Quote of the Day

"You know, I hear people say, Well, civil war this, civil war that. The Iraqi people decided against civil war when they went to the ballot box."
--President George W. Bush, this afternoon

(Video- here)

People don't vote on civil war at the ballot box, sir.

It just sort of happens; it's the inevitable result sometimes of a nation that is divided by regional and political conflicts. It is what happened to us in the 1860s and what is happening to Iraq now. Crucial difference is that ours was solely internal, while the Iraq is being fueled by region-wide (and centuries-old) conflicts and a continuing military occupation of their country.

Finally, in a sobering interview on ABC's This Week yesterday, Condoleeza Rice refused to say whether U.S. troops would pull out of that country if all-out civil war did begin, calling the very idea 'hypothetical'. Denial ain't just a river in Egypt.

Related articles:
-AFP: US sees ethnic strife -- not terror -- tearing at Iraq
-NY Times: Iraqi Death Toll Rises Above 100 Per Day, U.N. Says

UPDATE: The Iraqi Prime Minister (once again) criticizes U.S. policy. Did we win yet?

[PS- Those people talking about civil war? Includes our troops and civilian military leaders.

See also previous entry: Meanwhile, In Iraq...]