WP: In Cities Bush Cited, Progress Is Relative

[grytpype]

Yeah, sounds like things are going REAL good over there in Mosul, just like Dubya said...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/07/AR2005120702384.html

In Cities Bush Cited, Progress Is Relative

By Robin Wright and Saad Sarhan
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, December 8, 2005; Page A22

In a tale of two cities, President Bush yesterday heralded progress in northern Mosul and southern Najaf as new models for rebuilding Iraq.

But last Friday, Iraq's government imposed emergency law and a curfew in Sunni-dominated Mosul and throughout Ninevah province, and a senior U.S. official in Baghdad yesterday referred to the city of about 1.7 million as "nasty Mosul."

In Najaf, militia fighters of the two rival religious parties that control the Shiite holy city recently clashed in street battles. A few days ago, former prime minister Ayad Allawi was attacked during a visit by an angry, rock-throwing mob that some Iraqis charge was backed by a militia -- and that Allawi called an assassination attempt.

The two important and politically charged cities showcase signs of progress for Iraq, as Bush described, but also security problems and other pressing difficulties for the U.S. mission and the new Iraqi government.

(much more at link)

(and if you like Dear Leader's Daily Thought there's some new posts up, click on link in sig)

[billybob537]

1. Am I the only one

who mutes the TV when ever Smirky the Chimp opens his mouth to spread more manure? Stop Listening "he isn't saying anything you need to hear"

[ixion]

8. I did one better, and got rid of cable all together.

much quieter now, not having to listen to all the lying blather.

[The_Casual_Observer]

2. I just assumed that the real story was something like this the minute

bush brought it up.

[alcibiades_mystery]

3. Citing Najaf is a monumental joke

Najaf was a hot point in the Shiite insurgency engaged in mostly by the followers of Moqtada al-Sadr, the so-called "radiocal clerics" whose people killed scores of US troops. He is now in the government, and the supposed victory over his people remain dubious at best. Of course the Shia are no longer engaged in the insurgency. They've been effectively handed the country tout court. Translation: They already won their fight against the US. The US cried uncle, and turned the whole country over to them. That Bush would cite Najaf as a "success" only shows how truly out of touch Bush is, or how ridiculous a liar he is.

As for Mosul, who is he kidding? Mosul is a shitstorm to this day. He should do the "safe city" announcement from Mosul if it is so goddamn secure. Don't hold your breath on that, though....

[ShockediSay]

4. Even the Wall St Journal cites serious country-wide downsides

in Iraq, namely unemployment and corruption.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5042175

Yup - sounds like American style democracy all right!

[radfringe]

5. just 'cause he says something

it don't make it necessarily so....

I can picture him standing in the oval orafice - eyes closed, hands over his ears, yelling "no bad news, can't hear you, lalalalalalalalalalala"

[DoYouEverWonder]

6. I love to look at pictures

and I look at pictures from Iraq all the time, even the gory ones. Since we invaded 3 years ago, I have not seen a single picture with a crane, or a scaffold or any signs of a reconstruction project ever. Nothing. All the pictures show is incredible destruction everywhere. If Bush is telling the truth (yeah, right) and there's all these good things going on in Najaf and Mosul why doesn't he just show us pictures of it? He can't, he has nothing to show.

[sabra]

7. "But the militiamen who were from Najaf never left the city."

"They just stopped carrying weapons around the shrine area." - that's what I call progress :sarcasm:

[grilled onions]

9. Relative is the word

If you are a relative,bosom buddy or fund raising business buddy the economy looks pretty good...and then there are the rest of us.x(