US Eyes Iraqi Parliamentary Schedule
WASHINGTON ‚Äö√Ñ√Æ The White House on Friday appeared resigned to the fact that the Iraqi parliament is going to take August off, even though it has just eight weeks to show progress on military, political and economic benchmarks prescribed by the United States…. “My understanding is at this juncture they’re going to take August off, but, you know, they may change their minds,” White House press secretary Tony Snow said…. “You know, it’s 130 degrees in Baghdad in August,” he said, sympathetically. Snow was reminded that U.S. troops will be continuing to fight throughout August in the heat.
When I heard that the Iraq government was taking the entire month of August over, you could have knocked me over with a feather. Yes, having lived in that part of the world, I understand that August is a traditional vacation season. Even in light of that, though, you have to wonder what in the Hell these maroons are thinking. American troops continue fighting and dying to restore something resembling stability and democracy to their sorry asses…and the Iraqi government shows their gratitude and commitment by taking an ENTIRE MONTH off? If anyone in the Bush Administration had a functioning set of cojones, they’d be raising all sorts of Hell. As long as American lives are being spent to prop up the
Nice, eh?
If the goal of this clusterf—k is to allow Iraq to become a functional and thriving democracy, then wouldn’t we be within our rights to demand that the Iraqi commitment mirror our own? After all, if we are willing to continue to put American lives on the line for Iraq, then doesn’t the idea of the Iraqi government taking the entire month of August off be something we could reasonably take offense over? What sort of message is being sent when Americans troops continue to suffer and die for a government that’s on vacation?
And what does it say about The Worst President EVER © when he isn’t DEMANDING that all hands be on deck? Yes, Iraq is a sovereign nation, but if they expect American assistance to continue, I see no reason why we shouldn’t be able to expect their complete, undivided, and uninterrupted attention to the matters at hand. If Americans are dying, the least Iraqi government officials should be doing is working.
The White House and other top officials previously had worked to persuade the parliament to remain at work, saying it would send a bad signal if the Iraqi lawmakers went on vacation while U.S. troops were fighting and dying.
Snow said that a scheduled Sept. 15 progress report on by Gen. David Petraeus was important, yet said he also said that was not a deadline. He said progress can be made even if the parliament is not in session….
The Iraqi parliament’s vacation plans have been repeatedly criticized by U.S. lawmakers. But the U.S. Congress will be on vacation from Aug. 3 to Sept. 4, if it sticks to current plans.
The Congress itself has been criticized for how little it works.
On Thursday, the White House gave Congress a progress report that showed the Iraqi government was making unsatisfactory progress on many political and military milestones. At a news conference, President Bush defended the buildup of U.S. troops as well as his decisions on troop numbers earlier in the conflict.
Realistically, the Iraqi government has no real incentive to cancel it’s vacation plans. They know that Our Glorious and Benevolent Leader © has staked his legacy on their country, and he’s in it up to his hair line. Having gone this far for this long, there’s simply no turning around without suffering a significant loss of face.
The Bush Administration knows that there is no longer any reasonable escape for them, hence the entreaties to “stay the course”, or whatever they’re calling it these days. The Iraqi government, however, clearly feels no similar commitment. They know that they could disappear altogther and American troops would remain. We’ve done nothing to hold their feet to the fire, and until we do nothing will change.
In the end, American troops will continue to die for a government concerned only with their only self-preservation and self-aggrandizement. Isn’t it about time we demanded more from a government we’re trying to prop up??
NOW CAN WE IMPEACH THE MURDERING, LYING BASTARD??