The White House SNAFU has been attributed to someone pushing the wrong button. (Given the predilection of the White House rewarding stupidity and incompetence, he or she might be up for a big promotion. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the next White House press secretary!)
Of course the story has become rampantly virulent on the internet, spreading like a California wildfire. And how could such a mistake happen? Some have speculated that the email was intended for an internal group, sent to assemble talking points that might counter it.
Instead, an article that might have received scant attention has gotten wide distribution in the mainstream media, having been reported in the New York Times, on ABC News and other outlets, as well as in the Blogosphere. Doubtless that, on the Sunday morning talk shows tomorrow, McCain and Bush spokespeople might be asked not only about al-Maliki’s statements, but about the SNAFU and its potential impact on the two presidential candidates' campaigns, as well. Stay tuned!
Article comments
1 - Ruvy
Barbara,
Like most Americans (yeah, yeah, I know you are presently off-shore) you tend to look at the wrong issues and facts when it comes to this neck of the woods. Doing that has been fatal to over 4,000 of your soldiers so far, and it will get worse.
Your presidential campaign and the incompetence of the sitting president with respect to it is irrelevant. Oh, it's "fun" to write about (just like writing about Olmert stealing money here is "fun") but it is irrelevant to the scheme of things.
What is relevant? Let's help you out a bit.
From Debkafiles: Senior Israeli official: If nuclear talks fail, Bush will order Iran attack between November and January. And Top US military chief is convinced Iranians seek atom bomb. and New Hizballah tactic: Missile ambushes for Israel aircraft and ships
From Manny Winston's article, "LOSERS IN THE ASCENDANCY"
Finally, there is this summary from Barry Chamish's article on the "meteor" that suddenly appeared over Israel on 9 July - Look! Up in the Sky! It's a Meteor! It's a U.F.O.!
No, its Practice for Iranian Gas-Armed Missiles to Attack the State of Israel!!
Root & Branch Information Service 20 July, 2008
Chew it over, Barbara. The real world is a lot scarier than a few faux pas in the Bush administration. And a missile attack on Iran can have lots more serious consequences than a few votes lost here or there....
2 - Conrad Dalton
Relax Ruvy,
Iran is a defensive mode. It hasn't started a war in modern history. However, it can be expected to respond in kind if it is attacked.
3 - Clavos
"Iran is a defensive mode. It hasn't started a war in modern history."
As they say in the market:
"Past results are no guarantee of future performance."
4 - Conrad Dalton
"Past results are no guarantee of future performance."
But there is no better measure.
5 - Clavos
"But there is no better measure."
Which doesn't mean it's a good measure.
Certainly not one to bet your life on.
6 - Ruvy
"Iran is a defensive mode. It hasn't started a war in modern history."
Indeed as Clavos writes, not only is past performance no guarantee of future performance, when there is a change in the weather, it is the worst thing to look at.
History is entering a different stage from what it has been in the past, folks. I would suggest reading the first article here for a dose of what I mean. It's a long read, and those of you who are not Jews will be positively resentful when you are done.
Nevertheless, history is still entering a new phase....
7 - Conrad Dalton
“History is entering a different stage from what it has been in the past.”
Let’s be reminded of the recent past and Ahmad Chalabi.
History told us of Chalabi’s past, yet he was able to convince the US to invade Iraq. History was ignored for the higher wisdom of the neocons.
Ignoring the history of Chalabi has cost over 4,000 American lives plus hundreds of billion of US taxpayer dollars, not to mention the hundreds of thousands of dead or displaced Iraqis.
The US knew about Chalabi’s past: a bank embezzlement conviction in absentia in the Kingdom of Jordan years earlier. They knew that the Central Intelligence Agency considered him a phony and a liability and, after working with him for years, had cut all ties with him.
Yeah, let’s just ignore history and do it again.
Who is pulling the strings this time? Is this a neocon encore?