Reuters: U.S. Says June 30 Not 'A Magical Date' for Iraq

[MallRat]

U.S. Says June 30 Not 'A Magical Date' for Iraq
by Vicki Allen and Donna Smith

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration said on Tuesday the June 30th transfer of authority in Iraq (news - web sites) was just a step toward self-rule and not "a magical date."

(snip)

Pressed on how Iraq would assume sovereignty amid weeks of spiraling violence, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz called June 30th "just one step in a process," and not "a magical date" in which the U.S.-led occupation will shift responsibilities to a new Iraqi government.

But at a news conference last Friday with British prime Minister Tony Blair (news - web sites), Bush said of the June 30 handover:

"One of the essential commitments we've made to the Iraqi people is this: They will control their own country. No citizen of America or Britain would want the government of their nation in the hands of others and neither do the Iraqis. This is why the June 30th date for the transfer of sovereignty will be kept."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&u=/...

[deutsey]

1. Sur-prahs, sur-prahs, sur-prahs!

[BlueEyedSon]

2. Let the backpedaling begin!

ROTFL!

[NewYorkerfromMass]

12. I smell a major backtrack here.

stinks mightily.

[Wright Patman]

3. How about the Jan. 20

handover date?

There is nothing "magical" about that one either, only "Constitutional." But when has that ever mattered to these guys?

[MallRat]

4. Maybe it's just me...

...but doesn't this smell like a FLIP-FLOP?

[Tansy_Gold]

8. It may smell like a flip-flop, but. . . .

. . . .I'm sure Bob Boudelang will set us all strait and assure us that it is really a rubberized thong beach or shower footwear and NOT a flip-flop so stop saying that!

[Occulus]

18. LOL n/t

[trapper914]

5. Powell brought this up a few weeks back

He said something about "partial sovereignty." That's like being "a little bit pregnant."

Why are these guys so afraid to admit a mistake? Sovereignty on June 30th is a pipe dream.

[xray s]

6. Ho ho! And 50% of Americans think the troops are coming home July 1!

Won't THEY be surprised!

[pinto]

7. I've heard that mentioned on local talk shows,

in all seriousness...folks saying things like "well, thankfully, we'll be out after June 30."

They've keyed on that "handover" term as if it meant an end to our (permanent) military presence.....

yep, they're gonna be surprised.

[leftchick]

13. are you serious?

I never listen to talk radio so I am clueless. Do people really think the US is planning on leaving Iraq in the NEAR future? OMG... what a fantasy world for the murikans....

[pinto]

15. Serious. Folks see the headline "handover", read no further, then

have an "informed" opinion to make on a talk show....

I agree with you...it's that "magical" thinking thing psych types talk about, I guess.

[Jacobin]

14. Holy Cow!!!!!!!!!!!1 50% believe that?

Good grief.

No wonder this country is so fucked up.

Maybe when they don't come home June 30 they won't notice.

[xray s]

16. 50% say they will vote for Bush

About 50% think Iraqi's flew the planes into the WTC. They will believe anything.

[DUJunkie]

9. we all knew this was coming

snip.......Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also said the Pentagon was "evaluating right now" whether it will need more emergency money for Iraq before next year, which could put debate in Congress on a spending bill at the height of campaigns before November's presidential and congressional elections.

[Lisa]

10. why does their use of the term "magic" disconcert me?

I mean, are they going to whip out their wands like in "Harry Potter" and do a democracy spell, in the hope that everything will be fine?

[Andrushka]

17. Yes

Actually I heard that Pontius Bremer is going to dress up in a frilly dress like some democracy fairy Godmother, wave a magic wand about, and sim-sala-bim!! Iraq is all ready for the democracy ball on June 30 (but has to be home by midnight).

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

11. Not magical?

And here I was anticipating June 30 when magic would burst open and disseminate it's magicy tendrils across America.

This sucks.

[murielm99]

19. Didn't they just say it was a FIRM date?

So now it is not a magical date?

What do firm and magical have to do with each other?

Flip-flop flip-flop!

I hope Kerry jumps on this.

[0rganism]

20. Since when did "The Bush administration" become the "U.S."?

I really don't appreciate those fuckers speaking for our country, when they didn't even win the popular vote.

[mulethree]

21. It's "Limited Sovereignty" now?

The Senators were insisting on it today, noting that its far short of the dictionary definition of sovereignty and that to mis-use the word would distort expectations.

[maddezmom]

22. No shit sherlocks

is this for US, International or Iraqi consumption?