BUSH CANDOR: DECISIONS HAVE MADE IRAQ MORE UNSTABLE

Drudge Report ^ | January 13, 2007 | Matt Drudge

[West Coast Conservative]

The president concedes that his decisions have led to more instability in Iraq. President Bush made the admission in an exclusive interview with Scott Pelley at Camp David yesterday (12), his first interview since addressing the nation about Iraq. It will be broadcast on 60 MINUTES Sunday, Jan. 14 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

The president says the current sectarian violence in Iraq, is a destabilizing factor that "could lead to attacks here in America" and must be controlled. He defended his decision to invade Iraq in the same way, saying Saddam was competing with Iran to get a nuclear weapon and making the region unstable. But when pressed by Pelley, Bush concedes that conditions in Iraq are much worse now.

Pelley: But wasn't it your administration that created the instability in Iraq? Bush: "Our administration took care of a source of instability in Iraq. Envision a world in which Saddam Hussein was rushing for a nuclear weapon to compete against Iran... He was a significant source of instability. Pelley: It's much more unstable now, Mr. President. Bush: Well, no question, decisions have made things unstable.

"I think history is going to look back and see a lot of ways we could have done things better. No question about it," says Bush.

Toppling Saddam was not a mistake, however. "My decision to remove Saddam Hussein was the correct decision in my judgment. We didn't find the weapons we thought we would find or the weapons everybody thought he had. But he was a significant source of instability," Bush tells Pelley. "We liberated that country from a tyrant. I think the Iraqi people owe the American people a huge debt of gratitude and I believe most Iraqi's express that."

The execution of Saddam was mishandled, says the president, who saw only parts of it on the Internet because he didn't want to watch the dictator fall through the trap door. "I thought it was discouraging... It's important that that chapter of Iraqi history be closed. [But] They could have handled it a lot better."

[AliVeritas]

Funny how Muslims get closer to Orthodox Jewish eating rules daily too (shhh, don't tell them)

[shalom aleichem]

Agree with what you say (i.e. remonstrate that weapons were moved during delay incurred going to UN, waiting for inspectors, etc.) but Dubya should also scream from the rooftops that America succeeds when she speaks with a common voice and projects a united front (Ben Franklin - We'll hang separately if we don't hang together). He should remind us that politics ends at the water's edge.

Rush is one of the few who points out the gleeful subversiveness of media and many who seek to undermine USA worldwide.

[The_Eaglet]

Troll, your diatribes are getting OLD!!! Did I say OLD???!!!

Why do you call me a troll?

[BW2221]

"We also didn't realize how much we would be undermined domestically by the press"

After Vietnam, we should have. One of Bush's major flaws is that he isn't a student of history.

[Peach]

EXCELLENT points, Polybius!!! Just excellent.

[jrooney]

If you whine like one, post like one and use troll wording, you stand out like a hippie at a christian rock concert. Guess they did not tell you that at socialism and communism 101.

[AliVeritas]

And Tony knows better... because he has the sources.

[AliVeritas]

Bingo.

[Dick Vomer]

How does my concern for the killing of Americans and government waste put me in a "fragmented group of cynical defeatist/protectionist fanatics" ?

because you wouldn't understand the concept of self-sacrifice, honoring your obligation, protecting your country and those that your fellow citizens tell you need protecting.

of always putting your honor to your God, family, country and Corps above your own life and to be willing to give up that life if called to do so...... but by doing so ensures the safety of your family and country.

and having to listen to those that lack the honor or intestinal fortitude spout off about deficits and casualties..

[marshmallow]

I've been saying on these boards for some time now that Bush has destabilized Iraq. As a result, numerous Freepers have hurled all manner of abuse and called me a Democratic troll.

Now Bush himself comes out and says the same thing. Too funny.

I trust now that you'll all be directing your flames in his direction for daring to suggest such a thing.

Actually, Bush just went way up in my estimation with this admission. It's the truth and by admitting it he's showing that he's a man of some integrity and not one to spin or deny harsh realities. Kudos to the President.

[Dick Vomer]

tojo

mussolini

hitler

picture of burnt corspe-insert here....

yeah, I like the way the democrats deal with dictators after wars...a lot.

[MinuteGal]

I'm really tired of the excusers bringing up the mistakes and costly errors in WW 2. The same has happened in Iraq and will happen in any war. The analogy stops there.

I'd like someone to bring up just ONE time when our wartime presidents, FDR and HST, went on the radio, apologized or accepted blame for anything that went horribly awry in intelligence, strategy or execution in the European or Asian theaters of war.

Just ONE example.

These two presidents knew that you accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative in wartime PR. They got on the radio and in strong voices, they whipped up support and morale around the country even when things appeared crumbling. FDR was sitting at the fireside with Fala constantly reassuring the public by just talking strong. No apologies, no second guessing himself.

I think the President is getting wobbly. Phone Margaret Thatcher post haste.

Leni

[WalterSkinner]

..the time for any President to be "touchie feelie", reflective and self-critical in public or print, is about 5 to 10 years after he is out of office.

The President must be reminded that the fanatical, irrational mindset that we are fighting over there, exists in our own society--represented by the MSM and the Political Left...

[jrooney]

Semper Fi! You did it again, even better this time. Thank you. Semper Fi. That truly made my day. God Bless GW, our country, our troops fighting to keep us safe and the devil dogs, our Marines.

[Leatherneck_MT]

I don't think personally that he apologized. I think he did what any real leader would do, what Clinton or no Democrat and most republicans never would do. He admitted that there were failures and they were his decisions. He just went up a hundred fold in my opinion, it takes a big man to admit when he's wrong.

Bush isn't perfect, but I think he's honest and I think he does want to fix the problems. Now if he really does take the gloves off and go after those who truly are TRYING to destabilize that country, we might even be able to put the insurrection down enough for the Iraqi Govt to take over.

[DCPatriot]

I just don't understand his inability to fight back at the media.

Never go to war against anybody that buys ink by the barrel.

[billbears]

I'm going to go to my grave not knowing the answer to this mystery.

Oh you don't need to wait that long. Far from it.

We didn't find the weapons we thought we would find or the weapons everybody thought he had. But he was a significant source of instability," Bush tells Pelley

Imagine that. Guess the President doesn't read World Nut Daily and the Weakly Standard. Crazy Joe and fence rider Bill Kristol could have told him all he needed to know. Maybe you could send him some of the fine weblinks to nonsenical suppositions that have been shown as 'evidence' since 2003.

Actually, I could make an argument for why the administration doesn't talk about the knowledge that WMD went to Syria.

And I could make an argument that they were really in the land of Nod being carefully guarded by Puff the Magic Dragon. Both would hold the same amount of truth to them.

Note, I am not blaming the President. He seems like a decent sort, probably moreso than he has in a long time. But it's clearer by the day the idiots surrounding him had an agenda from day one. I'm not going to label him a conservative but he's not a bad guy either.

[The_Eaglet]

That's quite a hypothetical situation and not applicable to this thread.

[jrooney]

Boy that lovable Saddam, heh he kept it stable because people were too afraid to live because if they offended him or his sons or their ilk, they were dropped into plastic shredders. Yeah, it was much better then.

[The_Eaglet]

I totally respect the volunteerism of the troops.