"War Czar" Nominee Doubts Iraqi Government

During Confirmation Hearing, Lute Questions Government's Capacity

(CBS/AP)  The general picked by President Bush to be his war adviser said Thursday he has serious concerns about the Iraqi government's ability to take control of its country, no matter how much pressure is applied by the United States.

"The question in my mind is not to what extent can we force them ... to a particular outcome but rather to what degree do they actually have the capacity themselves to produce that outcome," Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute said during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

And if the Iraqis are "pressed too hard, will we, in turn, end up with an outcome that isn't really worth the paper it's written on?" he added.

Lute's grim words cast fresh doubt on prospects of an easy U.S. withdrawal at a time Americans are increasingly impatient. In an AP-Ipsos poll released Thursday, just 28 percent said they are satisfied with Bush's handling of the war — numbers that are affecting Republicans as well as Democrats on Capitol Hill.

More than 3,500 U.S. troops have died since the Iraq war began in March 2003.

During the hearing, Senator Evan Bayh, D-Ind., unexpectedly unveiled the latest intelligence assessment on the war, reports CBS News national security correspondent David Martin.

"The trend in Iraq is negative," Bayh said. "That there are occasional bright spots—for example, some developments in Al Anbar province—but that those positive developments are within the context of an overall negative trend."

"Wake up," said Sen. John Warner, R-Va., in response to Lute's suggestion that Americans should be mindful that democracy in Baghdad in still in an embryonic stage. "We're paying a heavy price for them to establish this government."

Democrats, including committee chairman Carl Levin, say U.S. troops should begin to pull out of Iraq to put pressure on the Iraqis to take more responsibility and make political agreements that could help calm sectarian violence.

"I think they lack will, not capacity," said Levin, D-Mich.

However, he added, if Baghdad does lack the ability to take control of its country, then Bush's decision to send thousands more troops into Baghdad and Anbar province is useless.

"How do you then justify a surge (in U.S. forces) whose purpose is to give breathing space to a government that, by your testimony, you doubt has the capacity to make the political reconciliation compromises?" Levin asked.

Lute responded: "I am concerned about the capacity of this government. But I haven't passed final judgment on them."

Last month, Bush signed war spending legislation that — for the first time in the four-year war — conditioned U.S. aid for the Iraqis on Baghdad's ability to meet certain milestones. Bush can waive the restriction if he wants.

When pressed by Levin on whether the U.S. should do more to pressure the Iraqis, Lute said Baghdad is already keenly aware that it has a "golden opportunity" and that time is running out. But with the Iraqi government up and running for only about a year, Lute said there are limits to what it can do.

"I think that this isn't solely a question of leverage," he said.

Bush this month nominated Lute to become deputy national security adviser on Iraq and Afghanistan, a newly created position intended to reach across agency bureaucracies and better execute the president's policy on the two wars.

Lute said he will work closely with Bush National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, who will have a broader portfolio, as well as Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Peter Pace.

Lawmakers indicated they would support Lute's nomination, but said Bush's decision to create the new position raised questions.

"If those other individuals were properly doing their job, this position wouldn't be necessary," said Sen. James Webb, D-Va., referring to other administration officials with purview over Iraq policy.

Added Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., a Democratic presidential contender: "I wish you well in a position many of us believe is an impossible one."

In his testimony, the three-star general confirmed news reports that he had been skeptical of the troop buildup in Iraq. Bush announced in January he planned to send 21,500 more combat troops to Baghdad and the western Anbar province to improve security; military officials are expected to provide a progress report in September.

During the White House strategy review, "I registered concerns that a military 'surge' would likely have only temporary and localized effects unless it were accompanied by counterpart 'surges' by the Iraqi government and the other, nonmilitary agencies of the U.S. government," according to written testimony Lute provided the panel.

On Thursday, Lute said early results of the U.S. troop buildup in Iraq were mixed.

"I'd assess at this point that the Iraqi participation in the surge has been uneven so far," he said. "And I think we're in the early days, and time will tell."

[cfin5]

The way out of there is simple. We purchased their freedom(OUR MISSION ACCOMPLISHED), now it's up to them to keep it(THEIR MISSION START POINT). If they do not, too bad. We are out of there "or" start charging them for their security. No more "free"(for them) nation building welfare programs......Ever read a sign that said, "DO NOT FEED THE SQUIRRELS"? What does that mean and why is this situation any different?

[infidel_us]

"We're paying a heavy price for them to establish this government."

IMO we're paying TOO heavy a price. This is the Iraqi government that wanted to take 2 months off for freakin' summer vacation!!!! That's what turned me against helping them any further.

If we are expecting the Iraqi parlament to step up and lead, we're gonna be there till 2050.

[feelfree1]

Re: "The trend in Iraq is negative," Bayh said. "That there are occasional bright spots%u2014for example, some developments in Al Anbar province%u2014but that those positive developments are within the context of an overall negative trend."

This is about as close as we will get to an admission of defeat, from our 'war czar'.

Our only remaining option seems to be to withdraw while we still can.

"Wake up," said Sen. John Warner, R-Va., in response to Lute's suggestion that Americans should be mindful that democracy in Baghdad in still in an embryonic stage. "We're paying a heavy price for them to establish this government."

The quazi-puppet government of Iraq was never viewed as being legitimate by very many people, other than the Western corporate media, and its victims. The Iraq puppet officials will be fleeing for their lives before long.

I certainly hope they do not come here. We sould build a wall...

[toldyouso21]

Never ask people whose job is on the line--how they think they are doing--they have a vested interest.....in that, their job is on the line. Not many are going to say --that situation is going very badly or is fvcked--after all--to ask for an assessment is basically to ask them to self evaluate the job they are doing. Most people do not deliberately hamstring their own jobs.

Best to have the ISG or another group go and look--what military commander would say: "It is FUBAR and I don't know how to fix it but I'm told to buy more time" If the public did not pull the plug on such a person for the statements--his employer surely would.

[toldyouso21]

We will again open the doors to allow slaughter of the inocent. Another shame for America. Where is the Peace with honor? Posted by STANTACLAUS at 09:31 PM : Jun 07, 2007


Who the fvck do you think is being slaughtered right now? Who among the Iraqis deserved to die for our invasion? Who among them deserved the bombs of this war? What did they do to cause this? Dare to defy the invaders? or was it their desire to kill the collaborators among them? They are all innocents--we are the bad guys in all of this--it is the role we cannot change--because no one asked for us to invade them--from the minute American bombs fell--innocent people were killed. We have no halo--and winning in this is no different than Cho thinking he could "win" at Virginia tech. *** kind of game do you think we are playing at? Where "winning" trumps the lives our actions helped to destroy?

[toldyouso21]

Obviously the Bush strategy for candidates is to present people who pretend to be honest about Iraq and softly question policies--but who in reality are still in the pocket of the administration.

If one listens carefully to the testimony of Petraeus, Gates, and Lute: they are speaking out of both sides of their two or three faces--on the one hand it is a mess that probably will get worse--on the other, after they are appointed, they see the need to prolong the impossibilities because it also means prolonging their appointments.

Even Petraeus tries to parse words to sort of tell the truth while at the same time trying to pretend we have made real progress.
The goal is to keep the war going by hook or by crook.

At no time, in January or even March of 2007, did you find Bush saying that the surge may take 10 to 50 years or that it would maybe not succeed, The day of reckoning keeps being postponed--first it was by Spring (anyone remember that?) then it got moved to September--then many acted like that date never was uttered and started talking Oct and Nov--now Petraeus and others are saying YEARS or NEXT summer and Gates is saying for the UMPteenth time---that our patience is running out. That was an accurate statement in 2005. Now it is a very bad, very sad joke. Gates, Petraeus and maybe soon to be Lute--better realize: It's not just the Iraqis who are trying our patience, our patience is almost out for the lies, and stall tactics of them and Bush also.

[kansas1946]

My, my. The truth finally comes out. The thing that Bush and his neo-con war hawks never learned is that you can not force a democracy on a people. They must fight for and earn that themselves. Iraqis do not want a democracy. They only want their sect to be in power so they can control the rest of the sects. The Iraqis have had every chance in the world to establish a democracy in the last four years, but all the sects are instead, killing each other.
In the 1700s in this country, a rag-tag bunch of farmers and a few marvelous thinkers fought for a democracy against the powerful British army, with very little training, and even less in equipment. They won because they wanted it so badly. Again, Iraqis do not want a democracy and we can not manufacture one for them. We either babysit Iraq and consistantly lose Americans there for the next fifty years, or we leave. Americans just need to decide which.

[stantaclaus]

The USA has been unsuccessful helping IRAQ take controll of it's country. How the @#$% do they expect IRAQ to do it themselves? They simply do not have the capability nor do we in helping them because we are too civilized and let the civil rights protestors run the war.. IRAQ is Vietnam all over again. I certain of this. Again, we will eventually leave like we did in Vietnam. We will again open the doors to allow slaughter of the inocent. Another shame for America. Where is the Peace with honor?Please.....Let's kick *** and let our soldiers fight without their hands tied up; without the press initiating antiwar groups. Peace has a price.......so let's pay it. Support our troups and let us win this thing once and for all. Cut the out cancer in Bagdad......period. The turning point in this war will be when we have the freedom to go into the kill zone and do our job to eliminate the insurgents by playing their game. War has no room for nice guys....they finish last......they lose!!!

[forthepeopl1]

YES TIME WILL TELL US ALL HAT I HAVE BEEN SAYING HERE FOR A VERY LONG TIME NOW.

MORE TIME FOR THE BUSHIES TO MAKE BILLIONS MORE AND THOUSAND OF AMERICANS DEAD..

SO JUST KEEP IT UP AMERICA AND DO NOTHING GO AHEAD AND DO NOTHING..

THIS IS THE SADDEST DAYS OF THIS COUNTRY.....

AND YOU ALL SO CALLED AMERICANS ARE TO BLAIM BECAUSE YOU ARE DOING NOTHING