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| Iraq |
| Madame Speaker Pelosi visits Iraq |
| 2007-01-26 |
| US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, an outspoken critic of US President George W. Bush's plan to send more troops to Iraq, arrived in Baghdad on today for talks with US and Iraqi officials. Ms Pelosi, a key player in the Democratic takeover of Congress, has helped lead opposition in Washington to Mr Bush's retooled Iraq strategy which envisages sending 21,500 reinforcements to help quell raging sectarian violence, especially in Baghdad. She has accused Bush, a long-time foe, of playing politics with soldiers' lives and said after his State of the Union address to Congress this week that he had ignored the concerns of the American public over the unpopular war. A US embassy official said Ms Pelosi, the first woman speaker of the House, had arrived in Iraq at the head of a six-member congressional delegation for meetings with Iraqi and US officials but did not plan any public appearances. The delegation includes John Murtha, a Democratic Congressman from Pennsylvania, who has also been vocal in his criticism of the Bush administration's handling of the war. Newly empowered congressional Democrats are pushing for a phased withdrawal from Iraq. Opinion polls show Americans are strongly opposed to Mr Bush's plan for a troop increase. Mr Bush has said the US must not quit Iraq now as that would leave Iraqis prey to more sectarian violence and allow al-Qaeda to operate from Iraq with impunity. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #7 Re 49: We can always hope that she does exactly that. Not that GWB will do anything since he sent his nuts out for cleaning. |
| Posted by: USN, ret. 2007-01-26 22:08 |
| #6 Worse yet, if she spouts a policy other than the official US Government one to the Iraqi's she is in violation of federal law. |
| Posted by: 49 Pan 2007-01-26 17:12 |
| #5 All for show. She will arrive get a (scripted) briefing delivered by someone on her staff (Guess what it will conclude?) and then claim they have a complete picture. No she doesn't want to meet with any soldiers because they might tell her something she doesn't want to hear. |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2007-01-26 13:06 |
| #4 We can all relax now. Mdme Speaker Pelosi is on the job in Iraq. |
| Posted by: FOTSGreg 2007-01-26 12:14 |
| #3 Hope that someone in her entourage knows where they're going. 'cause it's a good bet that Pelosi can't find Iraq on a map. |
| Posted by: GK 2007-01-26 11:19 |
| #2 Why? What's she gonna do there? Shouldn't she be at home, cooking something up in the House? |
| Posted by: mojo 2007-01-26 10:59 |
| #1 Of course there won't be any public or troop visits by her and Murtha. They know the deal and would not show up. I do bet she had a full division around her for protection. God knows they would blame bush if she got hurt. But then when was that Blackwater fight and who was in that embassy convoy??? |
| Posted by: 49 Pan 2007-01-26 10:30 |