WASHINGTON, July 15, 2007
Baghdad Is Too Hot For Iraqi Leaders?
Bob Schieffer: The Iraqi Parliament's August Vacation Is Too Much
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Play CBS Video Video FTN: Bob Schieffer Commentary Bob Schieffer comments on the Iraqi Parliament's summer vacation on Face the Nation.
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(Getty Images)
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Interactive Battle For Iraq The government, the insurgency, key players, background and photos.
I am still not sure that I believe it: The Iraqi parliament is going on vacation during the month of August.
The White House offers the lame excuse that, after all, Baghdad is hot in August – sometimes 130 degrees.
May I ask a follow-up?
How much hotter do you suppose it is if you are a wearing a helmet, full body armor, carrying ammunition and walking foot patrols through Baghdad?
The last I heard, that is how American troops are spending their August in Iraq.
For me, this does it.
God help the Iraqi people because there is not much America can do to help a government that leaves Americans dying in the streets while the parliament escapes to cooler climes.
Does this mean we should pull out immediately?
No. A sudden withdrawal could set the entire region aflame. The truth is there are no good options left. But from here on, we need to put aside the dream of building a democracy in Iraq and focus solely on what is in our national interest.
It won't be pretty, but for all our good intentions, about all we can do now is try to contain this mess, pull our troops back from the middle of this civil war, and concentrate instead on the terrorist threat that this country faces around the world.
As for what kind of government Iraq needs, let their parliament figure it out. They can get right on it when the Baghdad weather turns cooler.
By Bob Schieffer
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
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See all 55 CommentsLet's NEVER forget that BUSH WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE PROBLEMS IN THE FIRST PLACE.
We should definitely pull our troops out but one must not blame the mess on the Iraqis.
Bush was told repeatedly not to go into Iraq because winning a war with bombs and F18s is easy but keeping the peace is not.
I can't help but thinking that Iraqis were better off under Saddam compared to being under the current bunch of puppet nincompoops.
Under Sadam, things were in control. There were no insurgencies and Baghdad was a beautiful city. Now, all you see everywhere is tanks and marines. The politicians are enjoying the new found American-donated power and taking vacations while the children are surrounded by blood, bodies and rubble.
This is one of the worst times in history - thanks to Bush.
Consider: The Parliament is dysfunctional and the Constitution is unworkable in effect due to the manner in which both were established. Both must be in congruence with the Iraqi life style. Sectarian life style does not permit the United States to write or appoint either to react successfully and the Parliament has known this for some time but without the steadfastness to break the heads of the State Department%u2019s necessity to MAKE IT WORK OR ELSE.
Another bump in the mission erupted when the Parliament realized the Oil Project document was sternly well bent towards apposing any division of oil revenue in favor of the Iraqi people. The largest portion was allocated through the equation to outsiders which were large oil companies and others including U.S. This was determined by the leaders to be not in their best interests and consequently was shelved for the time being.
Disregard the hot weather - the environment within the politics is even hotter.
William J Clemons
willclem@grics.net
When it comes to highest standard of education and educational performace, lowest obesity rates, lowest crime rates, amount of time spent exercising, lowest murder rate, fewest rapes, lowest divorce rates, fewest High School dropouts etc,etc
The states that reflect well in these catagories are Massachussetts, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire....The states that rank at the bottom? Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, South Carolina, Louisiana.
Liberals states dominate. Absolutey dominate.
As for attacking Schieffer as a liberal?
He has supported this war from the begining and held on long after most sane people understood it to be a failure.
Calling him out as a partisan is ridiculous and suggests someone has been listening to a certain college flunky known to take abuse pain pills, suffer from erectile dysfunction and show a complete lack of political understanding on a certain radio program
TEMPERATURES OF 160 OR MORE!!
IF YOU GIVE HER TYLENOL, THE NUMBER IS 200!
thats assaulting an officer, you all got a gold star, a congressional medal of honor. di d you kno that more than 99 percent of crimes are committed by those age five and less and that more than 99 percent of psankings go to kids age five and less and that over 99 percent of thaose spoankings are rewarded with gold stars? (imaginary ones of course, saves resource sdepletion and enviironment pollution and rhetorical disparityies)
maybe if more people would spank their naked lazy ignorant profane hungrey tired lonely bored scared lusty sad sleepy officars that the worlt wood be a more pervfect etrernity!
we appreciate ewe!
All your flamboyant opinions don't mean anything. Where are the facts?
Also you didn't answer my question. Or is that you can't.
Posted by drummer94 at 12:42 PM : Jul 16, 2007
........ so drummerboy, you and the rest of your liberal pals are OK with 16,185 Americans being killed in America every year????
Is this what you call Social Justice ??
Really sad......... let's hear some more "EXCUSES" from the contaminated liberals.
OR are we just going to "continue" to ignore this crime???
I thought this was what it was about all along, except our national interests were never accurately outlined.
First it was WMD, then liberation, then democratization and now a peaceful Baghdad.
When the story keeps changing and we are suppose to forget what the previous reason was, it is hard to understand WHAT our national interests truly are, except the oil.
What is your problem? Schiffer is only reporting the true facts.
The Iraqi parliment is taking the month of August for a vacation. Our troops are DYING every day while they are on vacation.
And that is OK with you???
And don't bleep at me about US Congress taking a vacation. We don't have foreign troops occupying our country while trying to establish a govn.
Good question! Where the heck has Cheney been? At another undesclosed location? I guess since the insurgency is in it's final throes, he decided to go on summer vacation with the Iraqi parlement!
Look, this was a ill conceived war that was hyped by Bush/Cheney and the neocons with the mistaken idea that we could spread American style democracy throughout the middle east. They were wrong.
Second, the war was terribly managed. At every turn, where there were choices to be made, this administration made the wrong ones.
Now, 4 1/2 years later, with billions of dollars spent and tens of thousands of lives lost, we find ourselves in the middle of a civil war -- and no end in sight.
"Best" way out? Sorry pal, but the opportunity for a "best way out" is long, long passed.
Yes. It is possible (as we learned in Vietnam) to screw things up so badly that victory is indeed unattainable.
So, you can keep on hoping against hope that some miracle is going to happen, or you can accept reality.
Posted by drummer94 at 12:27 PM : Jul 16, 2007
......drummer94, I guess I'm dealing with another clueless liberal.
985 Americans were killed in Iraq in 2006
16,185 Americans were killed in America in 2006
Most of the 16,185 were killed in your "deep blue" cities drummer94. Cities where liberal Democrats like you have had "one party rule" for DECADES AND GENERATIONS.
dummerboy, if you want to save "Americans" from being killed START IN YOUR OWN LOCAL "DEEP BLUE" CITY.
And the ENABLERS of these killings, 16,185 our America's CORRUPT LIBERAL MSM WOLFPACK PRESS sho refuse to "shine any light".
Really sad .......and Really TRUE.
Posted by briannorwood at 12:17 PM : Jul 16, 2007
........briannorwood, get a clue, liberal, all Americans want our troops home no one more than our President.
The issue is what's the "best" way to accomplish that while leaving in place a government that was "elected by the people for the people"
Get it? clueless
You still drinking the Kool-aid? In case you didn't notice, there are only about 20% of you who still think we should stay in Iraq. The rest of us have come to our senses!
Our Congress is also going on a month long break and we in America ALSO have very important issues to resolve.
But Bob, I never hear you or your corrupt liberal news/political station going after our own Democrat controlled Congress........I wonder why?
CBS (Corrupt Broadcasting Station) do you really think you have any "credibility left" ??
Your are only credible to those folks that you have "contaminated with your left-wing" propaganda for the past serveral decades.
Really sad......
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