Pelosi: Despite wh Report Showing Little Progress, * is Committed to 10 More Years of War in Iraq

[babylonsister]

http://www.speaker.gov/blog/?p=757

Pelosi: Despite White House Report Showing Little Progress, Bush is Committed to 10 More Years of War in Iraq

Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement today on a new White House report that indicates that Iraq has made little progress toward meeting key political and security benchmarks:

“President Bush is committed to 10 more years of war in Iraq at a cost of untold lives lost and hundreds of billions of dollars to American taxpayers, even though today’s White House report admits little progress has been made by the Iraqi government.

“The redeployment of our troops cannot be delayed by the failure of the Iraqi government to achieve the political and economic benchmarks established by the Bush Administration. The American people reject the President’s 10-year war in Iraq and want a responsible redeployment to end this war.”

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THE PRESIDENT’S 10-YEAR WAR IN IRAQ:
BUSH’S RHETORIC DOESN’T MATCH WHITE HOUSE’S OWN REPORT

Last night, President Bush outlined a status quo strategy that leaves at least 130,000 American soldiers in harm’s way as part of a 10-year occupation of Iraq, even as a White House report released today disputes the key points of optimism President Bush highlighted in his speech last night.

“The White House told Congress Friday that Iraqi leaders gained little new ground on key military and political goals, a discouraging assessment a day after President Bush said progress justifies a large continued U.S. military presence there…” <Associated Press, 9/14/07>

PRESIDENT BUSH: “One year ago, much of Baghdad was under siege. Schools were closed, markets were shuttered, and sectarian violence was spiraling out of control. Today, most of Baghdad’s neighborhoods are being patrolled by Coalition and Iraqi forces who live among the people they protect. Many schools and markets are reopening. Citizens are coming forward with vital intelligence. Sectarian killings are down. And ordinary life is beginning to return.” <9/13/07>

WHITE HOUSE REPORT: “Unfortunately, total civilian casualties did not fall as significantly over the same period, as al-Qaida launched several high-casualty vehicle IED attacks in Baghdad and the northern provinces in an attempt to provoke greater sectarian violence… militias are still acting outside the law in the uncleared parts of Baghdad and the southern provinces of Karbala, Basra, Qadisiyah, and Maysan In these areas, militia members have either infiltrated Iraqi Security Forces or brokered deals with the local ISF or civilian leadership.” <White House Report, 9/14/07>

PRESIDENT BUSH: “Yet Iraq’s national leaders are getting some things done. For example, they have passed a budget. They are sharing oil revenues with the provinces. They are allowing former Ba’athists to rejoin Iraq’s military or receive government pensions. And local reconciliation is taking place. The key now is to link this progress in the provinces to progress in Baghdad. As local politics change, so will national politics.” <9/13/07>

WHITE HOUSE REPORT: “Reconciliation in a society marked by nearly four decades of dictatorship will not be linear and will take time, patience, and support from the international community…Moving these laws forward depends on deal-making among major players in a society divided along sectarian, ethnic, and other lines — and navigation of a nascent democratic system with checks and balances that, while protecting minority groups, also slows legislative progress…The natural tension between groups has been exacerbated by political blocs threatening to withdraw support from the government…they have contributed to an environment of mistrust and gridlock.”

PRESIDENT BUSH: “…ultimately, the way forward depends on the ability of Iraqis to maintain security gains…the Iraqi army is becoming more capable, although there is still a great deal of work to be done to improve the National Police. Iraqi forces are receiving increased cooperation from local populations. And this is improving their ability to hold areas that have been cleared.” <9/13/07>

WHITE HOUSE REPORT: “There are still challenges in developing Iraqi institutions to sustain existing forces, delays in obtaining required equipment, persistent ethno-sectarian influences and political interference, a limited pool of trained officers and non-commissioned officers (NCOs), and attrition from combat.” <White House Report, 9/14/07>

[aquart]

1. What do they mean "little progress"? LOTS of Iraqis are dying.

What? That wasn't the purpose of this war?

[snappyturtle]

2. From this:

President Bush is committed to 10 more years of war in Iraq at a cost of untold lives lost and hundreds of billions of dollars to American taxpayers, even though today’s White House report admits little progress has been made by the Iraqi government.

“The redeployment of our troops cannot be delayed by the failure of the Iraqi government to achieve the political and economic benchmarks established by the Bush Administration. The American people reject the President’s 10-year war in Iraq and want a responsible redeployment to end this war.”



"....we know Nancy understands. Now, the question is: Will she do anything about it?"

[movonne]

3. That is a really good question...now lets ask the DLC, because

they will make the decision...