Well, I stumbled across another article in the mainstream press (see the link below) featuring the reference to "militant" Iraqis "loyal to Saddam Hussein". I am curious why not a single mainstream news piece that I've read since the Iraq Attack "ended" ever entertained the possiblity that these so-called militants may not be loyal to Saddam Hussein, but are in fact patriots who do not see the need for the US to continue their occupation (of sorts) of their own country.
In my humble opinion, I feel that it's an entirely logical assumption and one that doesn't fly in the face of Bush 43's attitude that Saddam Hussein was such a bastard they'll all be happy to have him out. See, they ARE happy he's out - so happy, they want to exercise this new found freedom by BEING FREE TO CREATE THEIR OWN COUNTRY.
Just my humble opinion, of course...
What makes the article even more amusing is that in it, George W. Bush is quoted as saying to these "militants" the following:
"There are some who feel like that conditions are such that they can attack us there," Bush told reporters at the White House. "My answer is bring them on. We have the force necessary to deal with the situation."But they don't - American GIs are dying there and L. Paul Bremer, the civilian 'governor' of Iraq is asking that more US troops be brought on. So, don't tell us about how our boys can handle it. Our boys can't handle it because their moral is low, they are under-staffed and over-worked.
I don't want them to handle it.
Again, In My Humble Opinion...
Read the Reuters article quoting Bush 43 at WashingtonPost.Com.
Read about Bremer asking for more troops here.
From Reuters and WashingtonPost.Com:
'Bring Them On,' Bush Says to Iraq Attacks
Reuters
Wednesday, July 2, 2003; 11:33 AM
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush on Wednesday challenged militants who have been killing and injuring U.S. forces in Iraq, saying "bring them on" because American forces were tough enough to deal with their attacks.
"There are some who feel like that conditions are such that they can attack us there," Bush told reporters at the White House. "My answer is bring them on. We have the force necessary to deal with the situation."
© 2003 Reuters
From Philly.com:
U.S. overseer in Iraq seeks reinforcements
By Jonathan S. Landay and Warren P. Strobel
Inquirer Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON - The top American administrator in Iraq, confronting growing anti-U.S. anger and guerrilla-style attacks, is asking for more American troops and dozens of civilian officials to help speed up the restoration of order and public services.
Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld was reviewing the request from L. Paul Bremer, U.S. officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
President Bush yesterday reaffirmed his commitment to Iraq, saying the attacks on American troops would not force the United States out of the nation before freedom took root.
Bush, in a Rose Garden speech marking the 30th anniversary of the end of the military draft, spoke of "terrorists, extremists and Saddam loyalists" who have attacked U.S. forces, intimidated Iraqis, and destroyed infrastructure. He warned of foreign fighters entering Iraq, al-Qaeda-related groups waiting to strike, and former Iraqi officials "who will stop at nothing" to recover power.
"These groups believe they have found an opportunity to harm America, to shake our resolve in the war on terror, and to cause us to leave Iraq before freedom is fully established," Bush said. "They are wrong and they will not succeed."
Bremer's request for more U.S. troops and civilian help underscores how difficult it has been for his small civilian staff and about 158,000 U.S.-led troops to meet the demands of Iraqis for security and other basic needs.
Since May 1, when Bush declared an end to major combat in Iraq, at least 25 American and six British soldiers have died as a result of hostile acts. Bremer yesterday blamed the attacks on Saddam Hussein's followers and foreign extremists.
Meanwhile, anger is growing among Iraqis over the U.S.-led coalition's inability to stem crime and violence and fully restore electricity.
"It is a legitimate critique of this administration that we did a brilliant job of planning the war, we didn't do a brilliant job of planning what's going on now," a senior defense official said.
Senior U.S. officials said Bremer had asked for dozens of civilian officials to make up for a shortage of skilled Iraqi administrators who were not closely affiliated with Hussein's regime. In addition, more U.S. troops were needed as a "stopgap measure" until international peacekeepers start to arrive, one U.S. official said. None of the officials said how many troops Bremer had requested.
The Pentagon has been looking for three international divisions, about 60,000 troops. The deployment was being held up because Pakistan and other countries said they could not afford it.
The United States is exploring the creation of an international fund that oil-rich Persian Gulf nations, such as Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, would be asked to finance to help pay for peacekeeping, said a State Department official, who also requested anonymity.
Rumsfeld does not want to send more than the 146,000 American soldiers already in Iraq, and the issue is being fiercely debated, the U.S. officials said.
Previously, Rumsfeld and Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz rejected an estimate by the former Army chief of staff, Gen. Eric Shinseki, that several hundred thousand U.S. troops would be required to ensure stability in post-Hussein Iraq.
A Defense Department spokesman said the Pentagon would not discuss any communications between Bremer and Rumsfeld.
Rumsfeld on Monday denied that he had received "any requests for anything that has not been supplied."
At the same time, Rumsfeld said he had asked U.S. military commanders for an assessment of their troop requirements, taking into account how long units had been deployed, what rotations were planned, and what functions international peacekeepers could assume.
A senior administration official said Bremer was asking for U.S. officials to be sent from across the government to accelerate the rebuilding of Iraq's central governmental ministries. The State Department has sent a list of roughly 50 Arabic-speaking diplomats to the Pentagon for approval.
Bremer "has sent in a large request for a large number of people from all agencies of government," the official said. "It's a very long list, and it was for all kinds of people."
"I think since he has gotten organized, he is realizing what his needs are," the official said.
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