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Saturday, April 21, 2007

What He Said

posted by on April 21 at 11:26 AM

John Aravosis at Americablog:

Media, please ask every Republican the following question: Do you think we’re winning in Iraq?

The Republicans are so upset, we’re to believe, that Harry Reid said that Bush has lost the Iraq war. Fine. Then they’ve opened the gates to the question as to whether they think we’ve won the war, or at least are winning.

I think it’s time for every Republican member of Congress, starting with GOP Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, and every senior Bush administration official from the president through the Pentagon on down, to say publicly if THEY think we’re winning in Iraq. I want them on the record, publicly, in front of their voters saying that they think we’re winning the war in Iraq. Then let’s see if they get re-elected or laughed out of the room. They’re so brave, answer the question.

RSS icon Comments

1

There was a good article that indicated that the US has essentially given up on training Iraqi troops to take over the anti-insurgent activities. I'm amazed this hasn't gotten more airplay, since this is evidence that the primary goal of the US, having the Iraqis take over so we could leave, isn't going to happen.

http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/17104704.htm

Posted by mrobvious | April 21, 2007 11:36 AM
2

While we're on the subject of "what he said" and Americablog check this out...
http://americablog.blogspot.com/2007/04/lee-iacocca-blasts-bush-cheney-as.html

What he said!

Posted by monkey | April 21, 2007 11:55 AM
3

@1 Oh please, we are not there so the Iraqis can take over. We are there because the Republicans and the Dems serve the same masters: Big Oil, the companies that make missiles and tanks, and Israel. We are there for the long hall as long as we have Dems and Republicans in office. We are even building walls in Bagdad, just like Israel in Palestine. The Republicans did not loose the war. I knew, and others that cared to research that this war unwinnable from the beginning. Look up pre war articles by Scott Ritter. The number 600,000 dead Iraqis has been kicking around for a year or two, I wonder what the number is now. America deserves what is coming down the pike for us: bankrupt fed, a dollar as valuable as the peso, and a draft converting our youth into homophobic, prozac swallowing zombies with lives so fucked they have to sell their souls to Jesus. Iraq does not deserve what we have done to their country. The best way for America to give Iraq a drop of justice is to Impeach the pigs in DC, but alas, Impeachment is off the table according to Pelosi. The Samurai have a tradition for when they fail, I wish the Liberal hawks would act accordingly.

Posted by Smurf Slayer | April 21, 2007 12:30 PM
4

I think the Dems need to put it differently. The US troops have accomplished all that they can in Iraq. More time, lives and money will not produce results that are worth it. It is time to realize we have done all that we can.

I hated this war before it started, when it started and all the way to now and I don't think there ever was anything to "win" but saying we lost is bad politics.

Posted by Kush | April 21, 2007 1:00 PM
5

"saying we lost is bad politics."

Except when the most recent polls indicate a majority of Americans agree with that position, then it's good politics.

Not that I advocate the notion that politicians should always follow poll numbers, mind you, but when the polls happen to agree with a politician's stance, it would seem to be a good strategy to make that known to ones constituents.

Posted by COMTE | April 21, 2007 1:19 PM
6

Dingy Harry Reid's statement is essentially a wash because it isn't helpful in the slightest. The ONLY course is to stabalize Iraq which will take YEARS. We all want out, but is anyone of you thinking about the logistics? From Newsweek:

In the Middle East, aid workers, regional leaders, Iraqi officials and ordinary civilians agree that if the Americans leave quickly, Iraq's disastrous condition could be made much worse. They warn of a massive flood of refugees heading for the borders, of massacres as Sunnis and Shiites cross paths, of a proxy war funded by Iran and Saudi Arabia within Iraq itself. "The consequences of [this] not working out are catastrophic," says an aid worker overseeing part of the U.N. relief effort in Iraq, who doesn't want to make any comment on the record that might sound political.

It was a huge blunder to go into Iraq. That's a fact. But it's the democrats that aren't thinking clearly now.

Posted by raindrop | April 21, 2007 2:32 PM
7

Of COURSE we're winning. Not only that, w have complete confidence in Atty. Gen. Gonzales. And Brownie did a heckuva job.

Posted by RonK, Seattle | April 21, 2007 2:32 PM
8

Gordon Smith in Oregon has said we're losing.

Posted by Oregon | April 21, 2007 5:34 PM
9

@ 6 Of course you would quote Newsweek, a cheerleader for this war from the beging to stay the couse in Iraq. The horse shit that passes for conventional wisdom thease days. It is a myth that we are trying to stabilise Iraq, in fact, about a year or so ago some British special opps were caught dressed as arabs with bomb making material in their car. The Dems are not thinking clearly, because AIPAC has them by the tits, and wines and dines them with money, money, money. Most Iraqis want the troops out, and most US troops want the fuck out of there to. They have direct contact with this mindless brutal slughter in Iraq. You really think you and Newsweek know what is better for Iraq and the US troops? What American soldier in their right mind wants to guard privatised oil fields for Halibutton? Another thing you war mongering stay the course idiot middle of the road liberals need to look at is if the US milatary was a country, it would be number three on the planet in oil consumption. Your beliefs are melting glaciers and cauising deserts to creep across Africa. We need to end the occupations of Iraq and Palastine, and try to solve the worlds problems with something besides depleated uranium shells.

Posted by Smurf Slayer | April 21, 2007 5:48 PM
10

Bill Maher asked this recently (paraphrasing):

The Bush admin has been wrong about everything so far, so why is it so certain that they are right about the chaos that will ensue if we pull out?

The same chicken hawks said the same thing about Vietnam.

Posted by Mike in MO | April 21, 2007 8:27 PM
11

Mike in MO,

North Vietnam had a functioning government, and the means to bring stability to the whole country. There's no equivalent in Iraq. It will be worse when we leave than Vietnam was.

But the longer before we leave, the worse it's going to be for us, and it will be the same or worse for the Iraqis and the surrounding countries. So even though US withdrawal will be followed by chaos that makes the current clusterfuck look tame, it's the only sensible course.

Posted by Cascadian | April 22, 2007 2:34 PM
12

if we just never say we're losing then we can't possibly lose. just like our leader, we must refuse to pay attention to facts on the ground because it threatens our self-image.

this country doesn't even understand the word "hubris". we can't grasp the concept.

pull out & blow the fuck out of every oilfield on the way. repeat in SA, kuwait, iran, nigeria, venezuela, the north sea, the north slope, texas, the gulf, mexico, kazakstan, etc. etc.

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