Analysis:
A Significant Assessment Discrepancy
On September 29, 2005, the senior military commander in Iraq, Gen. George Casey, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the number of Iraqi battalions that could fight without U.S. support had dwindled from three to one.
The President's statement that 100 battalions are operational in Iraq does not directly contradict General Casey's testimony: there could very well be 100 Iraqi battalions in existence, while only one of them is capable of engaging in operations unsupported by Coalition forces. However, the President's descriptions of "increasing... capability" and "increasing effectiveness" of federal Iraqi forces are directly at odds with the military officer's testimony that the number of self-sufficient battalions had diminished by two-thirds.
Through misinformation or deliberate misrepresentation, either the general or the President is wrong. It is also possible that both men are wrong. In any event, either the Senate, the American people, or both have been misled with respect to the situation on the ground in Iraq with respect to the ability of the Iraqi military to function without occupation troops providing command, control, and firepower in routine and battlefield operations.
If the President is correct, then it is only a matter of time before Coalition forces can begin a tiered, well-ordered withdrawal from Iraq. If the general is correct, any such withdrawal will be attended by the implosion of what little military structure exists for the federal state of Iraq, leaving the nation to the mercies of both the powerful forces pulling the country apart from within and the powerful forces of bordering nations waiting to carve up the nation from without.
The Dark Wraith leaves it to astute observers to determine whether President Bush or Gen. Casey is better informed.
Published 10/02/2005 02:11:00 AM
<< 17 Comments Total
Good morning, Dark Wraith.
I'm going to bet on the General knowing more than dubya. Time and time again, dubya has gotten in front of the media to give propaganda that just hasn't panned out. It seems as though the swill he spews is geared toward calming the people down. That's all. He and his speech writers don't seem to care whether there's a shred of truth.. ok, it has to sound good, too, but they know that old saying, "You can fool some of the people some of the time, but there's none like the Texans putting food on our families.." well, it's something like that:)
Good morning, Trailer Trash. This one just leaves me a bit amazed. The old boy didn't wait more than two days to directly contradict sworn testimony of a field general. The statements of both are now enshrined in print.
In one way, I'll give Bush credit, but it's not for any guts he might have to keep lying to the American people: the majority of the electorate installed him for a second term knowing quite well that he has a problem with the truth. What I give him credit for is having the guts to contradict an Army general and thereby rely on the rest of the military to side with a Texas weiner and against a well-respected, decorated, high-ranking soldier.
Mr. Bush must certainly believe that he's got the right stuff.
I suspect it's that codpiece he straps on when he needs to feel like he's the top gun.
The Dark Wraith believes that the President Top Gun has mistaken his oral flatulence for true firepower.
Good afternoon, Dark Wraith.
I guess he's been right, so far, in having the right stuff. Very few people have contradicted him.. oh, wait a minute.. they do, but the media doesn't go indepth about it. Instead, they report all the rovian masterminded-type dirt applied to the these people. Which of course, gets office gossip time and so, dubya stays on top.
Too bad he doesn't misplace his codpiece... Things might be looking up, though. I guess Rove has been keeping the low profile, nowadays. The media seems to be coming out of it's dubya rah rah format, though it might still be too soon to tell.
My fingers are crossed, legs, too:) that the neocons barking will be ignored, finally.
Good Evening Dark Wraith,
There's no contest - The Dub has been in his own ever narrowing world for most of his life, from what I can tell.
Imagine, surrounding yourself with syncophants, and hide in your mansion, while people fight and die on your orders - while people starve and drown on your orders.
I think I'd end up hating myself, more than anything.
Of course, being one of his enablers has its upsides.
For one thing, regardless of what experience one doesn't have, one can become an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court by being part of the wall that separates Mr. Bush from the world.
That, or one can merely amass a fortune through crony business deals.
Any way you slice it, helping Mr. Bush avoid contact with reality is a rewarding career.
The Dark Wraith wonders how secure Mr. Bush's insulation blanket will remain once he is no longer President.
I'm goin with the general on this one, seeing as how anything that comes out of Shrub's mouth these days is some twisted, half-truth written down for him by Rove.
Good afternoon, Lab Kat.
It troubles me deeply that so many people have this inexplicable sense that the President of the United States might be somewhat less than a blistering intellect.
It's almost as if people are saying that they cannot rely on a coward who avoided combat like the Plague to give a full, fair, and informed assessment of a military situation.
I am certain that all of the supporters of Mr. Bush would choose him any day over a combat-hardened general to lead them into battle. And I'm certain that, if they did, the country would have fewer supporters of Mr. Bush once the battle was over.
The Dark Wraith will wave to them as they look around wondering where he disappeared to when the shooting starts.
I am certain that all of the supporters of Mr. Bush would choose him any day over a combat-hardened general to lead them into battle. And I'm certain that, if they did, the country would have fewer supporters of Mr. Bush once the battle was over.
WOW, very good idea - send them all to do their patriotic duty, and good riddance!
I believe the term, SB Gypsy, is "culling the herd."
Sort of a Darwinian approach to animal husbandry.
The Dark Wraith hears the sound of cattle going, "MOO?!"
Good God - You have a separate blog! And here I thought the forum was it. Well tie me up and call me handy! My brain must be on simmer these days. I swear - I feel dumb as a stump.
Hello! Another great site. Man, I gotta send Gypsy a virtual cake. Lots of nice people out here.
"The Dark Wraith leaves it to astute observers to determine whether President Bush or Gen. Casey is better informed".
I'm still working on the theory that each of them is dumber than the other.
Quoth the Dark Wraith:
"Choose friends of intense loyalty over allies of great intelligence: in so doing, by your side in the battles to come will be soldiers who will die for you rather than generals who will think for you".
Good afternoon, Fat Lady Sings, and welcome to the main blog. I'm sort of glad you noted that you didn't know about this place; I tend to think that everyone who hangs around this corner of the Blogosphere knows about The Dark Wraith Forums, but then I'm always seeing the "new visitors" counter rise from day to day.
Yes, this is where it all starts: the Message Board is a sub-directory of this main site, and the blogScream News Wire, whose feeds you might have noticed as little screens on other blogs, is a whole sub-domain.
Not a bad little all-night diner. It doesn't get the huge traffic of the big, famous blogs, nor even of many of the Second Wave blogs; but the regulars here are of a rather distinct character and quality. It doesn't take long to figure that out from the threads.
I've been posting somewhat sparingly of late, and part of this has to do with a major project that I'm trying to stabilize to the point where I can roll it out here on The Dark Wraith Forums. It'll be pretty sweet, but I'm still banging my head on a few glitches and details. Of course, those problems are what make the project worthy for an obsessive personality as I have.
But the new feature will be cool when it arrives.
At least, I hope it will be.
The Dark Wraith should probably keep his hopes from getting too high.
Good afternoon, Peter of Lone Tree.
It always attracts my attention when I see contradictory statements from folks who are supposed to be on the same team. It is certainly difficult in some circumstances to know which statement is more accurate; in other cases, it's not too difficult. When I hear, for example, reports that contadict each other on whether or not indictments will be handed down as a result of federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald's investigation of the Valerie Plame scandal, it really is hard to know which resource is providing a more reliable prediction.
If, on the other hand, President Bush were to tell me that it's sunny outside, while a lowly mule was telling me that the sky was falling, I would without hesitation go down to the basement and stay there until the mule told me that the sky had stopped falling.
And although the mule could stay in the basement with me, I would not permit the President the accommodation.
The Dark Wraith would not have enough extra food for both a wise mule and a dumb ass.
Not that I have an excess of confidence in generals, I did spend 6 years in the service and got to know a few, but when it comes to military knowledge an AWOL drinken drugie doesn't inspire a load of confidence either. And since we all know Deacon Dumb lives in a total world of his own stupid fantasies I'll go with the General on this one.
Welcome to The Dark Wraith Forums, Darryl.
Deacon Dumb?! That's a new one... and pretty good.
Speaking only for myself, I avoided brass at all possible opportunities; but I, too, would tend to throw put my money on the general's call here. The problem, of course, is that, if the brass is right, we're in for a l-o-o-ng haul in that God-awful place.
The Dark Wraith, on this occasion, wishes the Deacon were not as wrong as he probably is.
hi dark one and all---
the general may be more correcty about the situation than dubya, but dubya can order the general to get our troops out of iraq at any politically expedient time.
Good evening, Dread Pirate Roberts.
The general could, too, y'know. It would be one of the side effects of a military coup.
Of course, that could never, ever happen here in the United States.
Not unless the Administration and the majority leadership of the Congress were too crippled by indictments to serve the nation.
Of course, that could never, ever happen here in the United States.
The Dark Wraith is repeating himself for effect.