Consider, this is the public report issued today, not the more highly-sensitive full report the White House and key Congressional leaders see, that still reaches the inescapable verdict.... "NIE: Iraq 'Unable to Govern' Itself Effectively."
Even without the full NIE report, the bare facts are inescapable.... the government of Iraqi Prime Minister al-Maliki "will continue to struggle" while the civil war grows ever more violent.
No wonder members of the Armed Services Committee Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), and chairman Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI), who did see the full report before today, called for the Iraqi parliament to oust Maliki.
The NIE, National Intelligence Estimate, which is a consensus judgment of the CIA and 15 other U.S. intelligence agencies, concludes.... If U.S. forces continue their current strategy, security "will continue to improve modestly" over the next six to 12 months but violence will remain high and political reconciliation will remain elusive.
How many more military lives is The Decider going to recklessly put in harms way for a cause even the currently vacationing political leaders of Iraq don't have the will to successfully pursue.
As The Decider likes to points out, we can't control what the "democratically elected" Iraqi parliament does (or doesn't do).
But, as the disaffected American public is loudly pointing out, we can decide to end our futile military involvement in Iraq. Now!
Showing posts with label Levin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Levin. Show all posts
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Get Tough, and Get Out
The GOP loves to accuse the Democrats of wanting a "nanny state".... a federal government that does everything for citizens instead of insisting they do things for themselves.
So.... why is it that the White House can't make the same connection on Iraq.
Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday called for Iraqi's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's ouster and urged Iraqis to replace their leaders. (WaPo)
It was after his recent three-day trip sizing up the situation on the ground in Iraq, that Levin called for the Iraq parliament to vote the Maliki government out of office and replace it with a less sectarian and more unifying prime minister and government.
Such a move toward political stability, Levin reasons, would then allow the ten (soon to be eleven) trained and ready divisions of the Iraqi army to take control of security, which won't happen until U.S. troops relinquish the job.
But the White House is unwilling to make the tough-love connection, and continues their nanny-state support of the ineffectual Maliki.... thus stalling political progress.... and the day when they stand up, so we can stand down.
So.... why is it that the White House can't make the same connection on Iraq.
Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday called for Iraqi's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's ouster and urged Iraqis to replace their leaders. (WaPo)
It was after his recent three-day trip sizing up the situation on the ground in Iraq, that Levin called for the Iraq parliament to vote the Maliki government out of office and replace it with a less sectarian and more unifying prime minister and government.
Such a move toward political stability, Levin reasons, would then allow the ten (soon to be eleven) trained and ready divisions of the Iraqi army to take control of security, which won't happen until U.S. troops relinquish the job.
But the White House is unwilling to make the tough-love connection, and continues their nanny-state support of the ineffectual Maliki.... thus stalling political progress.... and the day when they stand up, so we can stand down.
Friday, February 23, 2007
Biden Hits the Brakes
Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) championed a DOA House proposal to make additional funding for the Iraq war dependent on strict troop-readiness standards, which on the surface might seem to be a good idea. But that proposal met stiff resistance.... from both sides of the aisle.... largely because it puts in place risky inflexibilities.
And, the recent "non-binding" resolutions are viewed by the public as a tiptoeingly-tepid approach.... the public wants "binding" action.... want to stop the runaway Bush/Cheney war machine.
So.... here comes the brakeman in the form of Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joseph Biden (D-DE) who is seeking to repeal 2002 war authorization.... "We gave the president that power to destroy Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and, if necessary, to depose Saddam Hussein, " Biden said of the 2002 resolution in a speech last week before the Brookings Institution. "The WMD was not there. Saddam Hussein is no longer there. The 2002 authorization is no longer relevant to the situation in Iraq." (WaPo)
Biden and Armed Service Committee Chairman Carl M. Levin (D-MI) are drafting language to present to the Senate when they reconvene Tuesday that will set a goal for withdrawing combat brigades by March 31, 2008 as recommended by the Iraq Study Group.
Once the combat phase ends, troops would be restricted to assisting Iraqis with training, border security and counterterrorism. This resolution will go directly to the Senate floor for action, possibly as an amendment to a homeland security bill scheduled for debate next week.
At the same time, Murtha's ideas will no be dismissed out-of-hand. The Iraq funding bill due for vote in the House the week of March 12 would require the president to publicly reveal that he is deploying unrested, under-trained or under-equipped troops, or extending combat tours of troops already in Iraq.
Maybe it's just me, but doesn't it seem like he should already have been forced to publicly come clean about troop and equipment readiness before deployment.
Of course, that didn't happen because the previous GOP-majority Houses abdicated their oversite roles, allowing the Bush/Cheney administration to lay waste to lives, treasure and our world standing.
As Congress puts the brakes on an arrogant reckless Bush, hopefully they also vow.... "Never again."
And, the recent "non-binding" resolutions are viewed by the public as a tiptoeingly-tepid approach.... the public wants "binding" action.... want to stop the runaway Bush/Cheney war machine.
So.... here comes the brakeman in the form of Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joseph Biden (D-DE) who is seeking to repeal 2002 war authorization.... "We gave the president that power to destroy Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and, if necessary, to depose Saddam Hussein, " Biden said of the 2002 resolution in a speech last week before the Brookings Institution. "The WMD was not there. Saddam Hussein is no longer there. The 2002 authorization is no longer relevant to the situation in Iraq." (WaPo)
Biden and Armed Service Committee Chairman Carl M. Levin (D-MI) are drafting language to present to the Senate when they reconvene Tuesday that will set a goal for withdrawing combat brigades by March 31, 2008 as recommended by the Iraq Study Group.
Once the combat phase ends, troops would be restricted to assisting Iraqis with training, border security and counterterrorism. This resolution will go directly to the Senate floor for action, possibly as an amendment to a homeland security bill scheduled for debate next week.
At the same time, Murtha's ideas will no be dismissed out-of-hand. The Iraq funding bill due for vote in the House the week of March 12 would require the president to publicly reveal that he is deploying unrested, under-trained or under-equipped troops, or extending combat tours of troops already in Iraq.
Maybe it's just me, but doesn't it seem like he should already have been forced to publicly come clean about troop and equipment readiness before deployment.
Of course, that didn't happen because the previous GOP-majority Houses abdicated their oversite roles, allowing the Bush/Cheney administration to lay waste to lives, treasure and our world standing.
As Congress puts the brakes on an arrogant reckless Bush, hopefully they also vow.... "Never again."
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