www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/11682.html
their op-ed on the war in Iraq appeared in the NYT and immediately became The Most Important Opinion Piece Ever, at least as far as Bush and his supporters are concerned. The two, who recently returned from an eight-day visit to Iraq, argued that US forces are "finally getting somewhere in Iraq." O'Hanlon and Pollack added that they were "surprised by the gains" they saw, and now believe there's a potential for "sustainable stability that both we and the Iraqis could live with." It's hard to overstate the speed (and glee) with which this op-ed was embraced by the right.
Dick Cheney cited the O'Hanlon/Pollack piece as proof that Bush's "surge" policy is working: "They both have been strong critics of the war, both worked in the prior administration; but now saying that they think there's a possibility, indeed, that we could be successful."
used the op-ed to bash everyone who disagrees with him: "I cannot guarantee success. But I do guarantee that, should Congress fail to sustain the effort, and should it pay no heed to the lessons drawn by Mr Pollack and Mr O'Hanlon, then America will face a historic and terrible defeat."
told him today, "Just about every Republican in the Iraq debate on the House floor today has cited and read from the O'Hanlon/Pollack op-ed to argue that we are making significant progress in Iraq.
In answer to some of the questions I raised: he spoke with very few Iraqis and could independently confirm very little of what he heard from American officials.... The improvements in security, he said, are "relative," which is a heavy qualification, given the extreme violence of 2006 and early 2007. And it's far from clear that progress anywhere is sustainable. Everywhere he went, the line Pollack heard was that the central government in Baghdad is broken and the only solutions that can work are local ones. It was a step back from the almost definitive tone of "A War We Just Might Win" (a bad headline, and not the authors'). That tone was misplaced, and it is already being used by an Administration that has always thought tactically and will grasp any shred of support, regardless of the facts, to win the short-term argument. The White House and its allies, in other words, are drawing conclusions from an op-ed that its authors are not entirely comfortable with.
In an interview on Wednesday, Mr O'Hanlon said the article was intended to point out that the security situation was currently far better than it was in 2006. What the American military cannot solve, he said, are problems caused by the inability of Iraqis to forge political solutions. "Ultimately, politics trumps all else," Mr O'Hanlon said. "If the political stalemate goes on, even if the military progress continued, I don't see how I could write another Op-Ed saying the same thing." Looks like war proponents are going to need some different heroes. These two aren't sticking to the president's preferred script.
Comments 1 On August 2nd, 2007 at 3:15 pm, just bill said: well, i'm sure glad the media and the republicans will also jump all over this story like they did the original one. They're just asking for another Friedman Unit, that's all. But the ongoing violence and the deaths of American soldiers can't be covered up, no matter how the Bushies and their media enablers try. I hope the Bushies keep believing their own BS for long enough for millions of angry Americans to flush them down the electoral toilet.
published in this morning's Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Toll in Iraq seems far from easing' Talk about misleading headlines. A Wednesday front-page headline proclaimed "US toll in Iraq eases." The first paragraph of the story on Page A5 stated, "The US said it was gaining control of former militant strongholds." US officials said "they were heartened by the downturn in Americans deaths." The facts, which appear several paragraphs further on, where few readers are likely to go, are somewhat different. There were 78 deaths in July, five more than the 73 you report, the highest ever for July. Beginning in 2003, the July deaths number 48, 54, 54, 43, 78. The daily US military death rate throughout the nearly five-year invasion/quagmire is 23; Ed Stephan Bellingham 7 On August 2nd, 2007 at 3:35 pm, terraformer said: This makes one wonder what in the hell these two were thinking when they wrote the piece. Surely they knew that it would be lassoed by the Administration and their supporters as proof' the surge is working, we just need more time, etc. And they did not qualify any of it-most importantly, at the time it was written/published-as they appear to be doing now. Even with the backpedaling, Administration supporters will cluck along with their fingers in their ears, ensuring that their perfect little Iraqview is set in stone. You can't tell me they didn't know this would happen with their BS op-ed. WTF 9 On August 2nd, 2007 at 3:53 pm, doubtful said: Ed, you can't honestly expect people who read a paper with the word intelligence' sandwiched in it's title to listen to facts or reasoning!
On August 2nd, 2007 at 3:58 pm, The answer is orange said: Interesting how often the mAdministration tells us (you, me, Congress) we have to listen to the generals "on the ground," and anyone else should shut up, not second guess the troops etc, etc. Then an opinion piece by some tourists comes out and the mAdmin touts it as proof positive that everything is goin' swell.
On August 2nd, 2007 at 4:46 pm, slip kid no more said: Ed and David, I was wondering about that "low" troop death count touted for July. With the daily July temperatures in Iraq being 120 degree in the shade, doesn't it made sense that human beings-friend and foe-would have less activity and take refuge from the oppressive heat? I know that my electric bill (with central air conditioning) is higher in the summer that in the spring and autumn;
On August 2nd, 2007 at 4:57 pm, eddiejoe said: Don't know much about O'Hanlon but wasn't Pollack involved in the AIPAC Israeli spy scandal a few years back. One must always keep in mind what motivates these people.
On August 2nd, 2007 at 5:22 pm, Dennis - SGMM said: Pollack was named in the indictment for the AIPAC Espionage Scandal as having passed information to AIPAC employees Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman.
com/ Almost daily and I think it gives a pretty clear picture of what is going on in Iraq. I wish US media would report on deaths other than the American ones in Iraq. It does not improve the worlds opinion on America when they go to US media and they are only reporting American deaths. Whereas other international medias report the casualties which are not American as well.
On August 2nd, 2007 at 10:35 pm, George Shaw said: Hell, we have to keep repeating: both of these jokers were pro-war in the beginning. To call them left-wingers and anti-war is as bad as looking for the WMD that we had sold to Iraq, allowed them to use against Iran, destroyed any that remained, and then invaded to find.
On August 3rd, 2007 at 7:38 pm, center ice said: These guys are only backpeddling because it has finally dawned on these "Wise Men" that their writings have been killing innocent people and their latest piece will prolong the murder. They have been cited by Cheney and they are now part of the mayhem.
On August 4th, 2007 at 11:54 am, Chaos said: It's hilarious how Pollack and O'Hanlon are now being forced by the screaming nutjobs to backpedal in order to keep their progressive membership cards. When you lose yet another vote in September, and another one after that, what are you poor excuses for jokes going to do? I expect the number of earplugs sold in this country to explode, we won't be able to escape the hilarious childish wailing otherwise.
On August 4th, 2007 at 12:10 pm, JimBob said: The administration uses these little false bits of sunshine like blocks of ice to cross a half-frozen river. I can't wait for the day, and it could be tomorrow, when they jump and there is no happy-talk-bullshit to stand on for a day or two. Of course, they carefully orchestrate these things themselves, but they may run out of people willing to tarnish themselves in the process.
On August 4th,...
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