Pentagon sources: U.S. attack on Iraq may be postponed to end of March (Army Radio)

Haaretz.com NEWS FLASH ^ | 3/3/03 | Haaretz

[Mark Felton]

Pentagon sources: U.S. attack on Iraq may be postponed to end of March, beginning of April (Army Radio)

[This is all that is available on the News Flash at this time].

[dware]

What are you going to change it to?

Libertarian or Independent. But most likely Libertarian. I don't agree with all of their policies, but I don't agree with all of the Pubbie policies either.

God knows I love Bush. I supported his campaign financially, I used my own campaign to campaign for him, I voted straight Pubbie and all that. Unfortunately, in order to restore my waining faith in his administration, something needs to happen fast & hard.

Otherwise, this could end up ruinging the momentum the Conservative movement has built up, and any chances for re-election. I'm going to give it more time. My patience is wearing thin, but it is not yet gone. I only hope that whatever Bush has up his sleeve, IT'S HUGE and COMPLETELY revealed whenever this goes down.

[Stefan Stackhouse]

I consider the Free Republic to be a relatively legitimate gague of conservative opinion and it is clear that Bush's support base is starting to lose patience with him. The number of disaffected posts should be taken very seriously as a real indication of waning confidence. What does this say about the future of this venture and the administration in general? It would seem that should there be additional indefinite delays that the mood does not bode well for this administration.

It is not a matter of "impatience" per se -- I would hope that most of us realize that the military have logistic issues to work out, and we're willing to give them the time they need for this. Our issue is that many of us are becoming dubious about "world opinion", bilateral diplomatic relations with former friends, or the preservation of dysfunctional multi-lateral institutions as being things worth wasting any time on trying to preserve. We've already written these off as the inevitable and unavoidable cost of pursuing our own national interest, and we are growing impatient over the administration's pursuit of what we believe to be futile.

[colorado tanker]

1. We will invade Iraq. Only Saddam going into exile would change that, and even then I betcha we'd send in troops to "assist" with the WMD destruction and establishment of a new regime.

2. Just like before Afghanistan, there's a whole bunch of disinformation and strategery being played.

3. This operation is being driven by the tempo of troop and logistical deployments. Calling up the major units around Christmas dictated a March operation. The southern forces should be ready in a week or two. If we are going for a second vote and deployment through Turkey, the end of March would be about right.

4. This is not being driven by the UN or anybody wimping out. The administration is using the deployment period to give the British and to some extent himself some political cover.

[NonValueAdded]

That's right, CC. Saddam, listen to CC and not those other posters. GWB has lost his nerve and wouldn't possibly attack until next month. Stand down your troops, relax, and give them a weekend liberty. Find reasons to delay destroying those rockets and publicly rebuff Blix; show the world you are your own man. Pay no attention to those foolish people telling you an attack is imminent.

[dware]

I know Bush is patient, and thankfully so. I only hope that this whole thing doesn't completely destroy momentum built up by the Conservative movement over the past few years.

It's hard to stay patient...I say screw UN - go take Hussein out without them, or the french & germans. This idleness is going to DRIVE ME INSANE (which is to say it would drive me to be libertarian - LOL - HELP!!!!!!!)

[Mr. Mojo]

Libertarian or Independent. But most likely Libertarian. ......I voted straight Pubbie and all that. Unfortunately, in order to restore my waining faith in his administration, something needs to happen fast & hard.

A Libertarian [isolationist] wouldn't deal with Hussein at all. ....Unless, of course, he were "massing troops on our border." You might want to rethink that choice.

[Dog Gone]

Hmm... I thought President Bush said "days and weeks, not months and years" back in September of 2002...

I would challenge you to find any statement by him like that during that time frame.

The first time those statements came out of this Administration was last month.

[Poohbah]

If I hear one more "rush to war" remark, I'm going to go medieval on the speaker...

[Arkinsaw]

Don't do that.....you have to realize Bush is a patient man......a man with insane patience. I understand it drives you crazy though.

The question is not how patient Bush is. The question is, how patient is the American consumer? How patient is the stock market? Based on the last confidence numbers they are less patient.

[WarrenC]

The arrest of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed has changed everything.

I think you're right. I've been thinking ever since KSM's arrest that the attack on Iraq may be postponed until we learn every thing we can from his computer files, etc., about Al Queda's plans for retaliatory strikes and likely targets.

I've been as impatient as anyone, but it does make sense to use what can be learned from KSM to maximize the chance of success while minimizing the chance of a successful retaliatory attack by Al Queda.

[this_ol_patriot]

The pressure is there that's for sure, while I won't move on the need to remove Saddam many of the more moderate people I know who are NOT anti-Bush and anti-American and were some of the most avid anti-Clintonites I know including a few veterans of the Libyan attack and the Gulf War just don't see an urgency and some a need for war with Iraq. They were convinced that a war was necessary but the delay has them re-thinking that maybe Saddam is bottled up and rendered harmless now. Even if this is wrong thinking the point is that this is what is happening and while they still support Conservatives and Republicans in general they no longer support this administration's drive to war. It is wrong but that's what is happening with some people I know and I can't convince them otherwise. These are good Americans who have strong support for the war on terror but somehow they are no longer convinced that war in Iraq is needed. That tells the story and may not affect things in the long run but support is waning and it's mainly due to the delay, wrong or right.

[dware]

good bye fair weather feind

It has nothing to do with fair weather. I have been a Republican since I could talk - raised Republican, campaigning for Republican candidates at 8 years old, ran as a Republican for State office in New Mexico in 2000 - through thick & thin, I've stayed the course, and most likely will this time. I just needed to vent. My patience is wearing thin, and I've got to find a way to stave it off.

[dware]

You might want to rethink that choice.

LOL-I know. This is simply my cry for help. I'm feeling lost in this whole thing...not knowing what to do anymore. I'm trying, though...

[polemikos]

up to one month delay

I can't hold my breath that long.

[Chaos]

I'm getting a bad case of "lets go to war, no lets wait, no lets wait" fatigue.

Hey, Bush lets either go "now" or get our people the hell out.

[Arkinsaw]

I consider the Free Republic to be a relatively legitimate gague of conservative opinion and it is clear that Bush's support base is starting to lose patience with him. The number of disaffected posts should be taken very seriously as a real indication of waning confidence. What does this say about the future of this venture and the administration in general? It would seem that should there be additional indefinite delays that the mood does not bode well for this administration.

If I had to wait till June that would be okay....as long as there was positive movement. People keep saying "strategery". Well let me tell you, it is not part of the plan to have Turkey vote us down with the 4th's equipment sitting offshore, not part of the plan to have the Pope ask to address the Security Council, not part of the plan to have our guys sit in the desert and have to rearrange tents to pack some more into Kuwait, not part of the plan to have Iranian Revolutionary Guards come across the border, not part of the plan to have the Kurds threaten us, not part of the plan to have a back-bench rebellion on Toni Blair, not part of the plan to have Hungary b*tching about unauthorized overflights, etc.

When you find yourself in a hole...stop digging! We seem to be waiting because things have gotten more complicated, so we wait and they get a little more complicated, necessitating that we wait a little longer.....

If they need to wait for NON-POLITICAL reasons thats fine, but it would be helpful to stop the political hemmorhaging prior to waiting.

p.s. I was a Bush voter and sent cash to the recount fund and will be voting Bush again, but the strategery needs to bear some fruit in the near future.

[Calpernia]

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