NA GA HA PEN

Working at home today, and MSNBC is all atwitter about this:

“In the area of security cooperation, the [U.S.] president and the [Iraqi] prime minister agreed that improving conditions should allow for the agreements now under negotiation to include a general time horizon for meeting aspirational goals,” the statement said. It said those goals include turning over more control to Iraqi security forces and “the further reduction of U.S. combat forces from Iraq.”

A “general time horizon for meeting aspirational goals.”  Have you ever seen so many fucking qualifiers?

It is endlessly amusing that the Iraqis continue to believe the Dear Leader and the Dark Lord will give them back their country.  Or their oil.

Bush, Maliki Agree on ‘Time Horizon’ for U.S. Troop Withdrawals [Washington Post]

Comments

[Agi]

We're winning!

[Bcre8ve]

Admiral Mullen on FOX Sunday -

Wallace - “Will this time horizon have a date, even if it’s just a goal, for when US combat troops will be out and the Iraqi military would have control of their own security?”

Mullen - “This right now doesn’t speak to timelines or timetables, based on my understanding of where we are.”

Wallace - “So what would the time horizon set?”

Mullen - “Well, I think it sends a signal that there is one. That eventually we do want to bring our troops back, and that, uh, with where we are, conditions are improving in Iraq certainly when I was there week before last, that was indicative, and if those conditions continue to improve, we would be in a position to start to bring our troops home.”

So, a time horizon is not a timetable or timeline, and what it really means is that someday we will start to bring our guys home?

And this is a change from previous policy how?

[Bcre8ve]

“general time horizon for meeting aspirational goals.”

as·pi·ra·tion –noun - a goal

gen·er·al –adj - not specific

ho·ri·zon – noun -
1. the line or circle that forms the apparent boundary between earth and sky.
2. Astronomy.

a. the small circle of the celestial sphere whose plane is tangent to the earth at the position of a given observer, or the plane of such a circle (sensible horizon).
b. Also called rational horizon. the great circle of the celestial sphere whose plane passes through the center of the earth and is parallel to the sensible horizon of a given position, or the plane of such a circle (celestial horizon).

3. the limit or range of perception, knowledge, or the like.
4. Usually, horizons. the scope of a person's interest, education, understanding, etc.: His horizons were narrow.
5. Geology. a thin, distinctive stratum useful for stratigraphic correlation.
6. any of the series of distinctive layers found in a vertical cross section of any well-developed soil.

I suppose we should take this to mean, "A non-specific time scope to meet the goal of our goals"?

Yeesh! It may be possible that Bush came up with this one himself. Either that or the old adage is true - If you associate yourself with smart people, you will become smarter. If you associate yourself with morons, you yourself will also become moronic. Bush's cronies may have become victims of the Bush effect, and can no longer come up with non-moronic talking points and catch phrases.

What a great bumper sticker for the SUV -

"Support the general time horizon for meeting aspirational goals"

There may actually be some justice in this world!

[actor212]

So to parse the entire paragraph, they've agreed to agree on a possible distant time frame in which they might consider agreeing that troops need to be withdrawn.

I think that clears everything up! The US and Iraq are like teens txtng each other about the new Steve Madden line!

[mandt]

Hello! Like, doesn't "Time Horizon" mean infinity?