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| Democrats say will push for Iraq withdrawal |
| 2006-11-12 |
| Hat Tip: Drudge; From al-Rooters Democrats say will push for Iraq withdrawal Sun Nov 12, 2006 12:08pm ET136 By Tabassum Zakaria WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats, who won control of the U.S. Congress, said on Sunday they will push for a phased withdrawal of American troops from Iraq to begin in four to six months, but the White House cautioned against fixing timetables. "First order of business is to change the direction of Iraq policy," said Sen. Carl Levin, a Michigan Democrat who is expected to be chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee in the new Congress. Democrats will press President George W. Bush's administration to tell the Iraqi government that U.S. presence was "not open-ended, and that, as a matter of fact, we need to begin a phased redeployment of forces from Iraq in four to six months," Levin said on ABC's "This Week" program. Bush has insisted that U.S. troops would not leave until Iraqis were able to take over security for their country, and has repeatedly rejected setting a timetable for withdrawal because, he says, that would only embolden the insurgents. The White House said, however, that Bush is open to new ideas. Bush will meet on Monday with the bipartisan Iraq Study Group that is expected to recommend alternative policies in its final report. A suicide bomber killed 35 people at a police recruiting center in Iraq on Sunday in the bloodiest attack in months against recruits. More than 2,800 American troops have been killed in Iraq since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion and the unpopular war was a key factor in last week's elections in which Bush's Republican Party lost majorities in the Senate and the House of Representatives. White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten said it was important that any action be taken in a way to ensure that Iraq can succeed and have a democratic government that can sustain and defend itself. 'OPEN TO FRESH IDEAS' "It's hard for me to see how that can be done on a fixed timetable," Bolten said on ABC's "This Week" program. "But the president's open to fresh ideas here. Everybody's reviewing the situation." Bush has asked Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the military Joint Chiefs of Staff, to conduct a review at the Pentagon of Iraq strategy, and other national security agencies to do similar reviews, Bolten said. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada said "we need to redeploy," but that the decision should be made by military officers in Iraq. He said on "Face The Nation" program on CBS that he would not insist on a specific date for drawing down troops, but that a withdrawal should start within the next few months. The White House says Bush is not to receive final recommendations from the Iraq Study Group -- led by James Baker, a former secretary of state with close ties to the Bush family -- in the Monday meeting. Bush chose a member of that panel, former CIA Director Robert Gates, to replace Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, whose resignation was announced the day after elections gave control of Congress to Democrats for the first time since 1994. Sen. Joseph Biden, a Delaware Democrat who is expected to head the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he was inclined to support Gates, whose nomination requires Senate approval. "I know some of his views on Iraq. I know he wasn't of the Rumsfeld school. And to put it very, very bluntly, as long as he's not there, Rumsfeld is there," Biden said on ABC. Biden called for an international conference on Iraq, that would include Iran, Syria and Turkey. (Additional reporting by Missy Ryan) © Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved. |
| Posted by:FOTSGreg |
| #10 Yes, they voted teh Republicans out. But one poll broadcast this weekend showed an overall 80% of voters asked had 'deep concerns' that the Democrats would cut and run in Iraq. Go figure. Actually it's pretty easy to figure out. People were tired of the status quo. The point is to move forward, but you got stuck in the mud. Bush wouldn't let Rumsfeld go, because that would be perceived as an admission that not all is well in Iraq. But the people ain't dumb. I bet you if the US was actually fighting the war in Iraq, the election outcome would've been different. What you're doing there now is more akin to peacekeeping (or the more popular term now, peacebuilding) and that ain't working. George Bush said so himself, US soldiers are for fighting wars, not keeping peace. He didn't listen to himself. The people voted accordingly. |
| Posted by: C 2006-11-12 23:13 |
| #9 They bad-mouth the most wonderful country in the history of the world - the last, best hope of freedom in this world - but notice how none of them actually move to another country? And yet, if the jihadis they're encouraging actually win, these clowns will some of the first to be beheaded. Word Barbara. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-11-12 22:55 |
| #8 Re Joseph M: What he said! I would also add Bobby Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and Nathan Bedford Forrest to his short list... |
| Posted by: borgboy 2006-11-12 22:34 |
| #7 No, IMO the Amer people didn't vote to "quit" as much to punish the GOP for inconsistent = non-clarity of strategic ME agenda + NT/LT milpol objectives. The Amer people know that iff Andrew Jackson, Sherman-Grant, MacArthur, Patton or Chesty Puller, etal. was in charge IRAQ PER SE WOULD HAD BEEN SECURED LONG AGO. THE RADICS WOULD BE EITHER GONE, PACIFIED OR NEARLY ANNIHILATED + NO THREAT TO EITHER US MILFORS, US-LED US/ALLIED ADMIN OR NATIONAL-INTERNAT INTERESTS. THEY WANNA HEAR FROM OUR LEADERS WHAT IS DA LT PLAN(S)-AGENDA(S) BEYOND MERELY IRAQ + AFGHANISTAN, NOT MERELY THE NOW-AND-WHAT-CAME-BEFORE. The Dems will rail-and-rant against the injustice of the HS/Patriot ACt before doing everything ninja to empower + entrench Gummermint everywhere = anywhere = no where in Fascist/Hated Nazi = well-meaning but errorful Limited Communist-Totalitarian, world-mighty USSA = weak anti-sovereign SSR-USR, .................@America = Amerika/Amerikkka. STRENGTHEN GOVT + GOVT-CENTRIC SOCIALISM/GOVT-ISM AT HOME, WEAKEN AMER GEOPOL OVERSEAS for OWG where Amer's agenda is just one nation's agenda of many, and Amer is controlled by a community of world nations that weirdly, mysteriously, but only co-incidentally randomly ooopsies, is dominated by Russia-China, aka Commie Asia. The Commies + anti-US agendists defeat = destroy the USA-West wid out having to wage mutually destructive nuclear war + getting the USA-West to wilfully assist and destroy itself in return for nothing. BEAUTY OF ASYMMETRIC WARFARE = GENERATIONAL WARFARE > THE GREATEST HARM/DAMAGE IS ULTIMATELY WHAT THE STRONG NATION(S) DO TO THEMSELVES. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2006-11-12 21:50 |
| #6 The left should know there will be penalties for early withdrawal |
| Posted by: badanov 2006-11-12 21:42 |
| #5 The election was not about Iraq, polling says it's was the ecconomy. Just goes to show how people still believe the lies the MSM says. Best ecconomy in a long, long time, 4.5% unemployment rate, Wall Street at all time highs, yet people "think" it's bad because the MSM says so. The Election was not about Iraq, it was about Republican's who forgot who brought then to the dance and why. The Dems should not be allowed to get away with this Viet Nam part two, stabbing the military in the back because Joe democrat no balls. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom 2006-11-12 21:24 |
| #4 The American people voted to quit and the Democrats won't hesitate. The American people don't know what they want. Yes, they voted teh Republicans out. But one poll broadcast this weekend showed an overall 80% of voters asked had 'deep concerns' that the Democrats would cut and run in Iraq. Go figure. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2006-11-12 21:04 |
| #3 Democrats say will push for Iraq There - fixed that for ya'. The traitorous MSM and the Dems (but I repeat myself) are at it They bad-mouth the most wonderful country in the history of the world - the last, best hope of freedom in this world - but notice how none of them actually move to another country? And yet, if the jihadis they're encouraging actually win, these clowns will some of the first to be beheaded. Here's a free clue, assholes: No matter whether the crocodile eats you first or last, it will still eat you. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2006-11-12 20:53 |
| #2 Some one said in another Blog - we need to declare "we got rid of Hussein, we won, see ya later". |
| Posted by: Annon 2006-11-12 20:37 |
| #1 The American people voted to quit and the Democrats won't hesitate. They cut funding for the South Vietnamese, they'll cut the rug from the Iraqis. We're done in the ME for at least a decade - who in their right mind would trust us again? |
| Posted by: Robjack 2006-11-12 20:27 |