"Bush Sees Iraq Progress From Troop Buildup" by SHERYL GAY STOLBERG
FORT JACKSON, S.C., Nov. 2 — President Bush offered an upbeat assessment on Friday of progress in Iraq, saying that while corruption remained a problem and unemployment was high, the economy was growing, violence was down and, “slowly but surely, the people of Iraq are reclaiming a normal society.”
Mr. Bush typically finds friendly audiences at military bases, and Friday was no exception; the graduates and their relatives and friends applauded wildly as he arrived on the grassy parade field here, and they interrupted his remarks several times with foot stomping and cheers.
To make his case that the strategy is working, Mr. Bush ticked off a litany of statistics. Bush took the unusual step of offering a body-count figure, saying that together with Iraqi forces, American troops had killed or captured an average of more than 1,500 “enemy fighters” per month since January.
I guess those deaths -- if that is even an accurate number -- don't count in the death tolls, huh?
Well, whoever they were, they were somebody's son or brother!!
And he's talking since January? A year ago?
On the economic front, the president argued that Iraqi society was beginning to return to normal:
“We’re seeing improvements in important economic indicators. Inflation has been cut in half. Electricity production in September reached its highest levels since the war began — and higher than it was under Saddam Hussein.”
So after SIX YEARS, we finally got the power level above Saddam's piddly level -- if we even have -- and Bush is calling that success?
The man is fucking DERANGED and INSANE, folks -- and fucking DANGEROUS!!!!
