Lieberman Describes Progress He Saw in Iraq
Thursday, June 7, 2007 at 03:24PM Bottom Line Up Front: Progress is being made on the ground in Iraq.
CNN anchor JOHN ROBERTS interviewed Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman today, who just returned from another trip to Iraq. In the interview, Lieberman explained the progress he saw and why U.S. casualties have risen in the past 2 months and spoke frankly about the progress and difficulties occuring in that country.
LIEBERMAN: I want to be real clear about this. This is a tough situation. We’re in a war against al Qaeda and agents of Iran in Iraq today. And it’s hell. And the losses of American lives, the casualties, are tragic and heartbreaking.
What was the progress I saw? I was last there six months ago. I couldn’t walk outside the Green Zone in Baghdad. This time I went out there, walked through a market. There’s a lot of activity.
Sectarian deaths are down in Baghdad by 50 percent.
I was over in Anbar province to the west. Last time I was there, they wouldn’t let John McCain and me go into Ramadi. This time I went in and met with people again, walked through a market feeling very safe.
We’re in a war. The surge strategy, which is just beginning to be fully implemented, has worked. It has reduced sectarian deaths, particularly in Baghdad where we’re focused.
They ticked back up in the last month. Why did they do that? Because our enemies, the insurgents and al Qaeda, insurgents particularly supported by Iran, see us winning, and they’re doing desperate things. More of them are prepared to blow themselves up to kill Iraqis or American soldiers.
Part of it is because our soldiers courageously are now living and working side by side with the Iraqis in cities like Baghdad. You cannot do that without increasing the peril.
The fact is that we are making progress in a difficult war.
Unfortunately, this is absolutely true. Soldiers leaving the FOBs (Forward Operating Base) and living among the Iraqis means confronting the enemy, taking back territories from them. In doing so, casualties go up but it’s a sign that the war is being won.
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Reader Comments (6)
Ahem, did anyone notice Joe is not a republican? No party line to toe here.
I think I read JL say, "We’re in a war. The surge strategy, which is just beginning to be fully implemented, has worked. It has reduced sectarian deaths, particularly in Baghdad where we’re focused."
Good point.
He used to be a Democrat but they got too crazy for him so he switched to Independent. I wonder if he's going to think about running this time around. He might have a warmer reception than last time considering so many have abandoned both parties in favor of none. I don't know. He favors some things I don't, but on the whole he's just a good man. Reagan used to be a Democrat at one time, too. Ted Kennedy turned him into a Republican... in opposition to Ted's communist tendencies. 'Bout the only thing Ted's ever done right for this country.
Who is he trying to kid?
The war has seen the death rate increase, no one is safer and no nation has a better democracy because no one was ever asked or represented.
The Iraqis voted for America to leave and our action not to support democracy in Israel’s occupied territories has made our intentions plain.
America will only win this war when its chosen government can be left to manage US concerns .
The only truth that survived the war was that this is just about oil.
Simon, with all due respect, you don't understand war, nor in particular this war. It is an unprecedented venture into fighting an age old evil that cannot be ingorned anymore. It is a war that engages people, like Iraqis, down to the innermost fabric of their lives because it's about bad theology centered around their religion.
You can come to your conclusions because you have not lived under Saddam Hussein. While war is bad, living under Saddam was worse.
When exactly did Iraqis vote for America to leave? The opposite is true. The democratically elected Iraqi Parliament has a 6 month renewal clause and they reevaluate at that time whether or not they will specifically ask coalition forces to stay. So far they expressly ask us to stay. I'll provide a link as proof if you want it; I did an entry in which an Iraqi official discussed it. Got the video.
Oil? Ye gads. If I had read that to begin with I would have just directed you to Brigadier General (BG) Steve Anderson, GEN Petraeus’ Deputy Chief of Staff for Resources and Sustainment with Multi-National Force-Iraq, and his 10 Myths of the War in Iraq. Myth #1? "The War is all about oil". I hope you read it.
“Simon, with all due respect, you don't understand war, nor in particular this war”.
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I wish this was the case. A definition.
War is about getting people to do what you want just by pointing bigger guns at them..
And democracy is as tangerble as peace is real, each only exist briefly just before battles for power
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“ It is an unprecedented venture into fighting an age old evil that cannot be ignored anymore.”
So you say, but
Evil is what Evil does. Killed or tortured under Saddam is the same as under George Bush, Hmm, how can I choose?
Ah yes under occupation there is US forced democracy (see above)
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“It is a war that engages people, like Iraqis, down to the innermost fabric of their lives because it's about bad theology centered around their religion.”
I thought one of the rules on this site was not to disrespect religion. Amy, you know yourself that we Catholics make up our faith as we go along to avoid the silly side of fundamentalist belief. We both know there are just as many bad Christian theologies practiced openly in our society like the beliefs of the Davidians just to name one that will no longer have support
So have some respect, moderate Muslims do not share belief with the Taliban as Catholics will not share a church with Anglicans.
Tread carefully, Do you want me to think you are a crusader ?
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"You can come to your conclusions because you have not lived under Saddam Hussein. While war is bad, living under Saddam was worse."
So you say, but then you have never lived under an occupation, have you?. so let’s compare imagination.
Amy, before the Gulf War there were 18.5 million Iraqis. Saddam had been voted most popular Muslim Leader by an international poll; he had won a UNESCO prize for education. He had developed Iraq into a gleaming example of a modern nation where even the smallest villages were paved and the poor had free refrigerators running water and electricity.
Sounds like a nice guy, but he also showed no mercy to any opposition, and behaved just like our friends from the house of Saud in Saudi Arabia and the Royals in Kuwait.
Under Saddam there was no aerial bombardment or helicopter gunship’s, the ground was not littered with depleted uranium and cluster bombs. The water was clean and food was available even while harsh restrictions were in place. Under Saddam neighbors were not trying to kill each other, and there was a vibrant economy jobs outside the police force or army and a health care system existed and electricity ran 24/7.
BTW petrol was 5cents a gallon with no waiting or 3 day delays.
If that happened here Bush would be the most popular president ever.
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'When exactly did Iraqis vote for America to leave?'
Iraqi's were never really asked, but they were fooled into thinking there was a chance.
We understand election promises but Iraqis are a bit new to all this.
The election adverts were shot by US companies and were broadcast nation wide on US sponsored TV stations showing the Armed forces of America leaving Iraq while Audio explained how the vote would end the occupation.
With that kind of election promise and only unknown untested parties to vote for, it is logical to presume voters voted so that any Iraqi government would take control of a free Iraq.
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The opposite is true. The democratically elected Iraqi Parliament has a 6 month renewal clause and they reevaluate at that time whether or not they will specifically ask coalition forces to stay. So far they expressly ask us to stay. I'll provide a link as proof if you want it; I did an entry in which an Iraqi official discussed it. Got the video"
Is it possible,that the winning party was sponsored and promoted with US money so that a US installed puppet regime would secure US future interests.
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Oil? Ye gads. If I had read that to begin with I would have just directed you to Brigadier General (BG) Steve Anderson, GEN Petraeus’ Deputy Chief of Staff for Resources and Sustainment with Multi-National Force-Iraq, and his 10 Myths of the War in Iraq. Myth #1? "The War is all about oil". I hope you read it"
Directed but not discredited. Amy , War For Oil is still the only surviving reason for the war that started in 1990.
Since 2003 we have heard many reasons for this battle. WMD, liberty, regime change, democratization, religious war, peace keeping in a civil war zone, reconstruction, war on terror, war against Iran etc. Where are we going with this Amy? World Nuclear War From bad to worse under bush.
Only oil has remained intact as the underlying reason and has been strengthened as America experiences failure after failure with its changing reasons to defend the occupation.
The war began in 1991 under Bush snr. The war about oil has actually been going on for 16years Amy, that’s a shock but you would not read about it.
Kuwait was stealing Iraqi oil, that’s why Saddam invaded. Kuwait supplied more oil to the US than any other nation and that’s why Kuwait was stealing crude under the border and why the US went to war.
The war stalled twice in 1991/92 both times in cease fires and a blockade stopped Iraq from affecting oil prices By 2002 the sanctions could no longer be maintained and it became apparent that Saddam had found a new customer for oil in the rising economy of China and would be trading in Euros’.
It is said that:
The US presence in the Middle East is funded partly from the trade in oil as the huge foreign exchange depends upon US currency. In effect oil keeps the value in the US dollar but if the trade continued in Euros’ America would suffer financial ruin.
Which of the many reasons for war is your favorite Amy? and please remember US forces were sent to protect the world from WMD.
Amy, do you think?
If western troops were removed from Iraq tomorrow
A, the Iraqi government and police would be shot as US collaborators.
B, The death rate of Iraqi civilians would increase
C, The death rate of American civilians would increase.
D, American lives will be saved but oil prices will rise.