George Bush says he was never mad at the French. George Bush says he never had "extensive conversations" with Ahmed Chalabi. And now, well, we're not failing in Iraq at all:
Still, fear that the US might be left alone to cope with conflict in Iraq has driven significant policy shifts. Washington has come to realise it must confer real authority on the new government on June 30. But officials believe that France, Germany and Russia, leading opponents of the war, have been slow to recognise this US swing towards pragmatism.
Within the administration there is still a sense that the European detractors are not unhappy to see the US in trouble.
"There's still a fair bit of satisfaction at seeing the US get its comeuppance in Iraq, especially among Europeans," the official said. "There is a failure to recognise that we are adjusting the objectives. We are far more willing to accept a degree of the unknown."
Remember when early 2002 rolled around and suddenly capturing Osama bin Laden was no longer necessary for any of our various vague purposes in western and central Asia? I tell you, this bold new "sour grapes" style of military action is going places! Caught in a quagmire from which you can't possibly extract yourself without losing thousands of lives and billions of dollars? Adjust the objectives! Hey, we meant to turn the world's second-largest oil well into the shooting location for "Mad Max 4!" Think of all the tax cuts we'll be able to afford when Mel Gibson starts paying our outrageous location fees! You thought this was a failure? You defeatist, anti-American scum -- go back to old Europe!
Posted by Aaron S. Veenstra ::: 2004:06:03:08:47