Via AP: Bush Says Coalition in Iraq Not Crumbling
President Bush acknowledged Wednesday that U.S. allies are anxious to get out of Iraq but firmly denied the coalition was crumbling. He also said patience was needed to find a diplomatic solution to Iran’s nuclear program.
A day after Italy announced it would begin withdrawing soldiers from Iraq by September, Bush refused to discuss the timing of any U.S. pullout. “Our troops will come home when Iraq is capable of defending herself,” he said.
We can remove a vicious dictator and free people, we can rebuild their nation, we can help them set up a government, we can help them hold an election, we can stand by as leaders are freely elected, and we can rejoice in the celebration of a first meeting of a democratic parliament, but the minute an aly signals that they are considering the withdrawal of troops from the region, THE WHOLE THING IS A FAILURE! IT’S CRUMBLING! THERE IS MASS RETREAT!
Give me a break.
I was listening to NPR on my way to work this morning (yes, I know, it’s kind of like self mutilation) and I heard a report from White House Correspondent Don Gonyea who was asked to relay the report of the Italian announcement of pending withdrawal, and you could almost hear the excitement in his voice. He was practically giddy!
“Bush is going down I tell you, he’s going down! His coalition of the willing is dropping off like flies…who’s left anyway? Bulgaria? HAHAHAHAHAHA”
OK, so he didn’t actually say that, but it’s what I heard.
Phhhffffttt!
UPDATE: Berlusconi backtracks.