Bush Plan Meets With Global Skepticism

Allies Welcome Troop Increase; Many Iraqis, Others Feel Influx Will Only Increase Violence

(CBS/AP)  In Britain — the Bush administration's most important ally in the war — Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett welcomed the president's plan as an indication that the U.S. and Iraqi governments were determined to deal with the deteriorating security situation.

But Beckett, just like Howard in Australia, was quick to assure her own constituency that there were no imminent plans to send additional troops from their own soil to Iraq.

In Pakistan, a coalition of hardline anti-U.S. religious groups on Thursday rejected the troop boost, demanding instead that Washington withdraw its forces from Iraq.

"Occupation of any country will not succeed whether it is in Iraq or Afghanistan," said Shahid Shamsi, a spokesman for the Mutahida Majlis-e-Amal, or United Action Forum, an alliance of six Islamic groups that has a strong opposition voice in parliament.

The alliance opposes President Gen. Pervez Musharraf's close cooperation with the United States in the war against terrorism.

In Iran, newspaper headlines were overwhelmingly critical of the plan to infuse Baghdad with thousands more U.S. forces, sentiment echoed by most residents.

"Sending more troops will increase the cost for America. By using the present number of troops and by clarifying its policies there, America can bring about security in Iraq. It should not turn to military methods. That is the only choice," said Tehran resident Mahmoud Entezami.

Bush talked to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun by telephone before his announcement, officials said. Both countries host large numbers of American troops and have contributed forces to Iraq.

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso said Tokyo would continue its humanitarian air support and loans to Baghdad for reconstruction.

"I strongly hope that the U.S. efforts toward the stability in Iraq and reconstruction will proceed effectively and bring good results," Aso said in a statement. "Japan will continue to closely communicate and cooperate with the U.S."

Japan withdrew its 600 non-combat ground troops from southern Iraq last year, but has continued air support and Abe has made firm support for Bush a cornerstone of his foreign policy since taking office in September.

Roh, the South Korean president, also expressed support for the new policy, his office said.

The South Korean president "said he understood the background of the comprehensive U.S. policies and expressed support for President Bush's endeavor to bring about stability and reconstruction in Iraq," his office said.

South Korea has 2,300 troops in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil to support the U.S.-led reconstruction of Iraq. Seoul's current contribution of forces makes it Washington's biggest coalition partner after Britain.

Seoul plans to withdraw 1,100 troops by April, and parliament has instructed the administration to devise a full pullout plan during 2007.

It's not about George Bush, he is a puppet for the corporate powers (rich elite), he's just the face/person they put in power to present their plans to the public. This is controlled by the amounts of money one has to spend on media (mainstream news channels), and the big budget campaign trails, they do control who gets elected. George Bush, or more so the Iraq war is very unpopular now. This is why the last election Bush/Iraq was voted against, now America can believe their democracy works; it's like a placebo. We now face a troop Surge in Iraq, which will facilitate the attacking of Iran, and a broader war in the Middle East. The public is George Bush this, George Bush that; that%u2019s the trick we blame Bush - When the real problem is the whole corporate backed system, this is what we the masses must walk away from.


peace



Something like, Israel attacks Iran, then Iran fires back, walla - America can then justify stepping in.

[arita52]

I think it is time to face that fact that the president is mentally unstable and needs to be removed from office before he blows us, and the entire world into Armagedon! His actions are those of someone suffering from paranoia and dilusions of grandeur. Removing him from office and sending him to rehab would be in our national interest.

[nyckate]

antoniorego - the empty spaces in your post equal lack of thought and ideas. Didn't Hannity and Rush give you enough bushisms and sloganisms today?

To Antonio Rego

If you do some homework, you'll find that corporate America helped fund Hitler and Nazi Germany. They also funded; Saddam the dictator, the Shah of Iran, Pinochet.....this list goes on and on. Osama bin Laden and the Taliban also funded by the US. Americas military then ends up going to war, with most of these very same people who they helped establish as dictators.

War is profitable; this is why America spends 440,000,000,000.00 yearly on military, which is more then the rest of the world combined. This is not to make peace, but to enforce corporate America's economic model on the rest of the world.

It seems a lot of Americans are finally waking up to the country being deeply in debt, with corporate America reaping billions. Most Americans don't seem to see this, problem being you get your news at places like this: the CBS, or Fox or CNN. It will explain why you are so poorly informed about world affairs. You watch the news, only it's lies - not news.
You know, like the WMD lies about Iraq.




Do a search on the Internet for some different journalists. If your not reading both sides of the story, how do you know you are right, and the majority of the people in the world wrong?

Try:

Robert Parry, Jonathan Cook, Chris Floyd, Robert Fisk, Noam Chomsky

Or the GNN news network



Remember, Hitler had people who followed and supported him right to the end.

hope thats not you, and so should you

peace

[kokopelli872]

antoniorego-

There is no need to tell us that again we read the first time. The CAPS LOCK really helps us get your message, just as well as reposting over and over again. However, I was just wondering if you happened to live in the mid-west, along the Bible Bell, where there is nothing to do but sit in front of your TV's and digest the propaganda that was fed to the American people to help get our Self Proclaimed Commander in Chief in office. I can understand support for a President that didn't scam his way into the white house, and proceed to launch an illegal war. I'm really glad you support Bush Administration versus the World Campaign. I however can not stand behind somebody attempting to destroy the world single handedly. All I can say is I'm glad that 70% of Americans don't think like you and see through his wall of Bravo Sierra.

[gdmoore2]

I support my country wholeheartedly,... but not President Bush. The Bush presidency has been a disaster. This is Vietnam all over again.

He and his administration lied to us about Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq. Instead, Bush used the excuse of Al Qaeda to pursue a family vendetta against Saddam Hussein. Bush cut and ran from Afghanistan, straight into a war of attrition in Iraq. He failed to listen to the best military advice, failed to deploy sufficient troops, failed to listen to military on the ground in Iraq, and failed to deploy adequate supplies of quality to the troops. He failed to use diplomacy to build a strong alliance. All that Bush is doing right now is attempting to delay the inevitable, so that Iraq becomes a noose around the next president's neck.

Iraq aside, Bush's domestic polices in the U.S. have also been a disaster. No healthcare insurance, inadequate funding for schools, poor response to Hurrican Katrina victims, no effective immigration controls or policy, and massive loss of manufacturing jobs, without adjustment of trade policies.

Theh U.S. will be years trying to recover from Bush, the worst president in U.S. history.

[cruzn66]

And if a destabilized Iraq is such a threat.....where the hell is the Saudis in this mess? oh, yeah...out spending the large sums of American dollars made on the increased price of oil brought about by the "fear" of a destabilized Middle East!!! Explain why we don't hear more from the Saudis in attempting to gain access to their sunni brethren in Iraq and trying to bring about peaceful negotiations. The Iraqi sunnis are getting financing from someone....yet again, alot of silence from Saudi Arabia! and again...where were most of the 9/11 terrorists from??? oh, yeah, Saudi Arabia!!!

[cruzn66]

What a surprise! The only people in Iraq who want more troops there are the people holed up in the "Green Zone". Guess it's getting tough to take that Sunday drive to the park....... Yet the average Iraqi scrambling to survive the power outages, lack of fuel and drinking water, and fearing every moment that they are on the streets really don't want us there. Maybe they know something we refuse to acknowledge.....our being there is only making matters worse by providing a common enemy for all of the insurgent groups to rally against and use as an excuse to continue their reign of terror. We just make it easier for the people who have attained power in this sham of a government. They do not need to be held accountable by their own people as long as the Americans are their to protect them and take the responsibility for bringing about order. All that has been accomplished is the ongoing destruction of neighborhoods where families once tried to survive and now must hide for their very lives or flee. And further gun battles in those very same streets are not going to encourage families to return to what's left of their homes, given that this same tactic has been attempted time and time again. Iraqis forces will never truly step up as long as the U.S. military is just a call away.

[nyckate]

exusmcsgt - I see your point - they can't admit that Bush's failures are his own fault - they still look to find someone/anyone to blame - trying desperately to forget that the GOP has been in charge of Congress and Senate for 12 years and Bush of the presidency for 6 years now -- there's nobody else to blame but them.

This evening on news was a soldier who lost his meg in Ira (IED) and the government still hasn't processed his papers for 8 months now - he may even lose his house now cause they've delayed so long - the backlog of claims is apparently 400,000. They stand on the battle lines and yet Bush can't get his government to get their papers through when they come home in bits and pieces? Problem is to Bush and the likes of liebman18 these guys are no longer of use so they don't care about them now.

[drinuk]

Lieberman, I've told you before....you are a Prat! We will get you "chosen" people out of the country you stole, so that we can have peace in the Middle East

[exusmcsgt]

What's up lieberman? Trying to look up some military units to fake an answer?

You are an ungrateful, ignorant coward who never put his a$$ on the line for this country yet feel justified in insulting those of us who have.

[exusmcsgt]

kokopelli872-

Who else? Bubba Dubya.

[kokopelli872]

Another interesting fact, Wikipedia in English details the War on Terrorism as all the Military Operations in the Horn of Africa and the Middle East, etc. The German Wikipedia account on the Global War on Terrorism is described as propaganda. Similar to how U.S. Coverage of the Invasion and Coup that threw Saddam out of power was one of American Liberation. The War covered in the Middle East was followed up by a documentary on Hiroshima. The World really doesn't like us. However, they do recognize that the public is not in control. The Iranian President recognizes that Americans are good people, but like many in the world, does not approve of the Bush Policy.

[exusmcsgt]

kokopelli872-

Very well said. The U.S. with its "manifest destiny" mentality believes that the entire world must do as we say or else, especially now under Bubba.

Those who oppose our perspectives are labeled as "evil", subjected to demonization and outright propaganda as a means of forcing them to do our bidding.

[kokopelli872]

Sorry, who are you referring to when you mention
"Bubba"?

[kokopelli872]

On a further note, in regards to people dying because of American Presidents. Many people overlook the fact that we have been at Siege warfare in Iraq for at least a decade prior to the actual invasion. The U.S. seat in the U.N. possesses a vital veto. So after the enormous amount of infra-structure damage caused by dessert storm, mass amounts of equipment were necessary for Iraq to bring itself back up to healthy conditions. America has been vetoing these necessities for quite some time. Even worse is how they would provide medicine, yet no syringes, and then point for a place to store the medicine and then claim "Look! Saddam is hoarding the Medicine." A reporter spoke of how horrified Children in Iraq were of Americans, that one child actually had a seizure when he heard the American reporters were there. Anyone ever realize that Iraq was a emerging first world nation before the United States got involved. In reality, more Iraqis have died at the hands of Bush Sr. and Clinton then Saddam himself. However, "collateral damage" doesn't really strike the heart of the American public. However, as this is off topic I will comment no further. Just realize that when the rest of the world thinks about America, they think about bloodshed and attrocities, not freedom.

[exusmcsgt]

Tell me about your military service, lieberman. I'll bet your just like your leader, never went and insults those who did.

[lieberman18]

aaaah, if it isn't ExLax, the soldier whom with Traitor John won the Vietnam War all by themselves...Yeah, right.

[exusmcsgt]

kokopelli872-

Whether you support it or not, Iraq is already a failure. Bubba ended the unified Iraq and it's degeneration into ethnic states will occurr regardless of what we do or wish. Foregone conclusion. Guaranteed. Slam dunk.

[exusmcsgt]

nyckate,

Realize that the moron insulting you is so dense that he's all for more of a plan that has been proven over the last 4 years not to be anywhere effective.