Link to the 10/24 Khalilzad briefing

[-Papa Gino]

Full text can be found at:

www.mnf-iraq.com/index.ph...&Itemid=30

The press briefing was given on 10/24, with General George Casey also in attendance. The aim was, and I quote, "to explain our strategy and plans for success in Iraq, despite the challenging environment in which we operate." As such, it is probably somewhat important. It's also been ridiculously under-reported in publications such as the WSJ, the NYT and the WAPO.

The deliberate bones thrown to the Sunni ex-Baathists, as well as the practically Casus Belli language used with respect to Iran and Syria, are indicative if not instructive. Similarly are the specific "partner states" mentioned - Saudi Arabia, UAE, Jordan. "One Iraq" remains the stated goal, of course. The rest seems to consist of more helpings of "the usual".