McCain, Iraqi President Meet In D.C.

Citing Progress, Both Support Security Agreement To Keep U.S. Troops In Iraq

(CBS/AP)  Appearing together in solidarity, Republican John McCain and Iraq's president said Saturday that the war-ravaged country is making significant but fragile progress.

The GOP presidential nominee-in-waiting expressed confidence about prospects for the two countries completing a complex agreement that would keep U.S. troops in Iraq after a U.N. mandate expires at year-end. And, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said an American military presence still was needed.

"I, of, course am encouraged. We both agree that the progress has been significant but the progress is also fragile. And there's a lot of work that needs to be done," McCain said at the end of a private meeting with Talabani.

Sitting next to the Arizona senator at a Washington hotel, Talabani nodded in agreement and said it was a pleasure and an honor to update an "old friend" about "this stage of success" in Iraq.

U.S. and Iraqi authorities are trying to meet a July target date for completing a security agreement. Talks bogged down over several key issues, which Iraqi lawmakers said violated the nation's sovereignty. Recently, however, Iraqi authorities said prospects for a deal had brightened after the Americans submitted new, unspecified proposals.

Talabani discussed the issue with President Bush on Wednesday.

McCain emphasized that the two countries will decide the role of U.S. forces together.

"I am confident that the two nations, as sovereign nations, will reach agreement in the best interests of the United States of America and the best interests of Iraq," McCain said.

"We are winning in Iraq, and we will withdrawal, but we will withdrawal in victory and in honor," McCain said.

Talabani, for his part, said his country has achieved "good successes and achievements" in training the Iraqi army and policy force.

But, he said: "We are still in need to have American military presence in Iraq, and it must be decided by both governments of the United States and Iraq how much they will remain there."

Talabani added: "In my personal opinion, we are in need to have some, at least some, military bases as a symbol for preventing" other countries from "interfering."

McCain has been a strong backer of the U.S.-led war in Iraq, saying that the United States is winning the battle against insurgents and shouldn't pull out now. His Democratic opponent, Barack Obama, opposes the war and has said as president he would begin to bring U.S. troops home.

Earlier this morning, while addressing the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Conference in Washington, McCain was interrupted by several hecklers (including one pictured at left) protesting the Iraq War and yelling, "Bring the troops home."

The protesters, some holding signs, were escorted out of the auditorium.

[mcvet-unity]

Liberals, Transgenders, Terrorist Apologists.

Unity of the Oppressed. Join the Pride Parade.

OBAMA 08!








1-800-DEM-BOYS (donate)
Change We Can Believe In!
Yes We Can!

[ioweign]

One of the great things about McCain and Obama is that they have quite different viewpoints and plans for this country. Voters ought to be able to decide which candidate to support based primarily on their respective positions on the issues.

I generally like John McCain, but I will not vote for him because he is on the wrong side of too many of the really important issues - especially with respect to the Iraq War.

Senator McCain has been very critical of President Bush%u2019s conduct of the Iraq War for the past four years. However, McCain was one of the principal advocates for the war in the first place. In 2002, McCain said "I believe that success will be fairly easy, and we are not going to get into house-to-house fighting%u2026We may have to take out buildings, but we are not going to have a blood-letting or trading American bodies for Iraqi bodies."

As a leading Republican Senator, John McCain could have impeded the Iraq war. Instead, John McCain and George Bush started an unnecessary war that caused the deaths of more than 4,000 American soldiers (including my cousin Mark) and wasted more than $1 Trillion.

For some perspective, $1 Trillion could pay for the installation of complete solar heating systems for 50 million American homes.

Now John McCain wants you to hire him to fix it. I don''t think so.

Posted by IndyVet66 at 09:04 PM : Jun 28, 2008

Excellent Post...

[zerato-2009]

Talabani should want a security agreement with the US. Taht is the only way he can stay in power and the only way thye can make money from the institutional graft and corruption from amercian dollars.

When the US is gone his job will be gone and the money from the US taxpayers.

[eddynewhope]

"HAVE YOU ALL FORGOTTEN ( ALREADY ) HOW IT FEELS TO BE LIED TO?!!"


Posted by jack3213 at 12:33 PM

Lied to by morons like you? Nope - not forgotten. That''s why we''re voting for Obama. McBush, the geriatric second-stinger who has embraced the same folks that smeared him 2000? Pathetic. And by the way, war heros aren''t the ones who get shot down and captured, then tout their knowledge of foreign affairs after stating twice that Iran is training "Al Qaida", only to be corrected by Lieberman of all people.

[jack3213]

IT IS OBAMA WHO IS THE NEXT BUSH-

NOT MCCAIN-

HAVE YOU ALL FORGOTTEN ( ALREADY ) HOW IT FEELS TO BE LIED TO?!!

[formrusmcsgt]

Pres. Bushit and Sen. Mc Same went to bushit university, majoring in dumbness ...

Posted by wp4088 at 10:55 AM : Jun 29, 2008

And Bush graduated Cuma Sum Loaded........

[mcvet]

This guy McSame LOVE''s War. It''s the ONLY time he actually appears to still be alive is when the prospects of MORE war and dying are being discussed. Has anyone noticed that. If you want to talk about the blunders and failures of he and his party getting us into this Quagmire that NEVER had to be... he will fall asleep. But if you want to talk about keep our VERY TIRED troops in combat... he perks right up!! SIEG HEIL McSAME!!

[hungry1968]

John McCain for Iraqi President!!!




McCain / Clinton ''08!!!

[briannorwood]

The headline for this article should have been "Dumb and Dumber"

[formrusmcsgt]

In this time of crisis, we need the Best.
We need Experience. We need Hillary and Bill.

Posted by JTait2 at 08:51 AM : Jun 29, 2008

Flash!

Neither Hill nor Bill are nominees.

[formrusmcsgt]

"We are winning in Iraq, and we will withdrawal, but we will withdrawal in victory and in honor," McCain said."

This idiot thinks that something that at the core was started from the deepest reaches of dishonor, lies, and corruption can somehow have an honorable ending.


Posted by brianbwb at 07:11 AM : Jun 29, 2008

I think McCain probably knows that the line is hollow and a lie but he also knows there are simpletons out there who will swallow it.

It is designed to feed the illusion for the simpletons, bro.

[formrusmcsgt]

"John McCain and Iraq''s president said Saturday that the war-ravaged country is making significant but fragile progress."

How "significant" can it be with no draw-down in troops which is the real measure of "progress".....

[watcher269-2009]

Here''''s REAL NEWS -- Must be hard to have all that money and not pay your bill.

Newsweek is set to publish a highly embarrassing report on Sen. John McCain, revealing that the McCains have failed to pay taxes on their beach-front condo in La Jolla, California, for the last four years and are currently in default, The Huffington Post has learned.

Under California law, once a residential property is in default for five years, it can be sold at a tax sale to recover the unpaid taxes for the taxpayers.

The McCains own at least seven homes through a variety of trusts and corporations controlled by Cindy McCain.

UPDATE: Newsweek''''s story is now online. The report notes that the McCains paid the bulk of their back taxes yesterday, but continue to owe additional taxes:

When you''''re poor, it can be hard to pay the bills. When you''''re rich, it''''s hard to keep track of all the bills that need paying. It''''s a lesson Cindy McCain learned the hard way when NEWSWEEK raised questions about an overdue property-tax bill on a La Jolla, Calif., property owned by a trust that she oversees. Mrs. McCain is a beer heiress with an estimated $100 million fortune and, along with her husband, she owns at least seven properties, including condos in California and Arizona. [...]

[samsel3]

Mcain & Bush want to give Big Oil more Federal sites for oil drilling but continue to ignore the facts.

In March of 2008 a Cambridge, MA. oil & Gas consulting firm issued a report to Congress. In that report the Congress was told that the laws of supply & demand no longer apply to oil. Demand is constant with only small fluctuations at any given time. Although world demand will increase their is plenty of supply. BIG OIL currently leases 90 million acres of oil & gas land & offshore sites 70 million are not in use. However, it is not in their economic interest as they have enough supply at this time. Big oil does not want to loose profit by increasing supply , after all selling oil products is their business. Additional offshore and Alaskan wilderness leases are not necessary, Big Oil just wants additional control of these areas for future marketing. The Saudi''s and Big Oil are very happy with the Bush & Cheney energy policy which eliminated Iraqi world oil market manipulation. Saddam kept prices down by selling cheap thus preventing the Saudi''s & Big Oil from getting the prices up. Bush & Cheney opened Pandora''s box & now things will never be the same.

[brianbwb-2009]

"We are winning in Iraq, and we will withdrawal, but we will withdrawal in victory and in honor," McCain said."

This idiot thinks that something that at the core was started from the deepest reaches of dishonor, lies, and corruption can somehow have an honorable ending.

Next time Talabani comes to suck on McSame''s jaw tumor, he might bear in mind that Bush''s orchestrated photo op is only showing more and more Americans that McSame is his new puppet.

[brianbwb-2009]

Posted by ramos937

Your post is an astute one, except for one point, since the Iraqis didn''t ask us to provide "occupation services" in their country, why should they be asked to pay for that which they did not ask to buy?

[ramos937]

Sitting next to the Arizona senator at a Washington hotel, Talabani nodded in agreement and said it was a pleasure and an honor to update an "old friend" about "this stage of success" in Iraq.
--------------------------------------
Talabani and his ilk have been claming progress for the last six years and they continue to do so. As the article so aptly puts it, Talabani met only with those who support the war and not with folks like Clinton, Obama, Powell, Peloski, Reid, etc. His schedule was all arranged by the administration.

Question thats McCain could have asked Talabani were this, "With all of the billions Iraq is getting from its oil sales, when are you going to start investing in Iraq itself so that the American taxpayer can cut back? When are you going to start reimbursing us?" McCain will not ask these questions.

[brianbwb-2009]

Posted by GreatDriveW

Also it apparently escaped your notice that Talabani came to the US, to meet with whom he "chose" to meet with, if he feels a need to discuss anything with Mr. Obama, he should go to Mr. Obama, not the other way around, if he can visit McSame, surely he should request to visit with the man who at this time is leading at the polls.

As far as people''s word, McSame has basically laid out that he will follow the Bush doctrine of corruption, illegal war, and other actions detrimental to the interests of the American people. If he is, as you say a man of his word, then he assures the collapse of the US economy.

As I am an atheist, I would ask that you excuse the religious analogy, but I personally would rather aim toward heaven, struggling long and hard in the attempt with no real guarantee of arrival, than plunge willingly, headlong and rapidly into hell, arriving successfully.

[brianbwb-2009]

"If Iraq is a "US gravy train," then that''''s one miserable train on which I and many others will never willingly book passage." Posted by GreatDriveW

I used "gravy train" as a short summation of the fact that trillions of US dollars are disappearing into Iraq, and it is this money that is the "gravy" on which the Bushpuppet Iraqi PM, his corrupt cabinet, and the US war profiteers feed. He would not willingly meet to discuss how to stop this cash flow, rather how to continue it indefinitely.

Thus he has no wish to meet with Mr. Obama, besides, the meeting only occured because McSame is the Bush klan''s chosen successor, Bush ordered Talabani to go kiss McSame''s tumor. There is no way this meeting could take place without Bush''s complicity, and they don''t want a public meeting with Mr. Obama, he is, at this time, not willing to follow the Bush line.

You, by supporting this illegal and immoral war, have not only booked passage with your previous vote, but paid executive fare for an economy class seat, and with your upcoming vote for McSame, have asked the conductor to drive the train even faster toward the edge of the cliff.

And they aren''t even sharing the gravy with you.

[greatdrivew]

"...With that campaign promise in mind, you would think Obama might meet with the Iraqi President..."

Posted by GreatDriveW

********
You assume that the Iraqi PM wants also to stop the US gravy train. He is meeting with the person most likely to keep sending trillions of our dollars over there to be "lost", not the one who says that it needs to be stopped.

Posted by brianbwb

*****

Dear brianbwb,

If Iraq is a "US gravy train," then that''s one miserable train on which I and many others will never willingly book passage.

That aside, my point still stands: Unless Obama is ready to break his multiple promises to withdraw all combat troops in either thirteen or eighteen, then us low brows might just think it''s important that Obama at least meet with the Iraqi Prez.

Unless of course Obama intends to break his promise on Iraq too?!?!?!

A person is no better than their word, and as Obama has proven, his word is ***.