I just read a NY Times article by Burns titled "Before Hanging, a Push for Revenge and a Push Back." In this article I learned that the US Government’s stated position was to delay the execution of Saddam. Unfortunately, the heavyweights on the US side during this crisis were on vacation.
The American push back was complicated by the absences of Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and the top American military commander, Gen. George W. Casey Jr., who were both out of Iraq on leave. The American message throughout was that rushing Mr. Hussein to the gallows could rebound disastrously, as it did.
and you are probably thinking that the president was upset about this failure of leadership in Iraq and about being so far from the scene a the time (from Bloomberg):
Bush had been briefed on the schedule for the execution and was asleep by the time Hussein died, White House spokesman Scott Stanzel told reporters. Bush, who is spending the week at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, was not awakened upon Hussein's death.
``The president concluded the day knowing that the final phase of bringing Saddam Hussein to justice was under way,'' Stanzel said.
You probably know where I’m going with this. The NY Daily news posted a similar reportduring the height of the Katrina crisis about President Bush and Sec State Condi Rice being AWOL.
Like President Bush, the Secretary of State has been on vacation during the Hurricane Katrina crisis, with Rice enjoying her downtime in New York Wednesday and yesterday. The cabinet member's responsibilities are usually international, but her timing contributed to the "fiddling while Rome burns" impression given by her boss during the disaster, which may have claimed thousands of lives.
On Wednesday night, Secretary Rice was booed by some audience members at "Spamalot!," the Monty Python musical at the Shubert, when the lights went up after the performance.
Yesterday, Rice went shopping at Ferragamo on Fifth Ave. According to the Web site www.Gawker.com, the 50-year-old bought "several thousand dollars' worth of shoes" at the pricey leather-goods boutique.
A fellow shopper shouted, "How dare you shop for shoes while thousands are dying and homeless!" - presumably referring to Louisiana and Mississippi.
I wonder if General Casey was buying new combat boots, trying out for a Broadway play, or interviewing for his high-paying job in industry that he may be offered after he retires and gets his medals.
I bet there are others in Iraq who wish they could have been home with their families during the holidays.
31-Dec-2006 3 | US: 3 | UK: 0 | Other: 0
US Private 1st Class Alan R. Blohm Baghdad (South of) Hostile hostile fire IED attack
US Corporal Jonathan E. Schiller Ba'qubah - Diyala Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack
US Specialist Richard A. Smith Ba'qubah - Diyala Hostile – hostile fire - IED attack
30-Dec-2006 3 | US: 3 | UK: 0 | Other: 0
US NAME NOT RELEASED YET Baghdad (southern part) Hostile – hostile fire - IED attack
US Sergeant John M. Sullivan Baghdad (southwest part) Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack
US Private David E. Dietrich Ramadi - Anbar Hostile - hostile fire- small arms fire
29-Dec-2006 2 | US: 2 | UK: 0 | Other: 0
US Sergeant Lawrance J. Carter Baghdad (northwest part) Hostile - hostile fire – IED attack
US Private 1st Class William R. Newgard Baghdad (north of) Hostile hostile fire - IED attack
28-Dec-2006 6 | US: 5 | UK: 1 | Other: 0
US Corporal Christopher E. Esckelson Al Anbar Province Hostile hostile fire small arms fire
US Specialist Luis G. Ayala Taji - Baghdad Hostile - hostile fire- IED attack
US Specialist Dustin R. Donica Baghdad Hostile - hostile fire -small arms fire
US Lance Corporal Nicholas A. Miller Al Anbar Province Hostile - hostile fire
US Lance Corporal William D. Spencer Al Anbar Province Hostile -hostile fire
UK Sergeant Graham Hesketh Basra - Basrah Hostile - hostile fire -IED attack
27-Dec-2006 9 | US: 7 | UK: 0 | Other: 2
US Sergeant Edward W. Shaffer Ramadi - Anbar Hostile - hostilefire - IED attack
US NAME NOT RELEASED YET Al Anbar Province Hostile - hostile fire
US Private Clinton T. McCormick Baghdad Hostile - hostile fire -IED attack
US Sergeant Christopher P. Messer Baghdad Hostile - hostile fire -IED attack
US Private 1st Class Nathaniel A. Given Baghdad Hostile – hostile fire - IED attack
US Lance Corporal William C. Koprince Jr. Al Anbar Province Hostile - hostile fire
US Specialist Douglas L. Tinsley Baghdad (South of) – Babil Non-hostile - vehicle rollover
26-Dec-2006 6 | US: 6 | UK: 0 | Other: 0
US Specialist Joseph A. Strong Baghdad (South of) – Babil Non-hostile - vehicle rollover
US NAME NOT RELEASED YET Baghdad (northwest of) Hostile – hostile fire - IED attack
US NAME NOT RELEASED YET Baghdad (northwest of) Hostile - hostilefire - IED attack
US NAME NOT RELEASED YET Baghdad (northwest of) Hostile – hostile fire - IED attack
US Corporal Joshua M. Schmitz Al Anbar Province Hostile - hostile fire
US Sergeant John T. Bubeck Baghdad Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack
25-Dec-2006 7 | US: 7 | UK: 0 | Other: 0
US Specialist Aaron L. Preston Baghdad Hostile - hostile fire – IED attack
US Private 1st Class Andrew H. Nelson Baghdad Hostile – hostile fire - IED attack
US Captain Hayes Clayton Balad - Salah ad Din Hostile – hostile fire - IED attack
US Sergeant 1st Class Dexter E. Wheelous Baghdad Hostile – hostile fire - IED attack
US Sergeant Jae S. Moon Baghdad Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack
US Private Eric R. Wilkus Landstuhl Reg. Med. Ctr. – Baghdad Non-hostile
US Sergeant Jason C. Denfrund Baghdad Hostile hostile fire IED attack
24-Dec-2006 2 | US: 2 | UK: 0 | Other: 0
US Private Evan A. Bixler Hit - Anbar Hostile - hostile fire - indirect fire
US Lance Corporal Stephen L. Morris Al Anbar Province Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack
23-Dec-2006 7 | US: 7 | UK: 0 | Other: 0
US Specialist Michael J. Crutchfield Balad (Camp Anaconda) – Salahad Din Non-hostile
US Specialist John Barta Buhritz - Diyala Hostile - hostile fire - indirect fire
US Specialist Chad J. Vollmer Salman Pak - Babil Hostile – hostile fire - IED attack
US Private 1st Class Wilson A. Algrim Salman Pak - Babil Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack
US Private Bobby Mejia II Salman Pak - Babil Hostile – hostile fire - IED attack
US Sergeant Curtis L. Norris Baghdad Hostile hostile fire IED attack
US Specialist Elias Elias Baghdad (southwest of) Hostile – hostile fire - IED attack
I bet, too, that Generals MacAurthur and Eisenhower didn’t come home for the holidays to be with their families during Christmas during the height of WW II. The president says the US is at war. Guess not.
The idea for this diary grew out of a comment I made and some responses to it (by Greatwhitebuffalo and Mash in GreatWhiteBuffalo's diary earlier this evening.