Rice Meets With Iraqi Prime Minister

Secretary Of State Reiterates Need To Rein In Sectarian Violence

(CBS/AP) 
Car bombs, as well as other explosions and shootings, killed 34 people across the country Wednesday. At least 21 U.S. soldiers have been killed since Saturday, a disproportionately high number. Most of the casualties have been in Baghdad amid a massive security sweep by American and Iraqi forces that has been going on since August.

"Obviously the security side and the political side are linked," Rice told reporters.

She described the task as "the ability to get everybody to understand precisely how their interests are going to be represented and how their interests are going to be served in this political process."

Such an understanding would draw Iraqis out of the insurgency working against the al-Maliki government and away from the sectarian militias blamed for much of the recent violence, she said.

"This visit will be an opportunity for consultation and dialogue on a number of issues that are important to both countries," al-Maliki said through an interpreter.

"This is, of course, a time of challenge for the Iraqi people," Rice said. "They are a committed people and we know they will overcome these challenges."

In addition to meeting al-Maliki and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, Rice also was to meet with Sunni leaders.

The Bush administration has made similar arguments at each stage along Iraq's stop-and-go struggle toward a functioning democracy. Although an elected parliamentary government has replaced Saddam Hussein's dictatorship, it has been unable to counter the rise in violence.

On Monday, al-Maliki announced a new security plan to unite the feuding parties, creating local committees in which Sunnis and Shiites will work together to manage efforts to stop the violence on a district-by-district level.

But contentious details of the plan still must be worked out — and Shiite and Sunni parties for a second day on Wednesday put off negotiations.

At the same time, Sunni-led insurgents have continued their attacks targeting civilians, Iraqi officials and U.S. and Iraqi troops.

The conflict, now in its fourth year, has claimed the lives of more than 2,700 American troops and thousands of Iraqis and cost more than $300 billion.

There may also be a political cost for the Republican Party. With less than five weeks left before congressional elections, new polls show Americans are increasingly unhappy with the war in Iraq and President Bush's leadership.

[mwe3wm]

Let us remember how we got here?
IRANGATE.
The actor playing The President at the time coined the phase %u201CDisinformation%u201D to justify lying to the American people. He created a sub-government to fund his negotiations with Islamic extremists for the return of hostages in Lebanon. Drug Money was used to purchase weapons from Israel to sell to Iran. The funds then were used to support rebel troops in Nicaragua to over throw that government in the War on Drugs. How hypocritical. We forgave a doddering old man that could not recall what he knew or when he knew it.
Empire of Evil
Once Ronald Reagan thought he was effectively influencing foreign policy he decided to take on the Russians by funding the rebels in Afghanistan. This is the time that Osama Bin Laden joined the rebel forces and learned how to fight a super power with unconventional tactics. The outcome was the culmination of hatred, training, planning and execution of the September 2001 attacks. This is the legacy of Ronald Reagan.
War on Terror.
History is the worry of George W. Bush. It is not that extremists will attack us again, they will. His worry is that when this future attack occurs, the people at the time will look back to today and recognize that another Republican President, with a secret government, provided the motivation, training and hatred used to attack and kill Americans. How will we forgive George W. Bush? I don%u2019t think we can.

Michael Edwards

[observantx]

Condoleeza Rice meeting with the Prime Minister and President of Iraq. How nice.

I wonder if she will remember anything about THESE meetings after a year or so, or will she say, "I don't recall..."

Maybe we all need to chip in and buy her a nice notebook and a really nice pen, so she can take notes.

[rsoxfan1123]

diamtool, God may forgive him, but a lot of American people are having a harder time. Don't you have to be repentant first before you can be forgiven?

[rsoxfan1123]

mjv2944, by declaring war on Saddam and not his country, we have pretty much tied our hands against anything conventional, like, say, Hiroshima.

[diamtool]

The 20 million dollar Victory Party thing is right on! best idea the gop has had for iraq, we get out of this quagmire, declare victory and have a big party, at least no more kids die needlessly.
did any one see in the story that condi's flight couldn't land in baghdad and circled for 35 minutes because of rocket or mortar fire around the airport.
bet she was saying "heckuvajob Rummy"
God bless our troops
God forgive george bush

[rsoxfan1123]

janem4, "sniping". Mighty big word for a guy with no sense of humor.

[mjv2944]

lestb35

I think it would be cheaper to bull dzer the whole country flat and then blacktop it. They wouldmn't have any where to hide and it would be cheaper in the long run. Diverinnl is right thats what went on in Nam and it failed also, and not because of the people fighting there, but because of pi** poor military and political leadership, same as whats going on in Iraq. Lots of private contractor money in both wars.

[diverinnl]

lestb35: They tried that once; it was called Vietnam...

[lestb35]

mjv2944, I was just thinking that maybe we should try to evacuate all women, children and elderly or innocents and then just bomb the leftover guerillas. I have no military background, is something like that even possible?

[diverinnl]

rsoxfan1123, I hate to admit it, but you're right.

[mjv2944]

This is like telling a leopard to change its spots. It just isn't going to happen. Get the hell out and may the best terrorist win. We need our resources to fight real terrorism, not to stop a civil war. As long as weapons keep pouring into Iraq, they are going to fight. It is out of our hands, bring the troops home.

[rsoxfan1123]

diverinnl , the problem is the repubs have created such a mess even they don't know what to do...

[diverinnl]

OK you liberal whiners, pick a side.

On one hand you scream for withdrawl from Iraq, that they are soverign and should govern themselves.

On the other, when the Sec of State tells them to govern themselves, you scream that they (Iraq) are incapable and if we don't help them, anther Saddam will take power.

I support your right to express an opinion but quit flip-flopping around just for the sake of disagreeing with the Replublican party.

[adventurepa]

She forgot to say purity please with sugar on top!!!
Condi, rumsy chaney and bush want to be able to spend their 20 million on the Victory party. Stuffing themself's with food and drink.
The best part is we get to pay for it.
Yee Haw
Proud to be an American

[rsoxfan1123]

responsibility even

[rsoxfan1123]

thanks jh6379. I've thought for a long time this would be the way the admin would use to exit without accepting resonsibility.

[sharncedar]

brianp55: "You tell em Condi. And while you're at it, please tell Bin Laden that we're not at all pleased with his attitude and he can expect a severe tongue-lashing if things don't improve. I'm sure these people just need to hear this from you."

We need Condi too. Why do the Iraqis get this, when we taxpayers paid for it? We need a severe tongue-lashing too, and that stern stare, and then tell us to settle our problems. Condi, why? When will you come home and help us?

Condi sneaks into Baghdad. Clearly, we never could have accomplished such an incredible milestone in the war on terror had we not been torturing terror suspects.

[pendragon679]

No comment, but one pertinent question:

Who is doing what to prevent Moqtada al-Sadr from becoming the next Saddam Hussein? Oh, wait, I forgot...WE made Saddam; we're probably doing the same thing with al-Sadr.

[rsoxfan1123]

This is setting the stage for a pull out. It will go something like "we didn't fail, it's just that they refused to take responsibility and do their share, so we left." A prelude to a finger point.