The Iraq News

Republican Lawmakers Pay Bush Visit, Iraqi Lawmakers Want us Out, Bush Assures Saudis, Propaganda Plan Months Before Attack, Cheney in Iraq, Big Oil, Much More...

The Iraq War is toast. It's just a matter of packaging the long goodbye. In a monumental 77 minute meeting yesterday at the White House (Think Progress has Tim Russert's riveting report), the President was told frankly to his stupid face by Republican law makers that they may soon pull the plug themselves. Though Bush allegedly recognized their concerns and the need to end the conflict, he has stated elsewhere that he intends to veto Congress's second attempt at a spending bill.

UPDATE: Crooks and Liars--Olbermann's segment on the meeting at the White House.

Here's The Iraq News:

• Yesterday, 144 Iraqi lawmakers signed onto a legislative petition calling on the United States to set a timetable for withdrawal.
• Did President Bush promise the Saudis that we would not leave Iraq while he's President? Raw Story points to quotes in this article by Washington Post writer David Ignatius. Good to know he lies to them too. By the way something, this Ignatius guy has a lot of range. Of the fired U.S. attorneys, he's giving Alberto Gonzales the biggest headache in the media and I think Tom Cruise played him in a movie once. I can handle the truth and the truth is, David Ignatius, you the man.
• Also from Raw Story--The administration had a propaganda plan for the Iraq War two months before Shock and Awe.
• The people we're allegedly fighting for have a parliament that wants to take a couple months off, which every American from Nancy Pelosi to Dick Cheney finds unacceptable. Now their Speaker has suggested that Cheney (visiting Baghdad, don't ya know) butt out and go try to "control Nancy Pelosi". Okay dick, not Cheney, the Iraqi Speaker, Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, I know you're frustrated, but going on vacation is a titanically bad move. How 'bout this suggestion I'm stealing from The Young Turks, why don't we just pull out all of our troops until you assholes decide to show up.
• We're not likely to be leaving without the oil. If Bush seems to have any resolve left, it's because the Iraqi lawmakers have yet to pass a law that would essentially land Iraq's oil in Big Oil's pockets. The bill that will do that is on it's way to the soon to be vacationing Iraqi Parliament.
• Robert Gates foresees a shift in strategy following the surge assessment in September from General Petreaus.
• Petreaus seems to be playing games on when he knew about a report on soldiers' ethics. We gotta trust this guy?
• U.S. Deathtoll: 3,380.
• Polling.

VIDEO: Dick Cheney is spending some time in Iraq pushing around the media and almost getting blowed up during the last throes of his Vice Presidency (via Crooks and Liars).
VIDEO: Here's former Commander General of the 1st Infantry Division in Iraq Gen. John Batiste (Ret.) slowly and clearly explaining that the President has enormously effed this whole war up and the Congress needs to get us out. So strongly does Batiste feel about this, that this man ended his service after 2 and a half years in charge of the the 1st Infantry Division so he would be able to speak out. Listen.


ART BY: Carlos Latuff.

TAGS: John Batiste, Iraq War, Withdrawal, Dick Cheney