On Tuesday, White House spokesman Tony Snow said President Bush learned of the killings only after a reporter from Time magazine asked questions. Time published an article in March that said the Pentagon was investigating the incident. Asked when Bush was first briefed about the events in Haditha, an insurgent stronghold in western Iraq, Snow replied Tuesday: "When a Time reporter first made the call." Bush was briefed on the incident and investigation by his national security adviser, Stephen Hadley, Snow said. He would not detail Bush's personal involvement since.
What exactly is wrong with this answer? I have no heartburn at all over it. Then again, I'm the kind of person who doesn't want a President involved in operational details of military engagements.
I don't think anyone here wants that - a scenario we have seen before. Anyway, this President has shown that he has faith in the military leaders on the ground so that is not even in question. Tony's "Time" remark may have been a flippant one - not realizing how it would play. Myself, I believe the President knew something of this before "Time". He gets casualty reports which are bound to include Iraqi military and civilians. Perhaps Tony meant that Pres Bush did not know of the slant Time was going to put on this incident.