Harry reid says war is lost

[headhuntersix]

The war in Iraq "is lost" and a US troop surge is failing to bring peace to the country, the leader of the Democratic majority in the US Congress, Harry Reid, said Thursday.
"I believe ... that this war is lost, and this surge is not accomplishing anything, as is shown by the extreme violence in Iraq this week," Reid told journalists.

Reid said he had delivered the same message to US President George W. Bush on Wednesday, when the US president met with senior lawmakers to discuss how to end a standoff over an emergency war funding bill.

"I know I was the odd guy out at the White House, but I told him at least what he needed to hear ... I believe the war at this stage can only be won diplomatically, politically and economically."

Congress is seeking to tie funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to a timetable to withdraw US troops from Iraq next year, but Bush has vowed to veto any such bill and no breakthrough was reported from the White House talks.

Bush on Thursday was addressing an Ohio town hall meeting and defending the war on terror launched in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks.


"It is the most solemn duty of our country, is to protect our country from harm," Bush told the invited audience in Tipp, Ohio.

"A lesson learned was that -- at least in my opinion -- that in order to protect us, we must aggressively pursue the enemy and defeat them elsewhere so that we do not have to face them here."

But Reid drew a parallel with former US president Lyndon Johnson who decided to deploy more troops in Vietnam some 40 years ago when 24,000 US troops had already been killed.

"Johnson did not want a war loss on his watch, so he surged in Vietnam. After the surge was over, we added 34,000 to the 24,000 who died in Vietnam," Reid said.

The comments came a day after bombers killed more than 200 people in a slew of car bombings in Baghdad, dealing a savage blow to the US security plan which aims to deploy an extra 30,000 troops in the country to quell sectarian unrest.

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates fly into Iraq Thursday on an unannounced visit for talks with top US military commanders there.

He met with General David Petraeus, chief of coalition forces in Iraq, his deputy Lieutenant Colonel Ray Odierno and Admiral William Fallon, chief of US forces in the Middle East

[headhuntersix]

Within six months of a troop pullout the rest of America will get on with their lives..vets will be forgotten and the only folks who will give a shit either way willl be the vets. It doesn't matter whether u agree or not..if we win or in this cause had won, it makes the sacrifice worthwhile. We lack the political will to win and historically that means we will loose in Iraq. The US army will be in the same state that we were in in 1976-1979 and nobody will care. It will embolden our enemies and the American people will pay a much higher price. At that point, with blood in the streets and the American people looking at the ruins of one of here cities, they will ask why? We lost so shitbags like reid could make political hay. I could careless if we pull out..it can be done tactically and with a modicum of honor. Statements like this embolden the enemy, endanger Us soldier and  eventually the American people.

[ribonucleic]

What we need is for Oprah Winfrey to say the war is lost.

Seriously. That will be the turning point.

[24KT]

"It is the most solemn duty of our country, is to protect our country from harm," Bush told the invited audience in Tipp, Ohio.

      Is he doing what I think he's doing?  Yes, daggonit, ...it appears he is!  
Bush is calling for his own impeachment!!!

[headhuntersix]

Does not matter at this point whether the war was illiegal..we have to find a solution to the problem. I find it interesting a Canadian is calling for the impeacement of my president......I could care less what happens in Canada.

[24KT]

Does not matter at this point whether the war was illiegal..we have to find a solution to the problem. I find it interesting a Canadian is calling for the impeacement of my president......I could care less what happens in Canada.

That's cause we Canadians rarely do things that fvck up our neighbours... wish the same could be said of Americans.

[24KT]

Does not matter at this point whether the war was illiegal..we have to find a solution to the problem. I find it interesting a Canadian is calling for the impeacement of my president......I could care less what happens in Canada.

ps - Bush isn't Canadian. nice try attempting to pass him off, ...but he's one of your own. You gotta live with that

Don't believe me... read the sign again. 

[headhuntersix]

Yeah well its tough being the big dog in the global neigborhood..whilest Canadia is religated to Welsh Corgi status...small, furry and cute..but harmless.

[OzmO]

That's cause we Canadians rarely do things that fvck up our neighbours... wish the same could be said of Americans.

In all fairness......  you only have one neighbor  and he's bigger (power wise) then you 

[tu_holmes]

We just can not completely leave... however, I don't think we should be doing "police" work for them... Why haven't their law enforcement groups taken over completely?

I just don't understand that.

[headhuntersix]

Um..gross incompetence..we fired anybody with balls when we rolled in. I remember my battalion cdr asking his boss why exactly we were dismantling the police when we rolled into our section of Bagdad. I was talking with him after and we were both talking about how we reorganized the German police once the war was over and got them right back to work. U could remove the chiefs who were more then likely Bathists but kept most of the police and civil structures intact. Blame rumsfeld and his group who would not listen to anything anybody said as we rolled in. 

[tu_holmes]

Um..gross incompetence..we fired anybody with balls when we rolled in. I remember my battalion cdr asking his boss why exactly we were dismantling the police when we rolled into our section of Bagdad. I was talking with him after and we were both talking about how we reorganized the German police once the war was over and got them right back to work. U could remove the chiefs who were more then likely Bathists but kept most of the police and civil structures intact. Blame rumsfeld and his group who would not listen to anything anybody said as we rolled in. 

I've always blamed the leaders for no plan... That's always been a big deal.

[Saskbb]

As a Canadian,

The war was over when Sadam was hung.  Your goal was to remove him from power and you did that.  You won, now come home and let them sort out there own mess.

You can not change 1000's of years of history. 

[24KT]

Yeah well its tough being the big dog in the global neigborhood..whilest Canadia is religated to Welsh Corgi status...small, furry and cute..but harmless.

Ya well, we all know how Queen Elizardbeth loves and indulges her corgis.  

The big dog gets chained to a stake and has to live in a shed outside, while the corgis get to roam freely throughout the house, sit in laps and get petted, get pretty presents and ribbons in their hair, and are even allowed on the furniture. so there!

[24KT]

I've always blamed the leaders for no plan... That's always been a big deal.

Wars are rarely won on the ground. The victory is always found in the planning.

[headhuntersix]

True..but when some prick breaks into ur house..u need the big dog to keep u safe.

[OzmO]

Wars are rarely won on the ground. The victory is always found in the planning.

"win the war, then fight the war"  - Sun Tzu

BUSH can't read apparently 

[24KT]

"win the war, then fight the war"  - Sun Tzu

BUSH can't read apparently 

I thought that was common knowledge.