GOP Senator Warner: Start Withdrawing from Iraq

[DeadCanDance]

Sen. Warner: Start bringing troops home by Christmas

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The influential former chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee has called on President Bush to start bringing U.S. troops home from Iraq by Christmas.

Sen. John Warner, a Virginia Republican, said Thursday that a pullout was needed to spur Iraqi leaders to action.

He has recommended that Bush announce the beginning of a U.S. withdrawal in mid-September, after a report is released from the top U.S. officials in Iraq, and that those troops should be back in the U.S. by Christmas.

Warner is one of the most respected voices in the Senate on military and national security issues. Besides being a former Armed Services chairman, Warner was a Secretary of the Navy in the 1970s. He served in the Navy in World War II and in the Marine Corps during the Korean War. He has served in the Senate for five consecutive terms.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/08/23/warner.iraq/index.html

 

[dilloduck]

Sen. Warner: Start bringing troops home by Christmas

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The influential former chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee has called on President Bush to start bringing U.S. troops home from Iraq by Christmas.

Sen. John Warner, a Virginia Republican, said Thursday that a pullout was needed to spur Iraqi leaders to action.

He has recommended that Bush announce the beginning of a U.S. withdrawal in mid-September, after a report is released from the top U.S. officials in Iraq, and that those troops should be back in the U.S. by Christmas.

Warner is one of the most respected voices in the Senate on military and national security issues. Besides being a former Armed Services chairman, Warner was a Secretary of the Navy in the 1970s. He served in the Navy in World War II and in the Marine Corps during the Korean War. He has served in the Senate for five consecutive terms.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/08/23/warner.iraq/index.html

5,000 troops--OMG what a bold move.

 

[Avatar4321]

Heaven forbid we let the Commander-In-Chief do his job.

Im tired of politicians in both camps trying to tell the President how to his job. Especially since they are just doing it to get noticed. its freaking annoying. Let the President work with the generals and determine it.

 

[Gunny]

Heaven forbid we let the Commander-In-Chief do his job.

Im tired of politicians in both camps trying to tell the President how to his job. Especially since they are just doing it to get noticed. its freaking annoying. Let the President work with the generals and determine it.

What "job" would he be doing? The political/military strategy in Iraq post-Saddam has been a joke. IF we aren't going to do the job right -- and we aren't because Americans no longer posess the will to nor understand what it takes to win -- then what's the point in staying?

 

[RetiredGySgt]

What "job" would he be doing? The political/military strategy in Iraq post-Saddam has been a joke. IF we aren't going to do the job right -- and we aren't because Americans no longer posess the will to nor understand what it takes to win -- then what's the point in staying?

BULLSHIT. We have a duty and responsibility to stay. We are seeing progress.

 

[maineman]

BULLSHIT. We have a duty and responsibility to stay. We are seeing progress.

the surge was designed to calm down the military situation to allow the Iraqi political forces some breathing room to make progress. We are "seeing progress" militarily in those places where we have inserted more US troops. Is that really a surprise to anyone? Is that really cause to wave the pompoms even more vigorously? In fact, the surge has marginally decreased carnage in those places where it has been applied... (would east LA have a marginally smaller crime rate if we put twenty thousand more police on the street in that neighborhood? duh!).... unfortunately, the process that the surge was specifically designed to facilitate has been an abysmal failure. Maliki cannot lead. His government is nothing but a loose coalition of shi'ite warlords whe do not and would not answer to him or do his bidding if it were counter to their own. We are not one whit closer to the political solution that we are waiting for... there is little to nothing that WE can do to move than along that we haven't already done.... Does anyone really call that "progress"?

What IS the neocon's "Plan B"? What will we do if the surge does not create the environment necessary to support a political solution? Surge even MORE troops, I suppose?

What is the neocon's "Plan B" if they find themselves in a hole? Keep digging and keep calling all of their detractors cowards and traitors as they dig deeper - with pompom wavers like RGS cheering them on from the sidelines.

 

[Paulie]

Heaven forbid we let the Commander-In-Chief do his job.

Im tired of politicians in both camps trying to tell the President how to his job. Especially since they are just doing it to get noticed. its freaking annoying. Let the President work with the generals and determine it.

You don't get it.

Congress APPEARS to be stepping in because the overwhelming majority of Americans want the troops to come home. It's the reason why the democrats were voted in in '06. They ran on an anti-Bush, "bring the troops home" campaign because that's what Americans wanted...American citizens have a say, whether you fucking like it or not. If we don't, then how can you call this country a democracy? Or better yet, a Constitutional Republic?

The only PROBLEM with this, is that obviously the voters have been double-crossed, because the democrats haven't done SHIT to bring troops home...it may LOOK like they are trying, but they aren't...and it doesn't take a genious to realize that.

If the 100 million+ people that wanted the war to end would actually get off their asses and peacefully march to Washington instead of bitching about it on the internet, something might actually get done. But they don't. And the powers that be in Washington know that as long as Americans don't care enough to do more than just bitch, they don't have to obey their wishes.

War is profit...for corporations, for special interests, and for the politicians that pander to them. That profit isn't going to be given up, just because a bunch of apathetic Americans are bitching and moaning.

If you support the war, then that's your perogative, but don't complain about the democratic process...this is OUR country, not Washington's. This is how it's always been done.

 

[Paulie]

What is the neocon's "Plan B" if they find themselves in a hole? Keep digging and keep calling all of their detractors cowards and traitors as they dig deeper - with pompom wavers like RGS cheering them on from the sidelines.

Probably allow a new terrorist attack to happen, so the policy can be re-justified.

If a new attack were to happen, it would pretty much be the only thing that they could rely on to continue their status quo.

Zbigniew Brzezinski himself actually warned a Senate panel a few months back that this very situation is possible. I'll go retrieve the link to the video if anyone requires it, to confirm this.

They've been setting us up for it now for months...Cheney and Chertoff, Santorum, to name just a few. The "gut feelings" and worries about a dirty bomb attack...i'm sure you've seen it on the news. How could they know? Have they picked up something specific? If so, why wouldn't they raise the "alert level" and prepare the nation for it?

You can call it conspiracy theory if you want to...But I'd rather err on the side of caution and consider ALL possibilities. Just because it's America doesn't mean there isn't tyranny.

And you know damn well that if some new 9/11 happens, it's back to "unified patriotism" all over the country, with just about everyone demanding blood again...right after the media bombards us with all the horrific chaos that ensues, of course, just to get us extra pissed and scared out of our minds.

It's either this, or they're just keeping the fear alive, so that we'll allow them to do whatever they want militarily. Maybe if we're scared enough, we'll eventually let them tap all our phone lines whereever and whenever they want.

Shit...some people are willing to burn the constitution, so long as it means the government will "protect" us from the awful terrorists that want to kill us for our freedoms so bad. The irony of that is uncanny.

 

[dilloduck]

Probably allow a new terrorist attack to happen, so the policy can be re-justified.

If a new attack were to happen, it would pretty much be the only thing that they could rely on to continue their status quo.

Zbigniew Brzezinski himself actually warned a Senate panel a few months back that this very situation is possible. I'll go retrieve the link to the video if anyone requires it, to confirm this.

They've been setting us up for it now for months...Cheney and Chertoff, Santorum, to name just a few. The "gut feelings" and worries about a dirty bomb attack...i'm sure you've seen it on the news. How could they know? Have they picked up something specific? If so, why wouldn't they raise the "alert level" and prepare the nation for it?

You can call it conspiracy theory if you want to...But I'd rather err on the side of caution and consider ALL possibilities. Just because it's America doesn't mean there isn't tyranny.

And you know damn well that if some new 9/11 happens, it's back to "unified patriotism" all over the country, with just about everyone demanding blood again...right after the media bombards us with all the horrific chaos that ensues, of course, just to get us extra pissed and scared out of our minds.

It's either this, or they're just keeping the fear alive, so that we'll allow them to do whatever they want militarily. Maybe if we're scared enough, we'll eventually let them tap all our phone lines whereever and whenever they want.

Shit...some people are willing to burn the constitution, so long as it means the government will "protect" us from the awful terrorists that want to kill us for our freedoms so bad. The irony of that is uncanny.

Well you got about all your bases covered so whatever bad happens next it sure as hell aint anyones fault but the "neo-cons". Well done !!!

 

[Paulie]

Well you got about all your bases covered so whatever bad happens next it sure as hell aint anyones fault but the "neo-cons". Well done !!!

Neo-cons are not the be-all-end-all of corruption in this country. But I'm glad you're starting to see the light.

 

[Edward]

Heaven forbid we let the Commander-In-Chief do his job.

Im tired of politicians in both camps trying to tell the President how to his job. Especially since they are just doing it to get noticed. its freaking annoying. Let the President work with the generals and determine it.

There is only one problem with that and that is that Congress has general control over the military department of Government. The Constitution provides the President with very limited authority in respect to the military and his role is LIMITED to that of commander in chief or in the words of Alexander Hamilton, the chief general or admiral of the military. The United States government isn't a military dictatorship and generals have never decided the policy of the United States in respect to deployment and withdrawal of U.S. troops from conflicts and the President doesn't have the constitutional authority to determine U.S. policy. It is time for people like you to allow our Representatives and Senator work with generals to determine national policy and let Bush do his job as Chief General and Chief Admiral and conduct the day to day operations of the war and keep his nose out of setting national military policy.

The role of commander in chief has never been one of setting policy even though I am sure you would like it to be. I suggest you try reading Article 1 of the Constitution and then Article 2 and compare the two in respect to control over the military and you will notice that by far Congress is given general control over the military while the President is delegated the function of the day to day operations of the military. The reason for this is because it is difficult for a committee of people to make day to day decisions but when it comes to withdrawal of troops that is a general process and Congress can and will decide where our troops are going to be deployed.

 

[manu1959]

You don't get it.

Congress APPEARS to be stepping in because the overwhelming majority of Americans want the troops to come home. It's the reason why the democrats were voted in in '06. They ran on an anti-Bush, "bring the troops home" campaign because that's what Americans wanted...American citizens have a say, whether you fucking like it or not. If we don't, then how can you call this country a democracy? Or better yet, a Constitutional Republic?

The only PROBLEM with this, is that obviously the voters have been double-crossed, because the democrats haven't done SHIT to bring troops home...it may LOOK like they are trying, but they aren't...and it doesn't take a genious to realize that.

If the 100 million+ people that wanted the war to end would actually get off their asses and peacefully march to Washington instead of bitching about it on the internet, something might actually get done. But they don't. And the powers that be in Washington know that as long as Americans don't care enough to do more than just bitch, they don't have to obey their wishes.

War is profit...for corporations, for special interests, and for the politicians that pander to them. That profit isn't going to be given up, just because a bunch of apathetic Americans are bitching and moaning.

If you support the war, then that's your perogative, but don't complain about the democratic process...this is OUR country, not Washington's. This is how it's always been done.

an overwhelming majortiy of americans thinks congress is several sandwiches short of a picnic.....

i say we hold a special election on the war.....let the people vote and go from there

 

[Bullypulpit]

Heaven forbid we let the Commander-In-Chief do his job.

Im tired of politicians in both camps trying to tell the President how to his job. Especially since they are just doing it to get noticed. its freaking annoying. Let the President work with the generals and determine it.

Well, if the C-in-C were actually <b>DOING</b> his job instead of spilling our blood and treasure on the sands of Iraq for a cause written only on the inside of his forehead...Instead of running up the national debt to pay for his dirty little war to a point where foreign powers can threaten America with economic black-mail...Instead of subverting the Constitution which his oath of office requires him to uphold and defend, you might just have a point.

But since he's not, you don't.

 

[Edward]

Well, if the C-in-C were actually <b>DOING</b> his job instead of spilling our blood and treasure on the sands of Iraq for a cause written only on the inside of his forehead...Instead of running up the national debt to pay for his dirty little war to a point where foreign powers can threaten America with economic black-mail...Instead of subverting the Constitution which his oath of office requires him to uphold and defend, you might just have a point.

But since he's not, you don't.

Bush doesn't care about the Constitution and neither does his wife Laurie or she would do something about him betraying the American people, subverting the Constitution, ignoring the duly elected representatives of the people of the various states and legislative districts and conspiring to deny Congress the ability to exercise it's Constitutional authority to determine U.S. military policy and the course of the war. At some point we as Americans must say: NO WAR WITHOUT REPRESENTATION.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Bush doesn't care about the Constitution and neither does his wife Laurie or she would do something about him betraying the American people, subverting the Constitution, ignoring the duly elected representatives of the people of the various states and legislative districts and conspiring to deny Congress the ability to exercise it's Constitutional authority to determine U.S. military policy and the course of the war. At some point we as Americans must say: NO WAR WITHOUT REPRESENTATION.

LOL, you are of course aware that Congress has and continues to have the power to end the war ANY time they want? Further you are aware that CONGRESS authorized the war and continues to authorize it every year?

That we are represented by Congress? That your claim of a war with no representation is ignorant and ridiculous? Ohh wait, I forgot anyone that disagrees with you and is voted in to office violates your rights.