John Kerry: “This is Crunch Time for Iraq”

[kerrygoddess]

John Kerry: “This is Crunch Time for Iraq”
January 19, 2006

Speaking to reporters today at a press conference in Baghdad’s Green Zone, John Kerry said “2006 will be “crunch time” for Iraq’s new government.

“This is crunch time for everything we’ve invested and for everything they’ve invested,” Kerry told reporters in Baghdad’s Green Zone, adding later: “I’m confident that, providing the government makes the choices that are available to it, provided we continue to leverage that, that we will be in a position to see very significant numbers of forces return over the course of this year.”

Kerry spent the day today, meeting with top Iraqi officials, including President Jalal Talabani and Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari. The night before, he had dinner with more Iraqi officials and U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad.

Kerry said the “results of the Dec. 15 parliamentary vote were expected to be released on Friday and that the parties elected must form a national unity government that includes representatives of its three main groups, the Shiite Muslims, Kurds and Sunni Arabs.” He also stressed that the “responsibility belonged to the Iraqis themselves and the U.S.-led coalition could only do so much.” This is a position that Kerry has stressed for some time. (see Kerry’s speech: The Path Forward, Oct. 26, 2005)

MORE, LINKS, PHOTOS - http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=1692

[The_Casual_Observer]

1. for everything we’ve invested and for everything they’ve invested

This is more of the same westernized linear thinking about quick payback and return on investment. BTW, What are the Islamic principles regarding "investment"?

[tatertop]

2. Why is Kerry pandering to Bush?

"Kerry made clear that the withdrawal of U.S. troops would only happen if Iraq's government functions effectively and Iraqi police and army units are trained properly."

He knows that goal is so undefined
as to be absolutely worthless.
It gives Bush cart blanche.

What happened to Kerry?

[TayTay]

3. Another Press account

BAGHDAD, Jan 19, 2006 (AFP)... Kerry said:

“It is critical that the government that is formed be a government of national unity,” he said at the conclusion of a visit during which he met with President Jalal Talabani, Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari and several other senior figures.

“It is going to be essential that those key ministries, particularly defense, interior and finance put people in them who will lead the ministry without regard to the sectarian influences that have so often guided decision-making,” he said.

If politicians can overcome sectarian problems, particularly the Sunni-Shiite divide, major US troop withdrawals could take place this year, he added, describing the upcoming period as a “make-or-break time” for Iraq.

“If those issues can be resolved, as I believe they can politically with our help as well as their own, then I believe you can withdraw a very significant number of troops,” he said.
“I suggest that the vast majority of our combat troops could be out of there by the end of the year under those appropriate circumstances,” he said.


From Agence France-Presse 1/19/06

[tatertop]

9. Kerry is serving up a big plate of steaming nothing

He needs to start obeying the will of
We The People. OUT OF IRAQ!

His lightweight mishmash
position hurts The Democrats; hurts The Country.

Kerry: Set a definite time to pullout
(and I don't mean 2020) and work around that.
Other countries will help if they know
we are pulling out. Kerry has to stop
pandering to Bush's insane agenda.

[blm]

19. Please get current - you sound as if you never even heard Kerry's Iraq

withdrawal plan that he submitted last October, fer chrissakes. Immediate, significant drawdown starting Dec 16, 2005, to continue till troops are out in Dec 2006.

Guess we can thank corporate media from preventing you knowing about it.

[tatertop]

23. The Democrats need to stay on that message

I recall that very well and applauded him greatly for it.
Kerry needs to get back on message. The Democrats need not be scared. The American People will support us.
The ball has been thrown right to us, we better start running with it.

Get back to demanding a definite pullout date, make Hillary and all other doubters dummy up and get in-step. There is not one good resaon for any real Democrat to support an immoral war the people do not want. This is a chance for The Democratic Party
to show the country what we stand for.
"Yes, We The People: we are better for America than Republicans!"

[blm]

27. Don't mean to sound so tough about it, but accuracy is important. When so

many of US can get it wrong on DU, then how can we blame the general public who doesn't access even HALF the info we do here?

[The_Casual_Observer]

4. My take on it is that Kerry is actually quite simple minded.

And can offer only simple answers that won't work to very difficult problems.

[ProSense]

6. His Iraq and Real Security speeches were simpleminded?

When he makes longer statements to address the complexity of the situation, he's deemed not good at soundbites. Now he makes a concise statement and he's simpleminded?

[blm]

8. Horsepoo. Kerry can only say so much publicly on the ground there. He has

to support the elections there, just as ALL DEMOCRATS DO.

Kerry's Iraq withdrawal plan came two months after his last evaluation of Iraq last Sept and was based on his discussions with commanders on the ground and many members of Iraqi parliament NOT LOYAL to BushInc.

I expect another clearer view once he returns with the information and discusses it with other miltary and diplomatic minded figures.

[tatertop]

11. I think you give Kerry way too much credit

[blm]

15. I give Kerry what he has earned over the last 35 years - trust that his

intentions are honest and his judgement is fair and usually prescient.

[tatertop]

12. He needs to start LEADING the way

Doesn't he understand that?

[kerrygoddess]

13. Don't you understand

that he has been?

[tatertop]

20. We are failing to capitalize on the will of The People

Kerry is saying we should not leave Iraq
until we have met goals that he knows to be unobtainable.
All this does is play into Bush's hands.

Kerry and Company need to be single-minded
in demanding that we set a definite time to pull out
(and I don't mean 2020) and work around that.
Other countries will help if they know
we are pulling out. Kerry has to stop
pandering to Bush's insane agenda.
The People will support us overwhelmingly.
Let's show them what The Democratic Party is made of!

[Mass]

21. Careful, this is AP wording.

AP goals are to separate Democrats in two camps:

-Democrats who agree with Bush (everybody who will not say they want an immediate or nearly immediate inconditionnal withdrawal),

- Those who want an immediate inconditionnal withdrawal, that will then be categorized as lefties.

While I dont think that Kerry's plan can be achieved with Bush president, the plan is basically: "do what is necessary so that we can withdraw our troops ASAP in an Iraq that can govern itself, and mainly create an army and an administration, eventually with foreign aid". Of course, it is difficult to see that appear in an article where what he says is rewritten by AP.

Saying that he is pandering to Bush is simply doing Bush's game, that is to say that most Dems agree with him.

[tatertop]

24. That's why The Democrats need to be all over the news with this

The American people will support us.
Let America see the REAL difference between Democrats and Republicans.

Where can I get access to Kerry's original statement.
I may be over zealous, but I try not to be close-minded.

[TayTay]

22. No he didn't

Thisis what he said on 10/26...

We must make it clear now that we do not want permanent military bases in Iraq, or a large combat force on Iraqi soil indefinitely. And as we withdraw our combat troops, we should be prepared to keep a substantially reduced level of American forces in Iraq, at the request of the Iraqi government, for the purpose of training their security forces. Some combat ready American troops will still be needed to safeguard the Americans engaged in that training, but they should be there to do that and to provide a back stop to Iraqi efforts, not to do the fighting for Iraqis.

... SNIP

Finally, and without delay, we must fundamentally alter the deployment of American troops. While Special Operations must continue to pursue specific intelligence leads, the vast majority of our own troops should be in rear guard, garrisoned status for security backup. We do not need to send young Americans on search and destroy missions that invite alienation and deepen the risks they face. Iraqis should police Iraqis. Iraqis should search Iraqi homes. Iraqis should stand up for Iraq.

What part of this do you not understand?

[ProSense]

16. He is as a senator, and will as a president. Bush has the job now. n/t

[ProSense]

7. Are you saying investment as in money? Cause that's not what this is. n/t

[The_Casual_Observer]

10. Investment as a concept. Investing with an expectation of a "reward"

of some sort.

[ProSense]

14. Concept: ultimate sacrifice. Reward: honor (martyrdom)

It's in every culture.


edited title.

[Selatius]

5. The Shi'ites have no fucking need to reach out to Sunnis, so on to war!

They, along with the Kurds, probably won such an amount of the vote that together they compromise a majority in parliament. They will NOT allow the Sunnis the option of amending the constitution, and that means they will have no way to amend the constitution to allow a more equal distribution of oil profits throughout Iraq. As it stands, MOST OF THE OIL lies in KURDISH TERRITORY and the SHI'ITE DOMINATED SOUTH. The Sunnis would then have LESS REASON TO ACCEPT THE NEW GOVERNMENT.

[tatertop]

17. Kerry needs to demand a definite pullout date

Set a definite time to pullout
(and I don't mean 2020) and work around that.
Other countries will help if they know
we are pulling out.
Most Americans would support Kerry on this.
He has to stop pandering to Bush's insane agenda,
find his spine, and DO THE RIGHT THING!

Let's show America what Democrats are made of!!!

[blm]

18. What planet are you on? Kerry submitted an Iraq withdrawal plan in October

that listed a plan to draw down in steps starting immediately on Dec 16, day after election, and have troops out by Dec 2006.

Media ignored it, so Kerry resubmitted it on the floor of the Senate in November, and media still pretty much ignored it while they instead set about defining Murtha's plan as immediate withdrawal or surrender from Dems.

[tatertop]

25. I addressed that above

Kerry's address today (if that is what he in fact said)
flies in the face of his original pullout plan.
We got to start staying on message better than that.
When Bush and his creeps want something, it is all they
talk about. It comes up all the time.

The saddest part of this is that the Democrats
are failing to capitalize on the widespread
disaproval of the nightmare in Iraq.
Fast track pullout would be widely supported by Americans.
More importantly, it is the right thing to do.

[blm]

26. No it doesn't. He's telling them to shit already because we don't WANT to

stick around waiting by the pot.