Joe Biden (!) Obliterated Every Administration Argument About Iraq

[laststeamtrain]

Joe Biden (!) Obliterated Every Administration Argument About Iraq
By dday, Hullabaloo
Posted on April 9, 2008, Printed on April 9, 2008
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/waroniraq/81846/

That was a very significant moment at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearings with Amb. Ryan Crocker and Gen. David Petraeus. Joe Biden asked Amb. Crocker where it would be better for American national security interests to eliminate Al Qaeda in Iraq or Al Qaeda along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Crocker had nowhere to hide with that question. Spencer Ackerman describes the outcome.

"Crocker, in an impossible political position -- give the correct answer and humiliate the Bush administration; give the administration's answer and look like a fool -- dodged as much as he could. Then Biden forced him down. Crocker: "I would therefore pick Al Qaeda on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border." "

Game over.

Every single argument that the Administration and their lapdogs like John McCain have made or are making break down after that answer. The Ambassdor to Iraq just admitted that Iraq is not the central front in the war on terror. He just admitted that the potential for Al Qaeda to gain a beachhead in Iraq should the United States withdraw is miniscule compared to the already-established beachhead along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. He admitted that the global fight against terror is currently misdirected.

[JDPriestly]

1. The link does not work.

[GardeningGal]

4. I found the correct link. Here you go.

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/#81846

[laststeamtrain]

8. Oh & thank you, too.

:hi:

[laststeamtrain]

5. I just fixed the link. Thanks for the alert.

:hi:

[hisownpetard]

2. Biden was good.

[pacalo]

3. Good find, laststeamtrain.

[mwb970]

6. Biden truly "gets it".

I guess that's why he can't ever be president.

[PatSeg]

12. You got that right

:shrug:

[wryter2000]

7. Senator Biden and Mr. Hyde

When Biden's "on," he's awesome.

[gateley]

9. My sense is that pretty much

the entire SFRC isn't going to dance to that tune any more. They're not buying the admin's line of BS. And with Biden in the captain's seat, they won't get away with much.

All in all, I think the majority of the SFRC members did an outstanding job yesterday, contrasted with the abysmal showing by the SAFC hearings earlier in the day.

[jillan]

10. I loved it when Biden asked that. Also loved it when he asked

'on a scale of 1 - 10 .... where are we now?'
Petreaus and Crocker really danced around that one, until Pet. said we are at a 6 or 7.

I love Biden - so quick on his feet and speaks with a silver tongue.

[krkaufman]

11. Crocker, of course, rationalized his answer as only being possible ...

... because of the magnificent success of The Surge™.

[samsingh]

13. good. let's keep this in the public eye

[HughMoran]

14. McCentury is gonna be regretting his Iraq position this fall

I love my signature :D

[yurbud]

15. that was a tiny, pathetic nod toward reality that won't stop the war. Hit big oil's role in war and

I'll be impressed.