Bush U-turn as 'surge' sceptic to oversee war

As Stephen Hadley steps aside on Iraq and Afghanistan and Bush passes Hadley's responsibilities on to Lt-Gen Douglas Lute, what we are witnessing in Washington appears to be unique in American history. It is almost impossible to think of any other National Security adviser who chose to relieve himself of the responsibility of his country's actions in two wars simultaneously.

Is it even possible to imagine Kissinger saying, "I'll look after everything except Vietnam"?

And yet that, bizzarely, is precisely the position that Hadley now finds himself in. He is now in charge of all national security - except the two most difficult bits. It appears the final proof that the surge is not working and that the rats are preparing to desert the sinking ship.

Final responsibility for guiding President George Bush on conduct of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has been shifted from his National Security adviser, Stephen Hadley, and handed instead to his new war tsar, Lt-Gen Douglas Lute, who has long voiced doubts about the surge.

In a Senate confirmation hearing into his appointment, General Lute revealed that from now on, Mr Hadley would guide the President on "matters outside Iraq and Afghanistan".

Democrats are already calling for Hadley's head and it's hard not to agree.

Among those expressing most surprise was the Democratic senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island. "Afghanistan, Iraq and, related to that, Iran are the most critical foreign policy problems we face, and the National Security adviser of the United States has taken his hands off that and given it to you?" he asked. "Then he should be fired. Frankly, if he's not capable of being the individual responsible for those duties and they pass it on to someone else, then why is he there?"

The creation of a war czar, four years into the war, is plainly the creation of a sitting duck - of someone to take the blame who is not Stephen Hadley - and almost everything that Lute said appeared to confirm that impression.

When one senator specifically asked him if he would be taking exclusive responsibility for "that chunk of [Hadley's] portfolio" regarding both wars, he said: "I believe that's right. It does not exclude him from also advising, but the responsibilities for advising for Iraq and Afghanistan ... would be mine."

Given the fact that Lute is a well known opponent of the surge, it is hard not to draw conclusions that we are witnessing a tacit admission that the surge is not working.

At the hearing, the general agreed he had been among those voicing scepticism about the surge. He said he had expressed the view that "a military surge would likely have only temporary and localised effects", without significant parallel progress on ending the political divisions in Iraq.

But the general also offered a gloomy assessment of how far the Iraqi government was likely to get in meeting benchmarks set in Washington for political reconciliation in the country. "I have reservations about just how much leverage we can apply on a system that is not very capable right now," he said. "Where are we today? Not where any of us would like."

The big question for me isn't why is Hadley dumping such a significant part of his portfolio. That appears to be too obvious for words, he's getting rid of the part of his portfolio that stinks of failure. Afghanistan and Iraq. No, the big question is what is in this for Lt-Gen Douglas Lute?

Why has he lined himself up as someone else's fall guy? Is the fact that he opposed the surge the very reason that he has now been offered the opportunity to take the blame for its failure?

I heard a British army spokesman yesterday on Radio 4 and, although they always try to sound supportive of the Americans, there was no mistaking his belief that the surge has totally failed. The impression he gave was that the Americans were doing very well in the clearing stage of the operation but that the Iraqis are failing utterly at the holding stage.

With support for and belief in Bush's plan now flat-lining, one wonders how much longer this charade can be allowed to continue, how much longer before even Republicans facing re-election in just over a years time say, "Enough!"

But when that moment comes, Iraq and Afghanistan won't be Stephen Hadley's responsibility. He's made sure of that.

Click title for full article.

Tags: Stephen Hadley, Bush, war in Iraq, Iraq war, Douglas Lute, Afghanistan