It seems like only yesterday that Dear Leader was making a surprise visit to the troops in Iraq for his annual Thanksgiving photo-op. Here's the report on CNN from 2003. You will see that things weren't going so great even then:
His visit marked the first time a U.S. president had traveled to Iraq, and concern for Bush's safety kept the trip cloaked in secrecy. Even some members of the Secret Service were kept in the dark about it.The whirlwind trip came amid persistent insurgent attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq -- and less than a week after a cargo plane was struck by a missile and forced to land at the Baghdad airport.
Air Force One, with its lights turned off for security reasons, touched down at Baghdad International Airport at 5:31 p.m. (9:31 a.m. EST) and taxied to a remote corner of the airport. (CNN)
Fox News ("fairly unbalanced") noted the obvious:
The timing of the trip was by its very nature assured to give Bush maximum PR exposure, coming on a day when most Americans were relaxing at home, many watching football games, when the announcement came. Some networks interrupted programming with news of the journey. (Fox News)
The troops were understandably bouyed by the Commander in Chief's attendance.
"It helps a lot knowing that the commander in chief himself is going to come out here and make some of the same sacrifices away from his family, away from his home, to show that he is devoted and in the same position that we are," said Pvt. Patrick McFarland of the 1st Armored Division. (CNN)
Dear Leader spent about 2.5 hours on the ground in Iraq before flying back to Crawford to be reunited with his family. Long enough to meet the troops and have a leisurely photograph taken holding a turkey and meet behind closed doors separately with US commanders and members of the Iraqi governing council. Two and half hours to do all that. Plenty of time.
Some things have changed, however:
Since operations began, nearly 300 U.S. service members have died of hostile action, including 183 since May 1 when Bush declared an end to major fighting. (Fox News)
It's 2006. US casualties number 2869. The number of Iraqis is anyone's guess. The best estimates exceed 600,000. And everyone now knows Dear Leader is an abysmal and lethal failure.
Happy Thanksgiving.
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Happy Thanksgiving to you too! Wasn't that turkey on the platter a fake??
And this year, some troops got a personalized phone call from their commander in chief - I'm sure that was thrilling.
And lets see the Saddam count for dead is pushing up on past 600,000 now. I think that count is included in the Iraqi dead for some reason. Need to check on that. The last killing field netted a smooth ten thousand out in the desert. But hey, you arent supposed to know that, it might change your ideas and positions on the war.
The US hasnt killed 600,000. It would be nearly physically impossible to do it in four years with the few troops we have. Thats pushing up on the entire total for US and Allied forces doing Europe.
More disinformation. Estimates of 600,000. Okay prove it.. Hell we can only kill on a six to one ratio and thats with the gloves off. We have lost about 3000 personnel. Do the math.
Far more worrisome is the ever-increasing violent civil war in progress and the emigration of the smarter professionals in Iraq whom the country can least afford to lose.