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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: LindyBill who wrote (8731)	9/20/2003 11:40:52 PM
From: unclewest	Respond to of 793752

If we have many more such "friendly fire" incidents, even the Iraqi silent majority will turn hostile... Non-Arabic-speaking Americans cannot fight an urban war in Iraq... Forget it. We must get off this course immediately. So now Friedman is a military tactician?!!! One of Murphy's rules of combat is that "friendly fire is not friendly". One of my rules of combat is that friendly fire is determined by whose side you are on. I think Friedman misses this point... "If we have many more 'friendly fire' incidents, even the AMERICAN silent majority will turn hostile." This is not Vietnam. He got that part right right.

To: LindyBill who wrote (8731)	9/21/2003 2:58:47 AM
From: Dayuhan	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793752

This also explains why the remnants of Saddam's order, who want all their old privileges and powers back, have had to go to such incredible lengths — bombing the U.N. office and the most holy mosque in Shiite Islam. Has it been confirmed that these attacks were the work of Baath remnants? Last I heard that was an open question - and my gut feel is that those attacks had "AQ" written all over them.

To: LindyBill who wrote (8731)	9/21/2003 8:19:02 AM
From: John Carragher	Respond to of 793752

Here is a different opinion from Philadelphia Inquirer Posted on Sun, Sep. 21, 2003 The public sees through White House spin on Iraq It's all the media's fault. That old refrain of "giving aid and comfort to the enemy" is resurfacing with the Iraq war. Secretary of State Donald Rumsfeld has chastised the media for not telling the good news - "the story of success and accomplishment in Iraq" carried on by the occupation. I get similar complaints from readers who demand that I watch Fox News to learn "the truth": that only 10 percent of Iraq is having problems. Never mind that this percentage is pulled out of thin air. The assumption seems to be that if the "bad news" would cease, Islamists and Iraqi guerrillas would throw in the towel. Would that this were true. But Islamists aren't inspired to kill by stories in the New York Times or The Inquirer, nor would a good-news blitz stop them. As for implying that news negativity undercuts home support for Bush's Iraq policy, Rumsfeld has it wrong. Public support is being eroded not by the media but by prevarications of the Bush team. The President's poll numbers are declining because he didn't level with the public about the aftermath of an Iraq war. The public is startled by his request for $87 billion (in addition to more than $50 billion so far) because it was never forewarned of such numbers. A year ago, White House budget director Mitch Daniels excoriated Lawrence Lindsay, Bush's economic adviser, for suggesting war with Iraq might eventually cost $100 billion to $200 billion, and Lindsay was soon fired. Daniels said the costs would be between $50 billion and $60 billion. Bush economic adviser Glen Hubbard said the cost would be "very small." Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said Iraq could pay for its own reconstruction. And on and on. Some pesky journalists who talked to oil experts wrote that Iraq's oil fields couldn't pay for reconstruction in the near term - even before sabotage pushed the period back further. But Bush officials insisted oil would quickly pay the whole tab for rebuilding Iraq. The White House wanted to promote only the good news - that the war would be cheap and the aftermath easy. No wonder support is dropping as the truth becomes known. As for today's "good news," the administration is still trying to spin the story. Yes, many occupation troops are doing good works, are painting schools and refurbishing hospitals. But all these praiseworthy efforts won't determine the success of the mission. The future of Iraq depends on bigger issues, such as whether the occupation authority can figure out how to provide Iraqis with security and jobs. Even as the White House plays down these issues, senior Defense Department officials are leaking reports that the biggest danger in coming months may be the growing resentments of ordinary Iraqis. These resentments could feed the guerrilla war. Needless to say, this doesn't match the rosy picture presented by Rumsfeld after his recent whirlwind tour of Iraq. The real good news is that the White House doesn't believe its own spin. On the ground, occupation czar Paul Bremer has been pressing for billions to train Iraqi security forces much faster and to create new jobs for Iraqis. White House officials have finally woken up; they know the media reflect Iraqi reality more accurately than their own flacks. But the public won't support billions for Iraq if it feels it's being lied to. Nor will the money go where it's needed most if the administration deludes itself with happy talk. The President may be getting the message that it's time to talk straight. On Wednesday, he finally acknowledged there's "no evidence" Saddam Hussein was connected with 9/11. Nearly 70 percent of Americans believe in that link because of constant administration hints, the latest by Vice President Cheney last Sunday. No wonder the White House suffers from a mammoth credibility gap. Iraq will not recover, nor U.S. policy succeed, if the administration continues to dissemble. So, if hardworking reporters are willing to risk their lives in Iraq, and if they goad the administration into telling the truth, more power to them. I say: Bring 'em on. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contact columnist Trudy Rubin at 215-854-5823 or trubin@phillynews.com.