A major admission from the man who brought us in to this war. Four years after starting the war in Iraq, Bush decided he needed to do some learning about the quagmire. Apparently, he's figured out it's not all good -- and that we are not winning his war according to an interview with the Washington Post. Throughout the interview, Bush, of course, is still spinning as much as can:
Bush, who has always said that the United States is headed for victory in Iraq, conceded yesterday what Gates, Powell and most Americans in polls have already concluded. "An interesting construct that General Pace uses is, 'We're not winning, we're not losing,' " Bush said, referring to Marine Gen. Peter Pace, the Joint Chiefs chairman, who was spotted near the Oval Office before the interview. "There's been some very positive developments. . . . [But] obviously the real problem we face is the sectarian violence that needs to be dealt with."Consultations, consulting, listening, thinking...whatever. The President has led us in to a war that we're losing. He can't bring himself to say it, but he's coming closer. There is only one way forward -- the way out.
Asked yesterday about his "absolutely, we're winning" comment at an Oct. 25 news conference, the president recast it as a prediction rather than an assessment. "Yes, that was an indication of my belief we're going to win," he said.
Bush said he has not yet made a decision about a new strategy for Iraq and would wait for Gates to return from a trip there to assess the situation. "I need to talk to him when he gets back," Bush said. "I've got more consultations to do with the national security team, which will be consulting with other folks. And I'm going to take my time to make sure that the policy, when it comes out, the American people will see that we . . . have got a new way forward."
