Well its nearly September and you know what that means. Yes, as Andy Card told us back in 2002. its time to wheel out the new line for fall! America, come on down! Get your new, improved, Iraq war - now with "Surge!" And, at no additional cost, new indigenous leadership as an option.
Let's discuss the Surge first. For the last few weeks the media have been full of "feel good" stories about the reduced level of violence in places like Al Anbar Province where General Petreaus' Miracle cure has been surging right along. And he's added "local Councils." Yes, you see all that needs to be done is get the people on the ground to talk. Hey, they hate the Jihadists, don't you know and want to work with us. Tom Freidman wants to give the general more time and the Great and the good in DC are still buzzing over "war opponents" O'Hanlon and Pollak's optimistic report from the Green Zone.
(pay no attention to Anthony Cordesmann's gloomy assesment. He's just a nattering neibob of negativism!)
The Pentagon is getting with the program too. The HUFFINGTON POST reports today that they're setting up, pardon the expression, a "War Room" where responses can be made 24/7 to any doubters out there. Just like a political campaign. I'm sure they're booking Petreaus now for appearances on all the networks. He'll be the "Get" of the season.
Say you're worried about the gloomy assessment of the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE)? Don't let it bother you at all. The architects of this adventure have an answer for that as well - its all Maliki's fault! Yes, things would be oh so smooth if only the pesky PM got with the program. Say you want a change? Well that's covered too. Meet the new boss - same as the old boss. Our good friend Allawi who was the secular head appointed by the old Coalition Provisional Authority to run things.
And Allawi is running in the Iraqi "Primary" - the one that caucuses in Washington, that is. He has hired a powerhouse GOP lobbying firm - Barbour, Griffith and Rogers - to represent him in the Capitol at $50,000 a month for six months. And BG&R have hired two heavyweights to present his case. Phillip Zelikow, former Counselor to Condoleezza Rice. Robert Blackwell, former Ambassador and former Deputy National Security Advisor.
(You might ask where Allawi is getting his money for all this. Good question. So far two names have cropped up. One is Hazem Shaalan, a person reputed to be behind a skimming of money for small arms for the new Iraqi Army. How much skimming? Well we put out 1.2 Billion and so far only about 200 million is accounted for. Three hundred thousand would be small change for a guy who made off with a billion. Then there is Muhammed Shahwahi who heads something called "The Iraqi National Intelligence Service" and who led an unsuccessful coup against Saddam and lived to tell about it. He's got ties to Achmed Chalibi and is bankrolled by the CIA. And, despite his title, he is on the outs with the Iraqi Government. Of course if he's giving Allawi money its coming from us and that's illegal. But then have you noticed that lttle things like that discouraging this White House crowd in the past?)
So far the PR types have been pretty successful. Fred Hiatt gave the crew his OpEd page at the POST the other day and Martha Radditz had a story on ABC in which she interviewed Zelikow without mentioning his lobbying ties. And official Washington is taking a bipartisan note. Both Sens Warner and Levin expressed displeasure with Maliki as did Hillary. And George has been both hot and cold toward the Iraqi PM and that Vietnam talk can't have passed notice - can you say "Diem?" Poor Maliki gets it. He's already telling people that he'll find other friends to play with. Like Syria? Like Iran? But Allawi is becomming the toast of DC again.
So everything is set for a successful product launch. All of the Great and the Good are lining up.
But the People?
Well a CNN Gallup Poll shows that a majority of Americans don't trust the upcomming report by the Army's top Command on the progress of the war. In fact the poll concludes that "Anyone associated with the Bush Administration may be a less than credible messenger."
Oops!
Isn't it nice to learn that Abe Lincoln is still right about fooling all of the people all of the time?
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