Iraq: not looking good

[bush_cheney2004]

But only a total idiot would suggest the victim of a Halifax barfight constitutes a casualty of war. You're not a total idiot, are you?

Only if you need me to be.

[BubberMiley]

The US Congress had the responsibility to evalute the same intel as the President, and act in the best interest of the United States.

I'm surprised you no so little about the situation that you aren't even aware that Congress doesn't have access to the same intel as the president. They have to trust his word for a lot of the intel. They did. He lied. Hence, the situation we're in now that you are scrambling to blame on anyone but the true perpetrators.

[JerrySeinfeld]

The US Congress had the responsibility to evalute the same intel as the President, and act in the best interest of the United States.

I'm surprised you no so little about the situation that you aren't even aware that Congress doesn't have access to the same intel as the president. They have to trust his word for a lot of the intel. They did. He lied. Hence, the situation we're in now that you are scrambling to blame on anyone but the true perpetrators.

um - FYI since 9-11 there have been no terrorist attacks on the US and many attempts throughout the world on the US and it's allies have been foiled - not to mention we're battling Al Qaeda on their turf instead of ours. Overall a pretty good success I'd say. Bush has done a pretty good job.

[BubberMiley]

um - FYI since 9-11 there have been no terrorist attacks on the US and many attempts throughout the world on the US and it's allies have been foiled - not to mention we're battling Al Qaeda on their turf instead of ours. Overall a pretty good success I'd say. Bush has done a pretty good job.

Do those terms mean that as soon as there is another successful terrorist attack on U.S. soil, Bush's presidency has failed completely?

Do you really think that any member of al Qaeda who could enter the U.S. to commit an attack has chosen not to in favour of fighting in Iraq? If so, explain your rationale that we all may laugh.

[bush_cheney2004]

I'm surprised you no so little about the situation that you aren't even aware that Congress doesn't have access to the same intel as the president. They have to trust his word for a lot of the intel. They did. He lied. Hence, the situation we're in now that you are scrambling to blame on anyone but the true perpetrators.

Actually, both the US Senate and House have Intelligence Committees, both of which failed to do their job, or agreed with the President. I am not scrambling for anything, not even with the word "know". What situation are you in from Winnipeg?

There are four types of intelligence not routinely shared with Congress:

- Tailored intelligence products such as the President’s Daily Brief (PDB);

- Identities of intelligence sources;

- Intelligence collection and analysis “methods”; and

- “Raw” or “lightly evaluated” intelligence.

The US Government chose war and continuation of existing policy for regime change in Iraq....if you don't like that....tough noogies.

[GostHacked]

JerryS

um - FYI since 9-11 there have been no terrorist attacks on the US and many attempts throughout the world on the US and it's allies have been foiled - not to mention we're battling Al Qaeda on their turf instead of ours. Overall a pretty good success I'd say. Bush has done a pretty good job.

Those are the ones that they knew about. How about the known unknowns? Or the unknown unknowns? Before Sept 11, 2001, the last terrorist attack on the mainland USA was when? 1993 WTC bombing? And before that?

Iraq is not Al-Queda's turf. Afghanistan is, and I will not argue with you on that. The thing is, people are still dying, here or over there. So we would rather have our soldiers die in a foreign country than have civilians in the homeland dying from a terror attack? Sure, makes sense.

Prediciton? Yes indeed. Another terror attack will happen on the mainland USA before Bush leaves office. I had origionaly predicted the end of this year, but I am now thinking it will be this summer, July or August.

I hope I am wrong.

[Liam]

Big surprise...

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/05/25/fox-ne...-war-the-least/

[jdobbin]

From ABC's World New Tonight:

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=3359764&page=1

ABC News has been told the White House is in "panic mode" over the recent defections of Republican senators on the president's stay-the-course policy in Iraq.

Senior Bush administration officials are deep in discussion about how to find a compromise that will "appease Democrats and keep wobbly Republicans onboard," a senior White House official told ABC News.

A new report comes out this week that doesn't look good in terms of the Iraqi government meeting any benchmarks.

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN0930270020070709

he U.S. Army, strained by wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, missed its recruiting goal for the second straight month in June, indicating a trend that some defense officials on Monday called worrying.

The Army will announce the monthly data on Tuesday. Army spokesmen would not discuss the specific figures.

Another alarming report is that the Army has not met recruiting goals for a number of months. If the surge continues until April, the President will have no choice but to extend missions for 18 months. The last time this was done proved to be extremely unpopular among the forces and led to many not re-upping when they did get back.

Edited July 9, 2007 by jdobbin

[jdobbin]

Bush has asked Congress to hold off until September to see if the surge is working in Iraq.

Already Republican senators who face elections are not having any of it.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/07/15/whi...q.ap/index.html

President Bush's national security adviser, Stephen Hadley, said Sunday the administration's "very orderly process" for reviewing its Iraq plans should be allowed to play out despite a hurry-up initiative from two respected GOP senators.

Hadley's reply was "No" when asked whether Bush could live with the proposal by Sens. John Warner of Virginia and Richard Lugar of Indiana. They want to give the president until mid-October to submit a plan to restrict the use of U.S. troops in Iraq to fighting terrorists and securing borders and U.S. interests.

Meanwhile, Iraq certainly doesn't look like it is headed for peace.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/07/15/...n.ap/index.html

The Bush administration is under increased pressure from critics in Congress who say the U.S. strategy in Iraq is not working, raising calls for a troop withdrawal. Proponents of a pull-out have pointed to the failure of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to enact political reforms considered vital to a long-term fall in violence.

The car bomb attack came in central Hussein Square, which has several kebab stalls and other take-out stands, said a police official. The afternoon blast ripped through stalls and shops, killing 10 and wounding 25, according to officials at the two hospitals where the victims were taken.

The dead included two women, and three women and five children were among those injured, said the hospital officials. All the officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the press. The area is near the offices of the country's largest Shiite party, the Supreme Islamic Council of Iraq.

As we get into fall, I suspect that we'll see more Republican senators push for a change in strategy. ie get out.