The Non-Denial Denial



The Washington Post reported that the Joint Chiefs of Staff are unanimously opposed to increasing troop numbers in Iraq:

"The Bush administration is split over the idea of a surge in troops to Iraq, with White House officials aggressively promoting the concept over the unanimous disagreement of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to U.S. officials familiar with the intense debate."


When asked about that, Tony Snow issued a classic non-denial denial:

"Q Finally, can you address this story about a possible split between the White House and the Joint Chiefs in the decision about surging troops to Iraq?

MR. SNOW: Well, number one, there is no decision about the next step forward in Iraq. So the idea that there is a decision and a squabble would be wrong. I've also cautioned people that tonally, it is incorrect to say that the President is in any sort of contretemps with the Joint Chiefs of Staff. They work together. The President has a great deal of respect for the chain of command -- in fact, the chain of command, starting with the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Chiefs, the combatant commanders, all the way down to the people who are doing the fighting on the ground in Iraq, Afghanistan, and that are serving the nation in uniform. And he's made it very clear, and I think the respect also is shared up the chain of command.

So without commenting on any specific ideas that may be discussed -- and I won't do that -- I can tell you that the notion that somehow there is some sort of feud between the President and the Joint Chiefs would be wrong."

So, what Snow is saying is that there is no decision yet for the Joint Chiefs to disagree with. And whatever you do, don't characterize that fundamental disagreement as a feud or a contretemp -- that would be getting the tone wrong.

Posted: Wed - December 20, 2006 at 10:15 PM        

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