The President's secret trip.
Okay, so Bush goes to Iraq in complete secrecy, surprising even the Iraqi Prime Minister(now, there's a level of trust,) but in a lot of ways, I understand that. If it were known he was coming, it would put alot of people at elevated risk. Whether he should be going there/Is it worth the risk is a larger question.
But what got me was this,
So, members of the Cabinet and National Security Staff, who are at this meeting on Iraq discussing all sorts of classified information, can't be trusted to keep their mouths shut over night, while they're sleeping, about the trip?
But what got me was this,
WASHINGTON, June 13 — President Bush left for Iraq in the dark of night Monday, the planning for his visit to Iraq kept so quiet that several of his highest-level aides learned about it only this morning though he left almost directly from a dinner table he had had shared with many of them at his presidential retreat.
So, members of the Cabinet and National Security Staff, who are at this meeting on Iraq discussing all sorts of classified information, can't be trusted to keep their mouths shut over night, while they're sleeping, about the trip?
posted by mikevotes at
2:29 PM
8 Comments:
Doesn't make sense, does it? But what would with this crew? His handlers probably have a reason that makes sense only to them.
With the removal of the sixteenth # 2 Al-Qeida (sp?) in three years and the resurgence of 3-5% in the approval polls, the emperor should have been in pretty good spirits- so I doubt that a temper tantrum caused the neglect of disclosure.
By
Chuck, at 2:45 PM
Chuck, I can understand if they kept the planning stage of the trip small and contained. To me that's not unreasonable, but these poor folks woke up had breakfast, were getting ready for the meeting when they were told.
You couldn't approach them the night before and maybe let them cancel their wakeup calls?
Mike
By
mikevotes, at 2:55 PM
Hey..my prayer wasn't answered. I have always wanted him to go and his helicopter gets shot down and he has to take refuge in a home that has its windows shot out and people are huddling in corners crying..I want him to have to see that right up close and deal with it as a human being,not a coddled politician.
sorry for the rant on your blog...
By
Unknown, at 2:56 PM
No need to apologize.
Mike
By
mikevotes, at 2:59 PM
President Bush is so disliked the world over -- and more disliked each month -- it'll be interesting to see which happens first: The president begins making publicized, non-secret trips to Iraq, or the president begins making secret, surprise trips to France.
The glory in this trip for the president is not that he traveled to a foreign country, but that he traveled to a foreign country in the midst of a violent and bloody civil war, and with the insinuation he is taking a personal risk to his safety. Now that's something to be proud of.
Mission Accomplished...
Prick.
By
-epm, at 3:18 PM
EPM, the Pakistan trip was near surprise, decoy aircraft, no lights on the plane, etc.
And to your second point, thinkprogress.org has a post up of two FoxNews folks discussing exactly how significant that risk was. I didn't watch it, but if you want backing, take a look.
http://thinkprogress.org/2006/06/13/bush-danger-iraq/
Mike
By
mikevotes, at 3:22 PM
He was looking to score points...he could have called instead. And as far as being quiet about it...I don't think it was a trust thing...I think he was damned afraid for his life and figured he'd be blammed out of the sky if anyone knew about it. He's desparate to get his numbers up...
By
sumo, at 2:13 AM
"He could have called instead."
I agree, but what's the constant in the risk to life vs risk to poll numbers equation.
Mike
By
mikevotes, at 7:17 AM
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