Iraq

Posted: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 9:06 AM by Mark Murray
Filed Under: Security

Yesterday, Bush made another case that Al Qaeda in Iraq is a threat to the US. "Bush made provocative new assertions Tuesday about Al Qaeda's role in Iraq, using recently declassified information to make his case that the global battle with the terrorism network — and Americans' safety at home — hinges on keeping U.S. troops there to fight. Bush's comments were met with skepticism by some terrorism experts and former U.S. intelligence officials, who said the president exaggerated or even misrepresented the facts in Iraq… Bush's impassioned 28-minute speech was the administration's longest and most detailed argument to date that Al Qaeda in Iraq and Bin Laden's terrorist operation were one and the same. Bush used it, he acknowledged, to rebut his critics' assertions that the Iraqi militant group was not justification enough for keeping U.S. troops in the war-riven country."

The New York Times front-pages Bush’s relationship with Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki. “In sessions usually lasting more than an hour, Mr. Bush, a committed Christian of Texas by way of privileged schooling in New England, and Mr. Maliki, an Iraqi Shiite by way of political exile in Iran and Syria, talk about leadership and democracy, troop deployments and their own domestic challenges. Sometimes, said an official who has sat in on the meetings, they talk about their faith in God.”

The House will take up a measure today that would ban the establishment of permanent US military bases in Iraq, NBC’s Mike Viqueira reports. The free-standing bill will be put forward by Rep. Barbara Lee (D), a leader of the "Progressive Caucus" in the House. Dem leaders aim to put the item on the floor this week, with two more Iraq-related measures on tap for next week. The next four weeks after that are devoted to recess.

Salon's Walter Shapiro believes Monday night's YouTube debate actually exposed a division on the issue of Iraq between the major candidates. "The issue that exposed these Democratic divisions was, in essence, what should a new Democratic president do about the Iraq war? The fault line Monday night was primarily between Bill Richardson (‘I believe we should bring all the troops home ... in six months with no residual forces’) and Chris Dodd on one side, and Joe Biden (‘There is not a single military man in this audience who will tell this senator that he can get the troops out in six months’) and Hillary Clinton (‘Joe is right’) on the other.”

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Comments

Invading and occupying Iraq has taken the focus off of the terrorist group who actually attacked us on 9/11. Bin Laden's followers are only in Iraq now because Saddam is gone and there's lots of American targets there now.
God bless our troops.

Kevin, Tallahassee, FL (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 1:42 PM)

It's CHOWDA jerry. CLAM CHOWDA.

H P Boston (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 1:43 PM)

IMPEACH: Everywhere you go, you make a fool of yourself....I'll leave it at that...HAND TO THE FACE..and moving on to other things.

IntheMiddle, Texas (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 1:48 PM)

Impeach, you are saying that an impeached and dishonarable man who has oral sex in the oval office is a great man? Sounds like trailer trash talk to me.

jerry/corpus christi texas (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 1:50 PM)

Juan; yep, they're in Pakistan and we aren't. Maybe we need to keep Bin Laden as a bogeyman to scare Jerry and Bill Johns to their knees. The Shiites will wipe out the Sunnis in Iraq as soon as we leave---including this purported Al Quaeda in Iraq.
Bill Johns; whose god do YOU kill for? The jihadis kill for theirs, do you kill for Jesus "The Prince of Peace"? Who would Jesus torture? Before you turn the U.S. into a Christian Taliban, I hope you and your ilk get raptured outof here real soon.

Jim, Washington, D.C. (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 1:53 PM)

Its actually kinda sad when you look at the whole picture of Iraq. Has everyone forgotten that we created the problem (Saddam) to begin with? Wouldn't that mean it was our Responsibility to "uncreate" him. Do you think the majority of Iraqi's would rather have him back? Right now there needs to be a diplomatic attempt to resolve the differences between the factions but if you pull out all the troops that won't be possible. Do we all really want to be responsible for genocide? Thats what will happen if we pull out before the diplomatic situation is resolved.

VipexIII,Rochester,NY (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 1:54 PM)

Eileen, Navarre, FL (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 2:02 PM)

I just saw a story about the Iraqi soccer team that was attacked by a suicide bomber.The iraqis are looking to their government to protect them. The Iraqis are looking to the occuping power (The U.S.) to protect them.Neither government has an effective POLICY to do so.

Desmond (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 2:06 PM)

Sounds like a dude to me! How would I know about trailer trash, thats your neighborhood jerry.
I am proud of that man Bill. He never looked a gift horse in the MOUTH! Jealous jerry?

IMPEACH BUSH AND CHENEY (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 2:09 PM)

Sounds like a dude to me! How would I know about trailer trash, thats your neighborhood jerry.
I am proud of that man Bill. He never looked a gift horse in the MOUTH! Jealous jerry?

IMPEACH BUSH AND CHENEY (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 2:10 PM)

Bush likes to say that Bin Laden considers Iraq "the central front" of the war on terror. That's true, but only because the Iraq war has been so useful to Bin Laden in recruiting and training terrorists in real-life urban combat. As for Bush, the war hysteria he and his party hacks stirred up prior to the invasion was instrumental in winning the 2002 midterms and helped defeat Kerry 2 years later. But as the situation in Iraq has gotten continuously worse, it's become a millstone around their necks.

When the U.S. withdraws from Iraq the supply of fresh Al Qaeda recruits will begin to dry up. The Shiites and Sunnis, who are fed up with Al Qaeda, will mop up the stragglers. The sooner the withdrawal begins, the sooner the flow of new terrorist recruits to Bin Laden's cause will be cut off.

Houston (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 2:15 PM)

It kind of involved a married Senator (who lost two brothers due to assassination) and a single female staffer who was murdered by the married senator when he could not drive over a bridge.
Well Jerr, since their is no statute of limitations on murder, that must take us to the second option.
You come here to post lies for the GOP.

WDRussell, East Liverpool, Ohio (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 2:33 PM)

If the President's rationale for the surge (staying the course) in Iraq is because Al Queda in Iraq represents the global front for terrorism, wouldn't common sense dictate that a qualified leader should be targeting Al Queda in Pakistan? Can someone, anyone from any political affiliation whether Democrat, Republican or Independant please inform him that his priorities are skewed!

Diane, Grand Blanc, Michigan (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 2:47 PM)

Bush...Al Qaeda...Iraq...attacked us on 9/11...dangerous...be afraid...don't back down...plastic and duct tape...wait that was his last speech...what was this speech about, again?

Al, KS (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 2:48 PM)

Houston: This,of course,is nonsense.As much,I suppose,as to infer that al Qaeda is less a problem in Iraq than it is in Afghanistan where it is the Taliban who has been getting crushed by the coalition in that country. The nebulous nature of al Qaeda guarantees that in the form of a retreat by American forces from Iraq,it will move to reestablish hegemony in the guise of another al-Zarqawi or Shahid in the Sunni areas where it will utlilize this region as a plaform from which to stage attacks against either US interests in the region,or the nation itself. [has in fact,already. It was Iraqi al Qaeda that launched failed missle attacks against American warships in the Gulf of Aquba in Jordan,another country entirely]. This is merely wishful thinking on the portion of the ''get out now ''crowd,as delusional in its construct,as the idea we would be ''greeted as liberators''.

Lee Holmes (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 2:53 PM)

Hey bill john you already fought them overhere your boy was asleep at the wheel and we lost our two towers of capitalism.If that aint a loss maybe george can convince you we arent fighting overhere.Do you thin k the terrorists gave up on 9/10/01 no they have been trying ever since to get us.The bushes are the only ones who seem to need reminding.By the way after the oklahoma terrorist attack were you wanting to round up all white short hair military types because I was profiling them and there seems to be an awful lot of american haters who look like that.

keno (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 3:01 PM)

Poor Bush! Everybody hates his crazy ass. Everybody with a brain, that is.

JIrby, Colorado (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 3:08 PM)

jerry is for anacrhy as long as democrats and rebublicans are allowed to get away with the same immoral behavior hes all for it .Well the rest of us call a spade a spade .Bill Clinton LIED ok hE DID GET A bj FROM THAT WOMAN YES HE IS AN Adulterer but they kept there marriage together in defence of marriage what about the fallanderers you like 3 marriages come on George lied and so far 3636 people have died directly from that @ wrongs only make right in jerrys book Now mention something about proper grammer to redirect your arument away from the fact you hate america and every american who disagrees with you DIVIDED WE FALL see ya on the ground

keno (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 3:09 PM)

INthe middle KATRINA KATRINA IMMIGRATION TERRORIST ATTACK 911 HANDLING OF FIRED US ATTORNEYS firing general shenshecy listening to rumsfield and the other neocons who left georgie holding the bag the russians are comming Korea has nuclear bomb Iran right behind them what do you call this, PRICELESS ?

do as I say not as I am (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 3:22 PM)

Bill John: which god do YOU kill for? The jihadists---not all Muslims are jihadis, you know---are killing people for their god, Allah. Do you kill in the name of Jesus the Prince of Peace? Who would Jesus torture? Is the New Jerusalem going to be a Christian Taliban in the sky? I hope you get your deluded wish and get raptured away from secular America as Thomas Jefferson envisioned it, soon. It wouldn't be soon enough.

Jim, Washington, D.C. (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 3:23 PM)

No. Thank YOU Jerry: That was the point of my post. If only George W. Bush had as much honor and integrity as Richard M. Nixon.

Gary Schear, Bozeman Montana (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 4:23 PM)

Bill John: what god do you kill for? Jesus, the "Prince of Peace"? The jihadis kill for theirs, Allah of the Dar Es Salaam, the House of Peace.
Who would Jesus torture.
Maybe the New Jerusalem will be like the Christian Taliban. You can have it; I'll take the America Jefferson envisioned. Hope you get raptured the hell out of America real soon.

Jim, Washington, D.C. (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 4:26 PM)

after that 33-38 year break from jerry aka inthemiddle, the topic was Iraq...
Once again, bush is trying to tie al Quaida to Iraq as justification; once again, at least 65% of the people (latesst poll) aren't buying it. Yes, they are connections NOW, AFTER we invaded a sovereign country that has been proven many times that had nothing to do with 9-11 (15 of 19 were Saudis; no Iraqis). No yellowcake inquiries, no WMD. back to topic, anyone? anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

Mark Y; Westlake Village, CA (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 4:28 PM)

More delusional thinking: If the case can be made that we breed ''terrorists''by invading or continuing to remain in Iraq,then why deal with terrorism anywhere,even in the event of an even greater 9/11?Does anyone think that invading Pakistan in order to get bin Laden would not breed more terrorists? Or retreating from Iraq while staying in Afghanistan? Or retreating from both while remaining in the region as advocated by even several Democrats? Or does it begin a new generation, advanced by DAILY KOS and Arriana Huffington,that the US, like Europe,must endure spasmodic episodes of terrorism equating or even exceeding 9/11 as the price of ''peace'' at any cost? This is what these YOUTUBE Democrats are presently ignoring even as they try to make the case that Iraq ''breeds terrorists''due to our presence. Meanwhile,the NIE observes that Shiite terrorist cells in the US await our responses to any given situation in Iran to either continue sleeping,or act. and these guys are not even al Qaeda.

Lee Holmes (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 4:39 PM)

Yes Mark I heard him (Shrub) and I will say he did his dammdest to speak slowly. Al Quaida, is in IRAQ.
Now we are in big trouble, he will convince his 30% that we are in grave danger. Now he will ask for more troops, claim it is not his fault but I guess he will blame Hillary.
He will not stop until he does his best to start mass hysteria. What to do???

H P Boston (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 4:45 PM)

Gary Schear, Bozeman Montana (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 4:59 PM)

Dawn and Mel -- I see we've picked up another restless child. Allison must have no adult supervision. She will get bored and leave just like last week when we were boarded by the "Pirates of the Caribbean." If she is an adult, her mother may have taught her manners but it didn't take. Remember, blog sites bring out the worst in some people because they know they are anonymous. Have a blessed day, friends!

Eileen - it appears you're another one that haters from around here. Looked though a bunch of new items, and like Mel, you appear to be a cut/paste star of no substance.

blog sites bring out the worst in some people because they know they are anonymous

You should know Eileen. You should know.

Allison (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 5:00 PM)

Lee Holmes [[This is merely wishful thinking on the portion of the ''get out now ''crowd,as delusional in its construct,as the idea we would be ''greeted as liberators''.]]

It's not wishful thinking, it's just plain thinking. What's wishful is to suppose that the longer the US stays in Iraq, the better conditions will get there and the weaker the _real_ Al Qaeda will become. Sorry, things have turned out exactly the opposite. Conditions have gotten progressively worse in Iraq over the past 4 years. Right after the invasion, US journalists could walk almost anywhere unprotected. Now they fear for their lives even in military convoys.

As for Al Qaeda, get real. The terrorists are back playing on their monkey bars in training camps in the border regions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Our supposed ally, Pakistan, is on the verge of becoming the next Iraq, with car bombs now going off there and the government on the brink of collapse. And Pakistan has nukes, by the way.

The terrorist threat is just as bad today as it was on Sept 10, 2001. The only difference is that millions more muslims hate us now than back then. And why do they hate us? It's not because they "hate our freedoms." It's because of the invasion of Iraq and the hellish living conditions it brought to the people of Iraq, because of the Abu Ghraib scandal, because of Gitmo, and because of the humiliation Iraqis experience routinely at the hands of US troops as they go from house to house knocking down doors in their hunt for "Al Qaeda" suspects.

Houston (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 5:00 PM)

Sadly, the only place Bush can speak is on military bases which allows him to reinforce the Big Lie to a captive audience. I wonder when the last time is that he spoke to an open audience that hadn't been vetted and certified by Mother Rove?

"....Mama's gonna check out all your girl friends for you Mama won't let anyone dirty get through....."
Mother - Pink Floyd

Where is 'Still Crazy' when you need him?

Gary Schear, Bozeman Montana (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 5:08 PM)

Gary Schear, Bush could sing "Mama told me not to come..That ain't no way to have fun son That aint no way to have fun."-"Mama Told Me Not To Come"-Three Dog Night

Still Crazy After All These Years (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 6:30 PM)

Wow, several posters have been antagonistic and downright nasty towards me lately. Maybe Jerry and I should have a competition to see which one of us can garner the most insults. But, wait, I'm an independant...would I have to become a democrat, first?

same-old-one-trick-ponyMel, Illinois (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 6:33 PM)

Mel and Eileen, wish these restless children would just stay away. They don't really know us "regulars" do they? On another note, I am going to have to be away from my favorite First Read reading for awhile. Will actually be away from a computer for a few days; sure will have a lot of reading to catch up on in about 10 days won't I? Keep the children entertained while I'm away would you.

Dawn, somewhere in Kansas (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 7:03 PM)

Did you hear about the newest Al Quaeda scare? It involves blocks of cheese and wires (gasp!) I call them IECs---Improvised Cheese Explosives. If you can't cheeze-whizz 'em to death, maybe you can just bring on one of those really stinky kinds of cheeses? Someone at the TSA has WAY too much time and imagination on his or her hands...

Jim, Washington, D.C. (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 7:11 PM)

Lee,
What I have objected to this admin is, from the start, they pushed a false basis for the war. The result is that NOW, al Quaida is in Iraq. Before we invaded, saddam kept them out (differing Islamic sects). I feel we do need to get our troops out from between the middle of the sectarian violence (some call it a civil war). I also believe those troops would be better placed if they were protecting our borders, or in Afghanistan. Can you give a good reason why we pulled troops out of Afghanistan to go into Iraq when we were within a whisker (or two) of getting bin Laden? Now, he may be more of a symbol; back then, he WAS al Quaida. bush's desire for revenge on Bush I cost us a chance to set back the radical Islamic movement for years. That, in my opinion, was the FIRST biggest mistake made by this admin.

Mark YU; Westalke Village, CA (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 7:11 PM)

Houston:If al Qaeda has become ''stronger''in Iraq,then why are so many of them being killed by our forces? Why are they in retreat across the Sunni Triangle? Why have cities formerly seen as ''American Alamos''become quiet? Why would commanders at all levels see this surge as ''working''? This is reality. Divorced from your partisan interpretation. As to how ''Muslims feel''you are in error. A vast majority of Muslims from all nations in the Middle East are disavowing terrorism and suicide bombings. [see;This weeks NEWSWEEK polls and those of the PEW GLOBAL POLL,[conducted in Muslim nations]out today].pass to the troops and careful.Your ''support''is showing.

Lee Holmes (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 7:17 PM)

Mama, now I should be afraid of Shiite sleeper cells here! Gosh Lee, that's a new one. More duct tape needed. We set ourselves on this course when we took our fears and allowed our President to invade Iraq.Those of us who did not want to do so were called unpatriotic. At this point, I am listening to all iedeas about how to extract ourselves from this debacle in Iraq. Listening to people incite more fear just doesn't do it for me.

Desmond (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 7:38 PM)

Al Qaeda wasn't in Iraq when we got there, but they are now. So obviously whatever Bush's strategy is for fighting them isn't working. The US took the wrong direction from the beginning; armed force and invasion are not the answers. The US could have fought another and more effective war against al-Qaeda. We could have done this by alleviating and combating poverty in the underdeveloped areas where the terrorist organization recruits and operates. Giving people the ability to feed their families, and access to basic healthcare and education would be an extremely effective weapon against terrorism.

Maggie (Sent Wednesday, July 25, 2007 8:53 PM)

Dude you mispelled genius. It kind of delutes your point.New Webster's Dictionary.

And once again, Falwell ran hour long specials accusing the Clintons of drug running and murder. It happened/The right were brutal to the people.

;eon houston tx. (Sent Thursday, July 26, 2007 12:27 AM)

Maggie,
What??? Give underdeveloped counties aid? For nothing in return??? Underdeveloped countries are for us to exploint. If they recieve aid they might not be so desparate to feed their families. Besides how can defense contractors get their cut if we started fighting wars that way? How can this administration be worried about the cost of social programs, when it cares not one bit about the ONE Trillion dollar price tag for waging an unnessary war. Not to mention the loss of life, both American and Iraqui. Hey Lee, what happens when China decides to quit paying for this war? Do you honestly believe the drivel coming from your neocon think tank? Wake up and smell the coffee.

Ken Mesle (Sent Thursday, July 26, 2007 1:55 PM)

Maggie; This is false. On all fronts in Iraq,al Qaeda is being turned back and being destroyed. Add to this the false perception that the leaders of al Qaeda in Mesopotamia were Iraqis, adding to the phony picture Democrat critics of the war were creating in order to form this branch of al Qaeda as a strictly Iraqi creature invented by Bush. We know better. Zarqawi was Jordanian. Not Iraqi. All three of the al-Turki brothers[two captured,one dead],are not Iraqi. They are Yemenese and Jordanian. al-Masri,was an Egyptian. This newest capture of top al Qaeda In Iraq leader Abu al-Mashadani is even more curious,as it has been found that bin Laden invented this man as an Iraqi homegrown when it was later found that he is either Afghan or Turk in origin and never came from Iraq.
Add to this the patent military successes of MARNE AVALANCHE,ITHACA,ARROWHEAD RIPPER,and ARDENNES in destroying al Qaeda in Iraq to such a degree that the whole of Anbar and Diayla Provinces,the very epicenter of the ''Sunni Triangle''have been cleared almost totally of al Qaeda presence and that thousands of Iraqis are taking up arms against those few who remain who are now trapped in the city of Taji being killed and captured. Lastly,we should observe that university-educated ,wealthy doctors,engineers and architects are the moving force behind al Qaeda and its sympathetic branches. It is the poor who are now fighting them in Iraq.

Ken Mesle:If you can refute any of my above post,even remotely in a lucid fashion,then get off your ass and do it. I have little time for your nonsense.

Lee Holmes (Sent Thursday, July 26, 2007 3:57 PM)

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