Josh Marshall wonders what's up with Bernard Kerik and offers a wonderfully curious Rumsfeld quote.
(September 6th, 2003 -- 6:52 PM EDT // link)
Okay, what's up with the departure of Bernard Kerik from Baghdad? When the former New York City Police Commissioner arrived in Iraq in late May to serve as Baghdad's de facto police chief he told reporters, "I will be there at least six months - until the job is done."
According to the ten fingers here in front of me, he wasn't there much longer than three months.
The Pentagon now says Kerik was supposed to leave this summer and "extended his stay to finish his ongoing projects." And Kerik's spokeswoman -- actually the spokeswoman for Kerik's employer, Giuliani Partners -- now says the job was only supposed to last 90 days.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but there would seem to be more than enough law enforcement work to do in Iraq right now. And it wouldn't seem like the most opportune time to have the job vacant, as it now is.
And there's more.
Today the FBI recalled its lead agent in Iraq, Thomas Fuentes, who'd been in the region since July and replaced him with Chris Swecker, the head of the Bureau's Charlotte, North Carolina field office.
The FBI switch may well be a standard rotation. But what gives with Kerik? There must be something more to the story, no?
-- Josh Marshall
(September 6th, 2003 -- 2:45 PM EDT // link)
Another postcard from the 'responsibility era' ...
Instead of pointing fingers at the security forces of the coalition because there are acts of violence taking place against Iraqi people in this country, it's important for the Iraqi people to step up and take responsibility.
Donald Rumsfeld
Baghdad
September 6th, 2003
The CBO says the Pentagon can only maintain the Army's current troop strength deployment in Iraq until Spring 2004. How much longer can President Bush maintain Don Rumsfeld's deployment to the Pentagon?
-- Josh Marshall |
