U.S. Senators Cautiously Optimistic on Iraq (Clinton, McCain, Graham)

[Rose Siding]

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A delegation of U.S. senators visited Baghdad Saturday and declared themselves encouraged after the country's landmark elections, but said withdrawing American troops too early would be a security disaster.

"The one thing I have learned from this trip is we are a long way from being able to leave," Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, told a news conference.
...
Clinton echoed official American and Iraqi views that Syria and Iran were not doing enough to prevent guerrillas from crossing their borders to carry out attacks in Iraq.
...
Asked what he would tell people back home of conditions in Iraq, McCain pinned his hopes on the election.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=7680025&pageNumber=0

[Gloria]

1. So, Chalabi will be the answer to our prayers??

I'm about to throw up.

As for Syria and the borders (Clinton)....I posted an article weeks ago discussing the problems on the border. We keep lobbing missiles across into Syria, the guys on the border can't do the job and are afraid of getting killed...on top of the fact that it's a huge border.
It's all a load of crap.

[Itsthetruth]

2. Real Nice

"On the other hand, at that point it was clearly the coalition forces who were making every decision and who were running the country. That clearly is not the case today. We have seen a true transition of power. We have seen the Iraqi people begin to control their own destiny," so says Senator Hillary Clinton.

[Rose Siding]

4. apologies...

the link I posted was for the 2nd page (oops) that quote is Susan Collins'.

First pg clears that up
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=7680025&pageNumber=0

[Barrett808]

5. This is simply false, and it's sad to see Hilary duped

US appointees dominate almost every ministry. as Tom Engelhardt eloquently put it:

In any case, soon a new government is to take… well, the normal word here would be "power," but that's not a word to be used idly in this situation. There are at present, as far as can be told, just about none of the normal institutions of civil government left to take over in Baghdad. All Iraqi ministries have American advisers in them. The Iraqi armed forces that the new government might command seem to consist of only about 5,000 functional troops, no heavy arms, and no air force. The strength of the Kurdish vote and the lack of a Sunni one look sure to create a weak coalition of some sort in Baghdad where all the legislators will be targeted by assassins. The Bush administration is deeply embedded in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone where a $1-2 billion new embassy is to be built; its 120,000 or more troops are bunkered into up to 14 massive, "permanent" military bases, also known as "enduring camps"; its CIA contingent is probably the largest in the world; its officials are openly talking about American troops remaining in Iraq at or near present levels at least through 2007; the administration is eager to negotiate a long-term Status of Forces Agreement with the new Iraqi government; and, as Stephen R. Shalom recently discussed at the ZNET website, El-Salvador-style hit squads seem already to be operative.

http://www.tomdispatch.com/index.mhtml?pid=2197

[Rose Siding]

6. She didn't say that- Sen Collins did- attributed on first pg of article

I posted the 2nd pg link by mistake and it's confusing- the speaker was Collins.

There is no direct Hillary quote in the entire article.

[Itsthetruth]

7. You're Right

Just reread the article and that was a quote by Collins

[lovuian]

3. Are they nuts

Look around you guys and smell the roses!!!