I don't see how "security" is so much different from "breathing space."

I expect the report to contain "The surge was designed to send more troops to Iraq."

This will be eaten right up by the media.

I get tired of reading the same stuff in this column day after day. Is it any wonder that Republicans think that the left wants us to fail in Iraq, when all you ever see is attempt after attempt to draw absolutely anything that could conceivably be interpreted as negative out of the news concerning Iraq? We get it already. George Bush is a colossal idiot who screwed our country and our reputation in the world. Agreed. The war has been handled atrociously. Yes, we understand this. But come on. Can we just lay off the "gotchas" for a minute?

Ultimately, shouldn't we *want* us to succeed in Iraq, no matter who takes credit for it? People's lives are infinitely more important than scoring a few stupid political points.

I would have to agree with anonymous and PeteyG, too.

There is so much bullshit coming from the white house, Salon does not need to trumpet silly little semantic quibbles as major shifts in policy.

I would think the idiocies of Bush's revisionary history of war from his VFW speech would give you more than enough material to fill this week's columns.

The point isn't parsing the difference between "breathing space" and "security." I agree, they aren't that different. The point of emphasis is on what was the objective of providing security/breathing space.

The original rationale was that the breathing space was a means to provide for political reconciliation.

In the new formulation, the provision of security/breathing space is put forward is an end unto itself.

(These guys are really good at moving the goal posts.

...ish..

no longer allows any possible measure of success or failure.

So once again, the Bush Administration finds a way out.

Keep these articles coming. I have no problem with constant reminders of how they always manage to pull this sort of thing off.

was designed for a particular political purpose last winter - to be the 'shiney object' to distract washington from the Iraq study group recommendations. It did that. Now, they can make up whatever the hell they want, because it's job is long done.

I am amused that the US Ambassador to Iraq is surnamed "Crocker." What a great fit for our mission there! Seems a good match with Tony Snow as Press Secretary. If only they had a Dan Deceptive and Caroline Mendacity and Frank Boldfaced Liar somewhere in the administration, so much the better.

Let me explain:the surge is supposed to create space for the surge. If successful, we can surge some more to help the surge create more security so we can sustain the surge for the next surge. easy.

In general, I agree, the claim of bringing security to Iraq is so vague as to be useless. Sending shipments of food could be extrapolated to be doing the same thing.

Plus, catching the 4th string spokesperson in the middle of August misspeaking is like busting my intern for stealing staples: it's more pitiful than important.

Thanks for pointing those names out Slackie. My only question is why didn't I pick that up...probably my disgust with the whole Bush Neofascist regime clouded my perception. The harm the Bush administration has done to this country won't be recognized for years - environment, justice system, political process, foreign relations and on and on.

This President changes his reasons for everything he does. Is it deliberate or is it that he just cannot remember what he said the first time. I have been told that you should have a very good memory to be a good liar. Which is Bush's problem? Well-------------------------

Saddam had WMDs, Saddam was a bad man, Saddam did not comply with UN regulations so we had to ignore the UN to enforce those regulations, Saddam had bad breath, Saddam and Al-Quaida who would under normal circumstances be mortal enemies are somehow in cahoots -we have this super duper secret document which you can't see which say so, trust us-, we wanted to bring democracy to the Middle East, we need to fight them there and not here, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc...

Who would have thought that a coke-head, strung out recovering alcoholic would end up acting like a coke-head strung out recovering alcoholic. I am shocked, shocked I tell you!

Who the hell cares anymore? We are fucked, end game... may as well kiss our asses goodbye while we can.