Biden called George W. Bush before he announced his Afghanistan troop withdrawal plan - but neither

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

said whether Bush supported it

President Joe Biden called former President George W. Bush to discuss his decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, but neither man said whether Bush supported the decision to end the war that started during his presidency.

President Biden said at a press conference on Wednesday that he called President Bush the previous day to inform him of the decision.

"I spoke yesterday with President Bush and informed him of my decision," Biden said in a speech at the White House.

"While he and I have had many disagreements over policy throughout the years, we are absolutely united in our respect and support for the valor, courage, and integrity of the women and men in the United States armed forces who served," Biden said.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/biden-called-george-w-bush-122849374.html

[WarGamer]

1. I still debate whether Iraq or Afghanistan was the bigger mistake...

I still can't decide.

Worst POTUS ever.

[Pachamama]

2. Worse than Trump?

Seriously?

[WarGamer]

3. You're kidding, right?

Trump was an incompetent a-hole.

Bush started a war that killed millions. It destabilized the Middle East and led to millions MORE dying. Egypt, Libya, Syria... Iraq... ISIS... all because of Bush. The war ended up costing MORE $ than Coronavirus, enough to fix every bridge and highway in the country.

Yes BUSH was waaaaaayyy worse than Trump. No doubt.

Trump is still bottom 5... but NO ONE was worse than Shrub.

[Pachamama]

4. Not kidding at all...

Completely disagree with you and so would the vast majority.

[WarGamer]

5. Bush's illegal war destabilzed the Middle East for more than 2 decades.

The numbers vary but experts say over a million died in Iraq directly and indirectly related to the war. Add in the numbers from Afghanistan, I think around 300k.

Then start adding up the casualties in Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen and in every other nation that lost control of the extremist population because of Bush's policy of overthrowing regimes. How many Civil Wars did he cause?

Hell, I don't think Russia would have attacked Georgia or Ukraine without the Shrub wars as cover.

[former9thward]

8. The Iraq Liberation Act was signed by Clinton in 1998

It called for support for regime change in Iraq. It passed the House 360-38 and the vote was unanimous in the Senate, Point being that regime change in Iraq did not start with Bush. The Afghan invasion had nearly unanimous support in Congress.

[July]

11. And yet

Iraq did not attack us on 9/11. But that’s what Bush and Co. sold to the American people after 9/11. Let’s not pretend that raining havoc on Iraq was justified by the 9/11 attacks, which were funded and perpetrated by the Saudis.

[former9thward]

12. There is no evidence the Saudi government had anything to do with 9/11.

9/11 was created by some Saudis that had no connections with the government. In fact bin Laden and his crew would have been very happy to overthrow the Saudi government. They has no more to do with the Saudi government thant does the KKK have to do with the U.S. government.

[WarGamer]

13. I must have missed the part where WJC invaded Iraq to force regime change, killing millions.

[former9thward]

16. No, he just did a four day bombing campaign.

Do you really think that laws signed by a president have nothing to do with the momentum for invasion by another president? And remember the Iraqi invasion had the support of Congress. See the Authorization for the Use of Military Force Against Iraq 2002 which was passed by large majorities in both houses of Congress.

If you really think one person invaded Iraq by himself we need to move on.

[TwilightZone]

18. Blaming the invasion of Iraq on Clinton is laughable.

It's one of the most ridiculous things I've ever seen posted here.

Excusing Bush from primary responsibility for the invasion is equally ludicrous.

[Elessar Zappa]

29. You sure you're on the right site?

Blaming Clinton and excusing Bush? Makes one wonder...

[Kaleva]

9. Your view is interesting in that Clinton, Obama and Biden get along well with Bush

but Trumpsters despise him.

[WarGamer]

14. Interesting how so many progressives defend Shrub.

smdh...

[Kaleva]

15. which camp are you in?

[PortTack]

7. Bush was terrible....dotard is ten fold worse

[CrackityJones75]

21. W is the worst Prez of all time.

The amount if death, destruction and waste from bush isn’t even comparable. Trump is the most disgusting and really should have been thrown out of office.

[yardwork]

28. I agree that W was a worse president than Trump.

[mvd]

30. I'm with you here

I think Bush is a bottom 5 President. But to me Trump is the worst. Completely demeaned the office, ignored a pandemic, tried to destroy our democracy itself, sucking up to dictators, making the economy most for the rich ever, and undermining important social progress.

[Demsrule86]

17. Trump killed more than half a million Americans and tried to overthrow the government...no contest

Trump is the reason we have an increase in White supremacy...Trump sold us out to Putin and others...Trump is the worst president ever. Bush was a lightweight compared to Trump.

[Buckeyeblue]

26. I agree with you.

Trump was a complete fool who mismanaged everything. But Bush used the 9-11 terrorist attacks to start an absolute mess of a war. It was initiated with fabricated intelligence and then mismanaged from the get-go.

I would also throw in the financial crisis and it's poor management under Bush as well.

Trump fucked up covid. And for sure that will be his legacy. Do we really think Bush would have done better?

[Cha]

38. Both Despicable but the Treasonous Psycho

was the worst being much less a potus.. he was the Siberian Candidate.. Fucking Gaslighting Psychotic POS who brainwashed MILLIONS to Kill in his name.

[TwilightZone]

19. The recency effect.

Trump managed to make a lot of people forget just how bad the Bush administration was.

I never thought I'd see people on DU blaming Clinton for the invasion and shifting primary responsibility from Bush. It's rather bizarre.

[Mad_Machine76]

36. The answer seems plenty obvious to me

After 9/11, smashing up AQ and their Taliban benefactors seemed prudent and right but Bush II didn't do the job in Afghanistan right the first time, took his eyes off the ball there, wastefully diverted troops and resources to Iraq while members of the Taliban and AQ scattered and regrouped in remote sanctuaries. If it had been left up to Bush II and his top advisors, they would have probably skipped Afghanistan and just toppled Saddam but they ultimately realized that it would have looked completely crazy to most people, so they decided that they would make a muscular (but quick) response in Afghanistan and then move on to their real interest in Iraq. I have no doubt at this time that we need to pull out of Afghanistan because there seems to be little else to do right now but I still question how much better we are ultimately leaving it.

[Skittles]

6. WTF

WHY would he need to confer with that warmongering PIECE OF SHIT

[Kaleva]

10. Biden is Old School. Note that he didn't confer with the former guy.

[Skittles]

22. why would he confer with a WARMONGERING PIECE OF SHIT

what does OLD SCHOOL have to do with it

we should never have been in Iraq or Afghanistan, BIGGEST FOREIGN POLICY BLUNDERS EVER

Fuck that sociopath Dubya, he makes me SICK, people still die every DAY because of him

not only was he NEVER HELD ACCOUNTABLE but now he is being treated with RESPECT? FUCK THAN NOISE.

[Kaleva]

25. Obviously, the Clintons, Obamas and Bidens don't share your opinion.

[Skittles]

31. they SHOULD

[Sewa]

39. You got that right

Why are Dems normalizing Bush? I don’t get it.

[Skittles]

40. THANK YOU

this whitewashing is just plain sickening....not only was he and his disgusting cabinet NEVER held accountable, now Michelle treats him like a lovable old uncle and Biden is being "courteous".......WTF, no, OH HELL FUCKING NO

[Buckeyeblue]

27. He just let him know. I don't believe he asked his opinion

Prior to Humpty-Dumpty, current presidents gave former presidents a heads up when they were going to change a major policy that the former president installed. Just as a courtesy.

[Skittles]

32. fuck Dubya

the man was a warmongering sociopath, just disgusting....it's bad enough that Michelle treats him like he's some lovable old uncle

[fishwax]

20. I just can't see how GWB's opinion on foreign policy are of interest

It's not like he was good at it.

[Skittles]

23. the man LIED HIS WAY INTO A WAR

he should be OSTRACIZED

this is just plain FUCKED UP

[Hekate]

24. Biden is courteous. What an odd thread this OP has provoked. nt

[obamanut2012]

35. Seriously

Agree.

[lame54]

33. Courtesy call - he wasn't asking permission

[Mr.Bill]

37. Let's see, Bush and Trump.

Which one advocated and arguably led a violent attempt to overthrow the government and install himself as dictator?