Petraeus Calls for Troop Withdrawal Halt »
Posted by: DiffeeOnline 4 months, 4 weeks ago"What you've given to your chain of command is a plan which has no end to it," Levin said. He asked Petraeus when he would be in position to recommend further troop cuts, once the 45-day evaluation period ends in September.
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quackpot4 months, 4 weeks ago
As all who have testified seem to agree, a solution to the Iraq debacle MUST be political in nature, not military. However, after five-plus years, the political situation does not appear to have improved one bit even though there have been major gains on the military front. Gains due both to the American forces and very tenuous cease fire agreements with the anti-Maliki segments of Iraq.
The Iraqi leadership is still going hog-wild over the unlimited supply of U.S.-dollars that are flowing their way. Why should the Iraqi leaders do anything different when the supply of dollars that are sucking up appears to have no end?
Why should the Iraqi leaders take responsibility for providing their own police services when they have an unlimited supply of U.S. soldiers to do it for them?
For there to be any hope, Mr. Bush needs to replace Mr. Crocker with somebody of Petreus' ability. To let political incompetence subvert the military gains described by General Petreus is a tragedy.
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djrevelky4 months, 4 weeks ago
I'm still trying to figure out how Cheney/Bush/anyone else committed treason.
If Bush and Cheney faked intelligence/intentionally misled the American people that is grounds for impeachment, yes. Treasonous? Eh...
But what about those members of Congress who authorized the war who have admitted they did not read the intelligence?
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quackpot4 months, 4 weeks ago
Bingo - you hit upon the key point.
All of Petreus' very impressive testimony is TOTALLY irrelevant until there is something that can be termed "Iraq leadership".
Bush keeping the effite Mr. Crocker as a very sad political representative of the U.S. can ONLY mean that the people in charge of Mr. Bush's policy wish there to be NO resolution of the conflict. That is, some think that there are still lots of dollars to be milked from the American tax payers.
Unfortunately, the poor U.S. soldiers serving their extended tours of duty are just pawns in the game.
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Will13134 months, 4 weeks ago
FTA
Petraeus said the recent flare-up of violence in Basra, in Baghdad and elsewhere points up the importance of the cease-fire declared last year by anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and highlighted the role Iran allegedly plays in funding and training Shiite militias through cells the U.S. military calls "special groups."
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please tell me why an outwardly violent ANTI-AMERICAN.. is still alive..
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Dionys4 months, 4 weeks ago
"please tell me why an outwardly violent ANTI-AMERICAN.. is still alive.. "
He's not only alive, but the recipient of a lot of US money (in the hundreds of millions). Given to him around the same time as the 'surge' in exchange for weapons and a declared cease-fire. So it wasn't really the surge that worked so much as handing a bunch of money to the person responsible for a lot of the violence.
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mrbs4 months, 4 weeks ago
they are waiting to see if we elect someone who is going to follow through on Americas promise to stand by them till they figure it out.as to desertion in the us army...there is a waiting list to go over..at least at our local guard unit.the boys know whats going on and dont want their effort wasted by a retreat.
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ML2007Comment removed: User banned.
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wtagg4 months, 4 weeks ago
There are some issues with the claims of success and they need to be examined. Some of the success is directly tied to individuals like al-Sadr. For a moment, he agreed to fight along side us. Success was obtained at the same time, due to surge, people like al-Sadr, both, neither..., but this points again to an issue of whether we are succeeding or we are following a natural ebb and flow and not making any real progress at all. Placing eggs into a basket that al-Sadr holds is surely going to result in scrambled eggs at some point, as we have recently witnessed. We are empowering him with each negotiation. Again, these are the type of mistakes our country has made consistently in the last 60 years.
The project management of the Iraq debacle has been appalling. No real obtainable goals that benefit us, no exit strategy, no ending point, and an administration that can't seem to say no to spending billions of dollars on something that returns nothing but death.
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ML2007Comment removed: User banned.
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PresidentBuckheadd4 months, 4 weeks ago
He is only being candor when saying that abating the resplendent troops will cause even more schism in Iraq. When dealing with the capacious Iraq, we have no choice but to let go of the clandestine area. The government must choose to be the pedagogy of the people of Iraq! Also staying in Iraq will continue to debilitate us and cause our timorous soldiers even more suicides within them.
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skyking2p4 months, 4 weeks ago
All these tribes, clans, religions have been in this area thousands of years before the USA was even a nation. We invaded a country that was no threat to us and we had no clue about. WE should acknowledge our stupid mistake tell the world we're sorry turn the country back to the people that have been there for thousands of years and get the hell out.
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djrevelky4 months, 4 weeks ago
Hind-sight is 20/20. Everyone who says we must leave seems to agree that Iraq is worse now than it was before we invaded.
How much worse will it get when we unilaterally withdraw the troops as fast as possible?
I'm with Clinton on some aspects of this with McCain on others. To immediately leave is irresponsible and it is wrong to treat the Iraqi people that way. We broke it, we need to fix it. However, the Iraqis need to realize that they do not have an open-ended committment. We need to immediately start withdrawing foreign aid and everything in Iraq but the military. We need to force them to run their own country, stabilize their own government while being propped up by our military.
After the government is stable, then we slowly turn over control to their police and military while conducting an orderly withdrawal. Running away does no one any good, regardless of what Obama says.
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Isoparm4 months, 4 weeks ago
Not all hind-sight. Some of us, including Obama, feared that the situation that we see now, was very likely to occur if we invaded Iraq. Sadly, it has come true. Bush's own advisers also painted a scenario that is strikingly similar to what has occurred, including the increased hatred toward this country. Because they wanted this war, they decided to mislead their supporters into thinking that we would be greeted as liberators, with flower petals tossed at our parading soldiers. CBS's 60 minutes recently interviewed D. Feith, as he was one of those most involved with getting us into war with Iraq, and he admitted that there were fears about the current outcome, but they didn't see fit to warn their followers about this possibility. They wanted their war.
As to the future, look at what happened to Viet Nam when we left. They are a country that has stabilized, and we trade, and have relations with. They were able to do this only AFTER we left.
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hyperbola4 months, 4 weeks ago
Well here is revel propagating the zioncon nightmares again. Fact is the Iraqis want us out NOW - and expect reduced violence, more constructive political solutions, better lives, .... once we are gone. They are RIGHT - turning our greedy, corrupt zioncons loose on Iraq was, is and continues to be sheer stupidity.
US Ignores Iraqis' Views
... We have tried many approaches to reduce violence, even arming insurgents who have killed Americans to fight other Iraqi factions. The US calculation is that any diminution of nationalist forces serves our purpose â;; to stay and colonize Iraq for a long time while trumpeting our aims of freedom and democracy for Iraqis. We are in the process of building a puppet government to serve American interests. The cost of this policy can be counted in the number of Iraqi dead and wounded. Having a puppet government would be convenient to claim that Iraq's "sovereign" government is requesting our continued presence....
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sailr4 months, 4 weeks ago
The only way to force them to run their own government is for us to get out! We can pay THEIR people to rebuilt the country, not the Haliburtons, etc. that are getting fat and fatter off Iraq. THAT is the ONLY reason we are still there...money for the rich buddies of Cheney and Bush. CUT the fat! Get out and let the Iraqis figure it out. If they can't, so be it. We tried!
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ML2007Comment removed: User banned.
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markmawn24 months, 4 weeks ago
Is Patraus the President? He doesn't call the shots! We eould have a military run banana republic if he did! This is ridiculous! They didn't know the results going in, yet they defend it ferociously. Who is the say that a withdrawal would not work either? Betrayus's way didn;t work, it won't work tomorrow or 10 years from now. Remove Betrayus now!
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djrevelky4 months, 4 weeks ago
Is Congress the President? They don't run the military! We would have an Imperial Senate if they did! This is ridiculous! They authorized the surge while continually damning it and saying it wasn't working before it started. Who is to say that a withdrawal will work? The liberals way hasn't worked, it won't work tomorrow or 10 years from now.
Refusing to offer a solution other than "RUN!" while calling a great man "Betrayus" isn't going to fix things. Clinton is the only person with a plan in Iraq. There are other options besides "stay the course" and retreat.
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ML2007Comment removed: User banned.
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saintetienne4 months, 4 weeks ago
Uh... markmoron.... down boy. You're getting spittle on my computer screen.
I think if General Petraeus says to halt troop withdrawal, we had better halt troop withdrawal. George Bush understands this, and, as the Decider, HE calls the shots. So it shall be.
So wipe your mouth, trim your nose hairs and get on with your own business (however dull and inconsequential that may be).
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Isoparm4 months, 4 weeks ago
Once again your comment demonstrates the classic example of the natural conservative. You consistently show that you are lacking in any analytical thinking skills, and you need to have everything explained to you in terms of black and white, us vs. them, "you are either with us or against us". Because of this you differ all thinking to those you perceive to know what they are doing. That is why you parrot Petraeus and Bush. The fact that you think that Bush understands ANYTHING only confirms this. It is far easier for you to put blinders on, than acknowledge that Bush is probably the most incompetent, corrupt president in this country's history, and he made fools of his supporters (see economy). His handlers KNOW that most of his supporters are "challenged", and that they can tell them anything, no matter how ridiculous, and they will buy it, hook, line, and sinker. Your name-calling of others, is your way of covering for your deficiencies.
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sailr4 months, 4 weeks ago
The general is just the latest toadie shaking in fear of his career if he crosses Bush or Cheney. The ones that have spoken up have been retired. Of course they say it is their choice but we know better than that.
It's a shame that Patreous doesn't have the cajones to say the truth rather than what Bush wants him to say. Hopefully we will have a President next year that won't put up with this crap. Of course it it's McCain, God help us. He wants to stay 100 years!
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hyperbola4 months, 4 weeks ago
Parroting the zioncon nonsense again revel? Let's see they initially predicted $50 billion for "their war" (its not for america or americans)and fired those inthe government who suggested it might cost $200 billion. Now it is over $3 TRILLION. Why would any patriotic american listen to zioncon fools of dubious loyalty to america?
Petraeus's Ponzi Scheme
Politics â;; They came, they saw, they deserted. That, in short form, is the story of the recent Iraqi government "offensive" in Basra (and Baghdad). It took a few days, but the headlines on stories out of Iraq ("Can Iraq's Soldiers Fight?") now tell a grim tale and the information in them is worse
http://politics.propeller.com/story/2008/04/09/...
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sailr4 months, 4 weeks ago
What a riot! YOU calling someone a parrot? All you have to do is listen to the neocons, repubs, FAUX news, Limbaugh, Hannity. They will all say EXACTLY the same talking points every day. Talk about not thinking for yourself. And the shame is, you buy into it! Why don't YOU try thinking for yourself? Hmm?
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Jaydee404 months, 4 weeks ago
I wish I had the time to list every name of a young service man killed in Iraq, think of the over four thousand dead and ask is Americas position any better now then before Americas reputation sank with the invasion of Iraq? There is a web site with pictures of the dead with their names and homes listed, I encourage you all to bookmark it and visit it often allowing them to speak to you and maybe guide you which ever way you think. I must shamefully ask someone else to post a link to it since I lost it when I change browsers but I have faith someone here knows it. My son changed his mind in applying for service in Afghanistan and that was one of my happiest days, but I could also see if you believed in what the troops were doing over there having a child sign up and serve would fill you with pride as well. Just remember each number has a name, family and dreams, I should say had them.
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unome24 months, 4 weeks ago
The people who like war and profit from it continue to call for more war. Since the endgame is control of Iraq's oil there is little reason for them to what to see a unified Iraq or an end to this occupation.
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nikkibabe4 months, 4 weeks ago
A Democratic President and a Democratic congress can end this illegal invasion & occupation on 1/21/2009.
. Tell Iraqi Government that US troops will leave in 3 months.
. Fire Gen Betray-Us and Puppet Ryan Cocker.
. Let UK now that it is their choice to keep troops.
. Open talks with Iran & Syria to help Iraq stabilize.
Subpoena Powell, Rice, Wolfowitcz to testify under oath the real reasons they invaded Iraq.
Prosecute everyone for war crimes.
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kfolive4 months, 4 weeks ago
I say we vote Mccain into office so we can have 100 more years of this war or whatever you call it. Those are his words. Listen very closely. Pay attention.
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klr604 months, 4 weeks ago
As far as the Iraq's taking care of their OWN oil-it will never happen-someone keeps blowing up the pipelines, destroying the electric grid, water , sewage & lives. I am a viet vet-it was a year of my life wasted. Get out now-these people have been fighting amongst themselvel, before Jesus Christ was born & they are not going to stop now. It is a losing battle, trying to preserve what we destroyed. I hate Bush/Cheney/Rice-what a joke. I believe they said on CBS tonight, 17 GI's killed in last 4 days-get real people-when are we going to stop this endless nonsense?
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Tcaros4 months, 4 weeks ago
Both these guys, Petreaus and Crocker, are lackeys being trotted out to say everything is working.
The message: alot of progress made, but still too fragile to quit.
This is essentially the same message peddled out 3 years ago. Now Bush simply comes out and says "our top military commanders in the field say it's working, so it must be working."
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klr603 months ago
Petreaus bis a sucka**-big time-all along, that was his dream to move up & thanks to his lies to the public. he is, thanks to Bush-I personally am sick of both wars-the top commanders have got the troops brainwased, in my opinion-God Bless America & all of the troops-I fell Soooooooooo sorry for them
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