McConnell visits Iraq, sees trends "in the right direction"

[Barrett808]

McConnell visits Iraq, sees trends "in the right direction"
06/03/2005
By HILARY ROXE / Associated Press

Sen. Mitch McConnell returned from his third trip to Iraq believing "all the trends are in the right direction," as the country works to create a permanent government.

McConnell flew to Baghdad and Fallujah Thursday on a one-day visit to the country, part of a weeklong trip that also included stops in Latvia, Russia, Ukraine and Jordan.

"When you talk to people working there, whether they're Iraqi or American, you get a much more optimistic picture of what's happening than you do reading the paper or watching TV," he said in a telephone interview.

...

"It's their country. We can't make them do it," he said. "What I thought was important for us to do was to underscore the importance of meeting these deadlines. They already know that, but they're learning politics and learning negotiation."

...

"Obviously the place is still a dangerous place. I'm not suggesting the reports of violence are inaccurate. They're accurate. It's just that there's an awful lot of other stuff going on," he said.

(more)

http://www.whas11.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D8AGBPNG0.html

[okieinpain]

1. all this said while he's being guarded by 30 heavy armed soldiers

in plain clothes of course. don't want any reminders of the bad iraq.

[MisterP]

7. or mercs, like Proconsul Bremer's Praetorians

[pokercat999]

22. entirely inside the "green zone" where the Iraqis will

say anything to keep us there. We leave and all those who co-operated with us are goners.

[saigon68]

25. Proconsul Bremer's Praetorians a/k/a Thugs, Hoodlums and Hooligans

[Frederik]

2. Dahr Jamail would appear to disagree

and he has seen a hell of a lot more of the country than Senator McConnell has.

[Democrat 4 Ever]

3. McConnell is a first degree, charter member moran

It is real easy to see how wonderful things are from your ivory tower, wearing rose colored glasses, sipping Kool Aid, and surrounded by your own personal police squad. One day? How about signing up for a 12 month tour and see how you feel after spending some time in the freedom.

[Disturbed]

4. The Green Zone

is like the Twilight Zone.

[Career Prole]

5. Right direction for what? Population control?! n/t

[TahitiNut]

6. "an awful lot of other stuff going on"

What an astonishingly obtuse, myopic remark! McConnell is a clueless, corrupt Reichbot. Of course "other stuff" occurs in a combat zone! While it might be more pertinent to mention the corruption, pillage, and criminality of the occupation puppet show, life goes on, not because of the carpetbaggers, but despite them.

Again, these people are like muggers who try to take credit for (and make a profit from) the hospitalization and recovery of their victims! (Unfreakingreal.)

[Sanity Claws]

8. How much could you see in a day?

The place is huge. Idiot.

[stevedeshazer]

23. That's what the Repubs were saying two years ago

When it was becoming obvious there were no WMD.

"Come on, give us time. Iraq's the size of California!"

[Fire Walk With Me]

9. "Soon, there will be no Iraqis, and thus, no violence. Problem solved."

Still a lot of oil, though.

[DesEtoiles]

10. wow! he learned SO MUCH in just one day!

[rooboy]

16. ...and he also learned it without leaving his hotel!!! n/t

[DesEtoiles]

11. Did he wear a flight suit and serve plastic turkey?

[NNN0LHI]

12. I was reading this morning buried in an AP article that "the officials"...

...now control 8 of 23 roads leading into and out of Baghdad and the road to the airport was still not one of them. And this idiot sees improvement.

Don

[ElectroPrincess]

13. Mitch McConnell is an honorary member of the Republican Noise Machine /eom

[LeftCoast]

14. Man, is it time to buy stock in Kool-Aid or what? (n/t)

[Zorra]

15. How nice. Bwana is teaching the brownskins politics and negotiation

"...they're learning politics and learning negotiation."

Isn't it amazing how much he learned about "trends" from his in depth, lengthy, what, maybe 6-8 hrs. of observation of the situation in Iraq, possibly conducted by looking out his hotel window?

[Barrett808]

17. I like this

"When you talk to people working there, whether they're Iraqi or American, you get a much more optimistic picture of what's happening than you do reading the paper or watching TV."

Those would be Iraqis and American working in the Green Zone, yes?

[teryang]

18. McConnell is pure corporatist shit

...bought and paid for a thousand times over. He has always been the corporate PR industries go to man when they have a serious lies to pander.

[kskiska]

19. Put him in a car and let him drive himself to the airport all alone

Then see if he says the same thing.

[indie_voter]

20. This song and dance is getting mighty old n/t

[Pryderi]

21. Pic of Mitch McConnell Nude.

j/k
<img src="">

[tabasco]

26. The man looks like the King of All Pussies.

I mean look at that mf. Does anybody believe he stepped foot outside Fortress Green Zone? How do people support cowardly assholes like this?

Just another chickenhawk that had other priorities during Vietnam. These assholes love war when other people are fighting it. Burn in Hell McConnell with all your coward buddies.

[karlrschneider]

24. I spent the day in San Diego when the Watts riots were going on.

Everything looked just peachy to me...
:eyes: