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[egj13]

I'm not sure if people here know who Michael Ware is (most famous for saying he was drunk on the bill maher show) but this is how one website describes him:

"Michael Ware Reports from Baghdad - He's been living there for over three years now.
Simply the best reporter in Iraq. This guy knows what's going on - in the streets of Baghdad - and tells it like it is.
He's probably one of the most hated persons in the Pentagon and White House, because Ware is always telling America and the world what's really happening on the ground in Baghdad."

I was watching Cooper and this week Ware returned from Baghdad and what he has to say was very suprising (I haven't been able to find the transcript, can anyone help?)

He said he was shocked by the heated debate in washington and called it dellusional. He said that the debate was out of touch with what was going on in Iraq. Now remember this guy for 3 years + has called Bush, the Generals, the soldiers and everyone else stupid for being in Iraq. He said yesterday that the US cannot pull out of Iraq now because it would hand the country over to Iran and Syria.

This is big people, he reaches alot of viewers and whether they are left or right this country is made up of sheep. He wasn't the only CNN reporter saying this either. This could represent a huge swing going into '08.

I don't like the war, since saddam was removed I don't agree with how it has gone and seeing how I am due back in January, an October pull out would save me a flight. However now that we are in it, I think we have to stay. Again, I don't agree with how it has progressed but they have yet to call me to the pentagon to ask how it shold be done. Interested in hearing what people have to say.

[egj13]

Found it:

CHETRY: Yes, and it's tragic to hear about this. And as we talk about solutions, and we talk about -- would all of us, all the American troops pulling out help the situation?
 
PHILLIPS: No. No way.

WARE: Gee, no.

PHILLIPS: It would be a disaster. I mean, I had a chance to sit down with the minister of defense, to General Petraeus, Admiral Fallon, head of CENTCOM. I asked them all the question, whether Iraqi or U.S. military.

There is no way U.S. troops could pull out. It would be a disaster. They are doing too much training. They are helping the Iraqis not only with security, but trying to get the government up and running.

I mean, this is a country of let's make a deal. There's so much corruption still. If the U.S. military left -- they have rules of engagement, they have an idea, a focus. It would be a disaster.

WARE: Well, even more than that, I mean, if you just want to look at it in terms of purely American national interest, if U.S. troops leave now, you're giving Iraq to Iran, a member of President Bush's axis of evil, and al Qaeda. That's who will own it.

And so, coming back now, I'm struck by the nature of the debate on Capitol Hill, how delusional it is. Whether you are for this war or against it, whether you've supported the way it's been executed or not, it does not matter. You broke it, you've got to fix it now. You can't leave, or it's going to come and blow back on America.



Thoughts?

[240 is Back]

He is right.

the war was sold on lies, it was determined the moment bush entered office.

but we've invested so much that to leave that oil would kill our economy. 

i don't buy that 'terrorists will take over' bullshit - the sides will fight and get it over with.  sunnis and shiites aren't going to come to america.  they're going to kill each other.  that BS gets so old.  Now the insurgents, they kill us there because they can't get here to do it.  they're poor, they're on watch lists, and they're not smart.  they have power and location to drive a truck bomb there, but no means to hurt us here.

however it all comes down to resources - we need the oil and if we leave, our enemies will get it. 

So yeah, the guy's right - we have to stay.  Just maybe not in the capacity of refereeing a civil war.

[egj13]

He is right.

the war was sold on lies, it was determined the moment bush entered office.

but we've invested so much that to leave that oil would kill our economy. 

i don't buy that 'terrorists will take over' bullshit - the sides will fight and get it over with.  sunnis and shiites aren't going to come to america.  they're going to kill each other.  that BS gets so old.  Now the insurgents, they kill us there because they can't get here to do it.  they're poor, they're on watch lists, and they're not smart.  they have power and location to drive a truck bomb there, but no means to hurt us here.

however it all comes down to resources - we need the oil and if we leave, our enemies will get it. 

So yeah, the guy's right - we have to stay.  Just maybe not in the capacity of refereeing a civil war.

How do  you think reporters coming back and saying the same thing as him "we can't pull out" will hurt the Dems?