Meanwhile, In Iraq...

The larger Middle East conflict has taken some public attention away from Iraq, but there's a lot in the news to talk about there. First up, after receiving broad criticism for refusing to testify at a public Senate hearing on Iraq, Sec. Rumsfeld reversed course and decided to testify. How do you think that went?

Senators lashed out at Sec. Rumsfeld for his failed policies in Iraq and Afghanistan. The media reports seem to focus on the remarks of Sen. Clinton, but she was not alone in her assessments. Whatever they asked him, or said to him, I am sure that it did not go far enough. I am sure they didn't remind him that he has a history of lying and/or revisionism about previous statements, such as his past assurances that they knew where WMDs were. I am sure that they didn't ask him to clarify why, as early as the afternoon of 9/11, he was instructing those around him to find a way to use the attacks to justify an invasion of Iraq. Or his recurring denials that he even advocated an invasion at all.

As usual, he answered with typical Rumsfeldian circular answers- "Are there setbacks? Yes. Is this problem going to get solved in the near term? I think it's going to take some time." Am I a complete failure? Yes. Will I admit to that? No.

But his biggest whopper may have been his response to Sen. Clinton's blasting of the "happy talk and rosy scenarios" coming from the administration. Rumsfeld responded, "Senator, I don't think that's true. I have never painted a rosy picture. I've been very measured in my words and you'd have a dickens of a time trying to find instances where I've been excessively optimistic. I understand this is tough stuff."

{*head explodes*}

I, I don't even know where to begin.

I don't know what is scarier to me... the idea that Rumsfeld would tell such a poor lie to the Senate or the idea that he actually believes that the things he says are the truth.

(Examples of Rumsfeld's past optimism are being provided by Think Progress and TruthDig.)


"What has two thumbs and loves to make shit up?... This guy."

UPDATE: Video highlights of Rumsfeld's responses available- here.

Others testifying today did not share Sec. Rumsfeld's delusional worldview.

Gen. John Abizaid, the commander of U.S. Central Command, took a more realistic approach, warning of civil war. He stated that "I believe that the sectarian violence is probably is as bad as I’ve seen it in Baghdad in particular, and that if not stopped, it is possible that Iraq could move toward civil war." The danger of impending Iraqi civil war was also raised in Britain this week. Britain's ambassador to Baghdad, William Patey, wrote to Prime Minister Blair and other top leaders in a memo that leaked, "The prospect of a low intensity civil war and a de facto division of Iraq is probably more likely at this stage than a successful and substantial transition to a stable democracy. Even the lowered expectation of President Bush for Iraq -- a government that can sustain itself, defend itself and govern itself and is an ally in the war on terror -- must remain in doubt."

A grim, but realistic, assessment.

Meanwhile, public support here in the U.S. for the war continues to decline. A new Gallup poll shows that 55% of Americans "now want a complete U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq in the next 12 months... with 19% supporting immediate withdrawal and another 36% wanting it done by August 2007." 54% also said the war was a mistake. Contrary to how it's been portrayed, this has been the majority opinion for some time.

More optimistic than this were some Iraqi officials. According to an AP report, "President Jalal Talabani said Wednesday that Iraqi forces will assume security duties for the whole country by the end of the year, taking over responsibility from U.S. and other foreign troops now policing all but one of the 18 provinces... Iraqi leaders had said previously that their goal was to be fully in control of security by the end of 2006, but Talabani's statement was the most specific." Talabini expressed confidence that his government will eliminate the extremist groups in the country.

I'd love to see that outcome rather than the grim ones looming on the horizon now, but we've heard too many similar pronouncements and milestones for me to get even remotely optimistic. But, as he noted, if Iraq is able to defy history and achieve stability, that will be something they have to do on their own. Even then, we are still stuck with a fundamentalist Shia government more ideologically aligned with our enemies than us.

Sec. Rumsfeld, any thoughts on that?