The Belgravia Dispatch: Crawford Portraits

December 30, 2006

Crawford Portraits

Like the seasons coming and going, it seems we are perennially treated to such recurring photo montages of the "war council" convening amidst the Crawford tundra. I guess a sense of resolve and hard work and confidence is meant to be portrayed by these (increasingly tiresome) photo-ops. What I feel instead, alas (with the exception of Bob Gates), is a deep lack of confidence in this team. Their specific skills and aptitudes aside, the bottom line is this: we're nearing four years into this conflict, one we've incessantly been told is the central front in the war on terror and, for all intensive purposes-- the Commander-in-Chief is still without an effective war strategy (having now cast about for weeks in search of one, at very least let's say since Rumsfeld's hugely belated departure). Unpardonable, to quote Chuck Hagel. But that's what happens when a nation rushes to war with cheap swagger, not even planning for an insurgency, or post-conflict stability operations. And when discredited national security actors are (in the main) running the show. (Photo Credit: Evan Yucci/AP)

UPDATE: Related fare, from Bush: "It's my job to listen to a lot of opinions and come up with a strategy that says we have a plan." (via Bruce M via Dan Froomkin)

Posted by Gregory at December 30, 2006 02:21 AM

Comments

Lokking at these photos, one of which you've posted here, I thought that Condi, Gates, and the General, were both serious/glum and eager to show that they were not following the President and VP too closely for this photo op. It lead me to think that only Bush and Cheney are supporting whatever is being planned - with regard to either Iraq or Iran. Wouldn't it be great if our Presidential idiot gets his head turned at the last moment by some common sense?

Posted by: kim at December 30, 2006 06:19 PM | Permalink to this comment

"the Commander-in-Chief is still without an effective war strategy (having now cast about for weeks in search of one, at very least let's say since Rumsfeld's hugely belated departure)"

This really looks to me like a textbook case of someone who's totally adrift, not up to the task at all, and keeps asking for extra time thinking that he can postpone the inevitable forever.

It's like watching a college slacker in a tailspin, thinking, "I'll take an Incomplete for the class, and do the paper over break, maybe get some help from the frat files."

Posted by: Jon H at December 30, 2006 06:52 PM | Permalink to this comment

Look on the bright side, Greg. If they hold enough of those meetings at Crawford, at some point they're BOUND to come up with a strategy for looking like they have a plan (albeit briefly).

Posted by: Bruce Moomaw at December 30, 2006 07:27 PM | Permalink to this comment

"intensive purposes"?

Intents and purposes, I think.

Jeff Greenfield recently had a "funny" segment noting that Barack Obama dresses in the same style as Ahmadinejad, wearing a blazer and a tieless button-down shirt. I'm looking forward to a follow-on piece where he talks about the current fashion rage Ahmadinejad has sparked in the circles of US power.

Posted by: jayackroyd at December 31, 2006 04:22 PM | Permalink to this comment

Hey, kim, does it bother you at all that we seem to be engaging in more and more Kremlinolgy these days? Reading between lines. Analyzing posture and position in official photographs. Trying to guess what a statement really means.

Posted by: jayackroyd at December 31, 2006 04:24 PM | Permalink to this comment

Ah, to see this group in prison blues ! One can wish, cant one?

Posted by: M.Carey at December 31, 2006 10:27 PM | Permalink to this comment

It seems that you missed the really big news here.

It was reported that Bush worked for THREE HOURS.

At that rate, he'll have this thing licked in no time.

Posted by: Mark-NC at December 31, 2006 11:30 PM | Permalink to this comment

It's worth more than a thousand words to see the neocons tiptoeing thru horseshit, literally. Whatever they don't get on their shoes, they've gotten on their souls.

-resh

Posted by: reshuffle at January 1, 2007 05:19 AM | Permalink to this comment

	« In-House News \| Main \| Lieberman and the "V" Word » December 30, 2006 Crawford Portraits Like the seasons coming and going, it seems we are perennially treated to such recurring photo montages of the "war council" convening amidst the Crawford tundra. I guess a sense of resolve and hard work and confidence is meant to be portrayed by these (increasingly tiresome) photo-ops. What I feel instead, alas (with the exception of Bob Gates), is a deep lack of confidence in this team. Their specific skills and aptitudes aside, the bottom line is this: we're nearing four years into this conflict, one we've incessantly been told is the central front in the war on terror and, for all intensive purposes-- the Commander-in-Chief is still without an effective war strategy (having now cast about for weeks in search of one, at very least let's say since Rumsfeld's hugely belated departure). Unpardonable, to quote Chuck Hagel. But that's what happens when a nation rushes to war with cheap swagger, not even planning for an insurgency, or post-conflict stability operations. And when discredited national security actors are (in the main) running the show. (Photo Credit: Evan Yucci/AP) UPDATE: Related fare, from Bush: "It's my job to listen to a lot of opinions and come up with a strategy that says we have a plan." (via Bruce M via Dan Froomkin) Posted by Gregory at December 30, 2006 02:21 AM Comments Lokking at these photos, one of which you've posted here, I thought that Condi, Gates, and the General, were both serious/glum and eager to show that they were not following the President and VP too closely for this photo op. It lead me to think that only Bush and Cheney are supporting whatever is being planned - with regard to either Iraq or Iran. Wouldn't it be great if our Presidential idiot gets his head turned at the last moment by some common sense? Posted by: kim at December 30, 2006 06:19 PM \| Permalink to this comment "the Commander-in-Chief is still without an effective war strategy (having now cast about for weeks in search of one, at very least let's say since Rumsfeld's hugely belated departure)" This really looks to me like a textbook case of someone who's totally adrift, not up to the task at all, and keeps asking for extra time thinking that he can postpone the inevitable forever. It's like watching a college slacker in a tailspin, thinking, "I'll take an Incomplete for the class, and do the paper over break, maybe get some help from the frat files." Posted by: Jon H at December 30, 2006 06:52 PM \| Permalink to this comment Look on the bright side, Greg. If they hold enough of those meetings at Crawford, at some point they're BOUND to come up with a strategy for looking like they have a plan (albeit briefly). Posted by: Bruce Moomaw at December 30, 2006 07:27 PM \| Permalink to this comment "intensive purposes"? Intents and purposes, I think. Jeff Greenfield recently had a "funny" segment noting that Barack Obama dresses in the same style as Ahmadinejad, wearing a blazer and a tieless button-down shirt. I'm looking forward to a follow-on piece where he talks about the current fashion rage Ahmadinejad has sparked in the circles of US power. Posted by: jayackroyd at December 31, 2006 04:22 PM \| Permalink to this comment Hey, kim, does it bother you at all that we seem to be engaging in more and more Kremlinolgy these days? Reading between lines. Analyzing posture and position in official photographs. Trying to guess what a statement really means. Posted by: jayackroyd at December 31, 2006 04:24 PM \| Permalink to this comment Ah, to see this group in prison blues ! One can wish, cant one? Posted by: M.Carey at December 31, 2006 10:27 PM \| Permalink to this comment It seems that you missed the really big news here. It was reported that Bush worked for THREE HOURS. At that rate, he'll have this thing licked in no time. Posted by: Mark-NC at December 31, 2006 11:30 PM \| Permalink to this comment It's worth more than a thousand words to see the neocons tiptoeing thru horseshit, literally. Whatever they don't get on their shoes, they've gotten on their souls. -resh Posted by: reshuffle at January 1, 2007 05:19 AM \| Permalink to this comment		Reviews of Belgravia Dispatch "Awake" --New York Times "Always-Worth Reading" --Andrew Sullivan Recent Entries A Brief (and Belated) Word on Chas Freeman What Would Real--Rather Than Rhetorical--Change in U.S. Foreign Policy Look Like? Of War, and Tent Hospitals The Obama Imperative Some Addt'l Thoughts Re: Georgia McCain: Let's Compound the Blunder! Georgia On My Mind Should We De-Emphasize The Terror Threat in U.S. Foreign Policy? 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