The State Of The Surge

CBS Exclusive: Iraqi Prime Minister Says Security Plan Is Helping, Despite Shortages And Suffering

(CBS)  In his first American television interview since the U.S. troop surge began in February, Iraq's prime minister told CBS News chief foreign correspondent Lara Logan on Tuesday that the additional forces have prevented an even greater catastrophe in Iraq.

"If the Baghdad security plan had not been implemented, we would have a true civil war in Iraq,” Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said.

But Iraqis on the streets of Baghdad say security is worse. Murders went down, but they are coming up back up again. There are still bombs every day. What's al-Maliki's sense of the quality of life to Iraqi people?

"There are great shortages in Baghdad because it's the capital and it faces the greatest terrorist threat," he told Logan.

Despite this month's deadly toll on U.S. forces, Maliki said there have been many victories in breaking up al Qaeda and other militant cells. Although he cautioned it was too soon to do a complete evaluation of the surge, he has great hopes for more progress in the next two or three months — just in time for America's top commander here to report to Congress.

Meanwhile, CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports that all the troops for the surge are now in Iraq and U.S. military officers say American casualties are likely to go still higher when operations hit full throttle next month.

Compounding that grim forecast, Stephen Biddle, an adviser to the American commander in Iraq, says the odds for success are long.

"If I had to put a number to it, maybe it's a 1-in-10, maybe it's a 1-in-5 long shot if we play our cards right. There's no question that this is likelier to fail than succeed as this point," Biddle said.

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Only On The Web: Watch more of David Martin's interview with the Council on Foreign Relations' Stephen Biddle.

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In an effort to wipe out insurgent strongholds, U.S. troops will be moving into parts of Baghdad and the surrounding countryside, where they have never been before. But even with the surge, former Marine Bing West says there aren't enough troops to chase insurgents all over Iraq.

"These insurgents move 60 to 100 kilometers in a night, and all of Iraq is so flat, has such terrific highways, that you can scoot very quickly from place to place," said West.

According to Biddle, success depends on coercing insurgent factions into accepting a cease-fire.

"One hundred and sixty thousand troops is not enough to secure the whole country, but it's a powerful source of sticks and carrots if we start using it selectively to reward those who will cooperate and consider cease-fires and to punish those who won't," Biddle says.

There are cease-fire negotiations going on with insurgents. But for now, one military officer said: "they're out to kill us, and we're out to kill them."

[smirk5]

Al-Malaki's word is worthless. He thought that Iraq security forces could take over security for all of Iraq by this June.
"I can say that Iraqi forces will be ready, fully ready to receive this command and to command its own forces, and I can tell you that by next June our forces will be ready," al-Maliki said in an interview with ABC News.
Maliki said this in 2006.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,233178,00.html

[joenc-2009]

"With out the surge things would be worse."

Yet another indicator of success in Iraq.

[micma-2009]

Things are getting worse every day but they'd be worse still if we weren't staying the course indefinitely.

Wow, heck of a job Bush.

[feelfree1]

"If the Baghdad security plan had not been implemented, we would have a true civil war in Iraq,%u201D claims the puppet-Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

Re: "There are great shortages in Baghdad because it's the capital and it faces the greatest terrorist threat," he told Logan.

Plus there is a massive illegal occupation of Iraq that has destroyed this country, and puppet-rulers working to loot the country. That probably also played a role.

The make-believe 'terrorist' threat is probably far less significant.

[reel-crazy]

I doubt it would matter whatsoever if we had a ten million troops in Iraq.

The real problem is that these barbaric savages are just like rats. For every rat you see above the ground, there are a thousand underground. It seems overly obvious that this will never be a winning battle, as these mentally distorted people have no respect for the human lives of their own Iraqi citizens, as well as their own meager existence...

[drummer94]

"we would have a true civil war in Iraq." Uh huh. As opposed to a non-true? See George W. Bush. "I think that this gobbedlygook and the outcome will be klohjfds and we will have oilkjhuyhjdes and Osama is wrdghdkloiu. So help me god".

[norcalruss]

Ten US GIs killed on Memorial Day alone, bombings and murders on the rise. Yup,sure sounds like that Bush/McCain SURGE is really working well. Do you suppose the BS express will be going back to Baghdad any time soon proclaiming just how GREAT everything is and how the press just has it all WRONG? Maybe another Mission Accomplished*, or *We are turning a corner* speech from the DECIDER will boost morale. How long before the WH faces the reality that this is a failure? My guess is, privately, they will probably admit it before the General Patraeus report in September but will be forced to do so publicly at that time.

[feelfree1]

Reel-Crazy,

Re: "The real problem is that these barbaric savages are just like rats."

That might make it easier for you to excuse the continuance of the U.S. murdering and torturing them, in a fraud-based illegal war, but it does not make it true.

Want to see a savage? Find a mirror.

[feelfree1]

The 'state' of the 'Bush-bulge'?

Pittiful. Out of Iraq!

www.ipetitions.com/petition/OutNow

[feelfree1]

How many U.S. soldiers dead so far this month?

Official total- 117 dead, with two bloody days left in the month.

How many U.S. soldiers will the Bush regime end up killing for no good reason, before they are finished?

www.ipetitions.com/petition/OutNow

We need them out of their, ASAP, so that we can focus on bringing the Bush regime members and accomplices before a war crimes tribunal.

[vinepetal904]

' ... if moses can make an argument potent enough to launch a war, then moses can make an argument potent enough to require no war at all ... the first u.s. congress suffered the same prematurity ... i will never cease to be amazed by the enormous numbers of brilliant researchers who fail to gather the correct amount of evidence required to unjustify a war ... more astounding is the enormous lack of strategy that sends brilliant generals to battle for lack of enough evidence to unjustify a war ... '

[joenc-2009]

The mark of a true Bush policy is that when it fails (as they tend to do), its supporters come out and describe just how bad things would have been without it.

They say "Just imagine how bad things would be if Bush had never been President" ... and that's their defense of his failure.

It could be worse, could be raining.

[andrew_693]

But off course the surge is a success, a success for the pockets of Maliki, his puppet government and the Bush administration. As long as the US is tied up there money rolls in by the billions. Probably the world's hunger could have been resolved by now (thats just as far fetched as winning in iraq and bringing democracy and american values where you can the elections from now on but probably more realistic since the one's you are trying to help are shooting at you) had we spent that money on something else, maybe social security would have been saved. What a failure and waste of lives.

[nyckate]

Reel-Crazy - that the middle eastern people are violent and barbaric is news only to the morons who backed bush, cheered bush and now defend Bush.

That the arabs in iraq have been warring with each other for over 13 centuries is NOT news. It would have taken about 3 minutes search on Google. So sorry - that the arabs in iraq are violent barbaric people is NOT an excuse for Bush's invasion and **** poor occupation plans of Iraq. It's not the iraqis fault that Bush invaded and put our troops there - it is the fault of Bush, his cohorts and the morons who cheer him on.

[jerr11]

The state of the surge is:

May -- 116 DEAD Americans to come back in body bags, the most deadly month since 2004!

Killed by the henchmen of this Shia monster, close buddy of Saddam's stand-in Moqtada al Sadr.

Great going, Bush!

[tylenol6]

My question: Is the Iraqi government STILL TAKING
A 2 MONTH VACATION while our troop surge is taking
place??????? I have not heard anything about this.
The news media has not reported anything lately
about it.

[bluestardad]

GO LIVE IN FRANCE OR ISRAEL YOU BUSH LAP DOG!

THE ENTIRE MIDDLE EAST IS NOT WORTH ONE MORE AMERICAN DROP OF BLOOD!

HEY MAYBE CHENEY WILL LET YOU WORK FOR HALIBURTON?

[tbweb]

tylenol6 wrote:

My question: Is the Iraqi government STILL TAKING
A 2 MONTH VACATION while our troop surge is taking
place??????? I have not heard anything about this.
The news media has not reported anything lately
about it.

tylenol6,,,

The last I heard was they cut their vacation down from 2 months to 2 weeks. But still, the idea of any vacation at all with the current crisis in Iraq staggers the imagination!

Posted by tylenol6 at 09:09 PM : May 29, 2007

[tbweb]

I think I speak for every American in saying that knowing what we all know now, whether you are for the Iraq war or against it, no way should the U.S. have invaded Iraq! I think that about covers it! Even if some may argue that had it been managed better it would have been okay I still think the answer would be a resounding no way!

[gkc99]

Bushit predicts a bloody summer of the "surge".

Too bad some of the blood isnt that of the lying neocons who got us into this optional war in the first place.

[markster6]

As Mr. Biddle states in the above article "success depends on coercing insurgent factions into accepting a cease-fire".

We should have recognized before this war even began that the Sunni's would never take a back seat to the *****'s in Iraq.

[alphaa10-2009]

Did Maliki say something about "light at the end of the tunnel"?

Those familiar with insurgent tactics know they move where US troops are not. When a neighborhood is swept and US troops depart, the usual suspects return. Locals know better than to involve themselves in cooperative efforts, when US troops must withdraw to cover another operation.

This is eerily like the "mopping up" done by US troops after Tet. Those who had established and public relationships with the American occupiers were found brutally butchered. In similar fashion, those Shia who trusted in George Bush, Sr. to protect them from Saddam after GW1 were slaughtered within view of US troops.

And now, only 15 years later, what did we expect Maliki to say? "Thanks for the Band Aid"?

[nyckate]

tylenol6 - it's past time to admit that there is no real news left in the US anymore - there is no "walter Conkrite" of this generation -- for all the whing and whinging of the bushie neocons there is no liberal-leftist media machine either - there's corporate news and then there's faux.

[norcalruss]

Posted by nyckate at 09

tylenol6 - it's past time to admit that there is no real news left in the US anymore - there is no "walter Conkrite" of this generation -- for all the whing and whinging of the bushie neocons there is no liberal-leftist media machine either - there's corporate news and then there's faux.

I think most intelligent people agree with what you said. But the desperate right wing nut jobs, neo tards, and the Bush apologists and bootlickers need to vilify someone or somebody for the abysmal failure of their Fuehrer, so why not KILL the messenger bearing the bad news? Problem is it did not work for Tricky Dicky and will not for the Dopey Chimpy.

[tuckerndfw]

Maliki knows that when US forces finally leave Iraq, his neck will be in a noose. His treason against the Iraqi people will be punished.

Whatever he says is as irrelevant as anything Bozo Bush claims. Neither is a reliable source for credible information.

[feelfree1]

tuckerndfw,

Re: "Maliki knows that when US forces finally leave Iraq, his neck will be in a noose. His treason against the Iraqi people will be punished."

Agreed.

[agentkanis]

Glad our troops are brave....God knows the american people ain't

Vet of Iraq
and thanks for all the lack of support

[feelfree1]

Ecerpts from a letter allegedly written by an Iraq war vet, about the situation in Iraq:

"You ******* and that god-*** lying sack of *** they call a president are the reason my husband will never see his baby and my kid will never meet his dad."

"And you know what the most ******* up thing about this Iraq *** is? They don't want us there. They're not happy we came and they want us out NOW. We ******* up their lives even worse than they already were and they're pissed off. We didn't help them and we're not helping them now. That's what our soldiers are dying for."

"*** you, war supporters, George W. Bush, and all the god *** mother ******* who made the war possible. I hope you burn in hell."

www.craigslist.org/about/best/sfo/309485032.html

[tuckerndfw]

Glad our troops are brave....God knows the american people ain't

Posted by agentkanis at 10:16 PM : May 29, 2007

Based on my experience, soldiers are little different than the general population. Although soldiers do seem to be somewhat less intelligent and mature than civilians. Presumably, that's what attracts them to the idea of being told what to do and how to do it 24/7 by surrogate parents (aka "NCO's").

On the second point, the majority of Americans are demonstrably cowards as evidenced by the fact they re-elected the worst president in US history based on nothing more than him and his lackeys running around the nation screaming "TERRORISTS!!! TERRORISTS!! TERRORISTS!!!"

Which is quite humorous in a dark sort of way since the most violent and active terrorist organization on the planet is the Bush administration.

If I had my way, there would be no US soldiers who could claim to be "Iraq vets."

But, at this point, we can refer back to my initial remark regarding intelligence and maturity of the typical American soldier.

[middleman8]

THIS "surge" IS NOTHING BUT A g d COUNTER ATTACK THAT IS FAILING ALSO.

THE BIGEST MISTAKE OF THIS WHOLE EPISODE WAS SAVEING BUSH'S LIFE ON 9/11 .

[toldyouso21]

Al Maliki is an Iraqi who is collaborating with the forces that invaded his country. Never trust a man whose pay check is cut by the same man who lies about the war all the time.

This man has even forbade or had the numbers of dead fudged--saying to report the true numbers would make his country look worse than it really is. Hmmmmmmmm.

I trust nothing a person whose paycheck depends on our staying --says- After all, to say it is not working would be like laying himself off and when we go--his traitorous azz is toast.

Countries always kill those who collaborated, once their protection is gone.

[toldyouso21]

Bush's new plan B (which is really about plan K or M) to think up a new name for "the new surge that will be cleverly touted as a continuation of the old surge which is really not a surge more like a reinforced swell of an existing fighting contingency." after this latest surge fails in September (which will later be pushed back to October, then November and finally January as the 'really, really, really last date--cross Bush's heart)

This surge is nothing more than a repeat of last years surge--and only works until we leave--so it is not a surge--it is a permanent situation until the Iraqis find their backbone or murder all dissenters and put their own sub-puppets in place.

[tbweb]

In Baghdad today a convoy of over 40 vehicles drive up to the Iraqi Finance Ministry which is guarded by Shiite security and capture 5 hostages mainly identified as British without any questions being asked or any shots being fired. The U.S. Military claims most Iraqis know where the insurgents are, know where the IEDs are and are giving up U.S. positions which results in killing Americans literally at will. There is no way the U.S. can be successful in Iraq under these conditions and the U.S. should leave Iraq as soon as possible! This is now bordering on complete insanity, seriously. There is no way the U.S. can win under these conditions! I've said this from the very beginning. If you can't trust anyone and don't know who your real friends are this is nuts!

[incog-nito]

Contrary to what the title indicates, the article seems to have failed to draw any conclusion about the state of the surge. So let me go ahead and sum it up for you: It's a complete and total bust.

[randalds]

The only people (outside of the few neocon lunatics still out and about) who want us in Vietn....er....Iraq are some members of the alleged Iraqi government who are pretending to run the country while hiding in the Green Zone. In terms of wasted deaths or our troops, loss of American money and loss of American prestige and reputation around the world and throughout history, this has been the single worst thing that has ever happened to our country. There is no possible forgiveness for this mess. I am quite a liberal (as some have no doubt noticed) but I do support a death penalty in extreme cases, such as child murder and mass/serial killings. I believe the main architects of this war under Bush and Cheney qualify in the latter. For the good of humanity I hope there is a war crimes tribunal convened after this war crime that they have perpetrated on us and the world. And if, after a fair trial, people such as Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz and Feith are sentenced to death as people like Goering, Bormman, Frick and Frank. As a proud American and after a legal trial, I would support the death penalty for the lot of them.

[tbweb]

RandalDS wrote:

In terms of wasted deaths or our troops, loss of American money and loss of American prestige and reputation around the world and throughout history, this has been the single worst thing that has ever happened to our country. There is no possible forgiveness for this mess...

Posted by RandalDS at 01:54 AM : May 30, 2007

RandalDS,,,

My position is this; the possibility for success should exist and when it does not, American lives, money and resources are being wasted. I would like the U.S. to be successful in Iraq, I would like the U.S. to help the Iraqi people, I would like the U.S. to defeat its enemies in Iraq! But success is not possible because enough of the Iraqi people are aiding and helping the enemy and even when the Iraqis don't help the enemy, they have information that can help the U.S. but don't share it, so in effect that posture helps the enemy as well. The point is, the conditions that would make U.S. success possible don't exist and therefore the U.S. should cut its loses and leave Iraq now, not in September! There is no military solution and I don't think there is a political solution either! The conditions needed for success do not exist!

[incog-nito]

Four years, billions of dollars, and thousands of lives later, and the odds of winning are "maybe it's a 1-in-10, maybe it's a 1-in-5 long shot"?

Are we still "making good progress", President Bush?

[ramos937]

To tuckerndfw: You are completely off base in debasing the military. I oppose the Iraq war but as a young soldier put it, "It is possible to love the warrior but hate the war". Without these guys you and I would be speaking Russian.

I agree with most of the comments on the Iraq people. No matter how many lives we spend, billions, etc. we cannot win if we do not have the support of the Iraq people and we do not.

[iceman_1960]

In George W. Bush's State of the Union Adress, in Januuary 2007. he said: "And in 2005, the Iraqi people held three national elections... Despite endless threats from the killers in their midst, nearly 12 million Iraqi citizens came out to vote in a show of hope and solidarity that we should never forget."

Later in the address he said, "If American forces step back before Baghdad is secure, the Iraqi government would be overrun by extremists on all sides."

Now the question is this:

How could any extremists overrun the Iraqi government if those 12 million fearless Iraqi citizens stood up and supported it, in a show of hope and solidarity ?


BUSH HAS BEEN LYING ALL ALONG ABOUT THIS WAR, AND ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THOSE ELECTIONS.

[mcvet]

I wonder how the fascist and Bush's Brain will spin this failure? Simular to their Hero, I'll give you even to better odds that they blame it on American's.... Hitler wanted to kill all German's when it became obvious that his invasions had failed.

[iceman_1960]

"Maliki knows that when US forces finally leave Iraq, his neck will be in a noose. His treason against the Iraqi people will be punished."
- Posted by tuckerndfw at 09:59 PM : May 29, 2007

You think he'd stick around ?

He'd pull a "Shah of Iran" and flee the country, probably to Latin America.

[iceman_1960]

"Over the course of the next three to four months, we'll have some idea how well the plan's working. Early signs are indicating there is clearly some success on a number of fronts. But by the time we get to September or October, members are going to want to know how well this is working, and if it isn't, what's Plan B."
- John Boehner

Plan B: Get the h*ell out of Iraq.

[iceman_1960]

You've heard of the Fifth Beatle ?

Here's the Fourth Stooge:

http://wwwimage.cbsnews.com/images/2007/05/29/image2865255g.jpg

[jjp735i]

To be honest, it sounds more like spin from Bush or McCain. Things have "been getting better" has been reported from just about every lawmaker who supports Bush. Yet each and every time it turns out not to be the truth.

[luvny-2009]

Duh of course he's going to say it's working, he doesn't want us to leave. Only stupid Bush & Co would believe him... oh and of course Bush's cult followers.

[d3125]

If America deploy all its army in Iraq, I am pretty sure it will still lose the already lost war, because American army are full of criminals, child molesters, rapist and drug addicts. How do someone expect an uncivilized and savage like Americans to win a war? What kind of superpower was it, who cannot fight a few thousand ill trained iraqis? It is because Americans are cowards, all they can to bomb civilians and destroy nations, try to solve everything in the world by force and so embarrassingly fail. I am sure a day will come that America will pay compensation in trillions for its barbaric invasion for the iraqi people.

[pwrslm]

If we unleash hell on Iran and Syria, most of the Iraq problem will go away.

Iraqi's would actually support us then.

(oh, and only mental midgets conclude that the US Military is full of criminals, saying such things only represents Iranian interests and has nothing to do with the truth)

[gkc99]

It's time that the lying Bushites who got us into this war start shedding their blood in Iraq. I see Paul Wolfowitz is out of work--let this architect of our disaster enroll for front line work--he looks strong enough to carry a gun and to soak up IED shrapnel! And Darth Cheney's bad heart--give that man a beta-blocker and set him to driving one of those unarmored HVs that he arranged for our 18-20 year old young men and women to drive. One surely can't blame Bushit's own children for wanting to avoid their moronic father's war, but Bushit himself never finished his tour of duty--he went AWOL in Alabama and then New England--ship his A$$ to Iraq, give him a gun, and wish him "good luck boola boola boy"!!

[trillion1]

No more blood.

[gkc99]

Maliki--the new Chalabi, luring our young people to the slaughter for his own power and career. And Bushit trots him out as a credible source?

I hear Rummy might have some time to spend on the streets of Fallujah--that neocon lecture circuit where he rakes in 5- or 6- figure fees from fascists to spew his lies must leave him a bit of free time to help clean up the mess he made.

And all the Young Republicans who think war is so great--why don't you go fight in one, cowards?

Our soldiers are not criminals--they are decent people put in an impossible situation by immoral "leaders", brainwashed and threatened by the officer class, who are trying to stay alive. It might do their morale some good to see Bushit, Darth Chickenshithawk, Rummy, Wolfie, Brownie, Condie, and the rest of the rich neocon fascists leading the charge on the ground, bayonets fixed, rifles blazing.

Let the real criminals, the Bushshytes, pay the price of the Iraq war!