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Bush Teleconference With Soldiers Staged Oct 13 11:14 PM US/Eastern
By DEB RIECHMANN Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON
It was billed as a conversation with U.S. troops, but the questions President Bush asked on a teleconference call Thursday were choreographed to match his goals for the war in Iraq and Saturday's vote on a new Iraqi constitution.
"This is an important time," Allison Barber, deputy assistant defense secretary, said, coaching the soldiers before Bush arrived. "The president is looking forward to having just a conversation with you."
Barber said the president was interested in three topics: the overall security situation in Iraq, security preparations for the weekend vote and efforts to train Iraqi troops.
As she spoke in Washington, a live shot of 10 soldiers from the Army's 42nd Infantry Division and one Iraqi soldier was beamed into the Eisenhower Executive Office Building from Tikrit _ the birthplace of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
"I'm going to ask somebody to grab those two water bottles against the wall and move them out of the camera shot for me," Barber said.
A brief rehearsal ensued.
"OK, so let's just walk through this," Barber said. "Captain Kennedy, you answer the first question and you hand the mike to whom?"
"Captain Smith," Kennedy said.
"Captain. Smith? You take the mike and you hand it to whom?" she asked.
"Captain Kennedy," the soldier replied.
And so it went.
"If the question comes up about partnering _ how often do we train with the Iraqi military _ who does he go to?" Barber asked.
"That's going to go to Captain Pratt," one of the soldiers said.
"And then if we're going to talk a little bit about the folks in Tikrit _ the hometown _ and how they're handling the political process, who are we going to give that to?" she asked.
Before he took questions, Bush thanked the soldiers for serving and reassured them that the U.S. would not pull out of Iraq until the mission was complete.
"So long as I'm the president, we're never going to back down, we're never going to give in, we'll never accept anything less than total victory," Bush said.
The president told them twice that the American people were behind them.
"You've got tremendous support here at home," Bush said.
Less than 40 percent in an AP-Ipsos poll taken in October said they approved of the way Bush was handling Iraq. Just over half of the public now say the Iraq war was a mistake.
White House press secretary Scott McClellan said Thursday's event was coordinated with the Defense Department but that the troops were expressing their own thoughts. With satellite feeds, coordination often is needed to overcome technological challenges, such as delays, he said.
"I think all they were doing was talking to the troops and letting them know what to expect," he said, adding that the president wanted to talk with troops on the ground who have firsthand knowledge about the situation.
The soldiers all gave Bush an upbeat view of the situation.
The president also got praise from the Iraqi soldier who was part of the chat.
"Thank you very much for everything," he gushed. "I like you."
On preparations for the vote, 1st Lt. Gregg Murphy of Tennessee said: "Sir, we are prepared to do whatever it takes to make this thing a success. ... Back in January, when we were preparing for that election, we had to lead the way. We set up the coordination, we made the plan. We're really happy to see, during the preparation for this one, sir, they're doing everything."
On the training of Iraqi security forces, Master Sgt. Corine Lombardo from Scotia, N.Y., said to Bush: "I can tell you over the past 10 months, we've seen a tremendous increase in the capabilities and the confidences of our Iraqi security force partners. ... Over the next month, we anticipate seeing at least one-third of those Iraqi forces conducting independent operations."
Lombardo told the president that she was in New York City on Nov. 11, when Bush attended an event recognizing soldiers for their recovery and rescue efforts at Ground Zero. She said the troops began the fight against terrorism in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and were proud to continue it in Iraq.
"I thought you looked familiar," Bush said, and then joked: "I probably look familiar to you, too."
Paul Rieckhoff, director of the New York-based Operation Truth, an advocacy group for U.S. veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, denounced the event as a "carefully scripted publicity stunt." Five of the 10 U.S. troops involved were officers, he said.
"If he wants the real opinions of the troops, he can't do it in a nationally televised teleconference," Rieckhoff said. "He needs to be talking to the boots on the ground and that's not a bunch of captains."
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I'm not surprised, most major politicians in recent history have staged interviews and personal appearances. It has unfortunately become the norm.
IP: Logged |
Yes, just as it was for the Clinton administration. What is your point? This is no different than the previous President. Did you consider it wrong for him as well or just Bush?
IP: Logged |
Bush also does press conferences without screening the questions first, can you imagine? Wow!
If you checked into this further, you would find that even in this instance, the questions were not screened, they were the soldiers questions. They were REHEARSED so no one (including Bush I'm sure) would look foolish.
But it's the NORM, it is YOU that is wrong.
IP: Logged |
You go find someone that did their homework in high school and as them about Big Brother. I'll try and work from there. But you'll have to pay attention.
IP: Logged |
I'm glad you are working to get through high school, an education is very important. I finished high school and college over 20 years ago and have found them to be of assistance in understanding the goings on in the real world.
One lesson I learned was never to accept anything as fact unless you can actually see it. Another is that letting emotion determine your opinion is a bad idea because you will never be able to see what is fact and what is not.
IP: Logged |
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I see you believe I should be facinated with your proof that the modern educational system is capable of abject failure. No, I've known that a long time.
Stating that, "One lesson I learned was never to accept anything as fact unless you can actually see it.", then dutifully repeating disproved crap from the Party line are contradictory. Or maybe you didn't learn that lesson too pretty darn good to start with, just to regurgitate the words in order.
Banter over academic resumes with someone that doesn't know about Big Brother? Don't make me laugh. You probably believe "Alice In Wonderland" was about imagination and magic and was created by Walt Disney, too.
Essentially, all the claims you offer are nothing but emotional outburst. When you start supporting them on something other insults to others and disproved bull and lies direcly from Party hacks, I will consider reevaluating your notions. However, noticing that you don't seem to be able to discern truth from Party line regurtation, I don't look for that to come to pass.
Now, , please, offer no more insulting challenges.
IP: Logged |
So why is it that you accept disproved "crap" from the party line?
I know all about Big Brother. A fictional concept in book form made into one, possibly two movies. It seems you have confused fiction with your "image" of how our government operates. You have no proof, yet you believe.
I make no claims, I submit facts. You are very welcome to submit your own to disprove mine, that is how the learning process works.
I would love to see a challenge from you, all I've seen so far are insults.
Try again.
4Art,
I have seen it.
One bit of advice, to see it, you have to be willing to see it.
IP: Logged |
What you submit is not facts. Try reading some sources that aren't rubber stamps of propaganda from Big Brother. Or, if that still is asking a bit much, talk to some one that has before mouthing off, (assuming haven't so insulted them with name calling they won't give you the time).
IP: Logged |
What I submit are facts. Facts are verifiable, they stand the test of time. The facts I present are usually from mainstream media sources which most definately do not rubber stamp propaganda from "big brother" or anyone else. These media sources report the facts by investigating them. I create none of them myself. Now you could argue that the facts which I present from official government sources are propaganda, but the mainstream media would be all over them discrediting them if they were. The main stream media wan't to "sell" news. They are in it for the money and controversy and bad news sells better than normalcy and good news.
I have read the sources that you refer to. 4Art makes many links to them. They most definately aren't rubber stamps of propaganda from big brother. But they are creations of propaganda from the left wing. The left wing of "free thinkers", those that think so freely they are outside they bounds and limitations of reality. They don't use facts other than to manipulate them by selectively using this or that while ignoring the main.
Trust me, I'm not worried about anyone not giving me the time. I don't suffer from egomania. If someone wants to ignore me, more power to them.
IP: Logged |
Hey, was that wonderful Iranian clone of a supermarket gosip sheet among those that, are "mainstream media sources which most definately do not rubber stamp propaganda from "big brother" or anyone else". even thouge when read closely it disclaimed the statements by noting that it was mearly a cut and past of an unreliable source?
Need I point out that George W. is an "official government source" so that, in spite of proof to the contrary, according to you, I am supposed to accept his claims that (1) we were forced to invade Iraq because it harbored vast stores of WMDs (that never existed, I point out) intended for use on the US and (2) we did not invade Iraq because of WMDs but to overthrow saddam, because he was a bad guy. Hateto be stubborn, but those two statements are dirrectly contradictory and at least one of those statements from a "government source" is a bald faced lie!!!
I will not speak to the character of your ego here, other than to recall that in several of your post you have made the absolute claim that you do not ever make mistakes.
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The wonderfull Iranian clone of a supermarket gossip sheet just happened to agree with all the other sources I listed. That actually makes it......hmmmmmm........accurate I believe. I see you neglect to add that to your criticism, I guess because it invalidates your criticism.
No, no disclaimer of cut and paste of unreliable source. Try again.
You aren't forced to accept any claims, it's a free country. If you choose to live in ignorance, that remains your choice. The WMD's did exist and I've provided that proof. Even among the others here that argue against the war, they agree the WMD's did exist at some point in this confrontation. Yet to you, they "never existed".
Neither reason is a bald faced lie, you haven't proven either is, nor are they contradictory. There are many reasons to do many things and these many reasons easily coexist with one another.
Reasons to invade (may not be all inclusive)
Hussein was in possesion of WMD's Hussein was in violation of the cease fire agreement Hussein was a "bad" man who needed overthrown Hussein remained a threat to his neighbors Hussein was an open supporter of terrorism Hussein was killing his own people Hussein was in violation of 16 UN resolutions
None contradict any other, they are all true, although some are obviously more subjective than others.
Please show where I made any claim, absolute or not that I do not ever make mistakes. Should be easy since it did it in "several" posts.
You really are making this to easy. With nearly every post, you make it clear that you do not read other posts and that you create things which are not there.
IP: Logged |
I have sought and received therapy for a bad back. Helped a bit but it still hurts from time to time.
Have you sought therapy?
Most people that claim to be anti-religious, athiests, free thinkers, etc, live and let live. They don't go out of their way to antagnize people that believe differently from themselves. You seem to have some serious issues.
IP: Logged |
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