new land speed record

[sisyphusshrugged]

Remember all the way back to early this morning when I linked to the story about Powell saying we'd leave if the new government in Iraq asked us to? He was with the foregin ministers of Britain, Italy and Japan, remember? Who we might should be giving the impression that our Secretary of State is someone they should listen to?

Remember how I was wondering how long it would take for someone from the White House to cut him down?

For the record: less than 12 hours.

US President George W Bush vowed that US troops would stay in Iraq after the June 30 handover of sovereignty or until the country was secure, as fierce fresh fighting across the country claimed dozens of lives.

Speculation increased that the leader of the strongest ally of the US in the war on Iraq, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, might stand down early amid a scandal about abuse of Iraqi prisoners by coalition forces.

The US military meanwhile said it had scrapped inhumane interrogation techniques used in Iraq such as sleep deprivation in the wake of the furore over abuse claims.

In his weekly radio address, Bush said: "America will keep its commitment to the independence and national dignity of the Iraqi people."

"Yet the vital mission of our military in helping to provide security will continue on July 1 and beyond," he added.

"Coalition forces are training thousands of Iraqis to protect a free Iraq from external aggression and internal subversion. Our forces will remain in Iraq to assist the Iraqi people until Iraqis can secure their own country," he said.

The comments followed those by the foreign ministers of the United States, Britain, Italy and Japan, who said their countries would withdraw their troops from Iraq if the new interim authority requested.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

I am not sure why Powell even bother trying. His words doesn't mean anything, and he supposedly a person whose job is to spread the words, a diplomat.

I think Powell is truely out of favor inside King george's court.

Here is another example:
In a message designed to reach the wider Arab world, the secretary also pledged that President Bush had "not stepped back one inch" from his 2002 promise to help create a Palestinian state as part of a permanent Middle East peace. But Powell said all parties involved in negotiations need to "redouble" efforts to meet the deadline of a final settlement based on a two-state solution by the end of 2005, the goal outlined in the so-called road map for peace.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A29272-2004May15.html


This after Bush told an arab newspaper that the Palestinian is NOT ready to have a state in 2005.

This is a confused administration. .....amazing...

[jmhm.livejournal.com]

for about a week he was going to stand firm unto death for Sharon's plans, then tossed them overboard when he met with the King of Jordan, then Powell announced the day after that they were back to the Sharon plan.

very creepy.

[(Anonymous)]

Are we in, are we out? what's going on? I think Bush is confused. A good number of Atrios bloggers are predicting Bush is pulling 'get out of there before November' strategy.

http://www.theherald.co.uk/politics/16211.html

Bush and Blair speed up their exit strategy

TONY Blair and George W Bush have speeded up their work on a new plan to ensure the new Iraqi administration to be set up on June 30 is a sovereign government supported by a new UN resolution, according to the prime minister's spokesman last night.


(I am revising my prediction, instead of full pull out, we will have 'kinda' pull out but not really around november)

[(Anonymous)]

Little update.

Powell latest effort totally collapsed. The palestinian doesn't trust him at all and the Israeli just keep doing what they are doing, razing houses.

Nobody is taking Bush seriously anymore.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2001930971_mideast17.html