This is Senator Lugar with Angelina Jolie
It would be better for Senate Majority Leader Reid to accept the initative of Senator Lugar seriously and quickly move to limit the engagement of the USA troops in Iraq.
...“Three factors — the political fragmentation in Iraq, the growing stress on our military and the constraints of our own domestic political process — are converging to make it almost impossible for the United States to engineer a stable, multi-sectarian government in Iraq in a reasonable time frame,” Lugar said.
“In my judgment, our course in Iraq has lost contact with our vital national security interests in the Middle East and beyond,” Lugar said. “The prospects that the current surge strategy will succeed in the way originally envisioned by the president are very limited within the short period framed by our own domestic political debate. And, the strident polarized nature of that debate increases the risk that our involvement in Iraq will end in a poorly planned withdrawal that undercuts our vital interests in the Middle East.”
Lugar said the surge, with a burst of U.S. combat forces trying to reduce violence to the point that Iraqi military and security forces that take over the mission of security, isn’t likely to work fast enough for the political process. “Americans want results in months,” he said.
“The window during which we can continue to employ American troops in Iraqi neighborhoods without damaging our military strength or our ability to respond to other national security priorities is closing,” Lugar said. “American armed forces are incredibly resilient, but Iraq is taking a toll on recruitment and readiness.”
“In my judgment, our course in Iraq has lost contact with our vital national security interests in the Middle East and beyond,” Lugar said. “The prospects that the current surge strategy will succeed in the way originally envisioned by the president are very limited within the short period framed by our own domestic political debate. And, the strident polarized nature of that debate increases the risk that our involvement in Iraq will end in a poorly planned withdrawal that undercuts our vital interests in the Middle East.”
Lugar said the surge, with a burst of U.S. combat forces trying to reduce violence to the point that Iraqi military and security forces that take over the mission of security, isn’t likely to work fast enough for the political process. “Americans want results in months,” he said.
“The window during which we can continue to employ American troops in Iraqi neighborhoods without damaging our military strength or our ability to respond to other national security priorities is closing,” Lugar said. “American armed forces are incredibly resilient, but Iraq is taking a toll on recruitment and readiness.”
This is huge. I am rather proud of the stand this blog took and especially the position of Senator Lugar today. He is an interesting man. He needs the support of the American people to carry out his initative to success in the USA Senate. This would not be happening at all if the American people didn't provide a Democratic majority that could support Senator Lugar.
Let's do this thing !
The Bush strategy is an abject failure. There is no getting around it. If the strategy of the NEW Secretary of Defense was to be a success, the USA military would have to insured this from occurring. Bush and Cheney are in Iraq for the oil. It has absolutely nothing to do with the security of that nation or the citizens.
BAGHDAD, Tuesday, June 26 — A suicide bomber on Monday assassinated four Sunni sheiks who were cooperating with Americans to fight Al Qaeda in Anbar Province. Witnesses said the bomber sneaked through security checkpoints, strode into a large Baghdad hotel and detonated an explosive belt just before lunchtime, killing 12 people including the sheiks.
It is completely obvious this administration is completely incompetent. They are unable to achieve goals. The Iraq War was engaged under a false premise. It will never succeed because of the origins of it's directive. The people of Iraq never did anything to the USA to deserve this wrath. The people there know it and see no reason to cooperate. They are in rebellion against every entity affiliated with the USA military. They want the USA military removed from their country so they can be left alone to establish their governments and militias. Iraq never had a strong military, why start now?
