Roberts Not Change the Subject? Change the Subject

Dateline June 24, 2005 : "Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld called any deadline for withdrawal from Iraq “a terrible mistake” that could undermine U.S. forces' progress against the insurgency."

Dateline July 27, 2005: "Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld met with Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jafari and the top U.S. commander in Iraq Wednesday and discussed specific steps to speed preparations for the withdrawal of some of the 135,000 U.S. troops in Iraq beginning as early as next spring."

Jeez, what could have changed in a month?

The most interesting sentences in the Post article: "Using unusually blunt language, Rumsfeld called on Iraq's leaders to make the tough political compromises necessary to meet an Aug. 15 deadline for drafting a constitution, emphasizing that a delay could cost American lives and dangerously weaken the political momentum critical to defeating a violent insurgency."

Two points:

First: the Bush exit strategy rationale is being laid - it's all the Iraqis' fault.

Second, even if, and I emphasize that if is hypothetical only, Bushco's plan to withdraw troops was honorable, how could anyone seriously believe that its balloon-floating now is simply an attempt to change the debate and how could anyone not seriously note that its timetable coincides with midterm elections?

Troops were sent to Iraq for political gain, troops will be withdrawn for political gain, but consider this: if Bushco is only floating the withdrawal balloon to change the domestic political debate, what does that say about Bushco concerns about troop morale and safety? Exactly.