Bush: Zarqawi death may 'turn the tide' in Iraq

[sabra]

http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=127461

Bush: Zarqawi death may 'turn the tide' in Iraq


WASHINGTON - Under pressure to show progress in Iraq, US President George W. Bush on Thursday hailed the killing of Al-Qaeda's leader there, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, as a chance to "turn the tide" of the conflict.

Bush also welcomed the long-awaited completion of Iraq's new government and said he would discuss the future of the US presence there with top US military and diplomatic aides and the Baghdad leadership on Tuesday.

"Zarqawi's death is a severe blow to Al-Qaeda. It's a victory in the global war on terror, and it is an opportunity for Iraq's new government to turn the tide of this struggle," he said in the White House Rose Garden.

The president praised US forces who, acting on intelligence tips from Iraqis, "delivered justice" to Zarqawi in the most dramatic US operation since Saddam Hussein's capture in December 2003.

[acmavm]

1. Right, no one's died there today because of suicide bombers,

huh george?

[saigon68]

58. Its "Whack a Mole"

Even if they "got" him ????

[onehandle]

2. Again!? nt

[Roland99]

49. Ayup. Just like this OTHER "turn the tide" statement of his >>>>>>>>

Nov. 30, 2005
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/11/20051130-2.html

Most of these 40 battalions are controlling their own battle space, and conducting their own operations against the terrorists with some coalition support -- and they're helping to turn the tide of this struggle in freedom's favor. America and our troops are proud to stand with the brave Iraqi fighters.

[robcon]

3. At the least it may prop up the Iraqi government, even temporarily...

and then we can get the fuck out of there.

[atreides1]

6. Keep Dreaming

This administration has no plans to pull troops out, the reserve force in Kuwait is being sent in and a brigade out of Germany has been told to prepare for deployment.

Doesn't sound like the US is leaving anytime soon, does it?

[xxqqqzme]

37. exactly - those 14 military bases are not yet ready.

[rodeodance]

43. David Obey, dem for WI tried to have them defunded. I have not

heard the outcome of this this proposal. Has anyone?

[stepnw1f]

12. Have Another One

[greenman3610]

4. wait, I thought we were winning?

I thought it was just the press printing bad news
that made things seem bad...


It's great that Bush is walking right into this buzzsaw.
can he really be this stupid?
In a month the truth will be clearer than ever.

[saigon68]

5. 'BRING EM ON" shouted the AWOL CHIMPANZEE

[hobbit709]

7. I bet he wet his pants

he was so excited about doing something.

[saigon68]

36. OH NO HE WET HIS DIAPER

His mommy had just got done changing him

[Magleetis]

8. It might

turn the tide. Then again it might put the insurgency into its last throws. Or perhaps we will turn the corner, but what happens if it makes the insurgency more desperate? Is it possible to turn the tide and the corner at the same time? All while being in the last throws?

I'm so confused!! :sarcasm:

[coalition_unwilling]

50. It's possible to turn the tide and turn the corner

at the same time, provided you can "see the light at the end of the tunnel" (William Westmoreland in Dec of 1967 and, I shit you not, Richard Meyers in May of 2005)

:)

[Magleetis]

52. I'm not sure

that there is light at the end of the Iraq tunnel. Thanks for that BTW.

[coalition_unwilling]

54. The "light at the end of the Iraq tunnel" is the locomotive on a freight

train bearing down on us. Iran has 40,000 trained suicide martyrs ready to go. Iran has 1,000,000 troops in its regular army and modern weaponry.

[radfringe]

65. hold on there

can we get an amendment for a National Analogy? Are we turning corners or turning the tide??

this is getting very confusing.

If we turn enough corners we end up where we start. And tides either go in or go out and then come back in or go back out again - basically ending up where they started.

[burrowowl]

77. I went to your cartoons

you need to get the red and blue to become purple based on your last cartoon.
Nice work.

[Art_from_Ark]

69. Westmoreland said that in December 1967?

And the next month-- the Tet Offensive.

[coalition_unwilling]

75. Yes, if you watch the PBS video "Vietnam: A Television History,"

they have a short clip either at the end of disc 2 (up until Tet '68) or at the beginning of disc 3 (which starts with Tet '68 and goes through, I think, '69) of Westmoreland standing on a runway and
making that infamous "light at the end of the tunnel" remark.

What bugs me is that I can't seem to source Myers saying exactly the same thing in March 2005. I know he said it, b/c I saw him say it on one of the Sunday morning talk shows (and my jaw dropped to the floor at this bit of deja-entendu). But I can't seem to find any record of it now.

[Evergreen Emerald]

9. Is the tide around that corner we keep turning?

Spin spin spin.

I wish they would stop playing politics with the lives of the soldiers.

[librechik]

10. Yeah, but you won't find it so easy with those 10 other sheep behind us

(Sesame Street is so great.)

The next 10 Zarqawis are right around the corner. This white boy doesn't understand tribal warfare, does he? Or Whack-A-Mole, for that matter.

[Roy]

11. Bush: Zarqawi death may 'turn the tide' in Iraq

Thousands american lives on a 'may turn the tide'?

Republican idiots are so plentiful these days.

[bowens43]

13. This fucking idiot still thinks that

the violence in Iraq has anything to do with Al Qaeda? What a fucking moran. The violence in Iraq is a direct result of the US occupation and until the occupiers leave or are thrown out, the violence will continue.

[xxqqqzme]

40. al Qaeda is just comfy in Iraq NOW!

Thanks for giving them a road map there, raisin brain! I don't recall saddam having a big problem w/ al Qaeda. But then, what do I know! I just a political/history/news junkie!

[951-Riverside]

41. These other groups don't want to be associated with Al Qaeda.

[Rose Siding]

14. Then it's a "victory" he chose to postpone

But NBC News has learned that long before the war the Bush administration had several chances to wipe out his terrorist operation and perhaps kill Zarqawi himself — but never pulled the trigger.

In June 2002, U.S. officials say intelligence had revealed that Zarqawi and members of al-Qaida had set up a weapons lab at Kirma, in northern Iraq, producing deadly ricin and cyanide.

The Pentagon quickly drafted plans to attack the camp with cruise missiles and airstrikes and sent it to the White House, where, according to U.S. government sources, the plan was debated to death in the National Security Council.
...
The Pentagon drew up a second strike plan, and the White House again killed it. By then the administration had set its course for war with Iraq.

“People were more obsessed with developing the coalition to overthrow Saddam than to execute the president’s policy of preemption against terrorists,” according to terrorism expert and former National Security Council member Roger Cressey.

In January 2003, the threat turned real. Police in London arrested six terror suspects and discovered a ricin lab connected to the camp in Iraq.

The Pentagon drew up still another attack plan, and for the third time, the National Security Council killed it.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4431601

They must have been too busy fine tuning the domestic spying program.

[Minnesota_Lib]

15. Great news...unfortunately there are dozens in line to take his place

[burrowowl]

78. You nailed it! eom

[gratuitous]

16. So we spent a trillion dollars, wasted thousands of lives . . .

And got one guy, now the tide is turned is it, George? Sounds like a good time to volunteer Jen and Bar Jr. to me. That will really get the tide rushing the other way, methinks.

[Demeter]

17. It Won't Make Any Difference

Perhaps Zarqawi IS dead, finally; Zarqawi is but one pissed off Iraqi---Bush has pissed off millions of them, and they don't sit around on their hands begging for leadership like some Democrats we can think of. If Bush plans to exterminate every last aggrieved Iraqi, Muslim, or whatever, he will depopulate the world. And he will still be a war criminal, still be a total LOSER, still be the villain of the 21st Century, just as Hitler was the villain of the 20th Century.

Bush won't even get a bump out of it.

[Walt Disney]

21. Zarqawi is not an Iraqi. He is a Jordanian.

Having said that, I doubt what Bush says; nevertheless, I hope he is right.

[leftchick]

18. Mission Accomplished Part 5!!!

what a fucking loser.

[AlCzervik]

19. Now who will Bush blame for everything that explodes in Iraq?

i hope he is dead this time but i don't think it's going to change a thing.

[coalition_unwilling]

51. The new bogeyman is Ahmedinejad of Iran (n/t)

[YankeeFan]

67. Do You Think It'll Blame Us?

[BR_Parkway]

20. Tide turning in the desert? Thought it was all turning corners there

and we've turned so many corners, we keep going in circles - sorta like a NASCAR race. Hmm, maybe that's why his base still supports him - those NASCAR dads don't expect anything but turning corners until the very last lap

[yojon]

22. Listening to W gloat about this

sounds like snuff porn. It is vaguely sado-erotic. He sure seems to get off on it.

[bdamomma]

38. bush is just addicted to death and destruction

[seafan]

23. I really wonder if we are being *played again* over al-Zarqawi...

Just to add your other link:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2328166
Disbelief in Iraqi hamlet where Zarqawi was killed (residents skeptical)



* really, really needs to *score* with PR over this Iraq disaster. With the obscene hype over this al-Zarqawi for the past few years as *the bogyman*, when people on the ground are scratching their heads, and bin Laden still cavorting around freely, I wonder what percentage of this hullabaloo is the same old manufactured propaganda for our consumption.

Sorry, my cynicism is showing again....

Carry on. Thanks for the post.




On edit, here is a supporting piece posted by Atman that illustrates the point:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1380886
A reminder about the al-Zarqawi psy-ops and who the "audience" is

Some clips from the Washington Post article of April 10, 2006 cited in the thread:

The U.S. military is conducting a propaganda campaign to magnify the role of the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, according to internal military documents and officers familiar with the program. The effort has raised his profile in a way that some military intelligence officials believe may have overstated his importance and helped the Bush administration tie the war to the organization responsible for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

The documents state that the U.S. campaign aims to turn Iraqis against Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a Jordanian, by playing on their perceived dislike of foreigners.

For the past two years, U.S. military leaders have been using Iraqi media and other outlets in Baghdad to publicize Zarqawi's role in the insurgency. The documents explicitly list the "U.S. Home Audience" as one of the targets of a broader propaganda campaign.

Some senior intelligence officers believe Zarqawi's role may have been overemphasized by the propaganda campaign, which has included leaflets, radio and television broadcasts, Internet postings and at least one leak to an American journalist.

In a transcript of the meeting, (Col. Derek Harvey, who served as a military intelligence officer in Iraq and then was one of the top officers handling Iraq intelligence issues on the staff of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) said, "Our own focus on Zarqawi has enlarged his caricature, if you will -- made him more important than he really is, in some ways."

The military's propaganda program largely has been aimed at Iraqis, but seems to have spilled over into the U.S. media. One briefing slide about U.S. "strategic communications" in Iraq, prepared for Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr., the top U.S. commander in Iraq, describes the "home audience" as one of six major targets of the American side of the war.

I encourage everyone to read the whole WP article. There is much more information to be digested about this psy-ops campaign aimed at Americans.

[sendero]

24. Turn the Tide: version 6,294

Are these people that stupid really? How many times have they tried to claim that these nit-pick events are going to have a real effect?

My guess is above. Frankly, just more PR, image, posturing from an adminstration that is only good at trying to look good, and never good at actually accomplishing anything.

[kurth]

25. Abu made a boo-boo

The moron made one too many home movies - without his mask - and that's what really did him in.

[Eurobabe]

26. Just like we're turning the corner in the US

eom

[Spazito]

27. LOL, he really doesn't change anything, does he!

No matter how many times he says "turned a corner" or "turn the tide of" and the opposite happens, he continues to use these phrases, he must be hoping that one of these times it will actually happen, lol.

[Barrett808]

28. Remember this next week, when violence rages unabated in Iraq. n/t

[skordane]

29. The Tide Also Turned When

- The country was liberated
- Saddam was captured
- Fallujah was cleaned up
- Iraq was given sovereignty
- Iraq had a new constitution
- Iraq had its first election
- Iraq had its second election
- Iraq formed a parliament
- Iraq formed a government
- On and On

[Rex_Goodheart]

30. Wait a minute!

Turn the tide? What's he talking about? I thought he's been saying the tide was already good?

[Lexingtonian]

32. Yeah, I'm surprised too

I thought we were winning- like we've been doing all along! :sarcasm:

[AzDar]

31. Good. So no more troops will die in vain, right? Goddamned moran.

[Kablooie]

33. But wait a minute. The photo isn't Zarqawi! It's ... Jesus Christ!

What have they done to my saviour?!

[JackDragna]

34. The media all buys this guy is some kind of heavyweight..

..how much do we really know about him? How integral was he to any kind of operations against U.S. troops in Iraq? For all we know, the guy could be just a puppet, a figurehead we built up as a bogeyman. I'm sure this will turn the tide..just like capturing Saddam..and killing his sons..and having elections..and forming a government..and turning over sovereignty..and (insert your favorite benchmark moment here)

[lupita]

35. read- Bush: Zarqawi death may 'turn my poll numbers around' n/t

[wordpix2]

39. Chimpy would never talk about real problem-he's created more terrorists

against America with his filthy war in Iraq and incomptetence in Afghanistan than al Quada could ever have hoped for or imagined.

[rodeodance]

42. we have had to many predictions of the tide turning from the WH for

me to believe it is truely turning.

[moondust]

44. Right. A turn for the worse.

But for now on to some photo ops in those rose-colored glasses...

[Tempest]

45. IS BUSH SAYING THINGS ARE GOING TO GET WORSE IN IRAQ?

If this is going to turn the tide, then Bush is saying things are going to get worse since he's been telling us how great things were going in Iraq.

[Ravy]

74. That is the way I understood it. (n/t)

[ima_sinnic]

46. "a severe blow to al-Qaeda"? al-Qaeda WANTED him dead!

and being killed by US bombs was a perfect "martyr's" death that was also exactly what a-Q wanted!
Once again, like when we pulled out of Saudi Arabia because Osama bin Laden told us to, the little a-hole does their bidding!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1379209

not to mention that al-Qaeda FIRED al-Zarqawi in April for incompetence.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1381460&mesg_id=1381460

yeah, missa shit-stain, that was quite the "blow" to al-Qaeda!
speakin of "blow," what's that on your nose? :eyes:

[rocktivity]

57. DING DING DING! Ima_sinnic, you're our grand prize winner!

...Al-Qaeda WANTED him dead...(they) FIRED (him) in April for incompetence.

And even if they didn't, Al-Qaeda has NOTHING to do with the insurgency. Fortunately, the public does not see this as the milestone Bush does, if these polls by MSNBC and CNN are any indication. I think all of this gloating is a coverup for something else that was killed today--the repeal of the estate tax!

:headbang:
rocknation

[Mz Pip]

47. Bush can only hope

but I doubt it.

The vacuum left by Al-Zarqawi will be filled by someone just like him.

It is unlikely the violence will end, even in the long run, because we got him.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[Norquist Nemesis]

48. It's going to be a fricking tsunami any day now!

How many corners and tides have been turned to date? Geez!

[OldLeftieLawyer]

53. Yep, this truly is

another fucking "Mission Accomplished" moment for Fuckface.

And we all know how true that one was.

[Redstone]

70. OLL, talk to me.

Redstone

[rocktivity]

55. Rocknation: Bush Desparately Swimming Against The Tide In Iraq

:evilgrin:
rocknation

[Lost4words]

56. Yea sure n/t

[truthisfreedom]

59. i picture him on shore with a plastic pail and shovel, tsunami approaching

at the speed of sound.

[uppityperson]

60. Is "turn the tide" like "turn the corner"?

[KamaAina]

61. Think how much sooner we could have had him

if only we were focusing on al-Qaeda instead of trying to get ourselves out of the qWagmire we created by invading Iraq.

Come to think of it, we might have had his boss by now, too. His name has slipped my memory for the moment...

edit: extra letters: Mom's keyboard sucks :-)

[sakabatou]

62. Hpow many reports were there of Zarqawi's death before?

How many turned out to be not true?

[leftofthedial]

63. at least we're not turning another corner

I have no idea which way we're headed now, we've turned so many corners

[lebkuchen]

64. This is a ruse to cover for Haditha

and restore public confidence in our armed forces. Now that Bush has played his latest media decoy, Haditha is probably being covered up in some slick way, behind the scenes.

[RoseMead]

66. Even a turning tide

won't save a sinking ship.

But one thing about Dear Leader, he's the poster child for optimism. Things are always getting better! The economy is great! Iraq is full of good news! We're killing all the bad guys and spreading freedom, I tell you! Today's the day! Or tomorrow. Next Tuesday at the latest...:boring:

[Rex]

68. Ha ha ha.

Yeah, turn the tide, right. Poor George, they hand delivered Saddam (no help in the polls), now Al-Quada gift wrapped Zarqawi for Bush and still, no help in the polls (just watch). I hope Bush becomes the most unpopular pResident in history! I hope future generations spit after saying his name! Now get OBL, you worthless POS pResident! Chop chop asshole!

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

71. Or not.

[Quantess]

72. Okay, so send the troops home then!!!

.......oh, what? You mean * was just talking out of his ass, as usual? Yeah, so much for the tide turning the corner, again.

[mhatrw]

73. This is great news! Now the troops can all come home!

[Kenergy]

76. Keep trying George

Even a broken clock is right twice a day.
Maybe you'll get something right one day.