Apparently, America's wanks are now parsing words as carefully as did Bill Clinton:
Today, White House Press Secretary revealed how misleading the administration’s rhetoric on permanent bases is, arguing the White House does not view any U.S. military installations overseas as being “permanent”:
“The United States, where we are, where we have bases, we are there at the invitation of those countries. I’m not aware of any place in the world — where we have a base — that they are asking us to leave. And if they did, we would probably leave,” said spokeswoman Dana Perino. […]
Top aides to US President George W. Bush have countered that the strife-torn country’s government could ask US forces to leave at any time, meaning that bases are not technically “permanent.”
So ... it's not a "permanent" base as long as the Americans can technically be asked to leave at any time. And how many readers think that's going to happen in Iraq as long as the government is effectively run by the United States? Yeah, I thought so.
But this part from spokesweasel Dana Perino is amusing:
"I’m not aware of any place in the world — where we have a base — that they are asking us to leave."
Well, maybe not at this very moment, but it's not like it hasn't happened, is it? I'm guessing Perino isn't really a student of history. Or anything else, for that matter.
4 comments:
I guess it depends whether it is the government or the people of the nation doing the asking
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DEEDD133BF931A15755C0A961948260
beside a thousand-year Reich, I mean presence is not permanent
Much like McCain's vision of American hegemony in the region lasting for a hundred or even a thousand years isn't "permanent" (technically speaking).
As for Perino not being a "student of history" she quite famously demonstrated her ignorance a while back by admitting that she didn't know a lot of about the Cuban Missile Crisis or the Bay of Pigs debacle. After all, of what possible relevance could that be to anyone?
Perino must have forgotten all the protests in Okinawa after that schoolgirl was raped by those servicemen. I believe a similar crime was committed recently.
toujoursdan - I was just about to say Japan. (Say, that kinda rhymes. I am a sensitive poet.)
In fact, didn't they all but offer to pay the expense of shipping the bases and contents/personnel out if they'd just pack up and leave already? (Can't swear to it; Citation eludes me...)
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