The White House claims to be surprised by Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner’s comment that the situation in Iraq was “drifting sideways,†but I tend to doubt it.
Less than a week ago The Washington Post’s Jackson Diehl noted that last month, the White House itself started pressuring the Iraq government for progress within months.
Diehl also quoted Lee Hamilton, who is—along with James Baker III—leading a congressionally mandated and Bush-blessed Iraq Study Group as saying the new government needs to show progress by the end of the year.
It has been leaked that the commission is leaning toward recommending either a phased withdrawal of soldiers or a new engagement initiative with Iran and Syria to end the violence in Iraq.
So while the world’s major powers dither over Iran’s nuclear program (after Condoleeza Rice quietly signaled support for a deal), it should surprise no one that Iran figures it has the leverage at the moment.
Anyone think James Baker III would like a return engagement as the host of “Let’s Make A Deal?”
– I think we’ll find that both Iran, and Korea just took a very major hit with Japan’s announcement, notably soft-peddled by the Liberal press, stating that “If the NK follows through with the A-bomb test, Japan will seek to develop nuclear arms”. I am absolutely positive that a few big wigs in Bejing blew tea all over their knickers when they saw that.
– I can’t think of anything under the “Rising Sun” that China is more afraid of than Japan with nuclear weapons. I’m guessing that our state Department/Condi will let that statement hang in the air like a huge sword of Damocles, and we’ll be seeing a few up-ticks in China’s cooperation when it comes to Iran, and most certainly the NK, and I’m not talking about “talking”, or “sanctions”, or all the other left-wing BS, that just gives our enemies more time to plan against us.
– If the NK overplays it’s hand we might finally get some real teeth into the international communities reactions, which could finally wake up the appeasers, both here and abroad.
That’s certainly thinking outside the box. Just like having the job of stopping Syria from re-arming Hezbollah be given to Syria.
I wish that was true, but I doubt it. This has been mentioned for some time now. The link is from early September, but even Mort Kondracke has been talking about this for months. So China has definitely considered the possibility. Maybe China thinks Japan is bluffing and will apply the necessary pressure to NK if it decides Japan is serious, but I wouldn’t bet the farm on it.
You’d think the iraqis, living in iraq, would have enough incentive already. But we could always threaten to go Diem on the results of our purple fingered democracy.
I was wondering how long it would take you to figure out that tactic. You’re dimmer than I thought.
Everyone else need only read what transpired in this thread to be up to speed.
– Either way, the continued Liberal braindead anti-everything, or our approach, it appears the NK has done the deed, so it’s a whole new ballgame.