Soundbites #2

First, thanks to Rach and Fraser for a couple of Bushlines:

"You know, one of the hardest parts of my job is to connect Iraq to the war on terror."

"I would guess, I would surmise that some of the more spectacular bombings are done by al Qaeda suiciders"

"The United States of America is engaged in a war against an extremist group of folks"

"Trying to stop suiciders -- which we're doing a pretty good job of on occasion -- is difficult to do. And what the Iraqis are going to have to eventually do is convince those who are conducting suiciders who are not inspired by Al Qaeda, for example, to realize there's a peaceful tomorrow"

"After the bombing, most Iraqis saw what the perpetuators of this attack were trying to do."

"Frustrated? Sometimes I'm frustrated. Rarely surprised. Sometimes I'm happy. You know, this is -- but war is not a time of joy. These aren't joyous times. These are challenging times."

Erm. "SOMETIMES I'M HAPPY" ?????

And yesterday he came out with a series of little nuggets:

"I think I owe an explanation to the American people." You really think so???

"The people need to know that we have a plan for victory." Another useless word. There is no victory, just varying shades of defeat. The world isn't as black and white as Fox viewers might like to believe.

He's always banging on about "the enemy" as well: "As the enemy shifts tactics we are shifting our tactics as well" No, as the American public shifts its opinion and starts waking up to what a mess you've made, and you start to shit your pants because you can't fool them anymore, only then do you find it within yourself to change your tactics.

"This notion about, you know, fixed timetable of withdrawal, in my judgement, means defeat." Ha ha ha!! Your judgement? That's served you really well hasn't it!

Tony Blair came out with another one yesterday as well. He said that to pull British troops out before Iraqi troops were confident they could handle security would be "a complete betrayal not just of the Iraqi people, but of all the sacrifices that have been made by our armed forces over the years". This coming from the man who has unequivocally betrayed the British forces by sending them into an illegal and unnecessary war with inadequate kit in the first place, and shat on the Iraqis in the process. This man is a lunatic.

More shifts in the last couple of days. Bush called the Iraqi PM only 3 or 4 days ago and said he fully backed his government ("heck of a job, Maliki" anyone?). Yesterday there were signs that patience in Washington is running out and Maliki's days are numbered. About time too. Maliki's been useless. There have been whispers of a coup of some sort going around here for 2 or 3 weeks now. Watch this space.

Yesterday the US carried out a raid on Sadr city for the first time. They must have been looking for an interpreter of Iraq descent who went to visit some family of his and never came back. A raid on Sadr city's been overdue for months. Maliki's not happy about it at all.

Yesterday 200 serving members of the US Armed Forces signed a petition calling for an immediate withdrawal of US troops. Apparently they don't like the idea of being asked to put their lives on the line not for their country, but for corporate oil interests. I wonder why. Blair take note.