Hume: ISG "did not reject the president's policy on Iraq"
SUMMARY: On Fox News Sunday, Brit Hume falsely characterized the Iraq Study Group's report as a "stay-the-course document" that "did not reject the president's policy on Iraq." In fact, the ISG report specifically states that "[c]urrent U.S. policy is not working, as the level of violence in Iraq is rising and the government is not advancing national reconciliation."
On the December 10 edition of Fox Broadcasting Co.'s Fox News Sunday, Fox News Washington managing editor Brit Hume falsely characterized the Iraq Study Group's report as a "stay-the-course document" that "did not reject the president's policy on Iraq," and said its only recommendations for change were "at the margins." In fact, the report issued by the ISG specifically states that "[c]urrent U.S. policy is not working, as the level of violence in Iraq is rising and the government is not advancing national reconciliation," and adds that "[m]aking no changes in policy would simply delay the day of reckoning at a high cost."
Additionally, as Media Matters for America has noted, the ISG's recommendations run counter to President Bush's policies and assumptions regarding U.S. troop presence in Iraq. When asked at a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Tony Blair about the report's recommendation that most U.S. combat divisions be withdrawn from Iraq by early 2008, President Bush claimed that "the report said" that withdrawal would be "depending upon conditions" and added that "commanders will be making recommendations based upon whether or not we're achieving our stated objective." Indeed, while the ISG report does include the qualification that its proposals are "subject to unexpected developments in the security situation on the ground," it also clearly recommends that "[i]f the Iraqi government does not make substantial progress toward the achievement of milestones on national reconciliation, security, and governance, the United States should reduce its political, military, or economic support for the Iraqi government." The Bush administration's policy has assumed that U.S. support, including troop presence, will continue until conditions improve, but the ISG report, on the contrary, recommends that U.S. "political, military, or economic support" should be reduced unless conditions improve.
From the December 10 edition of Fox Broadcasting Co.'s Fox News Sunday:
CHRIS WALLACE (host): Well, the president has set himself quite a deadline. He's got the Iraq Study Group report right here. He's going to hear from the Pentagon and the State Department this week. He plans to address the nation some time next week and announce his new strategy for Iraq. Brit, from your reporting, what do you expect him to say?
HUME: Well, it's not clear what he will say, but let's just pause for a moment to reflect on what the Iraq Study Group said and did not say.
For one thing, contrary to some pretty wild misreporting this week, it did not reject the president's policy on Iraq. And in fact, it accepted, with no change, his goals there. And these recommendations taken as a whole and looked at in any context -- this is a stay-the-course document. These recommendations are at the margins -- acceleration of the training. Well, everybody's been trying to do that for two years. This recommends one way possibly to do that.
Everyone in this whole administration has said for the longest time that as the Iraqis stand up, we stand down. The problem has been to get them to stand up and to take on a role that some, like Senator [John] McCain [R-AZ], believe at this point can only be served by U.S. troops.
That's the real debate here, and they have left that debate alone. They really didn't engage in it. They didn't take seriously really, in any way, the recommendation that there be a bigger American force to suppress the insurgency and perhaps then set the terms for all these other objectives that we're trying to achieve there. And having --
WALLACE: So you're also saying that they didn't take seriously the idea of pulling troops out.
HUME: Well, that's true, they didn't -- immediately. But the document is all about how to get troops out. Now, it is not inconsistent with what the administration has said, but there's a real debate to be had here. They simply didn't take part in it.
they didn't reject Bush policy in Iraq
The sky is purple
and pigs can fly
There was no "policy" to reject, so technically I would agree with Hume. At least I wouldn't call a few catchphrases ("stay the course", "fight them there so we don't have to fight them here", "spread democracy in the middle east") a policy.
Even for Fox!!! Maybe it was opposite day? Oh, I forgot, EVERY day is opposite day at Fox - my bad.
This war has been about oil from the very beginning and the ISG report does nothing to change that. The Iraqi oil industry would be privatized and administered by foreign corporations with American oil companies taking a big slice of the pie. This means some sort of continued American military presence in and around Iraq. Sounds like a great deal for everybody except American troops and Iraqi civilians...
Could it be that this chaos was what they intended all along? After all, we can't possibly leave such a mess on top of the world's second largest proven oil reserve, can we? It is imperative that we take over the oil industry in Iraq to protect it from destruction! Since a permanent U.S. presence is required, we might as well take the oil as a payment for our trouble. Who's going to stop us?
"The Iraqi oil industry would be privatized and administered by foreign corporations with American oil companies taking a big slice of the pie."- Lindenbully
And exactly where in the ISG report does it say anything of the kind? That's right, Lindenbully. It doesn't. More hysterical, black helicoptor stuff pulled out of thin air and Nerzog jumps right on it. Amazing
Every time I read something like this from the likes of Hume or any of his cohorts at Fox, I always wonder - Did it hurt much? I mean, when you have all critical thinking, all logic and comprehension, and all ethics, morality and self-respect removed, it's gotta hurt!! And there's gotta be scalpels involved!! Right!?!?
...but forgot how to fix it. Test Test I seem to recall it needing to be one level down
This is just another example of how the right has systematically distorted the debate. Hume states that the goals of the report are in line with the president’s, which is probably true (I have not actually read the report), but it is the method of achieving these goals that we are concerned with. From what I have heard, the report has essentially rejected Pres. Bush's policy so far. I am constantly surprised by what the republican base will swallow as "truth." This is shows just how the conservative Christian base will swallow whatever they are told by their leaders.
"(I have not actually read the report),"
Don't worry, BRIZ-R. You're not alone. There are only a few people posting here that have even skimmed over the report, let alone read the whole thing. If you feel like checking it out, go here: [link to www.usip.org]
The ISG was very careful not to directly "reject" Bush's non-policy of stay-the-course in Iraq. Instead, it is Bush's policy to reject anyone who would dare throw him a lifeline, regardless of how good that lifeline is. Bush will stall and BS for time he doesn't have until he is forced to unilaterally withdraw from Iraq, blaming (1) the US media for setting the American voting populace against him and (2) the Iraqi people for not standing up to the "terrorists". Meanwhile, Hume, Kristol, Barnes, et al, continue to carry water for an administration dead set on digging its own grave.
Giving it a try.
MMFA really needs a "preview comment" option.
It would be nice with an actual forum type discussion per topic. But at least a preview.
Trying again to close italics.
...rejects Bush's "policy" depends on what we mean by the word.
If we mean current practices, it unquestionably rejects them - saying that they are "not working" can't be read any other way.
But if by policy we mean the larger notion that the US intends to continue engaging in combat in support of the Iraqi government until we can train enough Iraqis to take over the fighting, the report does not reject that. (Never mind for the moment whether or not Bush & Co. are sincere in their statements about eventual withdrawal.)
Rather, the report differs only on the means, proposing adding a stick of "milestones" to Bush's carrot. Meanwhile, it proposes leaving tens of thousands of US troops in Iraq for the forseeable future.
That is part of the reason I called the report "'stay the course' in a velvet glove." No matter how much we might wish it otherwise, this is not a document about ending the war, it's a document about pursuing the same ends more efficiently.
The plan basically calls for a US-puppet Iraqi government with a US-puppet Iraqi army run by US officers from US-manned bases assisted by US airpower to kill off the resistance to US rule.
Like the Germans did with the Vichy government and their Milice army in WWII France.
Vive le resistance. Vive libertie.
Disinforming the public intentionally about as serious a matter as war and peace that causes the deaths of hundreds of thousands, including americans, is criminal and should be published by incarceration. Brit Hume and his buddies at FOX belong in jail, not on TV.
To say Brit Hume is partisan and unreliable as a source of competent political interpretation is to say the war is a resounding success!!
Anybody want to step out as declare the Iraqi adventure a success?? Evan a Neo-Con Fascists Warmonger can’t bring themselves to anoint this policy as a success, but Brit can’t bring himself to let go!! Bill Kristol is revealing himself as an angry Fascists mongrel frustrated from his delusions of grandiose can’t bring himself to thump his chest like he has for the past 6 yrs.
I watch Fox News Sunday every Sunday rain or shine. I make myself watch. I can’t be the only one who notices their weird confusion with reality, and their desperate efforts to distort the blatantly obvious. Their miserable efforts to make a long story out of the simplest reality makes the pretense that Fox News is anything other than a propaganda broadcast, bought and paid for by the RNC.
Brit Hume, Bill Kristol, and Maia Laiasson are my poster children for bringing back the Fairness Doctrine, proof positive of its relevance, and necessity in preserving our democracy!!
Happy Thoughts;
Dan Grady
I sit here and wonder just how much this nation has sunk in the last few decades.
We can no longer question the man who should be working for us without being labeled a terrorist supporter or wanting the troops to die.
Thus we are now reduced to talking about bad tactics. Wow.
This nation, not for the first time, goes full steam into another stupid war, mostly a fabrication of some people tied to the hip with oil and other industries.
And what do we do? Hide under a table, close our eyes and hope the world does not hurt us.
We wonder why people in other nations could let dictators and thugs run wild. Never questioning the Fuehrer. If we pull out, the death of thousands of Wehrmacht soldiers would have been waisted and the terrorist that call themselves 'resistance' would win and then feel encouraged to attack us at home.
We need only look in the mirror.