Posted on 01/27/2005 1:54:53 PM PST by MikeA
WASHINGTON (AP) - The American military's continued presence in Iraq is fanning the flames of conflict, and signals the need for a new detailed timeline to bring the troops home, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy said Thursday.
Just three days before the Iraqi people go to the polls to elect a new government, the Massachusetts Democrat said America must give Iraq back to its people rather than continue an occupation that parallels the failed politics of the Vietnam war.
"The U.S. military presence has become part of the problem, not part of the solution," Kennedy said in remarks prepared for delivery at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies. "We need a new plan that sets fair and realistic goals for self-government in Iraq, and works with the Iraqi government on a specific timetable for the honorable homecoming of our forces."
While not the first member of Congress to call for a withdrawal of the troops, Kennedy is the first senator to do so. And his remarks continued what has been a long and blistering assault on the administration's Iraq policies.
Republican National Committee spokesman Brian Jones criticized Kennedy's timing.
"Its remarkable that Sen. Kennedy would deliver such an overtly pessimistic message only days before the Iraqi election," said Jones. "Kennedy's partisan political attack stands in stark contrast to President Bush's vision of spreading freedom around the world."
He has called the war a "fraud made up in Texas," and said the administration misled the people about the threats leading up to the war.
Now, Kennedy said, the United States and the insurgents are both battling for the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people and the U.S. is losing.
"There may well be violence as we disengage militarily from Iraq and Iraq disengages politically from us, but there will be much more violence if we continue our present dangerous and destabilizing course," said Kennedy. "It will not be easy to extricate ourselves from Iraq, but we must begin."
Administration officials have so far declined to discuss a timeline for troop withdrawal, saying the goal is to ensure the Iraqis are capable of maintaining their own security before military forces are scaled back.
Kennedy, who has called Iraq "George Bush's Vietnam," drew parallels between that failed conflict and the current deadly battle against guerrilla insurgents. He said the United States must learn from the mistakes of Vietnam - which he termed a misguided war that carried on too long and was not honestly portrayed by officials to the American people.
Kennedy said the first goal in the current situation should be for the United Nations - not the United States - to convene an international meeting to help the new government take shape and draft a constitution.
You are being to kind to him, Mike.
Let's send Kennedy over there to negotiate with Zarqari. I'm sure he'd jump at the chance!
Oh my gosh. Ted, sit down, shut up and have another drink you friggin' lush!
The fraud was elected senator from Massachussettes.
He blamed the US military...this drunken bastard needs to retire......there are US boys dying in Iraq every day....and this drunk has the nerve to blame them.
Why, oh why, didn't he get pinned in that car when he went off that bridge.
Wrong Kennedy, Oswald and Sirhan.
You defending Kennedy?
T. Kennedy = Defeatist
I'm calling on old fat-ass to stand trial for the murder of Mary Jo
It's hard fighting two wars...the terrorist and the swimmer...Im beginning to think they are one in the same.
/9-11
Most excellent rant..kudos..however, console yourself with the thought that as long as Ted is the face/voice of the dems, they'll continue to be on the outside..
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