.Bush says offensive in Iraq just beginning
US President George W. Bush signaled Saturday his unwillingness to consider early US troop reductions in Iraq, saying new offensive operations there were just in their "early stages."
The statement, made in his weekly radio address, followed a fervent plea by John Warner, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, who publicly asked the president to initiate by September 15 at least a symbolic drawdown of US military forces from Iraq.
Warner, a former secretary of the Navy and a widely respected authority on military affairs, suggested Thursday the president bring home up to 5,000 US troops as "the first step in a withdrawal of armed forces" in order to "send a sharp and clear message" to the Iraqi government that the US commitment was not open-ended.
Bush has not formally responded to the appeal. But in his address, he expressed satisfaction with offensive operations launched in the wake of a nearly 30,000-troop surge he announced at the beginning of the year -- and said they were just beginning.
"We are still in the early stages of our new operations," the president said. "But the success of the past couple of months have shown that conditions on the ground can change -- and they are changing."
He argued that every month since January, US forces have killed or captured on average more than 1,500 Al-Qaeda fighters and other insurgents in Iraq.
Young Iraqi men are signing up for the army, Bush went on to say, police are patrolling the streets, and neighborhood watch groups are being formed in Iraqi cities.
Bush said Iraqis were now volunteering important information about insurgents and other extremists hiding in their midst more frequently, which had led to a "marked reduction" in sectarian murders.
"We cannot expect the new strategy we are carrying out to bring success overnight," the president concluded. "But by standing with the Iraqi people as they build their democracy, we will deliver a devastating blow to Al-Qaeda, we will help provide new hope for millions of people throughout the Middle East, we will gain a friend and ally in the war on terror, and we will make the American people safer."
The address was part of a broad public relations offensive launched by the White House ahead of a crucial report to Congress by the top US military commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, and US Ambassador Ryan Crocker.
The two officials are to present their views in mid-September on whether efforts to halt sectarian violence and return Iraq to viable self-governance with the help of about 160,000 US troops now in the country were bearing fruit.
Bush defended his Iraq strategy in a major speech before an annual convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Kansas City this past week and is expected to reinforce the message on Tuesday, when he addresses members of the American Legion at their convention in Reno, Nevada.
But his upbeat assessment of the military campaign has been undercut by a somber analysis presented Thursday by the US intelligence community, which warned in a declassified estimate that despite security gains, "Iraqi political leaders remain unable to govern effectively" and sectarian violence "probably will intensify."
Warner, who has just visited Iraq together with Democratic Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, also came back in a pessimistic mood.
The two senators said in a joint statement that while the US troop "surge" had given Iraqi politician some "breathing space" to make compromises "which are essential for a political solution in Iraq, we are not optimistic about the prospects for those compromises."
However, The Washington Post reported Saturday the White House plans to keep its existing military strategy and troop levels in Iraq in place, even after the report by General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker.
BreitBart
Who looks into it when the POTUS commits an OPSEC violation, for politics?
The statement, made in his weekly radio address, followed a fervent plea by John Warner, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, who publicly asked the president to initiate by September 15 at least a symbolic drawdown of US military forces from Iraq.
Warner, a former secretary of the Navy and a widely respected authority on military affairs, suggested Thursday the president bring home up to 5,000 US troops as "the first step in a withdrawal of armed forces" in order to "send a sharp and clear message" to the Iraqi government that the US commitment was not open-ended.
Bush has not formally responded to the appeal. But in his address, he expressed satisfaction with offensive operations launched in the wake of a nearly 30,000-troop surge he announced at the beginning of the year -- and said they were just beginning.
"We are still in the early stages of our new operations," the president said. "But the success of the past couple of months have shown that conditions on the ground can change -- and they are changing."
He argued that every month since January, US forces have killed or captured on average more than 1,500 Al-Qaeda fighters and other insurgents in Iraq.
Young Iraqi men are signing up for the army, Bush went on to say, police are patrolling the streets, and neighborhood watch groups are being formed in Iraqi cities.
Bush said Iraqis were now volunteering important information about insurgents and other extremists hiding in their midst more frequently, which had led to a "marked reduction" in sectarian murders.
"We cannot expect the new strategy we are carrying out to bring success overnight," the president concluded. "But by standing with the Iraqi people as they build their democracy, we will deliver a devastating blow to Al-Qaeda, we will help provide new hope for millions of people throughout the Middle East, we will gain a friend and ally in the war on terror, and we will make the American people safer."
The address was part of a broad public relations offensive launched by the White House ahead of a crucial report to Congress by the top US military commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, and US Ambassador Ryan Crocker.
The two officials are to present their views in mid-September on whether efforts to halt sectarian violence and return Iraq to viable self-governance with the help of about 160,000 US troops now in the country were bearing fruit.
Bush defended his Iraq strategy in a major speech before an annual convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Kansas City this past week and is expected to reinforce the message on Tuesday, when he addresses members of the American Legion at their convention in Reno, Nevada.
But his upbeat assessment of the military campaign has been undercut by a somber analysis presented Thursday by the US intelligence community, which warned in a declassified estimate that despite security gains, "Iraqi political leaders remain unable to govern effectively" and sectarian violence "probably will intensify."
Warner, who has just visited Iraq together with Democratic Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, also came back in a pessimistic mood.
The two senators said in a joint statement that while the US troop "surge" had given Iraqi politician some "breathing space" to make compromises "which are essential for a political solution in Iraq, we are not optimistic about the prospects for those compromises."
However, The Washington Post reported Saturday the White House plans to keep its existing military strategy and troop levels in Iraq in place, even after the report by General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker.
BreitBart
Who looks into it when the POTUS commits an OPSEC violation, for politics?
posted by madtom at 10:57 PM
4 Comments:
I don't think that is possible--- the branch of government that determines when OPSEC is violated is the Executive.
It's a damn shame, but he has to sell the job with all the limp dicks in congress ready to sell out the mission for---guess what?--political reasons! Besides, the most important unnecessary component for success is our growing Iraqi allies believing we aren't leaving at Christmas.
He should have his blog closed like everyone else.
What do you expect from the dicks? You really think they should give this guy a another chance? He inspires confidence in you?
My angle has always been that the US is mature enough to not only survive Bush, but to win the dam war in spite of the fool. Needless to say, he does not inspire much confidence in me, and I can see why people would watch their own ass around him.
You are looking for a fight---no?
I am not a great fan, and have never been even when he was my governor--- but you point me to the man in public office today who would stick with it the way he has. I blame him for a lot of the mess, but if not for him, I honestly believe we would be in a bigger mess--without the 'fool', there would be no war, we would effectively have surrendered-- if not now, then in the near future
sorry for the slow response, but I have been very busy
sounds like a serious case of deifying Bush. I mean really you think he's the only one capable You think Bush is indispensable? No matter how bad he's been, no matter how many times he makes the wrong decisions, or how many bad appointments he makes, or how many times he engaged in low brow politics, or trying to inject himself into local politics for party gains. He's still the only one...
What are you going to do come 08? I guess your going to have to throw out the constitution for the sake of the people, less someone else take over and mess it all up.
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