Bush Did Not Order Plan to Rescue Troop

AP | 4/02/03 | SCOTT LINDLAW

[kattracks]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush had advance knowledge of the plan to rescue Pfc. Jessica Lynch from an Iraqi hospital, the White House spokesman said Wednesday.

"The president had a hint of it earlier the day, but the tactical decisions were made by General (Tommy) Franks and his commanders on the ground about exactly what to do and where to do it," said Ari Fleischer.

The White House said the incident illustrated Bush's style as commander in chief. He approved a broad, flexible military plan for the war and is leaving all but the biggest decisions to Franks, the sole exception thus far being the surprise March 19 airstrikes targeting Saddam Hussein.

If U.S. intelligence gives military leaders another crack at Saddam, Franks could act without Bush's prior approval, White House aides have said.

Bush learned of Lynch's rescue at 4:50 p.m. EST Tuesday during his afternoon call with Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld. "That's great," he told Rumsfeld.

Bush later learned that 11 bodies, some of them believed to be Americans, were found with her, Fleischer said.

Fleischer said Bush was "full of joy for Jessica Lynch and her family" but also "mindful of the fact that we have others who are unaccounted for, who are missing in action, who are POWs and of course who have lost their lives."

Bush spoke Wednesday with the leaders of Spain, Qatar, and Kuwait. He will meet with President Jorge Batlle of Uruguay at the White House on April 23, Fleischer said.

[arkfreepdom]

Why not just title the story, "Bush didn't rescue Jessica, personally"?

[Psycho_Bunny]

The White House said the incident illustrated Bush's style as commander in chief. He approved a broad, flexible military plan for the war and is leaving all but the biggest decisions to Franks, the sole exception thus far being the surprise March 19 airstrikes targeting Saddam Hussein.

Um....am I remembering the strike at Iraqi TV incorrectly?  I seem to recall hearing a military spokesman staying that it was a Presidential decision.

Either way, AP still sucks.

 

[absinthe]

What a bunch of Barbra Streisand. So Bush didn't order
Jessica Lynch's rescue? His subordinates did. That's a
problem???

[dead]

Bush plays with crayons while Dick Cheney runs the country at the behest of Israel.

[montag813]

Why not just title the story, "Bush didn't rescue Jessica, personally"?

Yes. Of course, regardless of the facts we would have gotten "Clinton Personally Orders Daring Rescue (Lynch also invited to intern at White House)!"

[Sir Gawain]

Good one.

[Pontiac]

The White House said the incident illustrated Bush's style as commander in chief. He approved a broad, flexible military plan for the war and is leaving all but the biggest decisions to Franks

Thank the Lord we don’t have another President like Johnson who thought he was a military genius who had to approve every air strike.

[eureka!]

Clymers, the lot of them. I see it now, "W had little role in stunning victory over Iraq" (not to jinx the progress). Shameless. Trouble for the presstitutes is that the people know differently. Hehehehe....

[kattracks]

I didn't see this as a problem. President Bush is not micro managing this war. He leaves the warfare to the people whose job it is. It doesn't mean he's uncaring, just that he leaves warfare to the people whose job it is.

[PleaseNoMore]

What a stupid title from AP. Of course it implies that he either didn't care about her rescue or didn't want her rescued. I am not the most military literate person in the world but even I understand that Bush is giving Franks the authority to make tactical decisions as he sees fit. One reporter today tried her best to get Ari to say that Bush wasn't "tuned in" to what was going on. Just another pathetic attempt to discredit him.

[Larry Lucido]

Bush Did Not Order Plan to Rescue Troop

And in other news, Bush did not personally select the contents of the MRE's carried by advancing troops.

[Duckdog]

Good, He said "make it happen" and it did. Thats all Washington should do.

[kattracks]

Am I repeating myself?

[Steel Wolf]

Giving the military broad goals like

"Destroy Iraqi TV, I don't want them on the air"

and mircomanaging every strike

"I want to approve every single target personally"

are worlds appart. Bush is doing everything right in giving broad goals, as opposed to nitpicking every sortie.

[RJL]

"The president had a hint of it earlier the day, but the tactical decisions were made by General (Tommy) Franks and his commanders on the ground about exactly what to do and where to do it," said Ari Fleischer.

This is exactly how it should happen. Only a POS like Clinton would stand up and take credit for the rescue.

[SGCOS]

The previous presidential sack o' shiit was getting lewinskys while these type of decisions were being made.

[NFOShekky]

What a waste of a story!!! Even if someone has no military background, it should be fairly obvious that the President, as CINC, does not make tactical military decisions! Geez, what next, an AP story that the "President Did Not Order PFC Shmuckatelli to Stand Guard Duty Tonight."

[Clara Lou]

I couldn't agree more. That's a title with an agenda.

[NautiNurse]

Slightly off topic--on talk radio about 30 minutes ago, heard the reason Jessica was rescued last night is because they were tipped off that she was scheduled to be executed today.

Again--heard this as unsubstantiated on talk radio, and can't find anything more about this. Anyone know more about this rumor?