Zeev's Turnips Talk Politics (ZTTP)

[seabass]

You believe what you just posted? That the only problem with Iraq is the liberal US press and that the terrorists are showing weakness since they are killing 3,000 civilians and only 100 troops a month? This has gone past delusional and the whole world look at you freaks now and shake their collective heads. There's no rational voice representing your side any longer which has the Saudis worried enough to summon the VP to Riyadh for a what's-going-on chat. First time in history for such a lecture.


"ROBIN WRIGHT: But this is clearly a reflection of the deep concern in the United States‘ closest ally in the Middle East and one of the most important in terms of our own energy needs, that they would summon a vice president. This is, in many ways, unprecedented."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15951792/



More comments by two pretty level headed observers, Robin Wright and David Gergen. Sobering stuff for anyone willing to listen.


"GERGEN: Well, I think what‘s changed are the facts on the ground. This is spiraling down so quickly, I think it‘s breathtaking how rapidly it‘s descending into chaos and—and just almost catastrophe now.

And I think it‘s knocking everyone‘s assumptions for a loop. Because people thought maybe this was containable, maybe there were ways you could do something here. But now it‘s changing so rapidly on the ground; the violence is escalating."


"ROBIN WRIGHT: I talked to a senior member of the Iraqi government, and I asked him. I said, “Is this a civil war?”
And he said, “It‘s worse than that. In a civil war, at least you can just—you can tell who is fighting who, and we can‘t tell that anymore.”


GERGEN: The other thing—the other thing, it seems to me, out of what Robin just said, is—is there is a real sense in the Middle East now that we are at a crisis point.

Indeed, it appears the president is, you know, steady on course and will not change. And I think the rest of the world is saying, “My God. The place is burning down. Are you not going to change course?” So I think we‘re in a very, very tense moment now."

I think Iraq may well be too late to salvage, but we have to salvage what we can to make sure we don‘t get a regional conflict, to try and minimize the damage. So that what is now a failure, as someone has said, does not become a catastrophe."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15951792/