Iraq war is 'lost': US Democrat leader

[Pale Rider]

Iraq war is 'lost': US Democrat leader

The war in Iraq "is lost" and a US troop surge is failing to bring peace to the country, the leader of the Democratic majority in the US Congress, Harry Reid, said Thursday.
"I believe ... that this war is lost, and this surge is not accomplishing anything, as is shown by the extreme violence in Iraq this week," Reid told journalists.

Reid said he had delivered the same message to US President George W. Bush on Wednesday, when the US president met with senior lawmakers to discuss how to end a standoff over an emergency war funding bill.

"I know I was the odd guy out at the White House, but I told him at least what he needed to hear ... I believe the war at this stage can only be won diplomatically, politically and economically."

Congress is seeking to tie funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to a timetable to withdraw US troops from Iraq next year, but Bush has vowed to veto any such bill and no breakthrough was reported from the White House talks.

Bush on Thursday was addressing an Ohio town hall meeting and defending the war on terror launched in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks.


"It is the most solemn duty of our country, is to protect our country from harm," Bush told the invited audience in Tipp, Ohio.

"A lesson learned was that -- at least in my opinion -- that in order to protect us, we must aggressively pursue the enemy and defeat them elsewhere so that we do not have to face them here."

But Reid drew a parallel with former US president Lyndon Johnson who decided to deploy more troops in Vietnam some 40 years ago when 24,000 US troops had already been killed.

"Johnson did not want a war loss on his watch, so he surged in Vietnam. After the surge was over, we added 34,000 to the 24,000 who died in Vietnam," Reid said.

The comments came a day after bombers killed more than 200 people in a slew of car bombings in Baghdad, dealing a savage blow to the US security plan which aims to deploy an extra 30,000 troops in the country to quell sectarian unrest.

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates fly into Iraq Thursday on an unannounced visit for talks with top US military commanders there.

He met with General David Petraeus, chief of coalition forces in Iraq, his deputy Lieutenant Colonel Ray Odierno and Admiral William Fallon, chief of US forces in the Middle East.


http://www.breitbart.com/article.php...show_article=1

[stephanie]

What a pathetic little man..

[Pale Rider]

What a pathetic little man..

No shit! And the pissbag just HAS to be from NEVADA! I'm ashamed to admit it.

[glockmail]

No shit! And the pissbag just HAS to be from NEVADA! I'm ashamed to admit it.

Vote the little shit out. Or all all from Nevada pansies?

[lily]

Can someone please explain to me what in the past 2 years have we milirarily accomplished in Iraq? When are all those soldiers that we have been training going to stand up?

[Pale Rider]

Vote the little shit out. Or all all from Nevada pansies?

I've lived here for 2 1/2 years. I've never voted thus far... so don't blame me, and I'm a little off ease that you'd insinuate I'm a "pansie".

Further, could you imagine an American senator saying, "we've lost the war", during WWII? He'd have been tried for high treason. What a slap in the face of every single man and woman in the military.

[manu1959]

Can someone please explain to me what in the past 2 years have we milirarily accomplished in Iraq? When are all those soldiers that we have been training going to stand up?

rehtorical huh

[Gunny]

Iraq war is 'lost': US Democrat leader

The war in Iraq "is lost" and a US troop surge is failing to bring peace to the country, the leader of the Democratic majority in the US Congress, Harry Reid, said Thursday.
"I believe ... that this war is lost, and this surge is not accomplishing anything, as is shown by the extreme violence in Iraq this week," Reid told journalists.

Reid said he had delivered the same message to US President George W. Bush on Wednesday, when the US president met with senior lawmakers to discuss how to end a standoff over an emergency war funding bill.

"I know I was the odd guy out at the White House, but I told him at least what he needed to hear ... I believe the war at this stage can only be won diplomatically, politically and economically."

Congress is seeking to tie funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to a timetable to withdraw US troops from Iraq next year, but Bush has vowed to veto any such bill and no breakthrough was reported from the White House talks.

Bush on Thursday was addressing an Ohio town hall meeting and defending the war on terror launched in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks.


"It is the most solemn duty of our country, is to protect our country from harm," Bush told the invited audience in Tipp, Ohio.

"A lesson learned was that -- at least in my opinion -- that in order to protect us, we must aggressively pursue the enemy and defeat them elsewhere so that we do not have to face them here."

But Reid drew a parallel with former US president Lyndon Johnson who decided to deploy more troops in Vietnam some 40 years ago when 24,000 US troops had already been killed.

"Johnson did not want a war loss on his watch, so he surged in Vietnam. After the surge was over, we added 34,000 to the 24,000 who died in Vietnam," Reid said.

The comments came a day after bombers killed more than 200 people in a slew of car bombings in Baghdad, dealing a savage blow to the US security plan which aims to deploy an extra 30,000 troops in the country to quell sectarian unrest.

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates fly into Iraq Thursday on an unannounced visit for talks with top US military commanders there.

He met with General David Petraeus, chief of coalition forces in Iraq, his deputy Lieutenant Colonel Ray Odierno and Admiral William Fallon, chief of US forces in the Middle East.


http://www.breitbart.com/article.php...show_article=1

And so goes the ramping of the rhetoric .....

[Pale Rider]

And so goes the ramping of the rhetoric .....

This son of a bitch should be SHOT for betraying his country and cowardice. To say we've lost the war implies VICTORY for our enemy. This spineless liberal pile of steaming dog shit knows nothing but cut and run and surrender, and he's the leader of the liberals, all of which would rather see America get the shit kicked out of her over see her victorious. I'm so sick of these yellow bellied, milk sop, gutless shurkers I could PUKE!

[glockmail]

I've lived here for 2 1/2 years. I've never voted thus far... so don't blame me, and I'm a little off ease that you'd insinuate I'm a "pansie".

Further, could you imagine an American senator saying, "we've lost the war", during WWII? He'd have been tried for high treason. What a slap in the face of every single man and woman in the military.

Then y'all need to try that pansy for treason, along with Pelosi.

[glockmail]

This son of a bitch should be SHOT for betraying his country and cowardice. To say we've lost the war implies VICTORY for our enemy. This spineless liberal pile of steaming dog shit knows nothing but cut and run and surrender, and he's the leader of the liberals, all of which would rather see America get the shit kicked out of her over see her victories. I'm so sick of these yellow bellied, milk sop, gutless shurkers I could PUKE!

So who do you have lined up to run against the spineless puke in his next election?

[Kathianne]

Reid, called out. Links at site:


http://austinbay.net/blog/?p=1764

4/19/2007
Harry Reid Declares War Lost — sort of

— site admin @ 4:36 pm

Yup. He sure did. Harry Reid unequivocally called the war lost.

His headline, directed at readers of The DailyKos:

“Now I believe myself . . . that this war is lost, and that the surge is not accomplishing anything, as indicated by the extreme violence in Iraq yesterday,” said Reid, of Nevada.

But then he carefully squiggles, weaves, and pedals:

“The (Iraq) war can only be won diplomatically, politically and economically, and the president needs to come to that realization,” Reid said.

What a slickee boy. It’s lost, but can only be won, if…Hmmm.

There are (and have been) four lines of operation in Iraq: security (military ops,building Iraqi defense capabilities), governmental (political participation and structure building), information (intel, media, and political perception), and economic (economic development, infrastructure creation).

No, the War on Terror and its Iraq phase are not lost. They certainly haven’t been lost militarily, and Reid knows it. Since mid-April 2003 the economic and governmental components have been the decisive dimensions. Check Iraq’s GDP — it’s growing. Its elected a democratic government. The Saddamists, Al Qaeda, and Iranian-influenced Shia militias have had enormous information successes. Senator Reid and I might discuss why that’s the case. One reason is that they are not penalized by the conventional media and the Left for a campaign of mass murder overwhelmingly directed against Iraqi civilians. You want to help end the terror in Iraq? Condemn the terrorists as the Cho-like psychopaths they are. Deny them the false celebrity they gain when dubbed “insurgents.”

It would be refreshing if Reid even had the courage of his defeatist convictions.

Thing is, his “convictions” aren’t convictions. They are political postures, and this statement is an example of his political game. He tosses a line to the Dems’ defeatist nuts then edges toward reality with an oily pirouette.

UPDATE: I am now listening to the tv (not reading a wireservice report) and it appears Reid added his caveat later. So he doesn’t even score clever points. It’s still an example of his political game. As soon as the going gets tough, Reid and his constituents waver. Pathetic. No, not merely pathetic, dangerous and demoralizing.

[Pale Rider]

Then y'all need to try that pansy for treason, along with Pelosi.

Believe me, the idea is out there. I've been listening to local talk radio today, and there's quite an uproar about it. Having him impeached is the most requested action.

[Pale Rider]

So who do you have lined up to run against the spineless puke in his next election?

Don't know. Anybody. Go downtown and pull some bum out of the soup line at the Salvation Army. Gotta be better than that fucker.

[Pale Rider]

Reid, called out. Links at site:


http://austinbay.net/blog/?p=1764

Thanks for adding that Kath. I'm sure there's more to come.