Congressional Battle Over Iraq Heats Up
Federal Probe Concludes $19B Wasted On Training Iraqi Troops
-
Play CBS Video Video Iraqi Forces Found Lacking Criticism of the Iraq war intensified in Congress on the heels of a new investigation that concluded Iraqi forces are not ready to take over the nation's security operations. Jim Axelrod reports.
-
Video Hotel Attacked In Baghdad At least five Sunni tribal leaders who had joined forces with the U.S. are dead after a suicide attack on a hotel in Baghdad. Lara Logan reports Iraqis are viewing the bombing as al Qaeda's revenge.
-
Video Blast Rocks Baghdad Hotel A devastating blast, said to be the work of a suicide bomber, ripped through the lobby of a major hotel in central Baghdad, killing at least nine people. Lara Logan reports.
-
-
Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., told reporters Tuesday June 26, 2007: "The president has an opportunity now to bring about a bipartisan foreign policy. I don't think he'll have that option very long." (AP Photo/Lauren Victoria Burke)
-
Iraqis gather around a car that was hit by small arms fire in the Shiite enclave of Sadr City in Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, June 27, 2007. According to eyewitnesses, a U.S. military patrol opened fire after getting stuck in a traffic jam. Two civilians were killed and three were wounded in the shootout. The U.S. military did not comment. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)
-
An armed man checks cars coming to Buhriz, 35 miles north of Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, June 25, 2007, after locals were tipped off of a possible al Qaeda attack on their village. (AP Photo)
-
The bombed out lobby of the Mansour Hotel, Baghdad, June 25, 2007. (AP)
-
Iraqis inspect rubble after a suicide blast as bodies lay on the floor at the Mansour hotel in central Baghdad, June 25, 2007. (AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images)
-
-
Interactive Iraq: 4 Years Later The conflict wears on as the nation struggles to rebuild.
-
Photo Essay Baghdad Orphanage Horror U.S., Iraqi soldiers rescue 24 severely malnourished and abused boys.
-
Photo Essay Iraq In Pictures A daily diary with scenes of the latest attacks and snapshots from the effort to rebuild a nation.
"We gave the president an opportunity a few months ago for a bipartisan solution to Iraq," said co-chair Lee H. Hamilton. "He chose not to follow that immediately. I think the realities on the ground have made our proposals more attractive."
The House of Representatives passed a bill providing a million dollars to reconstitute Baker-Hamilton, adds Axelrod. Hamilton says while conditions in Iraq have changed since their initial report last fall, their main point has not: the security of Baghdad's neighborhoods shouldn't be the priority for U.S. forces — training Iraqi troops should be.
"I mean, the only way you really get out of there is to make that the primary mission of U.S. forces," said Hamilton.
But a Congressional investigation concludes that after spending $19 billion on exactly that, the Iraqi security forces are not yet ready to assume responsibility for the nation's security, Axelrod reports.
Investigators charge that the Department of Defense cannot report how many of the 346,500 Iraqi military and police personnel are operational today.
In other developments:
CBS News chief Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer said a GOP senator told him that even Republican senators who will support the president publicly are not enthusiastic about the surge strategy.
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- next
See all 66 CommentsYou can tell election time is nearing, such cries of indignation, and out rage. The American people have been taking the high-hard-one for so long they are getting use to it.
Our form of government is evolving into something that the designers were trying to prevent, a government owned, and run by big business.
American people don't know the price that has been paid by our past generations, so they are going to have to suffer a fools fate.
We have to take control of our government, and restrict the abilities of government contractors, and large corporations.
Democracy is dissapearing, and the true intent of our form of government is rapidly becomming a thing of the past. What rules our country now is greed, lies, and citizens who just don't care.
The problem now if for this bipartisan 'leadership' to weasel their way off the gallows. Now, when it is perfectly obvious that the case for war was built on lies, that all of these people died for nothing...they want to distance themselves from the political fallout. Bush could not have accomplished what he has without their complicity. Hang 'em High!
More of Bush's Progress. His surge isn't going to work. Of course, many generals already knew that. Bush doubled down on more American lives and lost. He'll keep losing. That's what he does.
Don't be fooled folks, elections are getting closer and that is the only reason for their actions and you will see more and more of them jumping ship. But remember their past when it is time to vote, they think everybody will forget with time.
The biggest problem is that they still think the same way, they change their view of the invasion ONLY to save the job they have.
Thanks to the Shrub, several million Iraqi's have an excellent reason- revenge! I can only pray that they are more understanding, and forgiving, than our own neocons have been.
Posted by ubrew12 at 01:47 AM : Jun 28, 2007
Actually, in the eyes of many in the ME, Al Qaeda and many people in the ME have every reason to despise the US. We are perceived as the puppet masters for Israel. We not only provide billions in welfare since Israel's inception; whenever there is an altercation or event, we side with Israel even when we know they are wrong. if you want a bird's eye view of how the world views America with Israel--remember the invasion of Lebanon last yr. Remember it started NOT with kidnapping but with 2 unprovoked strikes by Israel into Palestine--both killed civilians not terrorists (one group on a picnic another in a minivan) when Israel and Hezbollah started, we warned the world to let the two countries sort it out and to mind their own business and within days, we were fed exing cluster bombs to Israel. So much for staying out. To many, to strike at America is finally to strike at the true master instead of the puppet. So in many minds the strike by Al Qaeda was long over due. We pay for the company we keep. Not that we should not support Israel. But if we claim to be brokers for peace--we might want to support peace instead of either side after 40 years of fighting and killing.
Several thousand Al-Qaida members had no good reason to attack us on 9-11.
Thanks to the Shrub, several million Iraqi's have an excellent reason- revenge! I can only pray that they are more understanding, and forgiving, than our own neocons have been.
It is the same here in Australia, we are bombarded and saturated by the medias with similar headlines about shalow celebrities.There are so many more worthwhile topics.
So when cars come through that need to be checked and they are advised for the sake of their families or themselves not to (an no Americans are around) they wave them through. Why should they get blown up helping invaders have a victory in their own country? This is sooo obvious...understand this:
WHEN YOU INVADE A COUNTRY, THE PEOPLE ARE NEVER YOUR FRIENDS, THEY WILL NEVER LIKE YOU AND IF YOU KILL/HARM THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS AND DESTROY THEIR CITIES, THEY WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU.
Iraqis are pragmatic, they have to eat. So they sign up for the jobs and take the check. Then 25% or more don't even bother to come in to work--except for the true collaborators. They are bought men, they are tolerated since they often play both sides, but if they go too far in cooperating (like the Sheiks did) they are killed. The Iraqis are not on our side, even the ones we pay for aren't. They go to the highest bidder, and in their best possible world, if they can get paid by the US AND take a bribe to let a bomber into the green zone or elsewhere--more money. so much the better. Smarten UP America.
"I mean, the only way you really get out of there is to make that the primary mission of U.S. forces," said Hamilton. "
This is NOT possible. We try to act like the people causing the bombings and terror attacks and the Iraqi forces are 2 very different group of people. They are not. Many in the military and police also are in the insurgency or death militias or maybe even work in crime rings, kidnapping and extorting. Many of the business leaders and local governments all wear several hats also. So no training will help. The military will still look the other way and let bombers in for a few bucks, if their cell leader says so. the police and army will still go on retaliatory raids, if their mullah dictates it. You cannot train a group to stand up when that same group undermines itself. If you want to know why this is so--(and the answer is obvious) see my next post.
Everything Bu$h has done has been a failure.
Learn.
---
You appear to have made up your mind, Mr. Fungo (1) Zionists can do wrong in the name of self-defense (2) None in the Bush regime has the slightest connection with the foreign interests of Israel.
In point of fact, those Israelis dancing in the parking lot as the WTC went up in flames in the distance casts a pall on your pretense of fairness. Certain Israeli factions could not be happier than to have American military assets thrown around the MidEast with abandon-- just as their poodle, Bush2, has done for them.
Your rant also suggests you never heard a complaint from Gaza you could recognize as a legitimate grievance. Your contempt for the Palestinians is all too clear in your remarks about the Fatah-Hamas struggle.
In fact, both Israeli and Palestinian arguments have their demerits, and like most multigeneration-long disputes, the blame is not easy to assign. The most important notion to grasp, if you can, is to avoid all hate-mongers' and their extremist, black-and-white rationales.
However, if we don't elect better represetatives and then get them out before they learn to really screw us then we are doomed to this type of government. Oh yea, it was not just the south that elected the Bushman, twice. There were plenty doen here that voted against him.
Posted by ainttaken at 08:38 PM : Jun 27, 2007
Sorry to disagree, but a losing strategy, even if it were to have been effectively, would still have produced the same results eventually.
The reason: because a standing army can not defeat a competent guerilla forces who has the support of the local populace.
----
$19 billion and they can't even TELL us what that huge expenditure has produced. Really gives one confidence, eh?
In classic Bush style he'll do what he's done his whole life...he'll let others clean up his mess for him. He's looking to punt Iraq to the next administration.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- next
See all 66 Comments