So Friday on the Mike Malloy show, Mike was discussing the story about the Marines in Iraq killing innocent civilians. Doing a great job as usual, he had been contrasting the statements made by the Iraqi prime minister with the White House spin that he had been “misquoted.” For those of you who missed this one, the Iraqi prime minister said the following:
“This is a phenomenon that has become common among many of the multinational forces. No respect for citizens, smashing civilian cars and killing on a suspicion or a hunch. It’s unacceptable.”
Although Condoleezza Rice has not subsequently repudiated those words, she followed, albeit less vocally, the trajectory taken by WH spokesman, Tony Snow as evidenced by this back and forth with Helen Thomas:
Q Where does he say he was misinterpreted?
MR. SNOW: Well, unfortunately, Helen, I have just tried to — what I’m trying is to relate to you, through Ambassador Khalilzad, through me, what was told to him through an interpreter by the Prime Minister. And it becomes a little convoluted, and so I don’t want to make a real clear characterization, because it’s a little hazy to me, too. All right? What I do know is that he was misquoted, he’s looking into it. But that what he said, and when he said it, and in reaction to what is a little gauzy.
…
Q You’re not telling us what he said.
MR. SNOW: But I don’t know exactly what he said. All I’m doing is giving you the characterization I repeated through the Ambassador. I’m trying my best to be your advocate on this one. But I did not have a direct conversation with the Ambassador — I mean, with the Prime Minister. But it’s interesting to note that you have — violence against civilians has become a “daily phenomenon by many troops in the American-led coalition who did not respect the Iraqi people.” This is gauzian in and of itself. It doesn’t refer to American troops. It talks about troops in an American-led coalition, which also involves Iraqi troops. I don’t know what this means. I wish I did, and I wish I could give you clearer guidance.
Anyway, Mike was taking some calls after the segment about this little incident was finished. After commiserating with an upset New Yorker, Arnold called in.
Hurts soooo good,
