. In September they will say the SAME thing they have been saying for 6 YEARS

Give it a little more time.
We have turned the corner.
They are in their LAST THROES.

In other words they have not finished LOOTING YET.

[Clovis Sangrail]

7. I don't think Iraq really matters to him

This is more about keeping our troops there long enough, and in big enough numbers, to get in a war with Iran.

Think about it.
Everybody is sick of Iraq, but if they can whip up indignation about a Gulf of Tonkin type episode w/ Iran?

[TheCowsCameHome]

8. .......another line in the sand. Good thing the desert is huge.

[EFerrari]

10. F#ck his Iran/Contra @ss. He is one of the criminals still in government

because we didn't stand up to Raygun.

[blueworld]

11. We liberated Europe in a lot less time

Did Gates mention whether they can turn the "lack of cohesive sane plan" thing around overnight? Bombing & surging has eaten up a few years - have they spent ALL that time rewriting the Constitution & lining up at the trough?

Exactly WHAT Iraqi government & political benchmarks will we be looking for once this secondary surge has surged? Gates has a straight face & a big mouth but no specifics.

Can any of the DEMS who are currently arranging the largest Congressional backstabbing, spineless, illogical, indefensible clusterf**k since 2002 EXPLAIN exactly what specific things will provide evidence of sucksess?:mad:

[BlueStater]

13. Well, you've had four fucking years now

This invasion has now lasted longer than American involvement in WWII and we still have yet to see any notable progress.

[Disturbed]

15. In Sept. the RWing will say Iraq needs six more months for

progress. When will Dems ever learn? Compromise with Rethugs is an Illusion.