Shocking News: Paul Wolfowitz Misleads On Current Iraq Situation

Andrew Sullivan accused Paul Wolfowitz of lying about ISIS.

We should say al Qaeda. ISIS sounds like some obscure thing; it’s even more obscure when you say Shia and Sunni … It means nothing to Americans whereas al Qaeda means everything to Americans … My point is that these are the same people, they are affiliated with the same people, who attacked the United States on 9/11 and still have an intention of attacking the United States and attacking Europe …

The problem with Wolfowitz's remarks is the al-Qaeda’s General Command released a statement disavowing ties with the ISIS.

ISIS “is not a branch of the al-Qaeda group . . . does not have an organizational relationship with it and [al-Qaeda] is not the group responsible for their actions,” al-Qaeda’s General Command said in a statement, marking the first time the leadership has formally repudiated an affiliate.

The bombing attacks by ISIS angered the Syrian civilian population. The ISIS has tortured women, killed journalist and killed government employees. The ISIS is so brutal that both the United States and Iran view the organization as a security threat. ISIS was generating bad PR al-Qaeda on the Arab Street. The deal-breaking was ISIS defying al-Qaeda orders.

The notion of the U.S. seeking help from Iran came from Secretary of State Kerry, who said he “would not rule out anything” to end the “existential threat” ISIS poses to Iraq. “We’re open to discussions if there is something constructive that can be contributed by Iran, if Iran is prepared to do something that is going to respect the integrity and sovereignty of Iraq,” Kerry told Yahoo News.

ISIS is extremely dangerous. What ISIS isn't is part of al-Qaeda. The goal of ISIS is to take control of Syria and Iraq by force. ISIS is currently more a regional threat. Wolfowitz's statement has no basis in fact.

Quote of the Day

"It's approximately 500, of which . . . approximately 350 are combat deaths."

Paul Wolfowitz, in April of 2004.

Wolfwitz was asked how many U.S. military personnel died in Iraq. The actual causality count that day was 722 US troops. 521 in combat operations. As a Deputy Sec. of Defense, Wolfowitz didn't bother keep track of how many troops died in Iraq.

Paul Wolfowitz Back In Government

Paul Wolfowitz keeps coming back like a bad penny. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice appointed Wolfowitz chairman of the International Security Advisory Board. The board deals with arms control, something Wolfowitz does not favor.

Wolfowitz is the architect of the Iraq war. That is why President Bush needed to get Wolfowitz out of the Pentagon. Having the architect of one of the most badly planned wars in U.S. history is not an asset.

Wolfowitz was appointed President of the World Bank. Wolfowitz gave girlfriend Shaha Riza a tax free raise. He was unpopular with his employees. Wolfowitz was pushed out of the World Bank and eventually resigned in disgraced.

Any other administration would treat Wolfowitz like the second coming of Dick Morris. The Bushies are beyond the point of caring about image. They're mandate was gone in 2005. Bush is going to reward the cronies for their loyalty. Governing properly is secondary to the Bushies self-interests. If you haven't figured that out then you either think Katrina disaster relief was well-executed or you're an idiot.

Great Moments In Conservative Punditry

Mark Noonan kicks out this truthiness with this missive.

By mere fact of bald-faced lie endlessly repeated, it has become a matter of "fact" that there is something questionable about it. Based upon this manufactured "fact", we now have a crisis over whether or not Wolfowitz should stay on - and while no one out there (other than kook leftists) is actually stating that some sort of crime took place, the word is coming out that Wolfowitz should step down because he is bringing dishonor to the World Bank.

Yes, there is nothing unethical about Wolfowitz giving his girlfriend a tax-free raise. Even when he was told not to. The World Bank report is online. Perhaps Noonan can enlighten us about the "lies" in these findings.

Wolfowitz has resigned. This proves my theory about the Bush vote of confidence curse.

Bad News For Wolfowitz

Bad news for everyone's favorite romantic neoconservative.

A World Bank investigation panel has found the bank's president Paul Wolfowitz violated his contract by promoting his partner within the organisation.

The panel has ruled that Mr Wolfowitz's actions constituted a conflict of interest.

The finding makes it increasingly difficult for the former Bush Administration official to keep his post.

The Bush administration did their usual tactic of trying to delay the release of the panel report. The White House did not want the World Bank board to read the damaging findings.

The special panel said the full 24-member board must consider whether Wolfowitz "will be able to provide the leadership" to ensure that the bank achieves its mission of fighting poverty around the world.

The White House and Wolfowitz are wasting their time fighting this. Wolfowitz was disliked by Bank members when he got the job. Now that he is knee deep in a scandal of showing favoritism towards his girlfriend; there is no way he can continue as President. Bank members are already in open revolt. The longer Wolfowitz and the Bushies fight this the more damge they inflict upon themselves.

Who Will Get Shitcanned First

Agitprop is running a poll to see if readers think Paul Wolfowitz or Alberto Gonzales will get fired first. My money is on the Wolfman.

Wolfowitz Fights On

Paul Wolfowitz has no intention of resigning from the World Bank. He has hired the legal council of Robert Bennett. Wolfowitz and Bennett intend to make their case to the World Bank that Wolfowitz should remain. Both are prepared for the worst.

He said Wolfowitz would not resign and said he had not been hired to negotiate a termination agreement for the embattled bank president, the former U.S. deputy defense secretary and architect of the invasion of Iraq.

President Bush has expressed confidence in Wolfowitz. Which is never a good sign in situations like this. Meanwhile, the list of people who want Wolfowitz out grows.

In an open letter to the Financial Times newspaper, 42 former World Bank officials, including several Vice Presidents, say Mr Wolfowitz has lost the trust and respect of staff at all levels and he must quit to help preserve the Bank's reputation.

Wolfowitz only got the World Bank job because Bush had to get him out of the Pentagon for screwing up Iraq so badly.

Wolfowitz Fate To Be Decided Soon

The World Bank will soon decide if they will fire Paul Wolfowitz. The 24 directers met Thursday. The subject was whether or not to fire Wolfowitz.

Meanwhile, former World Bank executives are telling Wolfowitz he should resign. Germany is giving Wolfowitz the same message. When an entire country tells someone to quit that truly is a bad sign.

Wolfowitz got into troble for giving his girlfriend Shaha Riza a raise. Riza currently makes $193,000 today. By 2010, she will make $245,000. Since she works for the World Bank the money is tax-free. Wolfowitz was advised that giving Riza would be a conflict of interest. That didn't stop him.

Dan Drezner and Matt Yglesias have an interesting discussion on Wolfowitz on Bloggingheads.tv.

How Much More Time Are Republicans Willing to Give Bush

"The next three to nine months are critical. They have one last shot."

Congressman Vern Buchanan on President Bush's Iraq policy.

Comments like that bother the hell out of me. What has George W. Bush done in the past four years to earn the trust of Congress on Iraq? Bush's sycophants made bogus promises to the American people that the Iraq war would be easy.

"I think things have gotten so bad inside Iraq, from the standpoint of the Iraqi people, my belief is we will, in fact, be greeted as liberators," Dick Cheney said on Meet the Press.

Paul Wolfowitz promised the Iraqis would quickly finance their own government.

"The oil revenues of that country could bring between $50 and $100 billion over the course of the next two or three years. Now, there are a lot of claims on that money, but… We are dealing with a country that can really finance its own reconstruction and relatively soon."

To illustrate just how clueless the Bushies are no moment tops the early part of the war. Donald Rumsfeld described the rioting as "stuff happens." The loiting gave way to crime and social anarchy which created the insurgency. The Iraqi people because hotile at the Americans for not keeping the streets safe.

Vern Buchanan is still willing to give Bush the benefit of the doubt. Amazing.