The war over the war Update Helen Thomas barks at Bush…Update GWB to Dems: “I don’t think Congress ought to be running the war”…Update David Gregory questions GWB on WaPo report…Update Video links added
Video links added: Helen Thomas and David Gregory exchanges, plus Libby talk here.
President Bush will hold a press conference at 10:30am to try and stave off the Immediate Withdrawal Mob. The Initial Benchmark Assessment Report on Iraq is now posted at the White House website. Here’s the report’s bottom line summary of the security situation:
The security situation in Iraq remains complex and extremely challenging. Iraqi and Coalition Forces continue to emphasize population security operations in Baghdad, its environs, and Anbar province to combat extremist networks, and create the space for political reconciliation and economic growth. As a result of increased offensive operations, Coalition and Iraqi Forces have sustained increased attacks in Iraq, particularly in Baghdad, Diyala, and Salah ad Din. Tough fighting should be expected through the summer as Coalition and Iraqi Forces seek to seize the initiative from early gains and shape conditions for longer-term stabilization. These combined operations ‑‑ named Operation Phantom Thunder ‑‑ were launched on June 15, 2007, after the total complement of surge forces arrived in Iraq. The full surge in this respect has only just begun.
These new operations are targeting primarily al-Qaida in Iraq (AQI) havens in Baghdad, Babil, Diyala, and Anbar provinces. While AQI may not account for most of the violence in Iraq, it is the organization responsible for the highest profile attacks, which serve as a primary accelerant to the underlying sectarian conflict. We presently assess that degrading AQI networks in these critical areas ‑‑ together with efforts to degrade Iranian-backed Shi’a extremist networks ‑‑ is a core U.S. national security interest and essential for Iraq’s longer-term stability. Since January of this year, AQI has proven its resiliency and ability to conduct high-profile, mass-casualty attacks, mostly targeting Shi’a population centers through suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (SVBIEDs) attacks. The number of suicide and SVBIED attacks in March and April approached all-time highs, further exacerbating sectarian tension and making political deals more difficult to close. These incidents have shown a decrease in May and June, which may be the result of aggressive Coalition and Iraqi operations into former AQI havens. The surge of additional U.S. forces into these areas allows us to better combat AQI and other terrorists. We should expect, however, that AQI will attempt to increase its tempo of attacks as September approaches ‑‑ in an effort to influence U.S. domestic opinion about sustained U.S. engagement in Iraq.
In Baghdad, an overall decrease in sectarian violence is due in part to intensified Iraqi and Coalition operations focused on population security. An apparent decision earlier this year by the Jaysh al-Mahdi (JAM) militia to largely stand down its operations appeared to have a temporary effect, but a breakdown in Muqtada al Sadr’s ability to control JAM ‑‑ or elements thereof ‑‑ coinciding with the return of JAM fighters from Iran after receiving training in combat and explosives has spawned a recent increase in attacks on Coalition and Iraqi forces. Iran continues to train, fund, and equip extremist groups, both Shi’a and Sunni, that attack Iraqi and Coalition forces in and around Baghdad and the provinces in southern Iraq. JAM “secret cells” are a major recipient of that assistance ‑‑ and are responsible for some of the most sophisticated attacks on Iraqi and Coalition Forces. As stated in the President’s January 10, 2007, speech announcing the New Way Forward: “We will interrupt the flow of support from Iran. And we will seek out and destroy the networks providing advanced weaponry and training to our enemies in Iraq.” Operations against these networks are ongoing and will continue.
In Anbar province, the local population is turning against AQI and seeking support from the Coalition. At the same time, U.S. military operations and cooperation with local tribal leaders have created openings for local political compromise and more effective civilian assistance. To reinforce these early signs of success, the President ordered additional U.S. military and civilian resources to Anbar. The trends have remained positive. The provincial government ‑‑ for the first time in a year ‑‑ is now able to meet in the province and recently approved a comprehensive provincial budget that appropriates virtually all of its $107 million allocation for capital expenditures. Attack levels have reached a 2‑year low and some families that had fled Anbar are beginning to return. These developments have been noted in other primarily Sunni areas of Iraq, such as Salah ad-Din province, and areas around Baquba, in Diyala province, where efforts are underway to build on the Anbar experience.
The ISF continues to show slow progress. ISF capability is increasing, but further ISF proficiency, improved logistics, and expanded forces are needed in order to assume more responsibility from Coalition Forces. Comprehensive data and statistics on the ISF — including its projected growth — can be found in the report Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq, submitted quarterly to Congress by the Department of Defense, pursuant to Section 9010 of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2007 (Public Law 109-289). It should be noted that Iraqi Security Forces bear the brunt of attacks from insurgents and terrorists. Despite casualty rates two to three times that of Coalition Forces, Iraqi Security Forces continue to fight bravely for their country.
The assessment gave grades of satisfactory progress on eight benchmarks, unsatisfactory progress on another eight and mixed results on the other two.
Michael Yon reports that al Qaeda is on the run in Baqubah. But elsewhere, al Qaeda is reportedly at pre-9/11 strength.
Republicans are warring with each other over the war. John Boehner calls GOP critics “wimps.” GOP Rep. Heather Wilson calls them “thoughtful.”
Beyond the food fight, this WSJ editorial today does a good job dismantling the handy “benchmark excuse” of many war critics who won’t be satisfied by any measure of progress or success.
Kathryn Lopez reports that GOP Senate staffers are asking for “Help, please.”
Stand by for press conference liveblogging…
10:30am. Bush begins with a brief tribute to Lady Bird Johnson.
GWB: The conflict has gone through four major phases: liberation from Saddam Hussein, elections, escalation of sectarian violence after the Samarra mosque bombing, and the ongoing surge…The troops need to know they have the unwavering support of the chief. And they do. And they need the enemy to know that America won’t back down…I don’t know anyone who doesn’t want to see the day when our brave men and women come home…The real debate over Iraq is between those who think the fight is lost or can’t be won and those who believe we can succeed in Iraq and the fight is worth the cost…
In Anbar province, Sunni tribes now fighting alongside our troops to defeat al Qaeda…now working to replicate that success in other parts of the country…
Talks about interim report…satisfactory progress on some benchmarks, unsatisfactory on others…Our strategy is that security progress will pave the way for political progress…I will rely on Gen. Petraeus to give me his recommendations for the appropriate troop levels in Iraq…DOD…will continue consultations on Congress on both sides of aisle…I know some would like us to leave now…that would be dangerous for Iraq, the region, and the United States…it would mean we would risk mass killings on a mass scale, it would mean AQ could establish a safe haven, the fight in Iraq is part of a broader struggle across the region…the same regime in Iran pursuing nuke weapons and threatening to wipe Israel off the map is supplying weapons…Hezbollah/Syrian regime…refused to close its airport in Damascus to suicide bombers headed to Iraq…We’re also using the tools of diplomacy…sending Rice and Gates to the region in early August…
10:43am. The Iraqis do not want Us forces patrolling their cities forever anymore than Americans do.
…I ask Congress to provide them with the time and resources they need…Troops have achieved great things…Best way to ensure they get home is to ensure they succeed…
Questions:
First one from Helen Thomas. HT: “Bring in UN peacekeepers! Don’t you understand? You brought al Qaeda into Iraq!”
Actually, I was hoping to solve the Iraqi situation diplomatically. That’s why I went to the United Nations. That’s why they passed a resolution…clear message to Saddam Hussein…he chose the course…it was his decision to make…fundamental question facing America…will we stand with this young democracy…We ought to defeat [the extremists] there, so we don’t have to do it here.
10:49am. Reporter asks about GOP revolt and anti-war sentiment among the public. How long do you wait?
GWB: There’s war fatigue in America…It doesn’t surprise me that there is deep concern among the American people…talks about time needed to place surge troops…since the reinforcements arrived, things have improved…points again to Anbar and Diyala…How long do I wait? I will wait until David Petraeus comes back and gives me his report…
Martha Raddatz presses Bush on lack of political progress despite 3/4s of troops in place…
GWB: As I mentioned, it takes a while to work it through…tensions, rivalries in aftermath of Hussein regime…
Reporter: Have you entertained the idea that Congress might take your sole decision-making power away?
I don’t think Congress ought to be running the war. I think they ought to be funding the troops. Trying to run the war through legislation is a prescription for failure…Congress has all the right in the world to fund. that’s their main involvement in this war. Troop strength? Position? I don’t think that would be good for the country.
10:56am. David Gregory on “irreversible” quote from Mike Hayden/ISG report in WashPost. Why shouldn’t we conclude that you are stubborn, in denial, but certainly not realistic?
GWB: Hayden told Bush his comments were more nuanced…strategy needed to change…
The same folks who are bombing people in Iraq are the same people who attacked us here on 9/11…violence perpetuated by people who have done us harm here at home…
Reporter: What’s the evidence?
GWB: AQ in Iraq has sworn allegiance to Osama bin Laden. The guys who planned 9/11…KSM…we need to take AQI seriously, just like we need to take AQ anywhere seriously…
11:05am. A Scooter Libby question…morality of your most senior advisers leaking the name of a confidential CIA operator…have you communicated your disappointment to them in any way?
I thought the Libby decision was a fair and balanced decision. I haven’t spoken much about the testimony my people were forced to give…I am aware of the fact that perhaps someone in my admin did disclose..I’ve often wondered what would happen if that person came forward and said “I did it”…tough situation…it’s ridden its course and now it’s time to move on…
11:09am. GWB talks about progress on “political reconciliation” in Iraq.
***
President George W. Bush insisted Thursday America could still win the war in Iraq, despite a bleak picture of progress in the war-wracked nation painted by a White House report.
As Bush tried to quell a Republican revolt and thwart rising Democratic demands to bring troops home, he argued there were still grounds for optimism, especially in the area of security.
“I believe we can succeed in Iraq, and I know we must,” Bush said at a press conference called to defend his unpopular strategy, and ruled out any troop withdrawals based on souring public opinion on the war.
He said a pull-back before commanders recommended it was safe, would be “dangerous” for the Middle East and mean handing over Iraq to Al-Qaeda.
AFP also notes: The House is due to vote later today on a bill demanding the withdrawal of most combat troops from Iraq by April 1 next year. The redeployment would begin within 120 days and the president would be forced to report to Congress on why soldiers should stay in Iraq for limited purposes such as fighting terrorism or training Iraqi forces. A similar bill is also being debated in the Senate.
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Mr. Boehner is being too nice. Put a mic in front of me, and let me tell you what I think about these Rino’s.
Mr. Voinovich here is Ohio is a total moron and doesn’t have the mental capacity to understand the threat we are under. If I ever come face to face with this Ohio Rino he will get more than just being called a Wimp.
The only way I agree to a pull out of Iraq is we also end all foreign aid to everybody. No more money to Africa, no more money to the UN. We close all military bases overseas and bring back all our military personal. Then we use them to seal the boarders. We only send them back overseas as needed, and only to destroy the enemy.
Iraq NO? Darfur Yes? – Doesn’t make sense.
freaksloan: AMEN, AMEN, AMEN. Every single one of us who agree should continue to call our local, state and federal politicians and complain, complain, complain. Yeah, get our guy/gals home but get everyone of our guys/gals home from everywhere outside the US, plus keep our money here to help the “poor”, rebuild social security, increase medicare, give apartments, free, to drunks. See, this way, even the tinfoil hatted leftist loons can’t argue!! What a plan folks.
Helen Thomas should be put in the last row in the corner, away from people until she becomes one.
This isn’t about supporting Bush or seething at him or how I or you or anyone else sees the war. It’s about how our _enemies_ see us. A lion doesn’t care about two birds squabbling with another; it only sees two stupid juicy meals. You don’t stop a war just based on not wanting to see any Americans getting hurt or killed, and neither don’t you fight a war based on “popularity”. Even if WWII turned “unpopular” it would still be the prudent objective because the alternative is too terrible to contemplate. Unfortunately most of use think “too terrible” is science fiction. This is not a “Bush war” and it defangs us to reduce this thing to a “gotcha” “evil pres” contest. We have enemies that want you and our families DEAD in terrible ways — no matter how we think. We have to take the bull by the horns and deal with it, not turn our backs and pray on Tinkerbelle to make the world right for us. As one who came out of the 23rd St subway station and saw the twin towers burning like some unreal special effects, I hope our enemies don’t have to remind us who the real enemy is again — and far far worst.
James Greenidge
Queens NY
I just heard Helen Thomas. I always was taught to be respectful to elders, but I think I will take an exception here. Al Qaeda was in Iraq before we got there. In fact, Al Qaeda was (and has been) in the USA long before Bush was President. Anyone remember Omar Abdel Rakman, the blind sheik. He is the spiritual advisor for the entire Al Qaeda network. Plans were found in Afghanistan on ways to break him out of prison. Helen Thomas is a hack of the highest grade. She needs to retire out to the pasture quick.
Poor Al Qaeda. They are the victims here. The big bad United States brought them to Iraq…….just like we brought all of the illegals to our country. We need to develop a ‘path to citizenship’ for Al Qaeda in Iraq. They are not terrorists, they are ‘undocumented freedom fighters’. And I think We should also start a fund so Bin Laden can run for political office. (Full disclosure: that was SARCASM)
Helen Thomas……What a loon! Is this the best person they can send to Washington to be on the White House press staff???
No amount of blood and money should be spared to achieve a Pyrrhic victory in Iraq.
Seems like it’s taking a little longer than planned, however. Hasn’t it been thirty days already?
The White House Press Corp will never get it right, because they do not ask sensible questions.
The Bumper Sticker, “Fight them over there, not over here” makes me cringe every time I hear it.
The questions are –
What else are we doing to keep them from coming over here? Can those efforts be improved? If London and Glasgow can be attacked what does that say about our efforts keeping them in Iraq? Won’t they becoming over here when we let the 7,000 Iraqi citizens into the country? How can we be sure that one or two of those 7,000 will not do us harm by free will, or by pressure to their remaining family members? They were smart enough to plan and execute 9/11, aren’t they smart enough to get over here again? What is being done about this? When will Bin Laden be brought to justice? He remains a symbol, and no individual who believes in Law and Order would allow a criminal to remain on the lam because he is unimportant. He did the crime he must do the time. When will he be broguht to justice?
MM, thank you for covering this.
Helen Thomas needs to be put on the no fly list.
There seems to be a constant disconnect with reporters who don’t seem to believe (or want to believe) that the same terrorist groups in Iraq are of the same mindset as those who dealt 9/11.
Have they ever heard the old adage: “The enemy of my enemy is my friend”?
He would run under the CAIR political party. I am sure the ACLU would be a huge contributor as well.
Actually, Helen Thomas could be put on a one-way fly list–to Iraq.
I am just a little curious. By pointing out an news article that now is clearly moot, what is your evidence that war is about “oil?” Perhaps I am mistaken, but I do not believe that we control the Iraqi oilfields. Does your logic apply to Afghanistan as well? It seems to me that your premise is flawed because the evidence you use does not support your claims. Please try, if you can, to enlighten me. If this was a talk radio show, methinks you might be hanging up.
Send her to Iran!
I bumped into Helen Thomas just outside the White House one April day a few years ago. I had a short conversation with her.
I didn’t use any profanity, but I had the pleasure of telling her face to face what I thought of her and her liberal opinions.
I guess she was in a hurry to get to a luncheon meeting so she didn’t really try to take me on. I would have liked to have gone nose to nose, toes to toes with her on her “off the wall” reporting.
The reporter who asked about gradual withdrawal from Iraq — anyone reminded of “Vietnamization of the war?”
That worked real well, didn’t it?
I also like how she calls Al Qaeda…. “The” Al Qaeda.
Helen Thomas needs to take her medicine. I like to imagine that Rosie will be like her when she gets to be her age.
James Greenidge:
Excellent comment! The most articulate explanation I have read in a long time about why we are in iraq!
OBL said from the beginning the American people don’t have the resolve to defeat him, and our MSM and Congress continue to prove him right and make us look weak. Why?
The Vietnamese didn’t hijack US planes and fly them into buildings — so why do the MSM and our leftist Congress continue to draw comparisons?
Are they so out of touch that they want to relive the pain of Vietnam and for that matter the Nixon presidency? Do boomer hippies need to relive those adolescent victories this badly?
If the wimps de-fund this war, then President Bush should de-fund every liberal social program and use that money to fund the war. Sorry lazy welfare recipient, you might need to get a job.
On July 12th, 2007 at 11:32 am, spidgy said:
Its quite frightening to think OBL might understand the liberal/socialists in our country better than we do.
#1 – I’ve thought the same about cutting off funding/relief to all countries for some time. The only countries that seem to have a negative and/or hateful view of the U.S. are the very ones on the receiving end.
#4 – Beautifully written. It is mind altering to never hear the enemy identified. Unfortunately, the next attack will make those beautiful towers falling pale in comparison. The media seems to forget faster than the American people what happened on that day, and the number of attacks we suffered (does anyone remember Sirhan Sirhan?) before we had to take them on full force.
As for Helen Thomas – who does she work for now and why would that little $.50 rag warrant her the attention she receives at the pressers? I’ll leave Gregory for another time (the only reporter I’ve ever sent a message to his employer condemning his behavior to a sitting president – & true to my promise have not watched that network since!).
Brilliant! Two Birds with one stone!
Does Helen know she is ill?
Helen is still on the fly list because I saw her broom parked over in the corner of the new press room.
Gregory is worthy of nothing but utter contempt for his disrespect for the presidency and the man in that seat right now. He must have taken advanced courses during his liberal journalistic education on anti-authority. Those people should be cycled to the rear row.
I’ll be brief and considering it’s July ,I’ll make a point of comparison.
Our very own War of Independence started in 1775 ( or long before that if you consider tea parties{1773} and such) and we fought for eight (8) YEARS against an enemy that lined up in rows directly in front of us and THEY WORE RED. We still needed the help of the French (yep, hard to believe) and their Navy.
We -Iraq and the US- are fighting an enemy that hides in skirts, mosques, wears SUICIDE/HOMICIDE BOMB BELTS, and looks like every other person in the country, wearing the same clothes as the laundry guy or the.
Think about that.
I think Rosie is her spawn.
Those who urged the consignment of Helen Thomas to Iran or Iraq came very close. Her family is of Lebanese extraction.
Oh, I thought she was Jewish.
As far as I am concerned the President needs to move the White House press corps to a new conference room … I think the middle of Baghdad would do nicely … wonder how many of these pompous jackasses would have the guts to attend so they could ask their assinine questions? … HT is a self-centered and worn out old Hag that nags worse than my former mother-in-law … and Gregory is an excellent example of an insult to the term “idiot” … and don’t even get me started on the Senate and House members who are cowards … to say the least
#28 – Bingo! I knew there was a reason she needs meds, she got mixed up in the delivery room. What a spiteful, hateful, nasty individual. The Lebanese I know should banish her from any claims to that heritage.
I think President Bush has been reading Allah’s work at Hot Air! “nuanced”?
What General Hayden told the Iraq Study Group last November 13 in a classified briefing:
Yeah, nuanced.
I was watching and Helen Thomas launched into her Question? I could tell what was coming I turned the sound down.
When is that old gasbag Helen Thomas going to retire? David Gregory is a disrespectful S.O.B.
It scares the he11 out of me to think the Democrat-controlled Congress will be able to peel away just enough Republicans to make anything about deadlines, timelines, funding, etc., veto-proof. Then, the President would likely defy any unconstitutional legislation that attempts to infringe upon his Article II powers, and it will either end up in court, or with impeachment proceedings in the House and a trial in the Senate. Not what we need in the middle of this war against radical Islam… It would just embolden those who seek to destroy our way of life.
Actually, it was working well enough from 1969-1974, the period framed between the decision to begin withdrawing American troops and the point where a donkey-controlled Congress reneged on our pledge to support the South.
The best evidence that it was working came in 1972, when the South – assisted only by American air power – successfully defended itself against a major North Vietnamese offensive that included large numbers of Soviet and Chinese-supplied tanks.
A similar policy of “Iraqification” of the struggle in that country can have a positive outcome – as measured by a drawdown of American troops – if, if we don’t try to substitute “gradual transition” with “bug-out boogie” like the donks are calling for.
Iraq is a work in progress, and will remain so for some time. It’s difficult enough to rebuild an army and a police force, and to help a fledgling representative government to stand on its own, even when the neighbors aren’t acting as sources and conduits of training, money, supplies and advisors for both foreign and local insurgents.
That we and the Iraqis themselves have made as much progress as they have in the face of such blatant interference should be a source of encouragement instead of despair.
Unless, of course, one is a donk or a donk media mouthpiece, both of whom are intractably wedded to the prospect of an American defeat because not only do they think they’ll benefit from the same, but they’ve been forecasting it for so long now that if we actually prevail they’ll have a lot of uncomfortable explaining to do.
That, ultimately, if why so many advocates of retreat and defeat are pre-emptively declaring the present campaign a “failure” – they’re actually afraid that if it goes on much longer, we jut might win … and then where would they be?
Thanks to Johnson & Nixon, 60,000 Americans died in Vietnam to stop the spread of Communism in that region of Asia. So we left and how many countries fell to the Communist scourge? And how is Democracy being accepted in countries with Theocratic populations with 160,000 troops fighting Arabs in Iraq at $12 billion a month and 3600 dead? Does the intelligence report stating that al-Qaida has retooled and restructured to 2001 levels bother any those thinking fighting in Iraq would diminish the terror threat?
well, SilverCat, check out the Brookings Institute’s Iraq Index and you will see that the non-Kool Aid drinking counters have tabulated the total cost of both Afghanistan and Iraq after 72 months is about 6 billion per month. (That is the only comment directed at SilverCat).
As for al-Qaida’s “re-tooled” status, my assessment is that the US Intelligence *has* to err on the side of overestimation right now because it has done such a piss poor job of recovering from Tennet’s reign of buffoonery that will take a long time to recover from.
We are GUESSING. But let me put it to the skeptics this way: the most numerous contingent of foreign AQ fighters has come from Darfur as suicide bombers. And these attacks and deaths are down remarkably. The non-murder body count in Iraq is around 50K plus per year now. Civilian deaths account for 20 per cent of those. AQ is losing at least 20 thousand people a month in Iraq.
Who can sustain those kinds of casualties with a squeak trickle of training resources in BumF*ck Pakistan to regroup?
This war is a mathematical equation: AQ cannot sustain its losses in urban warfare forever.
3600 US dead in 6 years compared to 58,000 killed at Gettysburg in 3 days and in Vietnam for the entire war. I’d say perspective is lacking in the arguments of those saying the price is too high and we have not been effective.
The only way for the cheese eating surrender monkies to be satisfied is for either a) the US surrenders, or; b) AQ surrenders.
Now that is some visionary leadership.
Results of the US pulling out of Vietnam.
Vietnamese Civil War, final phase,1973-75
Citing Pentagon estimates: 171,500 killed in the “Cease-Fire War”.]
Communist dictator Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge forces began a reign of terror in the hope of creating a pre-industrial utopia, murdering around 2 million people in so-called “killing fields.”
You can expect more of the same or worse if we pull out of Iraq.
People like Thomas believe that if we just lie down and be quiet Al Qaeda will disband and go back to hearding sheep.