Politics

NO FURTHER INFORMATION ON IRAQ, BUSH ANNOUNCES
By Jack Kus

** "We're staying the course: that's all people need to know," says president **

United for Peace of Pierce County (WA)
June 25, 2005

WASHINGTON -- President George W. Bush opened a White House press conference Friday by announcing that neither he nor any other member of his administration would provide further information about the situation in Iraq. The president said he would reply to all questions about Iraq either by saying "We're staying the course" or "No comment."

"This will be the last time I'll be speaking about Iraq," said the president. "I think I've stated my position clearly often enough, and I think people understand that position and are comfortable with it. People may not agree with it. But they can respect a strong leader and they can respect determined leadership."

During the remainder of the news conference, President Bush was true to his word, replying sometimes "We're staying the course" and sometimes "No comment" to questions on Iraq.

Later in the day White House spokesman Scott McClellan was asked about the new policy. "We're staying the course," he replied. Pressed for more details, he replied "No comment."

A senior official in the Defense Department explained the reasoning behind the new policy, on condition of anonymity: "Look, what's the point of talking about Iraq? Talking about what's happening over there defeats our purpose, because it causes people to question our purpose, and that degrades the level of our resolve. Information Ops is part of modern warfare, and if we're losing that battle, why should we engage the enemy? When we're done over there, we'll say so. Till then, just report on something else."

The same official suggested that it was the attack on the convoy of female marines on Jun. 22 that led the White House to change tactics. "And frankly, the president's been expressing privately his frustration at having to talk about Iraq all the time. He's told people he thinks about Iraq every single day. He thinks that if people know that, they know enough."

Sources in the Department of Defense said there was some behind-the-scenes resistance from Secretary of State Donald H. Rumsfeld, who is known to enjoy the give-and-take of press conferences. Asked Friday about the new policy, Secretary Rumsfeld said, "No comment."

It appears that as part of the new policy, the Department of Defense will no longer be announcing the number of U.S. soldiers killed and wounded in Iraq.

Observers in other countries had mixed reactions. "DoD and White House statements were generally untrue anyway, so I can't say we'll miss them very much," said Alan Rusbridger, an editor at the Guardian (UK). "This may actually improve our ability to report on the war."

Others were less sure. Der Spiegel editor-in-chief Stefan Aust said: "Apparently Iraq is now going to become a black hole. No more embedded reporters, no more statements from the U.S. military command? What are they going to do, shoot reporters on sight?"

Some political scientists said the president's decision may pay off. "Bush has chosen the strong leader mode," said Prof. Jack Citrin of the University of California at Berkeley. "And the strong, silent type is classic American cinema. I think conservatives will like it, and Bush doesn't really care about what anybody else thinks. In a sense, the new policy is an announcement of victory, not an admission of defeat."