NYT/AP: Bush Iraq Update May Be After New Year (not before Christmas)

[DeepModem Mom]

Bush Iraq Update May Be After New Year
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: December 12, 2006

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush, about to wrap up an intense effort to arrive at a new course for Iraq, now is likely to lay out his plan to the nation early next year instead of before Christmas, a senior White House official said Tuesday.

The possible new timing is not a reflection of a last-minute shift by the White House, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision was not final. Instead, the official said the president knows the direction he is likely to take his Iraq strategy and has directed his team to address the many the practical ramifications, such as for military tactics and regional diplomacy.

That work is complicated and not finished, the official said. He dismissed any suggestions that this reflects trouble arriving at decisions, or making them work.

The announcement out of the White House came after Bush conferred via videoconference with senior military commanders in Iraq, outgoing Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and his replacement Robert Gates; the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Peter Pace; and Gen. John Abizaid, the top U.S. commander in the Middle East. Participating from Iraq was Gen. George Casey, the chief U.S. commander in Iraq. Earlier Bush and Gates had breakfast.

Later in the day, the president was to meet in the Oval Office with Iraq's Sunni vice president, Tariq al-Hashemi....

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Bush.html

[rodeodance]

1. we are averaging 3-4 troops deaths per DAY this month while Jr. 'listens"

[mike_c]

2. doing it before Christmas might lessen the fun at the ranch in Crawford...

...for Christmas.

[opihimoimoi]

3. He has to find something that goes along with HIS GOALS, HIS AGENDA

and he only knows one way...HIS

That is the crux of the PROB...he don't fuckin Listen...so he needs to find a way to meld his shit with their (ISG) shit in such a way it don't smell so bad..,.

It don't look good cause it can't be good...Bush cannot seem to understand this...so he continuees his quest for his Solution ala Diogenes "who walked the streets looking for an Honest man".....

Poor Bush, unable to find what he is looking for because he is deaf and blind to the many solutions all around him....thus he keeps looking....

[Eugene]

4. The administration needs more time to spin this.

The Bushies hope to hold on until things get better in Iraq.
They have no intention of changing their policies.

The longer they delay, the more time there is for the ISG
to fade from public consciousness.

[lancdem]

5. Bingo!