WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 2007

Is Iraq A Failed State?

Senators With Dueling Prognoses Of Iraq And the Success of the Surge

  • Senators Joseph Biden, D-Del., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., shared opposing view sof the success of the surge in Iraq and the prognosis for a successful central government in Baghdad.

    Senators Joseph Biden, D-Del., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., shared opposing view sof the success of the surge in Iraq and the prognosis for a successful central government in Baghdad.  (CBS)

  • Interactive Battle For Iraq

    The government, the insurgency, key players, background and photos.

  • CBS Evening News Special Report

    Katie Couric reports from inside Iraq, from Baghdad to the terrorist crossroads.

(CBS)  Two U.S. Senators offered decidedly different perspectives on the state of Iraq's government and the prospects of success for the U.S. military's "surge" in that nation.

Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., dismissed the argument that a military push on the part of the United States could by itself ensure the political success of the Iraqi government. "Look, the idea there's going to be a strong, central government in Iraq is not going to happen in your lifetime, it's not going to happen in mine," Biden told CBS News chief Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer on Face the Nation. "It's the central fallacy of this administration's policy."

"The purpose of this surge was to give breathing room to acquire some political reconciliation. There is no political reconciliation. And the total number of Iraqi civilian deaths are up around Iraq, not down. The number of people fleeing their homes has gone from 50,000 a month to 100,000 a month since the surge."

Biden referred to the Biden-Levin Amendment to immediately draw down combat troops and have them out of the country by March 2008, leaving only those necessary to train the Iraqi army to protect U.S. civilians in Iraq and to deny al Qaeda the ability to occupy Anbar province. "That requires about one-fifth of the number of troops we have there."

"It is true things are better where our military is physically sitting. But it's like putting your fist in the water - the minute you take the fist out of the water, you can't even tell it was ever there. That's why there's a need for a political settlement.

"It doesn't matter how many troops we put there. Unless you have a political settlement, when we leave we're going to leave chaos behind. And you'll find you have a regional war.

"We should begin to draw down these combat troops and get them out of the civil war."

Meanwhile, Senator Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a member of the Air Force Reserve who had just returned from Reserve duty in Iraq for the last two weeks, offered Schieffer the point of view that the surge of troops has been working and only needs more time and more troops to be successful.

"Well, the surge has worked," Graham said. "It's provided a level of security I haven't seen [in Iraq before]. We're finally getting the formula right. Anbar is just not about more troops; Anbar is about the local people, the Sunni Arabs in Anbar rejecting al Qaeda."

Graham pointed to a jump in recruits for the police force in Anbar and a diminishing of al Qaeda's influence in the same area because of the surge. "We can hold areas now because the Iraqi people are getting involved," he said.

"The government at the central level is dysfunctional, but it's not a failed state. [And] the worst thing that can happen for America is a failed state in Iraq, where Iran is the winner and al Qaeda comes back."

Graham predicted that there would be a major breakthrough in political reconciliation in Baghdad, and on the benchmarks, because of pressure being placed on Iraqi politicians by their own people at the ballot box.

"That's the best pressure that could be applied - the people themselves, frustrated with their own elected representatives, having their say. And I saw that all over Iraq.

"The Iraqi people are tired of the killing. They're tired of the dying. And that frustration is beginning to float up to the national level."

Closer to home, Graham predicted that any Senate effort to withdraw troops would fail. "Now is the time to pour it on and not withdraw - more of the same. More political, economic, military support will affect dramatically the outcome in Iraq."

Graham suggested, though, that U.S. support alone would not be all that is needed to ensure that change in Iraq is successful, "if you could have an economic surge, if the international community could come in, if the Gulf States could come in and provide economic help.

"We have a chance to change things on the ground forever in a way that would contain Iran and diminish al Qaeda. We have a long ways to go yet, but we're about to turn a corner."

© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Add a Comment See all 54 Comments
by radiob-2009 September 3, 2007 1:28 AM EDT
Patriot9 are you still in the UAE or are you back stateside again?
Reply to this comment
by dissidentman September 3, 2007 12:11 AM EDT
Patriotic9: You sound like a pedophile. The rest of you little liberal worms can just squirm in the bliss of singing to your choir leader- The liberal media. Hopefully enough people will realize that it''s not to late to defeat the insurgents and their allies-The democrats,the media, and liberals. You don''t own freedom!
Reply to this comment
by patriotic9 September 2, 2007 10:39 PM EDT
hallelujah, more martyrs for bush and his christian supporters.
Posted by seven-pesos at 07:08 PM : Sep 02, 2007

seven-pesos
You are absolutely right about PSYCHOSIS "CRHSITIANITY" and PSYCHOTIC "CHRISTIANS".

Bush invaded Iraq to bring jesus back to this world, but ended up making islamic radicalism so powerfull like it was never before.

Those PSYCHOTIC "CHRISTIANS" who plan to sacrifise UNHOLY UNITED STATES for a NON-AMERICAN HOLY LAND, who want to sacrifise GOD-NEGLECTED AMERICAM MONEY and GOD-NEGLECTED AMERICAN LIVES for GOD-CHOSEN NON-AMERICAN ENEMIES of their GOD''S ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, are the worst enemies of United States and humanity in general.

This world was much better off with PSYCHOTIC CHRISTIANS playing "THE FATHER", "THE SON", and "THE HOLY SPIRIT" in the churches then to come into US politics and sodomize United States (the holy, god-loving, conservative, republican-supporter christian man is "THE FATHER", that innocent, young, little boy whose pant is pulled down in the name of god is "THE SON" and what is inserted in the BACK HOLE of that innocent boy, in the name of jesus, is "THE HOLY SPIRIT").

Craig is the latest example of CHRISTIAN PSYCHOTICS.
Reply to this comment
by ontheleft September 2, 2007 10:19 PM EDT
Is Iraq a failed state? No, it is a resounding success. It has far exceeded the wet dreams of the neo-cons who masterminded it.
Reply to this comment
by seven-pesos September 2, 2007 10:08 PM EDT
news item:..

wrong way anti-war protesters flee to canada to evade bush''s expected draft.

unfortunately they end up in south carolina where they are forced to join the army and are shipped off to iraq.

they were brought back yesterday in coffins.

hallelujah, more martyrs for bush and his christian supporters.

ha,ha,ha.

war, hate, phony christian snakes...

nothing good comes out of the south!
Reply to this comment
by cbs_oliver September 2, 2007 10:07 PM EDT
From my point of view one of the most significant aspects of this story is the effort made by Senator Lindsey Graham to link Iran to al Qaeda as opposition to the US in Iraq.

Some UK sources indicate that the US is planning a massive 3 day strike against Iran taking out over 1000 targets and destroying Iran''s military.

It appears that Lindsey Graham is making preparations for that.

It seems that Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda are not the only crazy killers in the world.
Reply to this comment
by drummer94 September 2, 2007 9:58 PM EDT
Good thing she''s from North and not South Carolina or ''ol seven would be goin ballistic. lol
Reply to this comment
by seven-pesos September 2, 2007 9:58 PM EDT
i heard that southern lady make a fool of herself.

is she the best and brightest of that state of north carolina?

Reply to this comment
by j-whitman September 2, 2007 9:53 PM EDT
Sioux4Life1,,, Listening to Miss North Carolina its a shortage of maps in America... I don''t know if you heard her... She sounded just like Bush describing what sovereign is.
Reply to this comment
by seven-pesos September 2, 2007 9:45 PM EDT
america has a knack for sticking its nose in other country''s business...

that comes from those southern religious folks that are always sticking their noses in your business.

bush loving religious war making south...

the closest thing to fascism on the north american continent.

ha,ha,ha.

war, hate, reborns, republican christian snakes...

nothing good comes out of the south.
Reply to this comment
by gkc99 September 2, 2007 9:30 PM EDT
Yes, and very handily so for the neocons, who WANT Iraq to be a failed state, since a docile puppet state is out of the question. Anyone who can read must realize that the Iraqis will never be a docile puppet state. Therefore, to maintain permanent neocon fascist control of Iraq, a permanent condition of disability must be maintained. Otherwise the multinational corporations won''t be able to maintain the control they have at least temporarily achieved through the efforts of THEIR puppet, George W. Bushit, manipulated at the hands of Bushit''s Balls, Dicky ("Darth") Cheney and the people he represents (and a hint: it''s not the American people).
Reply to this comment
by sioux4life1 September 2, 2007 9:26 PM EDT
Is Iraq a failed State? I though geographically it was a country. Stupid me.
Reply to this comment
by drummer94 September 2, 2007 9:23 PM EDT
Sen Graham:"That''s the best pressure that could be applied-the people themselves, frustrated with their own elected representatives, having their say." Oh, he was talking about Iraq. I thought his conass was talking about America!
Reply to this comment
by seven-pesos September 2, 2007 9:23 PM EDT
being the poorest region in america the south has no economical or financial power.

the south only has that religious power....

christian sheep by the millions.

and religion has nothing to do with christ.

religion is all about power...power and politics.

ha,ha,ha.

christ would cry if he could see the south.

nothing good comes out of the south.

Reply to this comment
by bluestardad September 2, 2007 9:18 PM EDT
LINDSEY GRAHAM WONT EVEN BE REELECTED IN HIS HOME STATE TO SENATOR....

HE IS A BLIND JOCK STRAP OF THE TEXAS DICKTATER!
OR SHOULD I SAY SUPPORTER...STANDING IN THE DARK TELLING EVERYONE IT IS DAYLIGHT!

THE DEMOCRATS MUST SHOW SOME BACKBONE AND NOT FUND THIS WAR!
Reply to this comment
by seven-pesos September 2, 2007 9:16 PM EDT
the south will vote for the candidate that campaigns on christian values...

it doesn''t matter if this candidate is the best qualified.

the south thinks that the most religious is the best qualified candidate.

that''s how america got bush...

ha,ha,ha.

what a bunch of christian creeps that control the politics in the south.

ha,ha,ha....anti-american confederate creeps.

that''s the south for you, folks!
Reply to this comment
by b1lowry September 2, 2007 9:15 PM EDT
Is Iraq a failed state? Yes. Next question.
Reply to this comment
by j-whitman September 2, 2007 9:11 PM EDT
usmcvn,,,,, Yep Yep Yep Yep Yep Yep Yep Yep --- Sure enough, no doubt about it.
Reply to this comment
by seven-pesos September 2, 2007 8:54 PM EDT
history shows what happens when southerners get the power in america.

the south has a dark and sordid past.

bush is just the latest snake to come out of that most militaristic and extremist region of america.

the south never does good for america.

always war, hate, phony christian creeps and crooked republican snakes.

ha,ha,ha.

that''s the south for you, folks!
Reply to this comment
by radiob-2009 September 2, 2007 8:52 PM EDT
Ole Seven he does not like the blues, rock, country, jazz or folk music he hates the south where most of our modern day music originated from. He sure has no knowledge of the history of American arts or music, or food. Ernest Hemiway,William Faulkner,Captain John Smith,Caroline Gordon, Tennesse Williams,Margaret Mitchell,Harper Lee,Truman Capote, John Grisham,John Berendt,Tom Wolfe just to name a few writers.
Reply to this comment
See all 54 Comments

Exclusive Webshow

Michelle Obama tells how her role as the First Lady has changed her perspective. Watch Now

Latest News
News in Pictures
Scroll Left Scroll Right
  • The Berlin Wall The Berlin Wall

    Photographer Peter Turnley Captures the Fall

  • The Fall Of The Berlin Wall The Fall Of The Berlin Wall

    Looking Back at the Wall that Once Divided Germany On the 20th Anniversary of Its Collapse

  • Patricia Clarkson Patricia Clarkson

    Television and Film Actress, Yale School of Drama Graduate and Academy Award Nominee

  • Day in Pictures Day in Pictures

    A Glimpse at the Day's News as Seen Through a Camera Lens

  • Andre Agassi Andre Agassi

    Former Top-Seeded Tennis Star, Gossip Column Favorite and Philanthropist

  • Yankees Victory Parade Yankees Victory Parade

    The Yankees Celebrate Their 27th World Series Championship with a Ticker-Tape Parade Up Broadway

Connect with CBS News

Stay connected with the CBS News using your favorite social networks and online news applications: