Petraeus: The Surge is Working, Premature Pull-Out Would Be Devastating

but that's my point, it's not a partition. It's really just trying to appease everyone by forming states based on religious grounds, and that is likely to lead to a heavy war. and the situation becomes more complex because the Iraqi army may splinter and actually be the instigator of a war which results in a lot of suffering and things like genocide.

If we want out, we have to have a partition and three new countries....other wise we have to remain in Iraq.

 

Wow. All that time spent discussing and waiting for this report before Congress, a big media blitz by the White House, Bush flying around, the General fronting for him, and what does it give them re the American public?

Diddly squat.


Bush's speech, top general's testimony on Iraq did little to sway public opinion

Disapproval of the war, desire to withdraw troops unchanged, polls suggest

Approval of President Bush limited to Republican base, about 30 percent.

By Bill Schneider
CNN Senior Political Analyst

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- There were two high-profile media events about Iraq last week: The top U.S. commander testified before Congress and President Bush delivered a prime-time speech. What impact did they have?

Very little, according to two polls taken at the end of the week.

Before the testimony of Gen. David Petraeus and the President's speech, 26 percent of Americans polled by CBS News approved of President Bush's handling of Iraq. After the speech, 25 percent approved.

Before the testimony and the speech, 41 percent of Americans believed the United States did the right thing to take military action in Iraq. After the speech, 39 percent said it was the right thing.

The poll's margin of error was plus-or-minus 4 percent.

President Bush spoke about a "return on success.'' Drawing on General Petraeus' " . . . belief we're succeeding, his belief we will succeed,'' the president asked "the United States Congress to support the troop levels and the strategies I have embraced.''

Democrats were skeptical. "We have now set the bar so low, that modest improvement in what was a completely chaotic situation -- to the point where now we just have the levels of intolerable violence that existed in June of 2006 -- is considered a success, and it's not," said Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois.

Does the public believe the U.S. troop build-up is making the situation in Iraq better? Before last week, 35 percent of Americans said yes in the CBS News poll. At the end of the week, 31 percent said yes.

A poll by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press found 54 percent of Americans want the U.S. to bring its troops home as soon as possible -- that's the same as in July.

The Pew poll's margin of error was plus-or-minus 2.5 percent.

President Bush's overall job approval hardly changed. It was 30 percent before the speech and 29 percent after. But the president's rating did jump 15 points among Republicans.

Bottom line? Nothing much changed. The public still wants out of Iraq. But the president's Republican base remains loyal.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/09/18/petraeus.poll/index.html



D&D. Impeach Bush and Cheney.

 

U.S. Suspends ‘Land Travel’ Outside The Green Zone For Civilian And Diplomatic Officials

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States on Tuesday suspended all land travel by U.S. diplomats and other civilian officials throughout Iraq, except in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone. The move follows a weekend incident involving private security guards protecting a diplomatic convoy in which a number of Iraqi civilians were killed.

In a notice sent to Americans in Iraq, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad said it had taken the step to review the security of its personnel and possible increased threats to those leaving the Green Zone while accompanied by such security details.

"In light of a serious security incident involving a U.S. embassy protective detail in the Mansour District of Baghdad, the embassy has suspended official U.S. government civilian ground movements outside the International Zone (IZ) and throughout Iraq," the notice said.

"This suspension is in effect in order to assess mission security and procedures, as well as a possible increased threat to personnel traveling with security details outside the International Zone," said the notice, a copy of which was provided to The Associated Press by the State Department in Washington.

The notice did not say when the suspension would expire.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jSQ14PoKO8jjCLmzfdzIzty14Ijw

So much for leisurely strolls through Baghdad markets huh Mr McCain?

 

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I don't think recent successes are a result of troop build-up as much as a change in tactics.

It appears the surge was a clever way of gaining some time for Patreus to have a chance to implement some changes. So positive results, but definitely not earth shattering.

Of course, you can't turn the ship around a dime.

 

I don't have time to read this whole thread, and I don't make it into this room very often anymore so I appologize if this has already been stated... but Patraeus oversees only Iraq, and cannot answer the question of whether this is a good idea in the world view of things. That would be for GWB himself as commander in chief. We won't hear a peep out of the generals who could comment on the matter because Iraq is killing the military. All those billions spent, and it's not even a drop in the bucket when it comes to refurbishing our military to prewar status.

 

its called 'passing the buck' you libpig!

unfortunately, it seems to work as a strategy - he is able to shift focus to his general rather than on his own failed policies and that move-on add only took more attention off his failures - that add was the best thing that could have happened for bush, as they were able to turn that into the central issue.

 

One Of Petraeus' Own Advisers Says General's Testimony On Iraq Was Misleading

 

Jorge? Nothing?

I expect an apology from you and congress to MoveOn any time now.

 

There is a long list of folks that got it wrong, when MoveOn got it right.

Sadly the perception will still be that they were just a fringe group making fringe statements in their ad.

basso was just recently comparing it to Rush's trashing of some of the Iraq war soldiers, and he even said that MoveOn was worse because they were a PAC.

Of course the difference is that MoveOn was actually correct. Congress ought to be ashamed of themselves.