Colin Powell: US losing Iraq war

[AlliedPowers]

Colin Powell: US losing Iraq war

BBC
Monday, December 18, 2006

Former US Secretary of State Colin Powell has said overstretched US troops are losing the conflict in Iraq.
Mr Powell told CBS News that bolstering troop numbers would be unlikely to reverse the "grave and deteriorating situation" in the country.

President Bush is trying to shape a new strategy for Iraq, with officials suggesting more soldiers may be sent.

Mr Powell's comments come a day before the new defence secretary, Robert Gates, is to be sworn in.

During his confirmation hearings, Mr Gates also conceded that the US was not winning in Iraq and faced a "regional conflagration" unless the downward spiral was reversed.

The recent Iraq Study Group review said the US strategy of "staying the course" was no longer viable and suggested combat troops could be withdrawn by early 2008.

But on Friday, an administration official said up to 25,000 more troops could be deployed in the country to try to help end the violence and make cities like Baghdad more secure.

There are currently 140,000 US troops in Iraq.

'Overstretched'

The leader of the Democrats in the US Senate has backed the reported plan to boost troop levels, but only if it is part of a longer-term strategy.

"If it is for a surge, that is, for two or three months, and if it is part of a programme to get us out of there as indicated by this time next year, then, sure, I'll go along with it," Harry Reid said.

However, Mr Powell told CBS he was not convinced more soldiers on the ground would quell the violence.

"I am not persuaded that another surge of troops into Baghdad for the purposes of suppressing this communitarian violence, this civil war, will work," he said.

He added that such was the overstretch of the US military, there were no additional troops that could be sent.

"We are losing - we haven't lost - and this is the time, now to start to put in place the kinds of strategies that will turn this situation around," he said.

[Hugo Chavez]

[Mr. Intenseone]

So you think we rushed into war huh? How did you come to that conclusion?

[Hugo Chavez]

I've already been over and over and over all the neocon spin 10 dozen times... Save it.  We rushed into war.

[Mr. Intenseone]

I've already been over and over and over all the neocon spin 10 dozen times... Save it.  We rushed into war.

Almost two years of negotiating with this idiot (and giving him time to destroy and move weapons) is rushing??

[pumpster]

Almost two years of negotiating with this idiot (and giving him time to destroy and move weapons) is rushing??

Good point; few understand that he had plenty of time to destroy or relocate all the weapons to neighborhing countries.

Rushed in relative to UN procedures but plenty of time was taken. If the post-war scenario had been handled well no one would've been bothered by the invasion.

[Dos Equis]

Good point; few understand that he had plenty of time to destroy or relocate all the weapons to neighborhing countries.

Rushed in relative to UN procedures but plenty of time was taken. If the post-war scenario had been handled well no one would've been bothered by the invasion.

I agree.

[OzmO]

Good point; few understand that he had plenty of time to destroy or relocate all the weapons to neighborhing countries.

Rushed in relative to UN procedures but plenty of time was taken. If the post-war scenario had been handled well no one would've been bothered by the invasion.

Very possible that the WMD's were moved or destroyed.  But don't you think there would be evidence of it?  Both physical and in the testimonies of the poeple who carried it out?  That's something the administration would look for  and find by now to help justify the war.

[OzmO]

Also, 2 years is not rushing into war.  They were moving equipment/assets into the area a year before it started and the whole invasion from a millitary standpoint was a executed birlliantly.  Just everything else was done incompetently like starting the war in the first place.

[Delusional Liberal]

the iraq war is an embarrasing joke, the way we've fought it, we'll never win.  if i were in control of the US military we'd acheive victory extremely quick.

[Delusional Liberal]

I doubt it.  You could move in and kill every man, woman, and child in the country and claim victory, but the moment you left it'd be overrun with evil people looking to fill the void.

no way. it's simple. . . going around iraq, shooting our guns, firing the occasional missile, aresting people, doing little investigations. will do nothing, ever.  the iraqis need to be ruled with an iron fist, like saddam did, to achieve/maintain any type of order.  take away the political correctness, showcase our real power, have no mercy, and victory will be achieved quite easily.  then we can install and support a brutal dictatorship.

[OzmO]

I'm all for installing a prick.  But they want to install democracy, and we see what happens... everyone thinks they're the next sadaam!

Sadaam  had it figured out.  These poeple are like the South Park episode on Atention Deficit Disorder (ADD)  they will respond only to getting brutally repressed, not persuaded with logic and reasoning.

[Delusional Liberal]

I'm all for installing a prick.  But they want to install democracy, and we see what happens... everyone thinks they're the next sadaam!

right, democracy will never work, each different segment of the Iraqi population wants a theocracy catering to their personal religious beliefs, no one is going to fight for or support their their second/last choice.  it would have to be forced on them, and you cant force democracy on anyone, cause it wouldn't be democracy. . dictatorship is the only realistic option.

[Mr. Intenseone]

  But don't you think there would be evidence of it? 

300,000 dead Kurds!

[OzmO]

300,000 dead Kurds!

no.

[a_joker10]

A democracy in Iraq could work if Sadr would disarm.
He has his own puppets in power, so why would he?

Just today the headline on CNN said that America views Al Sadr the most damaging force in Iraq, not Al Qaeda.

Change takes time. We however live in a society of instant everything.

It will take Iraq and Afghanistan a very long time to understand democracy and rule of law.
Don't ever forget the pictures of people voting in Iraq.
For many it was the happiest day of their lives and they risked getting killed to vote.