Ellington

Now, here's a surprise. Bush and Cheney's Iraqi War has not worked. They have underreported the level of violence in Iraq. They need to try a bit of diplomacy. The situation is "sliding toward chaos." With 2,900 American troops dead, and tens of thousands of Iraqis killed in Bush's little "mission accomplished" foray, could we not have reached this conclusion a long time ago? This is infuriating. I'm so sick of morons and liars running our country (city and state, for that matter, but that's a different rant):

President Bush's policy in Iraq "is not working," a high-level commission said Wednesday in a blunt, bleak assessment that urged an urgent diplomatic attempt to stabilize the country and allow withdrawal of most combat troops by early 2008. After nearly four years of war and the deaths of more than 2,900 U.S. troops, the situation is "grave and deteriorating" and America's ability "to influence events within Iraq is diminishing," the commission warned.

It recommended the U.S. reduce "political, military or economic support" for Iraq if the government in Baghdad cannot make substantial progress toward providing for its own security.
The report said Bush should put aside misgivings and engage Syria, Iran and the leaders of insurgent forces in negotiations on Iraq's future, to begin by year's end. It urged him to revive efforts at a broader Middle East peace. Barring a significant change, it warned of a "slide toward chaos."

In a slap at the Pentagon, the commission said there is "significant underreporting" of the actual level of violence in the country. It also faulted the U.S. intelligence effort, saying the government "still does not understand very well either the insurgency in Iraq or the role of the militias."