WASHINGTON, Oct. 23, 2006
Bush Adviser: Iraq Must 'Step Up'
White House Aide Deflects Criticism; Democratic Senator: Iraq Needs 'Radical Change'
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Adviser Defends Iraq Strategy
Dan Bartlett, counselor to the president, speaks with Hannah Storm and defends military strategy in Iraq despite a bloody October.
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Biden On Iraq Strategy
Democrats in Washington are declaring that changes in strategy in Iraq are long overdue. Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., speaks with Harry Smith about U.S. strategy.
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A Deadly October In Iraq
As Ramadan comes to a close, CBS News chief foreign correspondent Lara Logan reports October is the deadliest month this year for U.S. forces in Iraq.
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Bipartisan pressure in Washington is mounting over Iraq's fledgling security forces. (AFP/Getty Images)
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At the same time, Dan Bartlett denied in a television interview that the Bush administration's war policy has been a sweeping "stay the course" commitment.
Senior members of Mr. Bush's national security team attended White House meetings Monday. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, just back Asia and Russia, was first to show up. She was followed by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
As pre-election pressure mounts from congressional Democrats and Republicans, a new report suggests the White House is drafting a timetable that calls for the Iraqi government to assume more responsibility for security in the war-torn country.
The report in Sunday's New York Times said the head of the U.S.-led Multinational Forces in Iraq and the U.S. ambassador to Iraq were working on a plan that probably would — for the first time — outline milestones for disarming sectarian militias and meeting other political and economic goals.
Bartlett dismissed the Times article, saying, "I was puzzled by the report over the weekend because it was stating something we have been talking about publicly for months." He told CBS Early Show co-anchor Hannah Storm that the U.S. policy in Iraq is not a "stay the course strategy." Bartlett added, "We aren't sitting there with our heads in the sand. We are completely changing on a week-by-week basis."
The White House earlier had said the report in Sunday's editions of the Times was not accurate. Bartlett said he thought it "might have been overwritten."
"The enemy we're fighting is a very determined one. They're very lethal. ... But we are going to prevail and it's going to require the Iraqis themselves to step up and take more responsibility, and that's something we'll be impressing on them in the weeks and months ahead," Bartlett said.
Appearing after Bartlett on The Early Show, Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., told co-anchor Harry Smith, "I was amazed by Dan Bartlett's comments that we have always been flexible. They still talk about this being a war against terrorists. It's a civil war." Biden added, "We need a radical change."
Biden, who is the senior Democrat of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was adamant that the United States needs to push Iraq to intensify its security forces and reach a political settlement with its sectarian factions. "Last time I said that, the president said we can't tell the Iraqis what to do. Like heck we can't tell the Iraqis what to do. It's our blood and treasure. We told them what to do with the constitution. We should tell them straight up now: 'Get a preliminary settlement or you are on your own, Jack.'"
Biden said the time is coming when the American public will no longer tolerate lives and money "being poured down a rathole because, in fact, we're in the middle of a civil war."
In other related developments:
Also Monday, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh urged international forces to remain even in the face of the violence, saying it was no time to panic.
"I have to say, because there is too much of a pessimistic tone to this debate even I would say in certain circles a defeatist tone," Saleh told the British Broadcasting Corp. before meeting in London with Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Meanwhile, a day after his remarks in an interview were broadcast by the pan-Arab satellite channel Al-Jazeera, Alberto Fernandez issued a written apology Sunday through the State Department press office.
"Upon reading the transcript of my appearance on Al-Jazeera, I realized that I seriously misspoke by using the phrase 'there has been arrogance and stupidity' by the U.S. in Iraq," said Fernandez, director of public diplomacy in State's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs.
"This represents neither my views nor those of the State Department," Fernandez added. "I apologize."
U.S. officials had sought to play down Fernandez' assessment of the security situation in Iraq.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters Friday that Fernandez said after the broadcast he didn't think reports of his comments were an "accurate reflection of what he said." Asked whether the Bush administration believed that history will show a record of arrogance or stupidity in Iraq, McCormack replied, "No."
Fernandez spoke in fluent Arabic in the interview, which Al-Jazeera said was taped in Washington on Friday.
©MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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See all 168 Commentshttp://bluegalinaredstate.blogspot.com/2006/10/top-state-department-middle-east.html
Fernandez simply spoke outloud what the rest of us have known since day 1 of this misbegotten adventure.
if anyone should be impeached, it is you and your neo-fascist buddies. impeached and sent to Iraq or Lebanon. Maybe do some mine clearing duties on the Lebanese border.
Unless of course you wish to join Hizbullah. God, you Democratic Neo-Fascists are so unbelieveable.
Vote Democratic - and you get ILLEGAL Aliens, Higher Taxes, Less National Defense, Appeasement of Terrorists, and the Plastic Princess Nancy Pelosi.
Oh yeah, Barrack Obama wants to run for the President. Good, the day he stops grovelling to his Massa Byrd, he of the Grand Kleagle of the West Virginia KKK.
Jimmy Carter for supporting Hamas, betraying the Shah of Iran and allowing the first Islamic Nazi regime to take power in the Middle East, seize our people hostage, and create the conditions for a hostile and Nuclear Iran - not to mention generating the seeds for Hamas, Hizbullah and Al Qaeda.
Bill and Hillary Clinton, for focusing on their legacy rather than truly going after Bin Laden. Especially Pervert Bill, who focused more on a fat bimbo than on locating terrorist sites in Afghanistan. Or for bombing Serbian civilians in Belgrade.
Robert KKK Byrd - for being the bigot he was and is.
Barrack Obama, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and Maxine Waters for just being stupid. Not to mention the real Plantation Slaves the hapless hotair Harry was mumbling about.
Barbie Boxer, for being a whiney *** who carped about Republican bad behavior but nary a word about Clinton, about Gary Condom, oops, Condit, about Gerald- ine Studds and Brenda, oops, Barney Frank.
John Kerry for being a traitor.
The list goes on and on and on, huh, Jase. You want more, little one?
Your recent post does merit a response. You show:
Vote Democratic - and you get ILLEGAL Aliens, Higher Taxes, Less National Defense, Appeasement of Terrorists, and the Plastic Princess Nancy Pelosi.
Please name one Democrat that is advocating these positions. Only one will do.
As for your comment about Barrack Obama, that only shows you are a bigot.
I'm not a bigot, but you are certainly an ***.
John Kerry, Jim Murtha, the Senatorial candidates in Arizona and Pennsylvania, Pederson and Casey, Phil Angelides the Gubernatorial candidate in California, and Ned Lamont. You want more?
As far as the ILLEGALS are concerned, hmmmm. Ted Kennedy, who certainly won't bring them up to Cape Cod, the entire Latino Democratic representatives of California and Arizona are in the ILLEGAL camp, learning English and becoming citizens BEFORE sneaking across the border be damned.
Barrack Obama praises Robert Byrd instead of demanding his ouster from the United States Senate. I know a bit more about Civil Rights than you do, chum. Byrd should have been removed decades ago, but that's YOUR Democrats. A bunch of Neo-Fascist hypocrites.
Want more, ***?
Want more? I think not. With each of your posts you allow all of us to see just how much hatred you possess and quite frankly, how misinformed you are. You certainly have a right to your opinion, what you dont have is a right to your own facts.
I wish you all the best come Nov. 7th. (hahaha)
Well, official or not, it's the truth!
The Senate will remain Republican. And you just might be in for a rude awakening re: the House when people realize Plastic Princess might take power.
Now Fernandez is feverishly backpedaling, but that horse is out of the barn too, and, as Bush would say, "All the kings horses and all the kings men ain't going to be able to shut that barn door".
It seems the White House is more concerned with shutting up those honestly speaking their minds than fixing what's wrong in Iraq.
Lucy has the football set to go, and Charlie Brown isn't buying it. "Come on Charlie. This time we have MILESTONES, for the FIRST TIME", says Lucy.
Of course Alex said he was going to France, Peter, that is, after he stopped beating up Kim.
When do you plan to join him?
October being the deadliest month for this year, American soldiers could use your help!!! Sign up today Janey...don't just talk the talk!!!!
I already had the privilege of fighting in another useless war...it was in a place called VietNam!
Go to the Wall in Washington D.C. and look at the names..then check the label of your Winter coat...It probably was made in VietNam... I guess that is what I fought for!!!
Have A Good Day
I think the state dept was more stupid than ever by forcing an apology out of him. That just brings attention to the fact that the powers that be in DC still haven't a clue and as elections near are providing more evidence the Whitehouse and Congress are out of touch with reality.
I don't think the ambassador was a moron at all.... but I think your analysis can be reworked:
How do we get these morons as presidents for our Country. Fire the jerk before he does anymore damage than he has already done. At least then he won't make another stupid mistake. If he doesn't have command of the English language, what is he doing as an president?
Since he said two things that were complete opposites, he is, at best, 50% honest.
Courage.
(--Dan Rather)
Fools rush in and that is what we did going into Iraq, so calling the people wanting this war stupid or arrogant fits the bill just fine.
GW Bush has nothing to do with the way the military is going to employ tactics.
The military commanders do not want unnecessary deaths, but right now, they are on the ground in Iraq, by order of the President. People are dying all around our troops and they cannot do much about it. They do not know why they are there, or why the people in Iraq started killing each other.
If the experts said it would be this way, why did we not take the time to create a better plan? I think I know part of the reasons: "politics". The party wanting this war needed it to BEGIN quickly or it might never come to pass.
How unfortunate for our brothers and sisters in the military that they can be wasted along side of Iraqi people without a known, true and just cause.
The fat that we still in Iraq is more than just a misstake.
We should be out long time ago, bu for arrogances and stupids we still there.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/10/20/world/main2110011.shtml
So lets see if you are an American first or just an angry,lonely,desparate woman filled with venom.Now is your chance to be bipartisan.
Republicans are responsable for it. Time to make them pay for it. Vote Democratic November 7.
"This represents neither my views nor those of the State Department."
Which one is a lie?
The fat that we still in Iraq is more than just a misstake.
We should be out long time ago, bu for arrogances and stupids we still there."
Who says we don't occasionally leave one child behind?
"Who says we don't occasionally leave one child behind?"
A fools comment.
We leave many behind.
You know, I like you and think you have some brain cells, so don't disappoint me by dithering over wherethere "arrogant" and "Stupidity" are opposite. You know perfectly well one can be arrogant and smart the same as one can be arrogant and stupid.
In this case, considering that Iraq has descended into civil war and gw is still dithering on about "victory" and "changing tactics" while in the next breath denying that anything in his approach is going to change, is pretty stupid.
Of course he IS PRETTY STUPID!
Time to end these arrogant, tranparent, criminals' political careers. Give them their lifetime pensions and benefits for *** us out of just about our last dime and send them on their way to Fox News and Rush Limbaugh for their endless, mindless but entertaining "interviews".
Actually Fernandez saying he thinks something and then saying he doesn't think something would be the opposites to which I was referring. It didn't occur to me that someone would think I was claiming that stupidity and arrogance are opposites. Sorry. These are two quotes from the man you called honest:
"I think there is much room for criticism because, undoubtedly, there was arrogance and there was stupidity from the United States in Iraq."
"This represents neither my views nor those of the State Department."
Which one is the lie?
welcome back Ronnie. I explained that for you to him. see my other post for the answer to your question.
I don't see how you could possibly know that.
Guys like Kerry and Reed have acknowledged their mistakes and now are four square on the right side of this issue. They need now to throw off the last vestiges of Rovian manipulation and tell the American people what they want to hear: We will be out of Iraq as soon as humanly possible, hopefully with a drawdown beginning in a matter of months. Give us a mandate by throwing out those Republican weasels. Otherwise, its two more years of staying the course at the very least. Congress calls the shots on war-making - not the President.
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