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Reid: 'This place is devastated' (Reid blames Saddam and U.S. Military!)
Las Vegas Sun ^ | 3/23/05

Posted on 03/23/2005 10:31:15 AM PST by areafiftyone

WASHINGTON -- The United States needs to focus on four goals in Iraq -- security, reconstruction and political and economic stability, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said after spending Tuesday in the war-torn capital of Baghdad.

Reid said he was shaken by the destruction of the country caused by by former leader Saddam Hussein's policies and by the U.S. military.

"The place is devastated," Reid said in a telephone interview with Nevada reporters Tuesday, speaking from Georgia in the former Soviet Union, mid-way through an eight-day overseas congressional trip. "It is going to take years to reconstruct Iraq."

Each of the four goals poses massive challenges for the United States, Reid said. Rebuilding the economy is a daunting task given the violence, demolished infrastructure and rampant unemployment, he said.

"It (economy) is a mess, to say the least," Reid said.

Reid is leading a delegation of five Democrats and two Republican senators on a trip to examine security and issues in developing democracies that took them to Israel for a meeting with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, then to Kuwait via Jordan, Iraq, and Georgia, Reid said. The senators are scheduled to meet Thursday with newly elected Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko in Kiev before a brief stop in France to meet with military officials and a scheduled Saturday return.

In Iraq, the senators met with U.S. military officials as well as Kurdish and Sunni leaders.

Reid also met with Nevada reservists from the Henderson-based Nevada National Guard 1864th Transportation unit, including a junior high school teacher from Elko. Reid described them as mostly lonely young men who want to get home. A few asked Reid to contact their loved ones.

"I've got several phone calls to make to wives and mothers," Reid said.

The soldiers appear well-trained and generally well-supplied, Reid said, although it was noted to Reid that some vehicle armor was not scheduled to arrive for four months. For soldiers awaiting that armor in a unit that trucks supplies to fellow soldiers, "every day is an eternity," Reid said.

The Nevada senator reiterated a call for a clearer U.S. plan for an eventual exit in Iraq. But he also said U.S. military forces could not begin a withdrawal until more stability has taken hold.

Security measures in Iraq are extreme, Reid said. Drivers routinely weave their cars to avoid being an easy target, he said. Reid attended a press conference in Iraq where 15 to 20 members of the media asked questions while about 50 law enforcement officers stood watch "guns at the ready."

Reid said it seemed nearly everyone -- people of all ages -- were armed.

"Every place you went there were people with guns," Reid said.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: iraq; reid
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Why the heck do they allow these "Useless Jerks" from Congress to go to Iraq for their photo ops!
1 posted on 03/23/2005 10:31:15 AM PST by areafiftyone
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To: areafiftyone

"The place is devastated," Reid said in a telephone interview with Nevada reporters

Is he talking about Iraq or Nevada?


2 posted on 03/23/2005 10:32:57 AM PST by The Lumster
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To: areafiftyone
Why the heck do they allow these "Useless Jerks" from Congress to go to Iraq for their photo ops!

I have a better question - why do they allow them to come back?

3 posted on 03/23/2005 10:34:43 AM PST by Izzy Dunne (Hello, I'm a TAGLINE virus. Please help me spread by copying me into YOUR tag line.)
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To: areafiftyone
"Every place you went there were people with guns," Reid said - in a war zone no less
4 posted on 03/23/2005 10:34:56 AM PST by SF Republican
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To: The Lumster

He must be talking about Congress in Washington! It is devastating!


5 posted on 03/23/2005 10:35:30 AM PST by areafiftyone (The Democrat's Mind: The Hamster's dead but the wheel's still spinning!)
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To: The Lumster
The place is devastated," Reid said in a telephone interview with Nevada reporters Is he talking about Iraq or Nevada?

Or the DNC or his scrambled egg mind....Its hard to tell!

6 posted on 03/23/2005 10:35:42 AM PST by Archon of the East (The Constitution is a terrible thing to waste)
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To: The Lumster
"Every place you went there were people with guns," Reid said.

Is he talking about Iraq or Nevada?

7 posted on 03/23/2005 10:36:02 AM PST by Izzy Dunne (Hello, I'm a TAGLINE virus. Please help me spread by copying me into YOUR tag line.)
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To: areafiftyone

why does Nevada keep electing this dink


8 posted on 03/23/2005 10:37:10 AM PST by DM1
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To: areafiftyone

Thank God weve got Mr. Reid to visit Iraq and tell us the obvious. I love it - "We need an exit plan from Iraq." Anything else you would like to tell the Terrorists, Congrssman??


9 posted on 03/23/2005 10:37:47 AM PST by wingsof liberty (Marines - the few, the proud, the best!!)
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To: areafiftyone
"The .United States needs to focus on four goals in Iraq -- security, reconstruction and political and economic stability, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said after spending Tuesday in the war-torn capital of Baghdad."

And just what does this pompous jackass think we have been focusing on if not security, reconstruction, and political and economic stability?
10 posted on 03/23/2005 10:38:35 AM PST by Steve_Seattle
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To: DM1

Same reason Massachusetts keeps electing Kerry and Kennedy and NY will keep electing Hillary: The people took too much LSD years ago!


11 posted on 03/23/2005 10:39:15 AM PST by areafiftyone (The Democrat's Mind: The Hamster's dead but the wheel's still spinning!)
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To: Izzy Dunne

"Every place you went there were people with guns," Reid said.

He forgot that some citizens have in the past weeks taken arms against the terrorists. The last thing we'd want is to disarm the citizens of Iraq due to the gun control fetish that Democrats have. This would lead to a helpless population open to be massacred by the terrorists.


12 posted on 03/23/2005 10:40:19 AM PST by winner3000
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To: areafiftyone

Headline, July 15th, 1945: "The place is devastated," said Senate minority leader Harry Reid, after wisiting war-torn Europe.


13 posted on 03/23/2005 10:41:02 AM PST by Steve_Seattle
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To: areafiftyone
Reid said it seemed nearly everyone -- people of all ages -- were armed.

"Every place movie you went to there were people with guns," Reid said.




14 posted on 03/23/2005 10:41:46 AM PST by John Lenin
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To: areafiftyone
Someone ought to show this clown some photos of Berlin, London, Dresden... that were taken after the end of hostilities in '45. If he is as much of a numb skull as he sounds like, how the hell did he get himself elected.
15 posted on 03/23/2005 10:43:51 AM PST by SMARTY
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To: Archon of the East

The place is devastated," Reid said after returning from a weekend of hard drinking, drugs and ho's at the kennedy compound in Hyannis.


16 posted on 03/23/2005 10:44:42 AM PST by Holicheese (This is Hockey East)
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To: John Lenin

desperado is one of my favorites.
The first scenes with Steve Buscheme are great.


17 posted on 03/23/2005 10:47:55 AM PST by Holicheese (This is Hockey East)
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To: Holicheese
The place is devastated," Reid said after returning from a weekend of hard drinking, drugs and ho's at the kennedy compound in Hyannis.

That was good.LOL!

18 posted on 03/23/2005 10:48:01 AM PST by Archon of the East (The Constitution is a terrible thing to waste)
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To: areafiftyone
The dems do and say what Moveon.org tells them to do and say.

If they cross them up the money dries up....

19 posted on 03/23/2005 10:49:44 AM PST by OldFriend ("If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child might have peace." Thomas Paine)
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To: Steve_Seattle

Sometimes the Dems have to repeat aloud what they have been told by the adults so it sinks in.


20 posted on 03/23/2005 10:51:56 AM PST by MKM1960
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