Politics: A new beginning

[bilmore]

Originally posted by Tyrone_Slothrop
No kidding. Saddam was pretty rough on Iraqi wetlands.

Plus, it's been accepted for decades that countries primarily ruled by murderous Bathists rarely have decent walk-in slough regulations.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by bilmore
Plus, it's been accepted for decades that countries primarily ruled by murderous Bathists rarely have decent walk-in slough regulations.

I am aware of those studies, but always thought they had a problem with sample size.

[Atticus Grinch]

Originally posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)
What, "we'll leave it to the UN to consider negotiations" would have been a better response? It is the US Army who found him, not a bounty hunter.

Right, and the United States Army is the personal guard of President George W. Bush. Whatever.

Am I alone in thinking that "Greetings from the United States of America" or "The Coalition of the Willing will see you now" would have been cooler than making it look like the Pres. has a personal vendetta against SH? I, for one, do not think it's a "cool movie line" to act as if the troops on the ground are fulfilling some personal mission of the CIC.

Of course, it's possible the field commander in question didn't spend his time thinking about this in advance. Neil Armstrong did, and he was so excited he fucked it up anyway.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by Atticus Grinch
Right, and the United States Army is the personal guard of President George W. Bush. Whatever.

He is the Commander in Chief. I don't really get what your issue is here.

I do, however, find it disturbing that real events are being scripted as if they're movies. That whole British Airways/Gulfstream Five thing is another example. Although it turns out that didn't really happen, now that I think about it. See? The line between truth and fiction is more and more elusive.

[Not Me]

Originally posted by Atticus Grinch
Am I alone in thinking that "Greetings from the United States of America" or "The Coalition of the Willing will see you now" would have been cooler than making it look like the Pres. has a personal vendetta against SH?

On this board? Yes.

[Not Me]

Originally posted by Tyrone_Slothrop
That whole British Airways/Gulfstream Five thing is another example. Although it turns out that didn't really happen, now that I think about it.

It did happen; it just wasn't a British Airways plane. It was a charter flight of some sort. If you need the cite, I will find it after I eat something.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by Tyrone_Slothrop
I do, however, find it disturbing that real events are being scripted as if they're movies.

What was scripted? Some scared kid looking down into a hole say holy shit it's SH, hauls him out, listens through an interpreter to SH setting out his negotiation stance, gets a grin and Says "Bush says hello."

do you honestly think as part of the mission briefing they review clever response to potential things SH would say, "And if he mentions his sons' death, tell him you're willing to inherit his fortune.,and if he says......."

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by Not Me
It did happen; it just wasn't a British Airways plane. It was a charter flight of some sort. If you need the cite, I will find it after I eat something.

Cite, please. Here's the latest I know of:

• Changing a Story on the Fly
  
  By Ken Fireman
  WASHINGTON BUREAU
  
  Washington - The White House has changed one aspect of its account of President George W. Bush's surprise Thanksgiving visit to Baghdad: the spotting of Air Force One by a British Airways pilot.
  
  Initially, according to accounts by journalists on the trip, White House Communications Director Dan Bartlett said the British pilot had radioed, "'Did I just see Air Force One?'" and that the pilot of Air Force One had replied, "'Gulfstream Five,'" a much smaller aircraft.
  
  Yesterday, after British Airways had denied that account, the White House said the radio conversation actually took place between the British pilot and the control tower in London. The tower's response was apparently based on false flight plan information given to protect the secrecy of the trip.
  
  The sighting of the presidential aircraft occurred just after daybreak Thursday off the western coast of England, the White House said. Bush has said he was prepared to scrub the trip if news of the journey had leaked.
  
  A British Airways spokesman told The Associated Press that none of its pilots has come forward to acknowledge either making or overhearing the purported conversation.

Newsday, Dec. 3

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally posted by Atticus Grinch
Right, and the United States Army is the personal guard of President George W. Bush. Whatever.

Am I alone in thinking that "Greetings from the United States of America" or "The Coalition of the Willing will see you now" would have been cooler than making it look like the Pres. has a personal vendetta against SH? I, for one, do not think it's a "cool movie line" to act as if the troops on the ground are fulfilling some personal mission of the CIC.

Of course, it's possible the field commander in question didn't spend his time thinking about this in advance. Neil Armstrong did, and he was so excited he fucked it up anyway.

It's a clever line, and the field commander who came up with it gets FB cool points. Give the Dough Boy 300 points!

However, it shows how much we've all accepted the idea that this is personal -- we are in Iraq rather than Iran or some other allahforsaken backwater because Saddam embarrassed George's Daddy (you embarrass Daddy, I kill your seed -- kind of old testament rather than old school, wouldn't you say?).

So, it's a clever line. But the fact that we all laugh at it is a bit sad. This is really the first time a President has had his own personal war.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally posted by Tyrone_Slothrop
Cite, please. Here's the latest I know of:

• Changing a Story on the Fly
  
  By Ken Fireman
  WASHINGTON BUREAU
  
  Washington - The White House has changed one aspect of its account of President George W. Bush's surprise Thanksgiving visit to Baghdad: the spotting of Air Force One by a British Airways pilot.
  
  Initially, according to accounts by journalists on the trip, White House Communications Director Dan Bartlett said the British pilot had radioed, "'Did I just see Air Force One?'" and that the pilot of Air Force One had replied, "'Gulfstream Five,'" a much smaller aircraft.
  
  Yesterday, after British Airways had denied that account, the White House said the radio conversation actually took place between the British pilot and the control tower in London. The tower's response was apparently based on false flight plan information given to protect the secrecy of the trip.
  
  The sighting of the presidential aircraft occurred just after daybreak Thursday off the western coast of England, the White House said. Bush has said he was prepared to scrub the trip if news of the journey had leaked.
  
  A British Airways spokesman told The Associated Press that none of its pilots has come forward to acknowledge either making or overhearing the purported conversation.

Newsday, Dec. 3

See how much better British intelligence is? They have already gotten rid of the "evidence."

[sgtclub]

Originally posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy
It's a clever line, and the field commander who came up with it gets FB cool points. Give the Dough Boy 300 points!

However, it shows how much we've all accepted the idea that this is personal -- we are in Iraq rather than Iran or some other allahforsaken backwater because Saddam embarrassed George's Daddy (you embarrass Daddy, I kill your seed -- kind of old testament rather than old school, wouldn't you say?).

So, it's a clever line. But the fact that we all laugh at it is a bit sad. This is really the first time a President has had his own personal war.

Are you SERIOUS? Are you reading THAT much into the line? He could have just as easily said "The US Army sends it's regards" or "America sends its regards." That is the meaning here. It is sheer bravado. It has nothing to do with this being a personal war of any sorts.

[sgtclub]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...n_el_se/breaux

I for one will miss him.

[Not Me]

Originally posted by Tyrone_Slothrop
Cite, please.

It was a German charter jet.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...2003Dec11.html

[bilmore]

Originally posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy
So, it's a clever line. But the fact that we all laugh at it is a bit sad. This is really the first time a President has had his own personal war.

I find it disturbing how dispassionate either you are, or you expect others to be, upon the capture of a man whose personal death count is arguably over a million.

Yeah, it is personal.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by Not Me
It was a German charter jet.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...2003Dec11.html

So the original version was fiction.