SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Bush Totally Out of It on Iraq
Mar 29, 2008
You got to wonder how out to lunch Bush really is these days.
At the very moment that civil strife was escalating in Iraq, even as Maliki's forces were taking a beating in Basra and bombs were raining down on the Green Zone Bush declared that the violence in Iraq was "a very positive sign" because Maliki was stepping up.
Talk about a bloody silver lining. Maliki can't even travel without a caravan of decoy limousines, according to Patrick Cockburn of the London Independent.
Nevertheless, at Wright-Patterson air force base on Thursday, Bush said: "The surge is doing what it was designed to do. It's helping Iraqis reclaim security and restart political and economic life."
He added: "It is bringing America closer to a key strategic victory in the war against these extremists and radicals."
The reality, however, is that the huge uptick in violence in Iraq puts the lie to all the happy talk about the surge.
For the apparent success of the surge all along was due as much to the cease-fire by Muqtada al Sadr and his militia as it was to anything else.
And now that Maliki has gone after Sadr's forces, the violence all over Iraq is skyrocketing.
It's not just a case of the government going after a bunch of "bad guys," as bad as Sadr and his forces are. They've been known to throw acid in the faces of unveiled women.
Sadr's forces are among the most popular on the ground. And they are facing off against the rival militia forces of the SCIRI party. It's one Shiite militia against another, and the United States has done what it said it would not do: We're taking sides in a multi-sided civil war.
From here, things are likely to spin even further out of control, with even less political stability and even less economic activity (except for stealing oil), and even more deaths all around.
It is the surge, not the insurgency, that is in its last throes.
Matthew Rothschild is the editor of The Progressive magazine.
(c) 2008 The Progressive
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
© 2023 The Progressive
Matt Rothschild
Matt Rothschild is the executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. Prior to joining the Democracy Campaign at the start of 2015, Matt worked at The Progressive Magazine for 32 years. For most of those, he was the editor and publisher of The Progressive.
You got to wonder how out to lunch Bush really is these days.
At the very moment that civil strife was escalating in Iraq, even as Maliki's forces were taking a beating in Basra and bombs were raining down on the Green Zone Bush declared that the violence in Iraq was "a very positive sign" because Maliki was stepping up.
Talk about a bloody silver lining. Maliki can't even travel without a caravan of decoy limousines, according to Patrick Cockburn of the London Independent.
Nevertheless, at Wright-Patterson air force base on Thursday, Bush said: "The surge is doing what it was designed to do. It's helping Iraqis reclaim security and restart political and economic life."
He added: "It is bringing America closer to a key strategic victory in the war against these extremists and radicals."
The reality, however, is that the huge uptick in violence in Iraq puts the lie to all the happy talk about the surge.
For the apparent success of the surge all along was due as much to the cease-fire by Muqtada al Sadr and his militia as it was to anything else.
And now that Maliki has gone after Sadr's forces, the violence all over Iraq is skyrocketing.
It's not just a case of the government going after a bunch of "bad guys," as bad as Sadr and his forces are. They've been known to throw acid in the faces of unveiled women.
Sadr's forces are among the most popular on the ground. And they are facing off against the rival militia forces of the SCIRI party. It's one Shiite militia against another, and the United States has done what it said it would not do: We're taking sides in a multi-sided civil war.
From here, things are likely to spin even further out of control, with even less political stability and even less economic activity (except for stealing oil), and even more deaths all around.
It is the surge, not the insurgency, that is in its last throes.
Matthew Rothschild is the editor of The Progressive magazine.
(c) 2008 The Progressive
Matt Rothschild
Matt Rothschild is the executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. Prior to joining the Democracy Campaign at the start of 2015, Matt worked at The Progressive Magazine for 32 years. For most of those, he was the editor and publisher of The Progressive.
You got to wonder how out to lunch Bush really is these days.
At the very moment that civil strife was escalating in Iraq, even as Maliki's forces were taking a beating in Basra and bombs were raining down on the Green Zone Bush declared that the violence in Iraq was "a very positive sign" because Maliki was stepping up.
Talk about a bloody silver lining. Maliki can't even travel without a caravan of decoy limousines, according to Patrick Cockburn of the London Independent.
Nevertheless, at Wright-Patterson air force base on Thursday, Bush said: "The surge is doing what it was designed to do. It's helping Iraqis reclaim security and restart political and economic life."
He added: "It is bringing America closer to a key strategic victory in the war against these extremists and radicals."
The reality, however, is that the huge uptick in violence in Iraq puts the lie to all the happy talk about the surge.
For the apparent success of the surge all along was due as much to the cease-fire by Muqtada al Sadr and his militia as it was to anything else.
And now that Maliki has gone after Sadr's forces, the violence all over Iraq is skyrocketing.
It's not just a case of the government going after a bunch of "bad guys," as bad as Sadr and his forces are. They've been known to throw acid in the faces of unveiled women.
Sadr's forces are among the most popular on the ground. And they are facing off against the rival militia forces of the SCIRI party. It's one Shiite militia against another, and the United States has done what it said it would not do: We're taking sides in a multi-sided civil war.
From here, things are likely to spin even further out of control, with even less political stability and even less economic activity (except for stealing oil), and even more deaths all around.
It is the surge, not the insurgency, that is in its last throes.
Matthew Rothschild is the editor of The Progressive magazine.
(c) 2008 The Progressive
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.