…and yes, this is all over morning tv.

I don’t know how to square that with the ABC poll from a few days ago showing 47% support (a plurality) for immediate withdrawal.

The simplest explanation would be that Ahmad Umar al-Esawi is in the 53% who do not want immediate withdrawal.

But let’s look closer.

Ahmad Umar al-Esawi first says “I want them to withdraw all their troops in one day.”

A few minutes later: “I know I said I want them to leave, but if we think about it, then I have to say I want them to stay for a while until we end all the suspicions we have of each other and have a strong national government.”

Perhaps part of squaring the circle involves entertaining the possibility that Iraqis may give answers to pollsters that they may not really mean.

We tend to so reflexively view everything from living in our own culture that we tend to forget that concepts like shame and honor play a very particular role in Middle Eastern cultures.

Let’s get a refresher from the late Steven Vincent, upon his arrival in Iraq:

On some level, many, if not most, Iraqis are ashamed that Saddam Hussein brutalized them — and even more ashamed that it took foreign troops to end his reign.

At a small social function one evening, I spoke to an Iraqi woman who expressed excitement over the fall of Saddam. Yet in almost the same breath, she declared, “I hate the Americans so much I fantasize about taking a gun and shooting a soldier.” When asked how she expected Saddam to fall without the hated U.S. soldiers, she looked at me miserably. “I know,” she said, “and you can’t imagine how that humiliates me.”

A waiter admonished me, as if I’d advised Rumsfeld and Bush: “You should have waited just a little longer. We would have risen up and overthrown him ourselves.” When I asked why the Iraqi people hadn’t toppled Saddam before, other Baghdadis claimed that the tyrant had support from “outside” forces — most notably, the Jews. Speaking of Iraq’s disastrous invasion of Iran in 1980, the piano player in my hotel confided, “You know, of course, that the Jews manipulated Saddam into attacking Khomeini in order to keep the Arabs down — and Israel on top.”

But if you don’t like the multi-culti take, if the US had been invaded and occupied for several years, I imagine we would be itching for the occupier’s departure — and probably angry with ourselves if deep down we knew we needed an occupier. We might be more open about it with a pollster, though, as Americans like to blab about their feelings to strangers, compared to other countries.

That would be about 3 days after time itself comes to an end.

Warner said “stragety,”; what a maroon…

U.S. troops in Baghdad tell CNN that they want U.S. politicians to embed with them to see what conditions are really like.

So when are the Senators and Congressmen started their embeds with the troops?

Should we stay are should we go?
If we stay there will be trouble.
If we go it will be double.
So, common and let us know.

And, Rock the Casbah!

Same question, different scenario would involve the HOTEL-IMBEDDed reporter asking a Lance Corporal in a line Company (Infantry) “..how he thinks the patrol mission he just completed has mitigated Iran’s insurgency support operations in Iraq?” Huh…WTF? It is ABOVE HIS PAY GRADE, he is concerned with his mission, that patrol. Gen. Petreus is concerned with his AO, His mission, Iraq.

So do we chase them all over the world? No. We either find them and corner them (all of them), or you lure them to a killing field (all of them). Sorry Iraq, you are it.

Agrippa2k on September 11, 2007 at 6:34 PM

Good point. The fact that Iraq is a “Killing Field” is a sad cold fact. Iraq is a magnet for terrorists from all over the world. Iraq draws them in and we mow them down. If we were not there then they would be here.Which is one unspoken reason why we must not leave Iraq until there is victory. Personally I think the reason we have not suffered another terrorist attack since 911 is because Iraq consumes their resources.

Goodness – the man has a job to do and that’s what he said. That’s damning?

Ignorant asses everyone.

Now, they had a big attack up north a week or two ago but they used to be able to knock off 100 people at a shot almost at will.

They may not be that sophisticated or perhaps their ability has been degraded.

Sometimes it’s the dog that doesn’t bark.

Nonfactor on September 11, 2007 at 6:13 PM

Just Kidding. The response to the interview tells a different story. Or is the NYT not a reliable source? (ahem)

President Bush will address the nation about Iraq from the White House at 9 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday, the White House says.

Bush will give his response to the recommendations this week by Gen. David H. Petraeus about the speech with which to begin drawing down troops in Iraq.

Bush has indicated he will be deliberate about redeployment.

White House Press Secretary Tony Snow said at his televised briefing today: “It seems to me if you’ve got something that is succeeding, you want more of it.”

http://www.politico.com/blogs/thecrypt/0907/Bush_to_speak_Thursday_night.html

For more than a decade, Al-Queda trained TENS of THOUSANDS of jihadi degenerates. On September 12 Al-Queda was more than just two stinky guys in a cave. Emboldened after the 911 attacks – THEY WERE COMING.

So do we chase them all over the world? No. We either find them and corner them (all of them), or you lure them to a killing field (all of them). Sorry Iraq, you are it.

Now TENS of THOUSANDS of hard core jihadi degenerates and wannabe retards are dead. USA Akbar.

“If you don’t make the right decision – make your decision right.”

BTW-Now that he has given an answer that can be spun into a soundbite the left will like love, does that mean he’s not Gen. Betray US anymore but rather a brave truth teller?

Al-Queda had abandoned camps. Then there was increased “chatter”. Signs of an operation? Some major bombings in Iraq soon after.

New Osama tape. Trimmed and dyed beard, and another call to convert. A message that does not mention Europe at all. Meanwhile a major 50 member cell thwarted in Germany. Hmm.

I maintain that these guys are punks. Today will pass without incident. I am wary of a major European strike.