Is There A "Plan B" For Iraq?

The Skinny: If Current U.S. Strategy Fails, There Doesn't Seem To Be An Alternative, Says Washington Post

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What is the administration's Plan B if the new Iraq strategy doesn't work? The Washington Post reports that as far as what's been said publicly, there is no Plan B. Since the new plan was announced, "senior officials have rebuffed questions about other options in the event of failure."

While Defense Secretary Robert Gates mentioned during a Congressional hearing recently that he was thinking about alternatives, he didn't provide details.

Instead, writes the Post, any discussion of alternatives is taking place outside of the White House, by "national security experts" who "have stepped into the void" to offer their own options via speeches and proposals.

As far as the strategy goes inside the government, Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen recalled a recent meeting with President Bush and Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs. Bredesen said Pace summarized the administration's plan thusly: "Plan B was to make Plan A work."

Sunny Iraq

Meanwhile, in Iraq, the Interior Ministry has fired or reassigned more than 10,000 employees, including high-ranking police, because they were found to have "tortured prisoners, accepted bribes or had ties to militias," writes USA Today.

According to an internal report from the government to be released this week, there have been 41 documented incidents of human rights abuses at the ministry. A spokesman for the ministry said of the firings: "Maybe we aren't 100% cured. But we're getting better day by day."

In Basra, a raid by British and Iraqi troops on the offices of an Iraqi intelligency agency found 30 prisoners being held, "some showing signs of torture," writes the New York Times.

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki "condemned the raid" and ordered an investigation into it. "It remained unclear why he sought to pursue the raiding force aggressively rather than the accusations of prisoner abuse," writes the Times.

U.S. and Iraq troops' security crackdown included a door to door search in Sadr City on Sunday, an area "whose fearsome reputation and political clout had rendered it largely off-limits to U.S. and Iraqi government troops for nearly three years," writes the Los Angeles Times. And Sunday's crackdown included "none of the bloodshed" that occurred in 2004, the last time American troops tried to police the area. Nonetheless, it's unclear when troops will establish a permanent outpost in Sadr City and how long Muktada Al Sadr "will keep a lid on his militia" in the area.

Problems Go Beyond Walter Reed

In the wake of much reporting on the shortcomings of the Department of Veterans Affairs in caring for wounded Iraq veterans (particularly the Washington Post's series on the "other" Walter Reed Army Medical Center) the Post follows up this morning with more bad news for the VA.

Following their first report on Walter Reed's failings, the Post received a "vast outpouring" from soldiers, family members, veterans, doctors and nurses detailing "stories of neglect and substandard care" at Walter Reed and other military bases around the country where outpatients are housed. Theirs are more stories of "callous responses to combat stress and a system ill equipped to handle another generation of psychologically scarred vets."

'Choosing Between Mom And Dad'

Two front pages make much of Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton's trip to Selma, Ala., on Sunday. Obama "staked his claim to the African American experience," writes the Los Angeles Times, "despite a personal background far from the bloodshed that was typified in this Deep South city during the struggle for civil rights."

Clinton, who had her husband in tow, also "claimed to be a beneficiary of the civil rights era — because it eventually led to advances for women."

Staking those claims is important, since both candidates were in town to "struggle for the loyalty" of Alabama's African American voters, a bloc "that would be dangerous" for either candidate to ignore, according to one political scientist at Emory University.

And those potential voters were struggling themselves, since both Obama and Clinton (and her husband) are "highly regarded" in the region.

Said one Selma resident of the conflict: "It's kind of like choosing between Mom and Dad."

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[tbweb]

--bm6005
My University required 2 sources before using content from the web, in the case of the insanity quote being attributed to Ben Franklin my 2 sources are:
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/b/benjaminfr109067.htm and
http://www.oreillynet.com/digitalmedia/blog/2006/10/the_definition_of_insanity_is.html
Sooooo! If this were homework my butt would be covered! These sites say Ben Franklin said it! Take it up with those sites! I have good sources! Eat your heart out! :)

[lars008-2009]

bm6005 tbweb ....... both are wrong
Misattributions Benjamin Franklin
Also misattributed to Albert Einstein.


Rita Mae Brown
Insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results.
Sudden Death, Bantam Books, New York, 1983, p. 68.
(Note: This same quote has also been variously attributed to Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein and an old Chinese proverb)

[wizest]

It sounds like we are ready for what I don't know

[bm6005]

--Benjamin Franklin
Posted by tbweb

Unfortunately this comment was made by Einstein. It's also about as accurate as everything else you post here! Who's play book did you get it from Hammity, Limpbow, DuhReilly or Becks.h.i.t. If you don't believe me Google it.

[tbweb]

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results!

--Benjamin Franklin

[patriotic9]

lars
I know ISLAMIC RADICALS are bad for sane humanity just like PSYCHOTIC CHRISTIANS and RACIST and UNJUST JEWS.
Why did Reagan give MILITARY TRAINING,MONEY and WEAPONS to OSAMA BEEN-FORGOTTEN?
why is BUSH giving our TAX PAYED MONEY and our WEAPONS to an ISLAMIC RADICAL "MALIKI" for the killilng of our finest men and women in uniform?Why do you support Bush in killing of our troops by our own Tax money?

[azman80]

Plan B goes like this,
BUSH and CHENEY get on all fours like a greyhound and let every single armed forces personell and american citizen give them a good bangin in the only 2 holes than havent gotten screwed in america. Since we do have a D I C K and BUSH in office, that would be the only solution to the failure in IRAQ that would make a lot of people happy. By the way, I think that email address for the HOUSE SPEAKERS that the citizens can write to probably goes straight to a spam box.

[lars008-2009]

plan A attack....
plan B attack....

Patton: We're gonna keep fighting. Is that CLEAR? We're gonna attack all night we're gonna attack the next morning. If we're not VICTORIOUS. Let no man come back alive.

fascist nazi islam vs the usa
In 1786 Jefferson and John Adams went to negotiate with Tripoli's envoy to London, Ambassador Sidi Haji Abdrahaman or (Sidi Haji Abdul Rahman Adja). They asked him by what right he extorted money and took slaves. Jefferson reported to Secretary of State John Jay, and to the Congress:

The ambassador answered us that [the right] was founded on the Laws of the Prophet (Mohammed), that it was written in their Koran, that all nations who should not have answered their authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make war upon them wherever they could be found, and to make slaves of all they could take as prisoners, and that every Mussulman who should be slain in battle was sure to go to heaven.[1]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Barbary_War
http://www.usvetdsp.com/jan07/jeff_quran.htm
http://www.khouse.org/articles/2007/691/
http://www.earlyamerica.com/review/2002_winter_spring/terrorism.htm
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=+Thomas Jefferson barbary
http://http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q= Thomas Jefferson islam
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q= Thomas Jefferson muslim

[wdrussell1]

Give it a break lars. Yahoo is dead, try to think for yourself for once.

[anopinion1]

Actually I'm much more looking forward to Plan D. That's the one where Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, etc. all stand in front of an international court to answer for their crimes against humanity and waging a war of aggression (both war crimes that the Nazi's were charged with) and receive an appropriate sentence. If their punishment was broadcast on world wide pay-per-view we could pay off this insane war with the money.
Posted by RandalDS at 04:42 PM : Mar 05, 2007

AWSOME PLAN
I WILL PAY TO WATCH

[rharrin1]

Plan B and the answer is just continue plan A

[anopinion1]

now that saddam and all weapons of mass destruction are gone, and the threat to america is over, troop involvement in iraq is no longer needed. the u.s. taxpayer doesn't owe iraq anything. in view of the financial situation the u.s. government says we're in, we need to concentrate on the welfare of the u.s.a. instead of trying to support the rest of the world. the threat of u.s. airpower costs a lot less than committing ground troops to a situation that history has proven will not change.
Posted by figuy30 at 01:02 AM : Mar 06, 2007

????what the hell is wrong with you????
the threat to america over?????
the threat this part of the world poses to us is 2000% higher now then has ever been in the past...
especially if we don't try to help them.
(this is why we never should invaded them its impossible to help stabilize a region of the world that has been completely been made insane by RELIGION)(now that we have we are screwed)(i say impeech bush and put him on trial for war crimes in the sunni government system...maybe that will get them off our backs)

[bluestardad]

SUPPORT THE TROOPS! STAY THE COURSE! Thanks Republicans! From one end of the spectrum to the other this Administration has bungled its Military operations.

The Sunni are funded by Saudi Arabia the Bush Family friends. Bush is also funding Sunni al Qaeda in Lebanon in an Iran Contra style under the table financing scheme outside Congressional approval. The AIPAC supporters and Israeli Neocons believe that no American sacrifice is too great to promote their interest.

If you think Americas sacrifice is worth it contact your Republican Congress person and tell them http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

Here is the House Speakers email address: [e-mail]

[figuy30]

now that saddam and all weapons of mass destruction are gone, and the threat to america is over, troop involvement in iraq is no longer needed. the u.s. taxpayer doesn't owe iraq anything. in view of the financial situation the u.s. government says we're in, we need to concentrate on the welfare of the u.s.a. instead of trying to support the rest of the world. the threat of u.s. airpower costs a lot less than committing ground troops to a situation that history has proven will not change.

[lars008-2009]

what did the fascist nazi islamic muslim tell jefferson??? there will be a test later......

What Thomas Jefferson learned from the Muslim book of jihad

Thomas Jefferson knew about fascist nazi islam..... he killed plenty of them....

In 1786 Jefferson and John Adams went to negotiate with Tripoli's envoy to London, Ambassador Sidi Haji Abdrahaman or (Sidi Haji Abdul Rahman Adja). They asked him by what right he extorted money and took slaves. Jefferson reported to Secretary of State John Jay, and to the Congress:

The ambassador answered us that [the right] was founded on the Laws of the Prophet (Mohammed), that it was written in their Koran, that all nations who should not have answered their authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make war upon them wherever they could be found, and to make slaves of all they could take as prisoners, and that every Mussulman who should be slain in battle was sure to go to heaven.[1]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Barbary_War
http://www.usvetdsp.com/jan07/jeff_quran.htm
http://www.khouse.org/articles/2007/691/
http://www.earlyamerica.com/review/2002_winter_spring/terrorism.htm
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=+Thomas Jefferson barbary
http://http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q= Thomas Jefferson islam
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q= Thomas Jefferson muslim

[scottyusa]

So whats whith Maliki? He takes the wrong side. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki "condemned the raid" and ordered an investigation into it. H ebetter decide which side he is on and what it is he really wants. We are trying to save his country and he acts like a democrat

[bluestardad]

Dont fight wars for Saudi or Israel!

Saudi Arabia is supporting the Sunni insurgents and al Qaeda in Iraq while they are slant drilling stealing Iraqi Oil! The Bush administration is funding al Qaeda in Lebanon! Everyone knows that the Saudi Royal Family is a family friend of Bushs and that puts him at odds with American national interest! Israeli Neocons are pushing the Bush administration to attack Iran. Afghanistan is falling apart because this administration has pulled assets from that theater of war. Israeli lobbying groups are selling access to American elected officials as you can see in their lobbying group advertisement below. Israeli Neocons are openly pushing our Elected officials to fight their wars in Proxy!

Follow the money do not take my word for it see how many in Congress are influenced by AIPAC money and how they are voting on Iraq!

http://www.aipac.org/forms/join_aipacClubs.htm

Bush Funds Al Qaeda here is the stream read it yourself!

http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/070305fa_fact_hersh

Congress America disdains your actions!
Write your Representatives and Senators! http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

Here is the House Speakers email address: [e-mail]

[randalds]

Actually I'm much more looking forward to Plan D. That's the one where Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, etc. all stand in front of an international court to answer for their crimes against humanity and waging a war of aggression (both war crimes that the Nazi's were charged with) and receive an appropriate sentence. If their punishment was broadcast on world wide pay-per-view we could pay off this insane war with the money.

[randalds]

Bush is a IQ 91 moron as well as the rest of his admin. They are perfect examples of highly educated IDIOTS!!
Posted by bm6005 at 02:56 PM : Mar 05, 2007

It also explains the...ahem..."quality"...of his followers, like lars or singinslick. It's not only the blind leading the blind, it's the morons leading the morons.

[lars008-2009]

demonic-rat plan:
the demonic-rats are like adams and give the fascist nazi muslims their lunch money......

republican plan:
the republicans are like jefferson and kick fascist nazi muslims arses.....

What Thomas Jefferson learned from the Muslim book of jihad

Thomas Jefferson knew about fascist nazi islam..... he killed plenty of them....

In 1786 Jefferson and John Adams went to negotiate with Tripoli's envoy to London, Ambassador Sidi Haji Abdrahaman or (Sidi Haji Abdul Rahman Adja). They asked him by what right he extorted money and took slaves. Jefferson reported to Secretary of State John Jay, and to the Congress:

The ambassador answered us that [the right] was founded on the Laws of the Prophet (Mohammed), that it was written in their Koran, that all nations who should not have answered their authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make war upon them wherever they could be found, and to make slaves of all they could take as prisoners, and that every Mussulman who should be slain in battle was sure to go to heaven.[1]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Barbary_War
http://www.usvetdsp.com/jan07/jeff_quran.htm
http://www.khouse.org/articles/2007/691/
http://www.earlyamerica.com/review/2002_winter_spring/terrorism.htm
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=+Thomas Jefferson barbary
http://http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q= Thomas Jefferson islam
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q= Thomas Jefferson muslim