Ex-General: Bush Should Sign Iraq Bill

(AP)  President Bush should sign legislation starting the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq on Oct. 1, retired Army Lt. Gen. William Odom said Saturday.

"I hope the president seizes this moment for a basic change in course and signs the bill Congress has sent him," Odom said, delivering the Democrats' weekly radio address.

Odom, an outspoken critic of the war who served as the Army's top intelligence officer and headed the National Security Agency during the Reagan administration, delivered the address at the request of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. He said he has never been a Democrat or a Republican.

The general accused Bush of squandering U.S. lives and helping Iran and al Qaeda when he invaded Iraq.

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Listen: Democrats' radio address
Read: Bush pushes immigration in radio address

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"The challenge we face today is not how to win in Iraq; it is how to recover from a strategic mistake: invading Iraq in the first place," he said. "The president has let (the Iraq war) proceed on automatic pilot, making no corrections in the face of accumulating evidence that his strategy is failing and cannot be rescued. He lets the United States fly further and further into trouble, squandering its influence, money and blood, facilitating the gains of our enemies."

Odom said he doesn't favor congressional involvement in the execution of foreign and military policy, but argued that Bush had been derelict in his responsibilities. This week Congress passed an Iraq war spending bill that would require Bush to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq on Oct. 1.

[kansas1946]

finewoven,
The interesting (and tragic) thing about all of this is that under Saddam people had those things. It was a secular country, Christians could openly worship there as could other faiths, girls and boys received the same education, women worked, wore western dress, and were treated as equal memebers of society. Of course the religious fanatics hated Saddam for this, including Ben Ladin. They want women repressed, people forced to follow one religion, etc., and now, that is exactly what Iraq is getting. Religious fanatics taking over the country. Already there are fewer rights for women than their were. Of course, the elephant in the room is "That is NOT why we went to Iraq." Now the Bush apologists want to make it sound all sweet and Christian. It is pathetic. And you are right about the cost. Incredible.

[finewoven]

Our troops are trying to help Iraq become a democratic government, building schools to help the children go to school freely (boys & girls), helping the women become productive citizens, etc.
Posted by bmsbms29 at 05:37 PM : Apr 30, 2007

And if their culture doesn't want that, so what! We'll cram it down their throats.

I would much prefer that our tax dollars help our democratic government, build our schools, help American men and women become productive citizens. $8.5 billion a month of American tax dollars going to special interests who only use 25% on the effort in Iraq. And who do you think gets the rest? This is nonsense.

[bmsbms29]

I am totally against pulling out on a deadline & I pray that President Bush continues to listen to his conscience about protecting the United States.

And I keep reading from some who think that we are fighting in Iraq to make some people $$. The problem there is that the media (mostly democratic) do not report what our troops are doing there.

Our troops are trying to help Iraq become a democratic government, building schools to help the children go to school freely (boys & girls), helping the women become productive citizens, etc.

There are many troops who are glad they are there to help.

And there are many more who were injured but still wish they could go back to help!

God Bless America! and those who really care about staying American.

[kansas1946]

"Odom, an outspoken critic of the war who served as the Army's top intelligence officer and headed the National Security Agency during the Reagan administration, delivered the address at the request of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. He said he has never been a Democrat or a Republican."
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So now I guess this is another "traitor." It has come to my attention that anyone who does not walk lock-step (more like goose step) with this failed leader is a traitor according to the whacky right. Well, if that is the case, then I am proud to be a traitor, just like Lt. General Odom.

[david1737]

lestb35

You and your neo-con friends no longer have the credibility to Predict the future, or intuit the outcome in the middle east. You should come to grips with the terrible failure that you and yours have caused in the world.

[lestb35]

The General fails to expand on what the USA is to do AFTER the pullout. Come home and wait for Al-queda's influence to grow in Iraq with their sights aimed at us. That doesn't sound like a very good strategy to me.

[j4401]

Bush has been very successful in making lots of money for certain individuals. Why would they pull the plug on that golden goose?

[kstrisha]

Quote:

...The general accused Bush of squandering U.S. lives and helping Iran and al Qaeda when he invaded Iraq.

"The challenge we face today is not how to win in Iraq; it is how to recover from a strategic mistake: invading Iraq in the first place," he said. "The president has let (the Iraq war) proceed on automatic pilot, making no corrections in the face of accumulating evidence that his strategy is failing and cannot be rescued. He lets the United States fly further and further into trouble, squandering its influence, money and blood, facilitating the gains of our enemies."

Odom said he doesn't favor congressional involvement in the execution of foreign and military policy, but argued that Bush had been derelict in his responsibilities...

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Bush is the biggest enabler of Iran and al Qaeda.

[j4401]

The only way we are going to get out of Iraq is when the news media starts reporting the real reasons we are there. It is all about supplementing certain special individuals incomes not about promoting democracy.

[pstubs]

Has it occurred to anyone that we are being "led" by someone who is mentally ill, and whose buddies aren't willing to admit that the emperor has no clothes? Has the man appointed ANYONE who can pass an ethics investigation? It's just flat-assed depressing!