Senators Spar Over Meaning of Iraq Report (McCain & Clinton on Jones)

[rodeodance]

Source: wash post



September 6, 2007
Senators Spar Over Meaning of Iraq Report
By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6 — An independent commission of military experts, created by Congress to assess Iraq’s military and police force, presented a finely nuanced report to the Senate Armed Services Committee today. But the report could not have been more straightforward for Senator John McCain of Arizona, a Republican candidate for president, and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, a Democrat candidate, even as they reached totally opposite conclusions in line with their opposite positions on the war.

For Mr. McCain, the report provided powerful support of his long-held belief that it would be a mistake for Congress to set a firm deadline for withdrawing troops from Iraq. When retired General James L. Jones of the Marines, who led the commission, told the committee, “I think deadlines can work against us and I think a deadline of this magnitude would be against our national interest,” Mr. McCain could not have been more satisfied. “I thank you,” he said.

For Mrs. Clinton, the commission’s finding that there had been little political progress in Iraq buttressed her view that a firm deadline was crucially needed. “How do we get the appropriate pressure on the Iraqi government to do what we know they must do for the Iraqi people to have any future and for us to, you know, withdraw,” she asked General Jones. “If we take away deadlines, we take away benchmarks, we take away timelines, what is the urgency that will move them to act?”

The contrasting positions of the two presidential candidates provided a stark example of how Republicans and Democrats are maneuvering to shape the discourse on the Iraq war amid a cascade of studies, reports and analyses leading up to reports next week by General David H. Petreaus and Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker, the top Americans in Iraq. With lots of new information at hand, there is little sign so far that lawmakers in either party are changing their views. .........

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/06/washington/06cnd-cong.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

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Text of the Jones Report:

http://www.csis.org/media/csis/pubs/isf.pdf

[rodeodance]

1. “We can’t just ignore the good news,” said Senator John Cornyn, Republican of Texas.

Mr. Levin, who has been working to broker a deal on legislation that would require at least a modest withdrawal of troops, focused repeatedly on the aspects of the report suggesting that a reduction of forces in the near future is not only possible but prudent, as Iraqi forces take on more responsibilities.

“The assumption of that greater responsibility by the Iraqi forces, you’ve indicated should lead to a reduction in the number of our forces,” Mr. Levin asked General Jones. “So far, are we together?”

“We’re together, sir,” the general replied.

Republicans, in turn, focused on the positive developments and General Jones indicated he was together with them on that point, too.

“We can’t just ignore the good news,” said Senator John Cornyn, Republican of Texas. “And that is that you find that the Iraqi armed forces are increasingly effective and capable of assuming greater responsibility for internal security of Iraq.”

[mike_c]

2. jesus christ when will these pigs stop debating whether this shit stinks or not...

...and simply put an end to it? Rat bastards!