Bush has no understanding of Iraq at all

This may be the most terrifying article on Iraq that I've seen in awhile. (NYTimes)

President Bush made clear in a private meeting this week that he was concerned about the lack of progress in Iraq and frustrated that the new Iraqi government — and the Iraqi people — had not shown greater public support for the American mission, participants in the meeting said Tuesday.

Those who attended a Monday lunch at the Pentagon that included the president’s war cabinet and several outside experts said Mr. Bush carefully avoided expressing a clear personal view of the new prime minister of Iraq, Nuri Kamal al-Maliki....

“I sensed a frustration with the lack of progress on the bigger picture of Iraq generally — that we continue to lose a lot of lives, it continues to sap our budget,” said one person who attended the meeting. “The president wants the people in Iraq to get more on board to bring success.”....

More generally, the participants said, the president expressed frustration that Iraqis had not come to appreciate the sacrifices the United States had made in Iraq, and was puzzled as to how a recent anti-American rally in support of Hezbollah in Baghdad could draw such a large crowd. “I do think he was frustrated about why 10,000 Shiites would go into the streets and demonstrate against the United States,” said another person who attended.....

He said he got no sense that the Bush administration was contemplating a shift in its Iraq policy.

How dare they? How dare they not be grateful?

OK, splenetic outbursts aside, if the top "decider" on Iraq policy doesn't understand why Iraqis might not be "grateful," doesn't understand why there might be pro-Hezbullah, anti-Israel/anti-US demonstrations, and doesn't understand that alot of the violence comes from a greater context than his drive for "freedom....."

I think that's what frightens me the most, that Bush views this war solely around the idea that he is the "freedom giver." It's all a referendum on him.

He actually does view Iraq as a simple binary proposition. It's not just rhetoric. It's his understanding. The entire historical, religious, and regional fuel of the Iraq conflict is stripped away.

The reality is that the Iraqis aren't fighting us anymore. The main combatant elements in Iraq are focused on political ends within a future Iraq. They only attack US forces when the US attempts to intervene against them.

Seperated from real forces that are driving this civil war, what hope is there for a change in policy that might actually make some difference.

Set a timetable. Start getting out now.

(And, what does it say about the "Yes, Mr. President" advice that has gone on up to this point?)