Bad Editing

On Thursday, RNC Chairman Mike Duncan sent me an email with the subject line "The Democrat Retreat Plan." It's no surprise Duncan wants the US to stay in Iraq until… well, he doesn't really say. But he isn't shy about stating that leaving now would be a really bad idea. To support his position, he points to what the recent National Intelligence Estimate said about that:

"If Coalition forces were withdrawn … we judge that this almost certainly would lead to a significant increase in the scale and scope of sectarian conflict in Iraq."

Wow, pretty strong stuff. But what's with the ellipses? Let's check the original (emphasis mine):

If Coalition forces were withdrawn rapidly during the course of this Estimate [the next 12-18 months], we judge that this almost certainly would lead to a significant increase in the scale and scope of sectarian conflict in Iraq, intensify Sunn resistance to the Iraqi government, and have adverse consequences for national reconciliation.

The NIE doesn't explain what might constitute a rapid withdrawal, but what the Democrats are proposing is withdrawing troops over the next 12 -18 months, which doesn't seem all that rapid to me. But be that as it may, it's really disingenuous of Duncan to remove that crucial qualifier. But I'm passed being surprised that Republicans don't want to debate this issue on the merits — five years of misinformation has certainly lowered my expectations in that respect.