Sen. Clinton Opposes Troop Buildup In Iraq

New York Democrat Wants Cap Placed On Number Of U.S. Troops In Iraq And More Sent To Afghanistan

(CBS/AP)  Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, a potential presidential candidate, on Wednesday called for capping the number of U.S. troops in Iraq and linking funds for Iraqi security forces to the government's control of the violence-plagued nation.

Back from a weekend trip to Iraq and Afghanistan, the New York senator also called for increasing the number of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, arguing more troops are necessary as Taliban forces are waiting to attack when weather permits.

"I am opposed to this escalation," Clinton, D-N.Y., told CBS News' The Early Show. However, Clinton added, "I am for putting more troops in Afghanistan." (Watch the video)

Clinton was quick to seize the spotlight the day after Illinois Sen. Barack Obama took a major step toward entering the 2008 race. She made a round of appearances on network television and radio and participated in a Capitol Hill news conference.

Clinton told Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith she wants the United States to impose conditions on funding for Iraq's military and economic reconstruction to force Iraq into achieving certain political goals. She then criticized the failure of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government to quell the brewing civil war among Sunnis, Shiites and al Qaeda insurgents.

"Unless there is a total partnership with the Iraqi government and the Iraqi Army, this can't work," Clinton said. "And I didn't see the signs of that partnership."

Clinton said she would offer legislation that would not cut funding to U.S. troops, as some lawmakers want, but would, after a six-month time period, cut off money for Iraqi troops.

She said cutting off funds for security forces and private security contractors who guard many Iraqi leaders would show the U.S. government is serious about imposing "real world consequences" to failing to reduce the sectarian conflict killing tens of thousands civilians a year.

"I do not support cutting funding for American troops, but I do support cutting funding for Iraqi forces if the Iraqi government does not meet set conditions," Clinton said, appearing at a news conference with the two lawmakers who traveled with her to Iraq and Afghanistan, Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., and Rep. John McHugh, R-N.Y.

Clinton argued the Bush administration has failed to put any real pressure on Iraqi leaders at the same time the president is escalating the U.S. commitment there by sending 21,500 more troops.

"I think we will eventually have to move to tougher requirements on the administration to get their attention," said Clinton, arguing that she wanted "a change of course, not adding more troops pursuing a strategy that under present circumstances, cannot be successful."

There are more than 130,000 U.S. troops in Iraq.

Following Clinton's rejection of the president's plan Wednesday, Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., will introduce a bill that would limit the number of troops in Iraq at 130,000 and would require the president to get congressional authorization if he wants to go above that number in the future. The proposal would not affect the funding of the war, reports CBS News' Steve Chaggaris.

Dodd, who announced his candidacy for president last week, said he has no co-sponsors and that he has not shopped this idea around with his fellow Democrats.

White House spokesman Tony Snow denied Clinton's suggestion that the increase to Iraq may mean a loss of troop strength in Afghanistan.

"If you look at some of the critiques, in some cases maybe they don't take into account (what) we actually are doing or what the Iraqis are doing," Snow said.

Clinton's bill would, if Iraqis cannot show progress after six months, require Bush to get congressional authority for any additional troops in Iraq.

Even as she jousts with the White House, Clinton also is feeling heat from Democratic rivals, due largely to her position as the presumptive front-runner in a presidential race she has yet to enter.

On Wednesday, Obama called Iraq troop escalation "a terrible consequence of the decision to give him the broad, open-ended authority to wage this war in 2002," an indirect shot at the voting record of Clinton and other Democrats.

Obama did say he favors a cap of U.S. troop levels in Iraq and the phased redeployment of troops, both of which Clinton supports.

In a statement, Tom Mattzie of the liberal group MoveOn.org said they would like Clinton to "use her powers as a senator to stop the escalation and move toward a redeployment. A key test is how any senator puts words into action. We would welcome her future leadership."

Clinton and Bayh sent a letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Wednesday calling for an increase in Afghanistan of two or possibly three infantry battalions, some 2,300 troops.

"Unlike in Iraq," the senators wrote, "we have a government in Afghanistan committed to promoting national interests over sectarian ones, is making tangible progress in governance, sincerely wants more U.S. help, and is fighting the enemy that brought us Sept. 11."

[bruno1957]

WELL ON BEHALF OF MOST OF MY VETERAN FRIENDS ...WE FEEL THAT WE SHOULD SEND IN A HELL OF ALOT MORE TROOPS THAN THE 21 ,000 TROOPS .. MORE LIKE 300,000.. WE MUST STOP TERRORISIM OVER THERE .... BEFORE IT ESCALATES AND MOVES OVER TO OUR HOME LAND .... AND IT WILL... IF WE ALLOW A WITHDRAWAL FROM IRAN, AND IRAQ...AFGANISTAN ....THEY CAN NOT BE REASONED WITH ,,, WHEN ALL THEY WISH TO DO IS KILL US AND REMOVE US BECAUSE OF RELIGIOUS DIFFRENCES .. FUNNY HOW SOON PEOPLE FORGET ABOUT THE THOUSANDS THAT HAVE BEEN KILLED IN ATTACKS THESE TERRORISTS HAVE DONE... BUT WE HAVE BECOME SO APITHETIC .. AND INDIFFERENT .SINCE IT DONT BOTHER THE EVERYDAY LIFE OF MOST AMERICANS ... THEY DONT GIVE A RATS ***.. WE NEED TO SUPPORT THE TROOPS..AND OUR COMMANDER IN CHIEF ....WHETHER YA LIKE HIM OR NOT .. AGREE WITH HIM OR NOT ... IM SURE HE KNOWS A HELL OF ALOT MORE TO ALL THIS THAN MOST OF DO ...

[j-whitman]

Thgdriver,,,, Looks like Maliki doesn't like Bush's plan -- which goes back to Bush's speech,, "It's an Iraq plan"

Just another itty-bitty lie to America & our Troops

[dallison7]

If you have eyes and ears. If you can read or listen and comprehend. Then, if your are not outraged... you are not paying attention!

PLEASE GO TO www.impeachbush.org

[thgdriver]

SHURCH4TRUTH SEZ

"Its nice to see the exchange of facts but there's still some name calling going on. If you can skip that part you might have a better chance of the other guy or gal actually considering your facts".


Thanks for pointing that out, it does not matter if you are calling me names as happens, another poster, or the President of the United States.

[scouser691]

Bin Laden is laughing his balls off at our "success" in Iraq.

[lucasnico]

jackntx.......

TRUTH is, Iraq was and is a manufactured enemy... manufactured by the Bush administration. We had no business being there in the beginning, and have no business being there now....and that's the TRUTH!

[randalds]

RandalDS

Randy, did you remember to take your medication today?
Posted by thgdriver at 08:46 PM : Jan 17, 2007

Hatred of Bush is not something that needs medication, only the support of him does. He is an insane madman who needs to be brought down...hard. He has done more damage to this country then any terrorists ever have.

[grazinggoat]

'He won't because he's a gutless piece of sh*it! He is a worthless pimple on humanities as*s! Come on George, you coward as*shole, investigate me. Take me on. Come after me you stupid bas*****. You haven't the balls to go one on one against anyone, in debate or otherwise, because you're a coward. The worst world leader in modern history. Here's hoping you end up in an international court and as your sentence you're sent to Sadr city for them to tear you into pieces and drag you through the streets. Even that is too good for you for the mass murder you've committed you as*shole.'
Posted by RandalDS


RandalDS, you wished to reach out to his picture over the internet and show him what sh*t tastes like... that is so scarily funny... keep up the good work.

[scouser691]

Sorry I stand corrected,According to U.N. High commisioner for refugees, 1.8 million have fled country, 1.6 million have been displaced internally.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/23/AR2006112301014.html

[scouser691]

Jackntx- Love reading your rosy scenarios. We've been hearing the same rosy news from Bush muppets for last 3 1/2 years yet recently even Bush admitted "we're not winning". FACT- Hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians have died as a result of this disaster. FACT- 1.6 million Iraqi civilians have fled the country. Considering there are 27 million Iraqi's this would be the equivelant of roughly 17 million citizens fleeing America, no big deal right. Keep on spouting the BS Jack, rest assured nobody takes you seriously.

[samthetvcat]

Posted by jackntx at 12:12 AM : Jan 18, 2007

Gee, your post sounds an awful lot like somebody else's I responded to yesterday. And yes I agree truth takes guts...guts to face truths that others don't want to face and guts to admit our internal biases and lack of knowledge.

Which of these areas is it that you need to work on that led you to omit the bombing outside of the Bagdad University yesterday that killed something like 100 innocent Iraqis and injured over 225 more because it doesn't fit in with your assertion that this war is a 'success'?

[jackntx]

mh4cbs1,

The TRUTH is liberals can't handle the TRUTH. So they invent the 'inside job' of 9/11!

The TRUTH is hundred of thousands of Iraqi security forces are improving their professionalism and competence and are leading over 80% of the operations.

The TRUTH is that half way through January, 22 Americans have lost their lives in Iraq, down quite a bit from prior months, and the number of terrorists and insurgents killed or captured is up dramatically! Just take a gander at the 187 press releases so far for January at http://www.mnf-iraq.com.

The TRUTH is that Iraq reconstruction has been very successful despite the security situation in certain parts of the country.

The TRUTH is that if the media micro-reported on every assault, theft, robbery, burglary, kidnaping, rape, and murder in any of our top 5 American cities, we would think those cities were totally barbarous. Baghdad has just under six million people, which is almost one-quarter of the population of the whole country.

Truth is made up of FACTS, not BS opinions from politicians or from the editorials of major media.

[mh4cbs1]

SHURCH4TRUTH:

If you had searched for truth, you would have found it. And the TRUTH is that Cheney and Bush LIED us into this War of death and destruction. You can go read all the books and articles by former Bush admin and DoD officials (Richard Clark, Paul O'Neal, Larry Wilkerson, Tyler Drumheller) and UN WMD inspectors like Scott Ritter, Hans Blix, and read the PNAC position papers, downing street memos, and visit the White House and other media clips of the LIES caught on Video.

And if the TRUTH does not get you a bit angry at what the NeoCons have done to this country, then either you share their "values", or you are not able to read and understand.

After all, this War will cost upwards of ONE TRILLION dollars by the time it is really over and the long term care is paid for the 20,000 seriously wounded vets. We have 3,000 Dead US young men and women. Iraq is in a shambles. The region is more chaotic, tense and we are less safe than before. Where is Osama, we are lossing grip on Afghanistan.

And all this was a needless War, based on Lies, to fullfill a NeoCon "New World Order" based on US dominance (read it in their words, 2000 PNAC paper).

SO, stop whining about the extremes, there is reason for passion in this debate. Get engaged, get informed. The vast American Sheeple have begun to Wake Up. And it only took FOUR YEARs of lies, death and destruction to do it.

[mh4cbs1]

Cheney to Bush conversation, transcript:

" How many times do I have to tell you George, as long as we end up with the Oil, and we get our permanent US Bases in Iraq, and we can set up a friendly regime in power... Who the F**K Cares ahow many sucker middleclass kids must Die! Remember how we avoided the Vietnam War? (Laughter) And don't you remember, I explained to you that Iraqis are heathens anyway, so let the whole f***ing country become a deserted wasteland, the Oil will still be there!"

Later that day....
The president warned that %u201Cdeadly acts of violence will continue, and we must expect more Iraqi and American casualties.%u201D

[Syndicate]

Why is she opposed to an escalation? Because if it worked it would hurt her chances of being elected president? You have seen what Jr. can do do you want to see what the Mrs. can do?

[thgdriver]

RandalDS

Randy, did you remember to take your medication today?

[mh4cbs1]

fredgrad:

Biden? You support Biden? That used car salesman slick piece of SLIME. Do you know that he claims that Democrats don't have the constitutional power to make Bush end the Iraq War?!

That's just the most recent example of the total wiggl'n slime'n sleeze'n glop of goo that makes up Joe Biden's backbone

[thgdriver]

Back from a weekend trip to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Anybody know where Bill was all weekend??

[mh4cbs1]

Hillary is just another blow-in-the-wind, don't-rock-the-boat spineless Democrat that speaks based on polls.

At least George Bush has some Convictions! At least George Bush isn't afraid to do what he and Cheney want to do! Yes, it is a sad, sick thing in America that he is a LYING FASCIST who could care less about the death and destruction he has unleashed, so long as they get to keep our permanent US bases in Iraq and they get to keep unrestrained access to the Iraqi Oil Fields.

But the Point is, WHY won't Hillary and most of the other Democrats ACT WITH THE SAME CONVICTION as G.W. Bush?? What are they so friggin afraid of??

If the Dems had 1/10 the conviction of the NeoCons, Bush and Cheney would be exposed for their LIES and CRIMES, then Impeached, they thrown in JAIL.

But instead, the Dems will treat us to resolutions in Congress, that express 'grave doubts' about the Bush plan to escalate the Imperial War.

Dems are just about as sickening as Bush - cuz they won't DO ANYTHING.

[randalds]

Bush,,, This message is for you -- Resign, you cowardly *******.

Posted by j-whitman at 07:04 PM : Jan 17, 2007

He won't because he's a gutless piece of sh*it! He is a worthless pimple on humanities as*s! Come on George, you coward as*shole, investigate me. Take me on. Come after me you stupid bas*****. You haven't the balls to go one on one against anyone, in debate or otherwise, because you're a coward. The worst world leader in modern history. Here's hoping you end up in an international court and as your sentence you're sent to Sadr city for them to tear you into pieces and drag you through the streets. Even that is too good for you for the mass murder you've committed you as*shole.