Petraeus, Crocker To Say Stay The Course

Bush's Top Iraq Advisers To Warn Congress About Changes In War Strategy

(CBS/AP)  President Bush's top two military and political advisers on Iraq will warn Congress on Monday that making any significant changes to the current war strategy will jeopardize the limited security and political progress made so far, The Associated Press has learned.

U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker, who has been less forthcoming than Gen. David Petraeus in advance of his testimony, will join Petraeus in pushing for maintaining the U.S. troop surge, seeing it as the only viable option to prevent Iraq and the region from plunging into further chaos, U.S. officials said.

Crocker and Petraeus planned to meet on Sunday to go over their remarks and responses to expected tough questioning from lawmakers - including skeptical Republicans. But they will not consult Mr. Bush or their immediate bosses before their appearances Monday and Tuesday, in order to preserve the "independence and the integrity of their testimony," said one official.

Petraeus and Crocker did have lengthy discussions with the president, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice when Mr. Bush visited Iraq on Labor Day.

Crocker, a career diplomat with extensive experience in the Middle East who opposed the war when it began in 2003, is pushing for political change where progress has been elusive and the administration's options are limited under the fragile Shiite-led government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

Yet the diplomat will say that as poorly as al-Maliki's government has performed, it would not be advisable at the moment for the U.S. to support new leadership or lobby for a different coalition of Iraq's fractious Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds, the officials said.

Crocker also will discuss the challenges of corruption, reconciliation, de-Baathification and the difficulties of enacting wide-ranging legislation such as an oil law, according to officials. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing internal deliberations.

Both Crocker and Petraeus will say the buildup of 30,000 troops, bringing the current U.S. total to nearly 170,000, has achieved some success and is working better than any previous effort to quell the insurgency and restore stability, according to officials familiar with their thinking.

Petraeus, the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, and Crocker were in the Washington area on Saturday working separately on final drafts of opening testimony on Capitol Hill. Later in the week, Mr. Bush plans a national address.

The assessments by Petraeus and Crocker are intended to be considered equally. But officials expect Congress to focus on military matters, particularly possible troop withdrawals. Unless there are changes, the increase comes to a natural end starting in the spring and continuing through the end of next summer.

At the same time, officials close to Crocker pointed out that any revisions to the military strategy will have a profound affect on the political side.

"Clearly, the political, economic and diplomatic elements are directly related to what happens with security and our involvement in it," one official said.

The officials disputed suggestions that either Petraeus or Crocker would recommend anything more than a symbolic reduction in troop levels and then only in the spring.

Petraeus offered some insights into his testimony on Friday. In a letter to troops serving in Iraq, he cited "uneven" but quantifiable progress in the security situation and acknowledged that the political side "has not worked out as we had hoped."

"We are, in short, a long way from the goal line, but we do have the ball and we are driving down the field," he wrote. It was perhaps the clearest indication he favors carrying on with the troop increase.

Officials said Crocker is focused on trying to do the best he can with the tools available to him now before completing his tour in Baghdad and retiring. More is at stake for Petraeus because he is believed to have higher ambitions, including possibly elected office.

In their testimony, the two will lay out for Congress the situation on the ground, discuss the merits of possible revisions to Mr. Bush's strategy, including troop drawdowns and a reduction in support for embattled al-Maliki and conclude that such changes are unwise, officials told the AP.

The testimony will set the stage for an announcement by Mr. Bush on how he will proceed in the face of widespread public unhappiness with the war and criticism from congressional Democrats, especially senators seeking the party's 2008 presidential nomination.

Petraeus and Crocker previewed their thoughts to Mr. Bush during his stop in Anbar province last Monday. It is one of several regions where the administration has claimed success with the additional troops, with decisions by local leaders to join with U.S. forces against insurgents, the officials said.

To that end, the presidential advisers will press lawmakers to recognize achievements at the local level and argue that such results will force Iraq's national leaders into action.

But that development is not covered by any of the 18 military and political benchmarks Congress set out for judging the effectiveness when it approved the new policy that was announced by Mr. Bush in January and reached its full strength in July.

In their testimony, Petraeus and Crocker are expected to repeat the assertions made in the White House's July report that progress is being made, official said. A new updated report is due Sept. 15.

They also are expected to make the oft-stated case that an independent report by congressional auditors, who found only three of 18 benchmarks fully met, set unfair standards for judging success, the officials said.

In Other Developments:

President Bush, in his weekly radio address, urged Democrats and Republicans to unite and back the war strategy he'll lay out for the next chapter of U.S. involvement in Iraq. He recounted his surprise trip to the desert in western Iraq, where he met with Iraqi leaders and local sheiks who have joined U.S.-led coalition forces in fighting al Qaeda.

In the Democratic radio address, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid repeated his contention that Mr. Bush had misled the country into "an ill-planned war in Iraq" before finishing the job of destroying al Qaeda.

Iraq's parliament voted unanimously Saturday to extend the work of a committee that is in charge of recommending amendments to the constitution until the end of the year, a sign of the difficulties that the commission is facing in completing a task demanded by Sunni politicians. The main points that are proving the most difficult include the powers of the president, the fate of the northern ethnically-mixed city of Kirkuk and the personal status law which governs marriage, divorce and inheritance according to a person's religion. Amending the constitution is one of the key demands, such as a new oil law, by the United States.

A suicide car bomber detonated his explosives-packed Mercedes near a row of stores in the Shiite militia stronghold of Sadr City, killing at least 15 people, police and hospital officials said. The attacker was believed to be aiming for a busy market but was forced to detonate his explosives early after Iraqi police fired at his car, devastating a barber shop and other nearby stores.

A bomb went off midday at a crowded market in Kufa, 100 miles south of Baghdad, killing four and injuring five, said Khalil al-Yasiri, a health official in the neighboring city of Najaf. Salah Mihsin, 35, was shopping with his child, Ameer, when he received injuries in both his legs from the explosion. "I still don't know the fate of my child," he said while laying in his hospital bed.

Gunmen in Najaf killed Mohammed al-Qarawi, director of tribal affairs in anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's office. The local police commander Maj. Gen. Abdul-Karim al-Mayahi said the attack occurred Friday on the road between Kufa and Najaf.

In a major step to try end attacks on the country's oil industry, Iraq's Defense Ministry warned Iraqis to keep their distance from oil pipelines or power lines because military planes "will open fire immediately on anyone who tries to harm the nation's wealth or infrastructure."

The U.S. military said it had brought a new weapon into the fight in Iraq, announcing the Army's first-ever use of a drone aircraft to kill enemy fighters in the country. The Hunter unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV, dropped a precision bomb on two suspected insurgents believed to be preparing to plant roadside bombs on Sept. 1, the military said. The drone was called in for the attack near Qarraya, 180 miles northwest of Baghdad, after a scout team from the 2nd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, observed the insurgents at work.

© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Share:

• Share
• Yahoo! Buzz
• Twitter
• Mixx

More From Iraq After Saddam

• Chief Pentagon Auditor Forced from Post
• AP: Military Contractor Oversight Too Lax
• Top Saddam Aide Gets Second Conviction
• Bombs Claim 50 in Iraq
• Biden Meets with Key U.S. Leaders in Iraq
• Senate Investigates Blackwater Subsidiary
• Celebration, Carnage Mark Handover in Iraq

• 

  PhotosExplosions Rock Baghdad

• 

  PhotosIraq Photos:July 13?July 19

Add a Comment

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
...
• 23
• next

See all 456 Comments

by lars008-2009 September 9, 2007 9:33 PM EDT

NONE OF US IS FREE UNLESS ALL ARE FREE!

None Of Us Are Free - Lynyrd Skynyrd
http://www.lyrics007.com/Lynyrd%20Skynyrd%20Lyrics/None%20Of%20Us%20Are%20Free%20Lyrics.html

WHY IS IT NOT ONE MUSLIM COUNTRY GRANTS EQUAL RIGHTS TO NON MUSLIMS?

FASCIST NAZI TERRORISLAM SAYS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATES ISLAM LAW...

Universal Declaration of Human Rights
http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html

For example, in 1981, the Iranian representative to the United Nations, Said Rajaie-Khorassani, articulated the position of his country regarding the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by saying that the UDHR was "a secular understanding of the Judeo-Christian tradition", which could not be implemented by Muslims without trespassing the Islamic law.

http://www.un.org/terrorism/
http://www.un.org/terrorism/strategy-counter-terrorism.html
http://www.un.org/

But the accepted assumption in India is that most of India''s Muslims were converted to Islam through the sword. Meaning the Indians were given an option between death or adopting Islam. The third option was getting examined in Islam religion along with heavy taxes- Jeziya (poll tax) and Kharaj (property tax).
http://adaniel.tripod.com/Islam.htm

this is what fascist nazi islam calls peace....

are you ready to live under islam rule as a non muslim???

apartheid fascist nazi islamic style

Rights of Non-Muslims in an Islamic State
http://www.sullivan-county.com/id3/islamic_state.htm

Reply to this comment

by lars008-2009 September 9, 2007 9:29 PM EDT

ISRAEL GRANTS EQUAL RIGHTS...

NOT ONE ISLAMIC COUNTRY GRANTS EQUAL RIGHTS...

WHY???

Arab citizens of Israel............ Israel''''s Declaration of Independence called for equal treatment under the law of all its citizens, regardless of their beliefs or national origin. Arab Israelis have had political representation since the state''''s first parliamentary assembly; currently, thirteen members of the Israeli Parliament are Arab-Israeli, most representing majority Arab political parties. An Arab-Israeli judge also sits on the Supreme Court,[11] and an Arab Israeli is next in line to the acting presidency (and has assumed role as such for a week-long period).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_citizens_of_Israel
Myths & Facts Online Human Rights in Israel and the Territories
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/myths/mf18.html

Reply to this comment

by toldyouso21 September 9, 2007 8:45 PM EDT

"...But the Surge was supposed to allow for political reconciliation, and that hasn''''t happened. It''''s gotten worse, not better.....
THE OPERATION WAS A SUCCESS BUT THE PATIENT DIED.

Stick an lol on that. Posted by Iceman_1960 at 01:12 PM : Sep 09, 2007


I give it a LMAO and like Patreaus, a big thumbsup sideways. LMAO

Reply to this comment

by toldyouso21 September 9, 2007 8:42 PM EDT

Thought blurbs for the above photo:

Patreaus to Bush: ''and I push it in really fast and wiggle it like this sir, you''ll shoot off like a rocket in no time flat.''

Bush: "Stop that kind of talk pat--ya know I''m tryin to look Presidential and *******, heh heh."

Reply to this comment

by down-ndirty September 9, 2007 7:52 PM EDT

You "John Kerry" types disgrase the uniform.
Posted by B48151 at 09:59 AM : Sep 09, 2007
__________________

Ha Ha Ha!! The military is comprised of about 50% liberals, "John Kerry" types, as you call them.

LOL!!! You disgrace (not "disgrase," stupid) the human species.

Reply to this comment

by tbweb September 9, 2007 6:11 PM EDT

"Deja Vu, The illusion of having already experienced something actually being experienced for the first time."

illusion??? Pres. Bush''s Vietnam redux in Iraq is real and no illusion. Like Sen. Joe Biden fresh from Iraq said today, if this Stay the Course policy continues, trying to establish a central government in Iraq which will not work, Americans will be leaving Iraq the same way they left Vietnam, hanging onto helicopters from the Green Zone roof tops running for their lives!

President Bush made a reference to Vietnam recently when talking about Iraq. Since Pres. Bush went there, I''''ll go there too! The number one lesson America said it learned from the Vietnam war, both Politicians and everyday Americans is that the United States will never again fight a war without the full support and backing of the American people! With 73% of Americans opposing the War in Iraq and President Bush staying the course in Iraq despite this wide margin of opposition, it proves once again that those who don''''t remember the lessons and mistakes of the past are condemned to repeat it!

Deja Vu, modern translation? Been there, done that!

Reply to this comment

by iceman_1960 September 9, 2007 4:18 PM EDT

"Majority in poll say U.S. can win war in Iraq
The poll shows 54 percent of Americans said the war is not lost... Latest poll shows growing support for Iraq war policy"
- Posted by lars008 at 01:06 PM : Sep 09, 2007

hahahahaha wronggggg Goebbels.

"Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Most American voters (52%) still want U.S. combat troops to be withdrawn from Iraq by early next year. Thirty-five percent (35%) oppose that policy." (*)

For the math-challenged, "early next year" means "withing five or six months."

(*) Source:

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/just_39_believe_iraq_report_will_honestly_present_petraeus_views_35_say_it_will_not

Reply to this comment

by iceman_1960 September 9, 2007 4:12 PM EDT

"Couric: ''Real Progress'' In Iraq
Evening News Anchor Says Police Finally Making Inroads"
- Posted by lars008 at 01:06 PM : Sep 09, 2007


Now for the rest of the story.

Katie is right that in Baghdad the violence is down.

But the Surge was supposed to allow for political reconciliation, and that hasn''t happened. It''s gotten worse, not better.

So the bottom line is:

THE OPERATION WAS A SUCCESS BUT THE PATIENT DIED.

Stick an lol on that.

Reply to this comment

by lars008-2009 September 9, 2007 4:06 PM EDT

Posted by skyk at 12:42 PM : Sep 09, 2007

hahahahaha wronggggg haji

it''s working...

Couric: ''Real Progress'' In Iraq
Evening News Anchor Says Police Finally Making Inroads
http://wcbstv.com/topstories/local_story_247203227.html

Majority in poll say U.S. can win war in Iraq
The poll shows 54 percent of Americans said the war is not lost.
http://www.zogby.com/Soundbites/ReadClips.dbm?ID=15533

Latest poll shows growing support for Iraq war policy
http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2007/08/latest-poll-sho.html

Analysis: Military Shows Gains in Iraq
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8QRMCU00&show_article=1

Bush''s war support rising?
The latest poll by United Press International/Zogby Interactive showed that 54 percent think the war is not lost, with respondents splitting sharply along party lines on that question.
http://www.zogby.com/Soundbites/ReadClips.dbm?ID=15553

GAO: Baghdad Failing To Meet Most Goals
New Report On Iraq Finds Baghdad Hasn''t Met 11 Of Its 18 Political And Security Benchmarks
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/09/04/iraq/main3231705.shtml

Porter ties U.S. withdrawal from Iraq to $9 gasoline
http://www.lvrj.com/news/9466252.html

Reply to this comment

by iceman_1960 September 9, 2007 3:53 PM EDT

"No problem. We''ll just keep borrowing the money from China."
- Posted by micma at 12:51 PM : Sep 09, 2007

Not a bad idea.

As long as we owe them money, the Chinese won''t let the Muslims kill us all or force-convert us. (Muslim countries have bad credit reatings.)

They want their interest payments on time.

Right, lars ?

Reply to this comment

by condumism September 9, 2007 3:52 PM EDT

"In the Democratic radio address, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid repeated his contention that Mr. Bush had misled the country into "an ill-planned war in Iraq" before finishing the job of destroying al Qaeda."

Reid acknowledges war crimes by the Bush administration, that treason has been commited against the USA by the Bush crime family, yet does nothing more than make a radio address? You ConDumbs are right on, democrats are *******.

Reply to this comment

by micma-2009 September 9, 2007 3:51 PM EDT

No problem. We''ll just keep borrowing the money from China.

Reply to this comment

by omega39-2009 September 9, 2007 3:49 PM EDT

Bush''s Top Iraq Advisers To Warn Congress About Changes In War Strategy..

Bush, his generals,his adminsistration and the Congress have zero credibility with the majority of the American people anymore. Why even go through the charade of a debate?

Reply to this comment

by iceman_1960 September 9, 2007 3:48 PM EDT

"When the propaganda Artist of this Administration came out with, they wanted to "Give" the people of that country a Democracy, I knew then we had been taken. You can''t "GIVE" people a Democracy, just ask any Vietnam Vet who had to fight with the RVN Army!"
- Posted by skyk at 12:42 PM : Sep 09, 2007

Not unless they wanted it badly before you showed up, as in France or Holland in 1944, but unlike Iraq in 2003.

"But what about the big turnout for the Iraqi elections", they reply. South Vietnam had an even bigger turnout for Ngo Dinh Diem''s elections. In Iraq it just expressed the Sunni-Shia rivalries -- neither side wanted to be out-voted. That rivalry has turned bloody now.

Even members of the Bush administration have backed off these foolish Sesame Street visions for Iraq, and are talking privately about having a government in Iraq that will just maintain order and get the trains and buses running on time.

Like Saddam used to do.

Reply to this comment

by skyk-2009 September 9, 2007 3:42 PM EDT

As a Veteran and someone who has put their life on the line, it makes me very mad to know that we have a leader who refuses to represent the wishes of WE the PEOPLE. It REALLY make''s me mad when WE the PEOPLE by a WIDE majority can not stop a war of Agression committed in OUR name. I''d like to say well Everyone thought there was Weapons there so we had to go in.. Well there WERE no WEAPONS and we DID NOT leave. Then I tended to agree somewhat with those who said, well Saddam needed to be overthrown, he was a very bad man, but then we did NOT leave. When the propaganda Artist of this Administration came out with, they wanted to "Give" the people of that country a Democracy, I knew then we had been taken. You can''t "GIVE" people a Democracy, just ask any Vietnam Vet who had to fight with the RVN Army!

Reply to this comment

by lars008-2009 September 9, 2007 3:34 PM EDT

Posted by SharnCedar at 12:13 PM : Sep 09, 2007

tell me haji... what was muhammad ali baba''s religion before he tried to convert to judaism??? lol

The Jews proved obdurate; their doctrine had no place in it for Arab prophets or messiahs. They took a malicious pleasure in exposing the ignorance of biblical history which Mohammed displayed in his stories about biblical persons, thus impugning his claim to have his stories by revelation. He retorted that his was the true and original version; if it was told otherwise in the books of the Jews it was because they had falsified their Scriptures. The attitude of the Jews was not only vexatious, but had in it a visible element of danger. In conjunction with the %u2018hypocrites,%u2019 as Mohammed calls the numerous class who outwardly professed Islam but had no real faith in it, they might at more than one crisis have made his position in Medina untenable. In the interludes in the conflict with the Meccans, Mohammed, on one pretext or another, fell upon the Jews, and did not stop till he had driven out all their tribes from Medina, and conquered their strongholds in the oasis of Khaibar.%u201D
http://libertyandculture.blogspot.com/2005/08/mohammeds-ethnic-cleansing.html

Reply to this comment

by lars008-2009 September 9, 2007 3:34 PM EDT

Posted by SharnCedar at 12:13 PM : Sep 09, 2007

tell me haji... what was muhammad ali baba''s religion before he tried to convert to judaism??? lol

%u201CAt Medina he expected the Jews to recognize the agreement between his teaching and theirs, and to own him as a prophet in the true succession, perhaps as the Messiah for whom they were waiting. The Moslems, when they prayed, turned their faces toward Jerusalem; the Day of Atonement was made a solemn fast for Moslems, the one great fast in the year. Mohammed did not see why if he acknowledged Moses and his Torah, the Jews should not acknowledge him and his Koran.
http://libertyandculture.blogspot.com/2005/08/mohammeds-ethnic-cleansing.html

Reply to this comment

by lars008-2009 September 9, 2007 3:34 PM EDT

Posted by SharnCedar at 12:13 PM : Sep 09, 2007

tell me haji... what was muhammad ali baba''s religion before he tried to convert to judaism??? lol

%u201CAt Medina he expected the Jews to recognize the agreement between his teaching and theirs, and to own him as a prophet in the true succession, perhaps as the Messiah for whom they were waiting. The Moslems, when they prayed, turned their faces toward Jerusalem; the Day of Atonement was made a solemn fast for Moslems, the one great fast in the year. Mohammed did not see why if he acknowledged Moses and his Torah, the Jews should not acknowledge him and his Koran.
http://libertyandculture.blogspot.com/2005/08/mohammeds-ethnic-cleansing.html

Reply to this comment

by notnews September 9, 2007 3:26 PM EDT

We knew we would create chaos when we went into the country. That''s what you do when you bomb the hell out of a place and then kill the head of the country. Like Vietnam, whenever we leave it will allow the country to sink into chaos. Does that mean we stay forever? Do we simply annex Iraq as the 51st state? What criteria would allow us to leave if this is the criteria that demands that we stay?

Reply to this comment

by iceman_1960 September 9, 2007 3:19 PM EDT

"Hey lars008, doesn''t judaism also teach violence, in that the principle tenet of their "religion" as they have corrupted it is to genocide and exterminate the people living in Palestine?"
- Posted by SharnCedar at 12:13 PM : Sep 09, 2007

That never happened.

The Jews never exterminated anybody. Their entry into Palestine was peaceful.

The Torah was made up by the priests of King Josiah, only 700 years before the birth of Christ. King Josiah was planning a war, and he thought these myths would be useful propaganda.

This was confirmed recently (the 1970s) by Israeli archeologists.

Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bible_Unearthed

Reply to this comment

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
...
• 23
• next

See all 456 Comments

Add a comment

Comment SUBMIT

Click here to add another comment.

The posting of advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks is prohibited. By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

Comment reply

Submit Cancel

The posting of advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks is prohibited. By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

Report offensive content:

If you believe this comment is offensive or violates the CBSNews.com Terms of Use, you can report it below (this will not automatically remove the comment). Once reported, our staff will be notified and the comment will be reviewed.

Select type of offense:

Offensive: Sexually explicit or offensive language

Spam: Advertisements, commercial links, or repetitive posts

Disruptive posting: Flaming or offending other users

Illegal activities: Promote cracked software, or other illegal content

Off-topic: Commentary unrelated to the storyline

Comments (optional):

Report Cancel

E-mail this comment to a friend.

E-mail this to: (Separate multiple e-mail addresses with commas. Limited to 10 addresses.)

Your e-mail address:

Send me a copy of this message

Note: Your e-mail address is used only to let the recipient know who sent the e-mail and in case of transmission error. Neither your address nor the recipients's address will be used for any other purpose.

Add your own personal message: (Optional)

Hi, I found this user's comment on CBSNews.com and thought you might be interested in reading it. Send e-mail Cancel

[lars008-2009]

NONE OF US IS FREE UNLESS ALL ARE FREE!

None Of Us Are Free - Lynyrd Skynyrd
http://www.lyrics007.com/Lynyrd%20Skynyrd%20Lyrics/None%20Of%20Us%20Are%20Free%20Lyrics.html

WHY IS IT NOT ONE MUSLIM COUNTRY GRANTS EQUAL RIGHTS TO NON MUSLIMS?

FASCIST NAZI TERRORISLAM SAYS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATES ISLAM LAW...

Universal Declaration of Human Rights
http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html

For example, in 1981, the Iranian representative to the United Nations, Said Rajaie-Khorassani, articulated the position of his country regarding the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by saying that the UDHR was "a secular understanding of the Judeo-Christian tradition", which could not be implemented by Muslims without trespassing the Islamic law.

http://www.un.org/terrorism/
http://www.un.org/terrorism/strategy-counter-terrorism.html
http://www.un.org/

But the accepted assumption in India is that most of India''s Muslims were converted to Islam through the sword. Meaning the Indians were given an option between death or adopting Islam. The third option was getting examined in Islam religion along with heavy taxes- Jeziya (poll tax) and Kharaj (property tax).
http://adaniel.tripod.com/Islam.htm

this is what fascist nazi islam calls peace....

are you ready to live under islam rule as a non muslim???

apartheid fascist nazi islamic style

Rights of Non-Muslims in an Islamic State
http://www.sullivan-county.com/id3/islamic_state.htm

[lars008-2009]

ISRAEL GRANTS EQUAL RIGHTS...

NOT ONE ISLAMIC COUNTRY GRANTS EQUAL RIGHTS...

WHY???

Arab citizens of Israel............ Israel''''s Declaration of Independence called for equal treatment under the law of all its citizens, regardless of their beliefs or national origin. Arab Israelis have had political representation since the state''''s first parliamentary assembly; currently, thirteen members of the Israeli Parliament are Arab-Israeli, most representing majority Arab political parties. An Arab-Israeli judge also sits on the Supreme Court,[11] and an Arab Israeli is next in line to the acting presidency (and has assumed role as such for a week-long period).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_citizens_of_Israel
Myths & Facts Online Human Rights in Israel and the Territories
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/myths/mf18.html

[toldyouso21]

"...But the Surge was supposed to allow for political reconciliation, and that hasn''''t happened. It''''s gotten worse, not better.....
THE OPERATION WAS A SUCCESS BUT THE PATIENT DIED.

Stick an lol on that. Posted by Iceman_1960 at 01:12 PM : Sep 09, 2007


I give it a LMAO and like Patreaus, a big thumbsup sideways. LMAO

[toldyouso21]

Thought blurbs for the above photo:

Patreaus to Bush: ''and I push it in really fast and wiggle it like this sir, you''ll shoot off like a rocket in no time flat.''

Bush: "Stop that kind of talk pat--ya know I''m tryin to look Presidential and *******, heh heh."

[down-ndirty]

You "John Kerry" types disgrase the uniform.
Posted by B48151 at 09:59 AM : Sep 09, 2007
__________________

Ha Ha Ha!! The military is comprised of about 50% liberals, "John Kerry" types, as you call them.

LOL!!! You disgrace (not "disgrase," stupid) the human species.

[tbweb]

"Deja Vu, The illusion of having already experienced something actually being experienced for the first time."

illusion??? Pres. Bush''s Vietnam redux in Iraq is real and no illusion. Like Sen. Joe Biden fresh from Iraq said today, if this Stay the Course policy continues, trying to establish a central government in Iraq which will not work, Americans will be leaving Iraq the same way they left Vietnam, hanging onto helicopters from the Green Zone roof tops running for their lives!

President Bush made a reference to Vietnam recently when talking about Iraq. Since Pres. Bush went there, I''''ll go there too! The number one lesson America said it learned from the Vietnam war, both Politicians and everyday Americans is that the United States will never again fight a war without the full support and backing of the American people! With 73% of Americans opposing the War in Iraq and President Bush staying the course in Iraq despite this wide margin of opposition, it proves once again that those who don''''t remember the lessons and mistakes of the past are condemned to repeat it!

Deja Vu, modern translation? Been there, done that!

[iceman_1960]

"Majority in poll say U.S. can win war in Iraq
The poll shows 54 percent of Americans said the war is not lost... Latest poll shows growing support for Iraq war policy"
- Posted by lars008 at 01:06 PM : Sep 09, 2007

hahahahaha wronggggg Goebbels.

"Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Most American voters (52%) still want U.S. combat troops to be withdrawn from Iraq by early next year. Thirty-five percent (35%) oppose that policy." (*)

For the math-challenged, "early next year" means "withing five or six months."

(*) Source:

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/just_39_believe_iraq_report_will_honestly_present_petraeus_views_35_say_it_will_not

[iceman_1960]

"Couric: ''Real Progress'' In Iraq
Evening News Anchor Says Police Finally Making Inroads"
- Posted by lars008 at 01:06 PM : Sep 09, 2007


Now for the rest of the story.

Katie is right that in Baghdad the violence is down.

But the Surge was supposed to allow for political reconciliation, and that hasn''t happened. It''s gotten worse, not better.

So the bottom line is:

THE OPERATION WAS A SUCCESS BUT THE PATIENT DIED.

Stick an lol on that.

[lars008-2009]

Posted by skyk at 12:42 PM : Sep 09, 2007

hahahahaha wronggggg haji

it''s working...

Couric: ''Real Progress'' In Iraq
Evening News Anchor Says Police Finally Making Inroads
http://wcbstv.com/topstories/local_story_247203227.html

Majority in poll say U.S. can win war in Iraq
The poll shows 54 percent of Americans said the war is not lost.
http://www.zogby.com/Soundbites/ReadClips.dbm?ID=15533

Latest poll shows growing support for Iraq war policy
http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2007/08/latest-poll-sho.html

Analysis: Military Shows Gains in Iraq
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8QRMCU00&show_article=1

Bush''s war support rising?
The latest poll by United Press International/Zogby Interactive showed that 54 percent think the war is not lost, with respondents splitting sharply along party lines on that question.
http://www.zogby.com/Soundbites/ReadClips.dbm?ID=15553

GAO: Baghdad Failing To Meet Most Goals
New Report On Iraq Finds Baghdad Hasn''t Met 11 Of Its 18 Political And Security Benchmarks
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/09/04/iraq/main3231705.shtml

Porter ties U.S. withdrawal from Iraq to $9 gasoline
http://www.lvrj.com/news/9466252.html

[iceman_1960]

"No problem. We''ll just keep borrowing the money from China."
- Posted by micma at 12:51 PM : Sep 09, 2007

Not a bad idea.

As long as we owe them money, the Chinese won''t let the Muslims kill us all or force-convert us. (Muslim countries have bad credit reatings.)

They want their interest payments on time.

Right, lars ?

[condumism]

"In the Democratic radio address, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid repeated his contention that Mr. Bush had misled the country into "an ill-planned war in Iraq" before finishing the job of destroying al Qaeda."

Reid acknowledges war crimes by the Bush administration, that treason has been commited against the USA by the Bush crime family, yet does nothing more than make a radio address? You ConDumbs are right on, democrats are *******.

[micma-2009]

No problem. We''ll just keep borrowing the money from China.

[omega39-2009]

Bush''s Top Iraq Advisers To Warn Congress About Changes In War Strategy..

Bush, his generals,his adminsistration and the Congress have zero credibility with the majority of the American people anymore. Why even go through the charade of a debate?

[iceman_1960]

"When the propaganda Artist of this Administration came out with, they wanted to "Give" the people of that country a Democracy, I knew then we had been taken. You can''t "GIVE" people a Democracy, just ask any Vietnam Vet who had to fight with the RVN Army!"
- Posted by skyk at 12:42 PM : Sep 09, 2007

Not unless they wanted it badly before you showed up, as in France or Holland in 1944, but unlike Iraq in 2003.

"But what about the big turnout for the Iraqi elections", they reply. South Vietnam had an even bigger turnout for Ngo Dinh Diem''s elections. In Iraq it just expressed the Sunni-Shia rivalries -- neither side wanted to be out-voted. That rivalry has turned bloody now.

Even members of the Bush administration have backed off these foolish Sesame Street visions for Iraq, and are talking privately about having a government in Iraq that will just maintain order and get the trains and buses running on time.

Like Saddam used to do.

[skyk-2009]

As a Veteran and someone who has put their life on the line, it makes me very mad to know that we have a leader who refuses to represent the wishes of WE the PEOPLE. It REALLY make''s me mad when WE the PEOPLE by a WIDE majority can not stop a war of Agression committed in OUR name. I''d like to say well Everyone thought there was Weapons there so we had to go in.. Well there WERE no WEAPONS and we DID NOT leave. Then I tended to agree somewhat with those who said, well Saddam needed to be overthrown, he was a very bad man, but then we did NOT leave. When the propaganda Artist of this Administration came out with, they wanted to "Give" the people of that country a Democracy, I knew then we had been taken. You can''t "GIVE" people a Democracy, just ask any Vietnam Vet who had to fight with the RVN Army!

[lars008-2009]

Posted by SharnCedar at 12:13 PM : Sep 09, 2007

tell me haji... what was muhammad ali baba''s religion before he tried to convert to judaism??? lol

The Jews proved obdurate; their doctrine had no place in it for Arab prophets or messiahs. They took a malicious pleasure in exposing the ignorance of biblical history which Mohammed displayed in his stories about biblical persons, thus impugning his claim to have his stories by revelation. He retorted that his was the true and original version; if it was told otherwise in the books of the Jews it was because they had falsified their Scriptures. The attitude of the Jews was not only vexatious, but had in it a visible element of danger. In conjunction with the %u2018hypocrites,%u2019 as Mohammed calls the numerous class who outwardly professed Islam but had no real faith in it, they might at more than one crisis have made his position in Medina untenable. In the interludes in the conflict with the Meccans, Mohammed, on one pretext or another, fell upon the Jews, and did not stop till he had driven out all their tribes from Medina, and conquered their strongholds in the oasis of Khaibar.%u201D
http://libertyandculture.blogspot.com/2005/08/mohammeds-ethnic-cleansing.html

[lars008-2009]

Posted by SharnCedar at 12:13 PM : Sep 09, 2007

tell me haji... what was muhammad ali baba''s religion before he tried to convert to judaism??? lol

%u201CAt Medina he expected the Jews to recognize the agreement between his teaching and theirs, and to own him as a prophet in the true succession, perhaps as the Messiah for whom they were waiting. The Moslems, when they prayed, turned their faces toward Jerusalem; the Day of Atonement was made a solemn fast for Moslems, the one great fast in the year. Mohammed did not see why if he acknowledged Moses and his Torah, the Jews should not acknowledge him and his Koran.
http://libertyandculture.blogspot.com/2005/08/mohammeds-ethnic-cleansing.html

[lars008-2009]

Posted by SharnCedar at 12:13 PM : Sep 09, 2007

tell me haji... what was muhammad ali baba''s religion before he tried to convert to judaism??? lol

%u201CAt Medina he expected the Jews to recognize the agreement between his teaching and theirs, and to own him as a prophet in the true succession, perhaps as the Messiah for whom they were waiting. The Moslems, when they prayed, turned their faces toward Jerusalem; the Day of Atonement was made a solemn fast for Moslems, the one great fast in the year. Mohammed did not see why if he acknowledged Moses and his Torah, the Jews should not acknowledge him and his Koran.
http://libertyandculture.blogspot.com/2005/08/mohammeds-ethnic-cleansing.html

[notnews]

We knew we would create chaos when we went into the country. That''s what you do when you bomb the hell out of a place and then kill the head of the country. Like Vietnam, whenever we leave it will allow the country to sink into chaos. Does that mean we stay forever? Do we simply annex Iraq as the 51st state? What criteria would allow us to leave if this is the criteria that demands that we stay?

[iceman_1960]

"Hey lars008, doesn''t judaism also teach violence, in that the principle tenet of their "religion" as they have corrupted it is to genocide and exterminate the people living in Palestine?"
- Posted by SharnCedar at 12:13 PM : Sep 09, 2007

That never happened.

The Jews never exterminated anybody. Their entry into Palestine was peaceful.

The Torah was made up by the priests of King Josiah, only 700 years before the birth of Christ. King Josiah was planning a war, and he thought these myths would be useful propaganda.

This was confirmed recently (the 1970s) by Israeli archeologists.

Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bible_Unearthed