Part of George W. Bush's strategy-by-catchphrase in Iraq has been "As Iraqis stand up, the American military will stand down", which everyone thought meant that as Iraqi security forces become more capable, American troops will withdraw. But White House Press Secretary Tony Snow tried to reinterpret that one today --
Q That's the proposition that the White House put out there, that as they stood up, violence would come down, and we'd stand down.
MR. SNOW: As part of our constant adjustment, let me just add that apparently, the terrorists have also decided not to stand down. They've got to stand down.
So in fact the "stand down" referred first and foremost to the terrorists, and not to the US military. As they say in the Guinness ads, Brilliant! -- as long as the insurgents stay active, the US stays in Iraq.
UPDATE 1 NOVEMBER: Dan Froomkin chronicles the demise of the initial understanding of Stand Up/Stand Down.
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