Kerry Responds to Bush Address on Iraq: Bush plan “Is Neither New nor Forward Looking”

[kerrygoddess]

John Kerry Responds to Bush Address on Iraq: Bush plan “Is Neither New nor Forward Looking”
January 10th, 2007 @ 7:56 pm

John Kerry responded to Bush’s address to the nation tonight in interviews on NPR and ABC Radio. Kerry noted on NPR that Congress must act to stop Bush’s escalation of the war. Bush “gave no indication” tonight in his speech “that the troop increase would be short-lived.”

Kerry said that he strongly opposes Bush’s plan for expanding the US troop presence in Iraq and he urged Bush to redouble his effort to find a political and international solution to the worsening civil war in Iraq. However, Bush offered no hope for diplomacy in his speech tonight and clearly there was little evidence of anything “forward looking.” A chorus of Democrats were skeptical on Bush’s speech today.

Kerry noted that there was little support in Congress for expanding the war in Iraq and he said that Bush must ask lawmakers to vote on a new authorization of the war if he wants to expand the mission beyond the current one.

“This plan is neither new nor forward looking. This is more of what’s taken us backwards. There’s no military solution in Iraq. There is only a political solution, and the President has no plan to achieve it. We’re caught in a civil war in Iraq. Escalation is not the answer. The best answer is to set a deadline to bring our heroes home, force Iraqis to stand up for Iraq, and get Iraq’s neighbors to start taking more responsibility for Iraq’s security.”

Tomorrow...

MORE & LINKS - http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=5094

[TayTay]

1. This is what Kerry has been saying for two years

Bush should listen to Kerry and other good Dems like Boxer, Feingold and Kennedy on this. Bush is proposing more of the same.

[rosesaylavee]

2. Thanks John

but the a**hole can't hear you or anyone else.

[kerrygoddess]

9. Ain't that the truth. n/t

[wisteria]

3. Excellent points. Bush did not give any idication how long this new "strategy" will take.

I missed that. Also, I can't wait to see Kerry tomorrow in the SFR meetings with Condi.

[ProSense]

4. Excellent!

"There is no military solution to the political crisis in Iraq," Kerry said in a statement. "A 'troop build-up' or sending more troops into harms way to referee a civil war isn't an answer, its more of the same." -- John Kerry

[blm]

11. The key for Dems should be constant use of the words CIVIL WAR.

There was never a mission in place to involve US military in Iraq's civil war.

A NEW authorization is NECESSARY.

[The Rock2111]

5. Could someone please link me the specifics of the Kerry plan.

Thank you

[ProSense]

6. Here:

Senator Kerry is a co-sponsor of the Senator Kennedy's legislation to cut funding.

Here is Kerry withdrawal plan

Oh, and welcome!

[wisteria]

7. Welcome to DU! n/t

[MH1]

10. Kerry-Feingold amendment

http://www.johnkerry.com/news/articles/newsarticle.html?id=11

[The Rock2111]

12. Thanks for the links

How does one get the Shia, Sunni and Kurds to agree? How does one get the support from Iran and Syria?

[ProSense]

13. Diplomacy.

Start here and here. Also check out JohnKerry.com.

[The Rock2111]

15. If only it were that simple!

But, I suspect that it is not. I do not forsee diplomacy by anyone (especially from the likes of jk) to resolve the centuries old division between the Kurds, shia, and sunnis that was only contained while Saddam ruthesly held his thumb on them. I do think however, if we offer Syria a better deal than Iran is giving them, that they may work with us and is a worth while pursuit.

[blm]

14. Kerry has spoken to Syria's president a few times since 2005 and he has offered

his own ideas to help stabilize the region, but Bush WON'T hear it as any cooperation from Syria's president blunts his own plan to skip all diplomacy in their lead up to military action.

[beachmom]

8. Great statement. But as someone said upthread, he's been

saying this for a long time. The Kerry/Feingold amendment from last June is appearing less and less radical as time goes by.

What is truly remarkable is how Bush turns the Baker report on its head. Instead of talking to Iran and Syria, seems he may be sending troops to fight Iran and Syria (he talks of disrupting supplies from there). Someone in a Kos diary called it Bush's Cambodia. I shudder to think what will happen next.