SwiftVets.com

[davman]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Thursday rejected a senator's assertion the Iraq war had become a quagmire, but warned Iraq's government not to delay political developments such as drafting a constitution.

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During a tense Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Army Gen. John Abizaid, who as head of Central Command is the top U.S. commander in the Middle East, declined to endorse Vice President Dick Cheney's assessment that Iraq's insurgency was in its "last throes."

Abizaid said insurgents' strength had not diminished and that more foreign fighters were coming into Iraq than six months ago. "There's a lot of work to be done against the insurgency," Abizaid said, adding: "I'm sure you'll forgive me from criticizing the vice president."

"This war has been consistently and grossly mismanaged," Sen. Edward Kennedy (news, bio, voting record), a Massachusetts Democrat, told Rumsfeld. "And we are now in a seemingly intractable quagmire."

"Our troops are dying. And there really is no end in sight. And the American people, I believe, deserve leadership worthy of the sacrifices that our fighting forces have made, and they deserve the real facts. And I regret to say that I don't believe that you have provided either," Kennedy added.

"Well, that is quite a statement," Rumsfeld, flanked by top U.S. commanders, responded. "First let me say that there isn't a person at this table who agrees with you that we're in a quagmire and that there's no end in sight."

"The suggestion by you that people -- me or others -- are painting a rosy picture is false," Rumsfeld.

"The fact is from the beginning of this we have recognized that this is a tough business, that it is difficult, that it is dangerous, and that it is not predictable," Rumsfeld added.

Kennedy asked Rumsfeld: "Isn't it time for you to resign?"

Rumsfeld noted he twice offered his resignation to President Bush last year during the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal, and that Bush declined to accept it. "That's his call," Rumsfeld added.

Gen. George Casey, top U.S. commander in Iraq, and Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, agreed the war had not become a quagmire.

There have been 1,725 U.S. military deaths in a war that began in March 2003 and another 13,074 U.S. troops have been wounded, the Pentagon said. The May death toll of 80 U.S. troops was the highest since January and June's death count is on pace to match May.

Meanwhile, insurgents have escalated a campaign of bombings taking a growing toll on Iraqi civilians, with hundreds killed since the Shi'ite-led government was formed two months ago.

There has been growing discomfort with the Iraq war among some U.S. lawmakers, and support for the war by the American public has dropped in recent opinion surveys. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham (news, bio, voting record) of South Carolina said declining public support for the war was becoming a chronic problem.

POLITICAL PROGRESS

Rumsfeld said there must be political progress, but opposed a deadline for withdrawing American troops.

"To the extent there were, for whatever reason, a delay in moving forward with drafting a constitution or a referendum on the constitution or holding the elections, it would retard the entire process," Rumsfeld testified.

"And during this process, coalition people are being killed. Iraqis are being killed. And it would be an enormous disservice in my view, to delay the constitution or the elections under the new constitution," Rumsfeld added.

Rumsfeld was not explicit about possible consequences for a delay.

A small bipartisan group of lawmakers last week proposed a resolution calling on the Bush administration to develop a plan by the end of this year to pull out all American troops from Iraq and to begin the withdrawal by Oct. 1, 2006.

Of a deadline, Rumsfeld testified: "It would throw a lifeline to terrorists, who in recent months have suffered significant losses in casualties, been denied havens, and suffered weakened popular support."

But the committee's top Democrat, Sen. Carl Levin (news, bio, voting record) of Michigan, said a withdrawal deadline should not be ruled out.

"The Iraqis have approved a timetable for adopting a constitution: August 15th, with the possibility of one and only one six-month extension," Levin said.
This is the BS tactic that scum like Ted Kennedy use to help discourage and dishearten our troops. They look to create unrest by using words like quagmire to stir up anti war sentiment. They don't really care if what they say is true or not, and they certainly don't care about our soldiers!




"The United States needs to tell the Iraqis and the world that if that deadline is not met, we will review our position with all options open, including but not limited to setting a timetable for withdrawal," Levin said.

"We must demonstrate to the Iraqis that our willingness to bear the burden of providing security has limits. We have opened the door for the Iraqis at great cost, but only they can walk through it. We cannot hold that door open indefinitely," Levin added.

Rumsfeld said he does not want the Iraqis to take a six-month extension.

(Additional reporting by Charles Aldinger)



"The fear of living under communist rule is not so ominous as the current situation."- Senator Chris Dodd of Conn.

(from the floor of the House when he was a rep.) This was said when the debate was going on about cancelling funding of the South Vietnamese and whether of not to lend support to defeating the Khmer Rouge. 2.5 million Vietnamese WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Thursday rejected a senator's assertion the Iraq war had become a quagmire, but warned Iraq's government not to delay political developments such as drafting a constitution.

ADVERTISEMENT

During a tense Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Army Gen. John Abizaid, who as head of Central Command is the top U.S. commander in the Middle East, declined to endorse Vice President Dick Cheney's assessment that Iraq's insurgency was in its "last throes."

Abizaid said insurgents' strength had not diminished and that more foreign fighters were coming into Iraq than six months ago. "There's a lot of work to be done against the insurgency," Abizaid said, adding: "I'm sure you'll forgive me from criticizing the vice president."

"This war has been consistently and grossly mismanaged," Sen. Edward Kennedy (news, bio, voting record), a Massachusetts Democrat, told Rumsfeld. "And we are now in a seemingly intractable quagmire."

"Our troops are dying. And there really is no end in sight. And the American people, I believe, deserve leadership worthy of the sacrifices that our fighting forces have made, and they deserve the real facts. And I regret to say that I don't believe that you have provided either," Kennedy added.

"Well, that is quite a statement," Rumsfeld, flanked by top U.S. commanders, responded. "First let me say that there isn't a person at this table who agrees with you that we're in a quagmire and that there's no end in sight."

"The suggestion by you that people -- me or others -- are painting a rosy picture is false," Rumsfeld.

"The fact is from the beginning of this we have recognized that this is a tough business, that it is difficult, that it is dangerous, and that it is not predictable," Rumsfeld added.

Kennedy asked Rumsfeld: "Isn't it time for you to resign?"

Rumsfeld noted he twice offered his resignation to President Bush last year during the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal, and that Bush declined to accept it. "That's his call," Rumsfeld added.

Gen. George Casey, top U.S. commander in Iraq, and Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, agreed the war had not become a quagmire.

There have been 1,725 U.S. military deaths in a war that began in March 2003 and another 13,074 U.S. troops have been wounded, the Pentagon said. The May death toll of 80 U.S. troops was the highest since January and June's death count is on pace to match May.

Meanwhile, insurgents have escalated a campaign of bombings taking a growing toll on Iraqi civilians, with hundreds killed since the Shi'ite-led government was formed two months ago.

There has been growing discomfort with the Iraq war among some U.S. lawmakers, and support for the war by the American public has dropped in recent opinion surveys. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham (news, bio, voting record) of South Carolina said declining public support for the war was becoming a chronic problem.

POLITICAL PROGRESS

Rumsfeld said there must be political progress, but opposed a deadline for withdrawing American troops.

"To the extent there were, for whatever reason, a delay in moving forward with drafting a constitution or a referendum on the constitution or holding the elections, it would retard the entire process," Rumsfeld testified.

"And during this process, coalition people are being killed. Iraqis are being killed. And it would be an enormous disservice in my view, to delay the constitution or the elections under the new constitution," Rumsfeld added.

Rumsfeld was not explicit about possible consequences for a delay.

A small bipartisan group of lawmakers last week proposed a resolution calling on the Bush administration to develop a plan by the end of this year to pull out all American troops from Iraq and to begin the withdrawal by Oct. 1, 2006.

Of a deadline, Rumsfeld testified: "It would throw a lifeline to terrorists, who in recent months have suffered significant losses in casualties, been denied havens, and suffered weakened popular support."

But the committee's top Democrat, Sen. Carl Levin (news, bio, voting record) of Michigan, said a withdrawal deadline should not be ruled out.

"The Iraqis have approved a timetable for adopting a constitution: August 15th, with the possibility of one and only one six-month extension," Levin said.

"The United States needs to tell the Iraqis and the world that if that deadline is not met, we will review our position with all options open, including but not limited to setting a timetable for withdrawal," Levin said.

"We must demonstrate to the Iraqis that our willingness to bear the burden of providing security has limits. We have opened the door for the Iraqis at great cost, but only they can walk through it. We cannot hold that door open indefinitely," Levin added.

Rumsfeld said he does not want the Iraqis to take a six-month extension.

(Additional reporting by Charles Aldinger)

"The fear of living under communist rule is not so ominous as the current situation."- Senator (then member of the House of Representatives) Chris Dodd of Conn.

He made this statement on the floor of the house when debates were taking place on continuing funding the South Vietnamese and the Khmer Rouge was trying to take control of Cambodia. The Communist government murdered 2.5 million in Vietnam and the Khmer Rouge murdered 1/3 of the countrys population after taking control. This is what we are up against!

[blue9t3]

Ut Oh! I think I'm having a quagmire moment, should I wolf down the pizza first? or go straight for the triple layer cake???????


_________________
MOPAR-BUYER

[PhantomSgt]

The more cockroaches we exterminate in Iraq, the less we have to face in the future. It is better to play in an away game with terrorists.

Come on over to Iraq you Jihadist vermin and we will waste you with bullets dipped in bacon grease so you have a your one-way ticket to hell.

Rummy missed his chance to turn the tables on Rotunda Kennedy by asking why the king of pork doesn't resign for the treasonous statements he regularly makes. I would have slammed that lard butt hard.


_________________
Retired AF E-8

Independent that leans right of center.

[AMOS]

Why doesn't Rumsfeld ask for fat boy Kennedy's resignation? Ask him if his driving habits have improved. Does he still leave passengers in his car alone? Does his wife ever ask why he had Mary Jo with him? Some things like that might shut him uo, for a while.