Moreover, a military audience such as the war college is MUCH different than the "troops" in the field. A military audience is SUPPOSED to be apolitical. I'm surprised Bush was EVER interrupted by applause at such a setting.
John, I respectfully disagree. You missed the audience. The audience was NOT the guys at the war college, nor even the American people. It was the Iraqis, good and bad.
LS, - you're both wrong, in that Bush was addressing the world, not just Americans or Iraqi's. B-Bob is right in the sense that this administration has missed completely ~that~ audience.
Bush was letting them know that they had to a) get their act together and get someone in charge; b) that we would keep killing baddies, and c) that after the June 30 handover of sovereignty, we would do as THEY bid.
Which everyone in the real world knows is political BS. We invaded Iraq for a middle eastern base of operations in our WOT, {quite rightly, in self defense}, -- and we will not give up our position there until ~something~ is resolved.
Bush pointed out that was critical, because after June 30 it is an independent government requesting us to stay and to look for WMDs! Moreover, a military audience such as the war college is MUCH different than the "troops" in the field. A military audience is SUPPOSED to be apolitical. I'm surprised Bush was EVER interrupted by applause at such a setting.
Polite applause, but nothing more, was appropriate.
The speech was a failure because once again the obvious truth of the Iraqi situation was smothered in politically correct platitudes.
We are there for the 'duration'. And NO one knows how long this middle east mess will last.
I'll bet we will be in Iraq for the next two administrations, irregardless of which party is in the White House.