Boston Globe columnist James Carroll puts together the events of the last week that seem to have thrown the administration’s war policy — perhaps it would be better to say, primal urge to go to war — into some disarray. Despite those ships still floating off their coast, the Turks continue to say that no is no. The sorts of retired US military types who can speak openly about such matters are now talking of delays in war-making of 4-6 weeks, taking us into the long dreaded Iraqi hot weather, and so on.
In this sense, though Carroll doesn’t emphasize it, the global popular demonstrations seemed to have a cascade effect on events worldwide, just as the Turkish vote will now affect the UN vote on a new Iraq war resolution which seems, no matter the levels of surveillance, to be beyond the reach of the White House. I’ve included an odd little piece from Capitol Hill Blue which claims the President’s advisors are now telling him the UN vote will be a disaster and suggesting that “exit strategies” are in order. Curious.
On another subject, the American press has finally tiptoed in two days late on the Observer NSA surveillance document. (Thanks to all readers of these dispatches who gave me early notice on this.) The Washington Post, Newsday, and so on all had to wait, it seems, on a government non-response (at Ari Fleischer’s news briefing yesterday) for a peg on which to hang the story. Take a look for instance at Spying Report No Shock To U.N. in the Washington Post:
“U.S. officials in New York and Washington declined to confirm or deny the authenticity of the directive or the existence of the NSA official, whose name was published by the Observer.
“‘As a matter of long-standing policy, the administration never comments on anything involving any people involved in intelligence,’ White House press secretary Ari Fleischer told reporters.”
Tom
A war policy in collapse
By James Carroll
The Boston Globe
March 4, 2003What a difference a month makes. On Feb. 5, Secretary of State Colin Powell made the Bush administration’s case against Iraq with a show of authority that moved many officials and pundits out of ambivalence and into acceptance. The war came to seem inevitable, which then prompted millions of people to express their opposition in streets around the globe. Over subsequent weeks, the debate between hawks and doves took on the strident character of ideologues beating each other with fixed positions. The sputtering rage of war opponents and the grandiose abstractions of war advocates both seemed disconnected from the relentless marshaling of troops. War was coming. Further argument was fruitless. The time seemed to have arrived, finally, for a columnist to change the subject.
“‘As a matter of long-standing policy, the administration never comments on anything involving any people involved in intelligence,’ White House press secretary Ari Fleischer told reporters.”
Tom
A war policy in collapse
By James Carroll
The Boston Globe
March 4, 2003What a difference a month makes. On Feb. 5, Secretary of State Colin Powell made the Bush administration’s case against Iraq with a show of authority that moved many officials and pundits out of ambivalence and into acceptance. The war came to seem inevitable, which then prompted millions of people to express their opposition in streets around the globe. Over subsequent weeks, the debate between hawks and doves took on the strident character of ideologues beating each other with fixed positions. The sputtering rage of war opponents and the grandiose abstractions of war advocates both seemed disconnected from the relentless marshaling of troops. War was coming. Further argument was fruitless. The time seemed to have arrived, finally, for a columnist to change the subject.
And then the events of last week.
To read more Carroll click here
Advisors warn Bush he faces “humiliating” defeat on world stage
By CHB Staff
Capitol Hill Blue
Mar 4, 2003Senior aides to President George W. Bush say he faces a humiliating defeat before the United Nations Security Council next week.
Secretary of State Colin Powell, fresh from his latest round of meetings with representatives of countries on the Security Council, delivered the bad news to Bush on Monday.
“You will lose, Mr. President,” Powell told Bush. “You will lose badly and the United States will be humiliated on the world stage.”
Some White House advisors are now urging the President to back off his tough stance on war with Iraq and give UN weapons inspectors more time.
“We have no other choice,” admits one Bush advisor. “We don’t have the votes. We don’t have the support.”
Powell told Bush on Monday that Turkey’s refusal to allow U.S. troops to stage at the country’s border with Iraq doomed any chance of consensus at the UN.
To read more of Capitol Hill Blue click here