Not - commanders on the ground

So Bush is absolutely committed to an Iraq occupation strategy (the Surge) that was "hammered out"... "during a weekend session". Geez! Over and over again, Bush has said; "troop levels will be decided by our commanders on the ground, not by political figures in Washington, D.C." But here's proof that all along that's been a big fat frickin' lie.

Arm chair generals help shape surge in Iraq
Jul 25, 2007 8:30 AM (3 hrs ago)
by Rowan Scarborough, The Examiner

WASHINGTON (Map, News) - When it comes to the troop surge in Iraq, a bunch of arm chair generals in Washington are influencing the Bush Administration as much as the Joint Chiefs or theater commanders.

A group of military experts at the American Enterprise Institute, concerned that the U.S. was on the verge of a calamitous failure in Iraq, almost single handedly convinced the White House to change its strategy.

They banded together at AEI headquarters in downtown Washington early last December and hammered out the surge plan during a weekend session. It called for two major initiatives to defeat the insurgency: reinforcing the troops and restoring security to Iraqi neighborhoods. Then came trips to the White House by AEI military historian Frederick Kagan, retired Army Gen. John Keane and other surge proponents. ...(more)

Along with that exposure of Bush Administration dishonesty and half-baked-ness comes this news (by way of Think Progress):

Army orders surge in recruiters.

The Army Times reports that “the Army has ordered 1,106 soldiers, former recruiters, away from their current assignments and back to recruiting duty starting on Friday.” The Army issued the order because it is “having significant difficulties getting new recruits because of the unpopularity of the Iraq War.” 1:07 pm |

But gosh and gee golly, could anyone be surprise that it would be tough to find people willing to join the military when 68% of Americans disapprove of the way Bush is handling the situation in Iraq.

Of course Bush will not be diverted from his stubbornly destructive course. Nor will being caught in a lie (again), change Bush's Orwellian ways. And Orwellian isn't an exaggeration as Rick Perlstein has noted:

"I just want you to know that, when we talk about war, we're really talking about peace."

President Bush , June 18, 1984 2002