Posted on 03/24/2005 7:22:52 PM PST by Halfmanhalfamazing
Baghdad -- Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) led a bipartisan Senate delegation to Baghdad Tuesday and left little doubt that the Senate will soon approve an $81 billion supplemental appropriation passed by the House last week, most of which will go to pay for rebuilding Iraq's war-torn economy and countering insurgent violence.
Reid and his six colleagues held a news conference at the end of a whirlwind one-day visit during which they met with top U.S. military and diplomatic officials in Iraq and leaders of the three internal factions competing for control of the government being established in the wake of the January elections.
Reid, who was making his first trip to Iraq, said the Senate will take up the supplemental appropriations bill when it returns after the Easter recess, and indicated there is little real opposition to it. He stressed the need for continued U.S. support for reconstruction efforts, along with training Iraqi security forces to replace U.S. military personnel and help bolster the Iraqi economy and political structure.
"Everyone understands that reconstruction is an important part of the U.S. mission here," he declared.
Reid and his colleagues, who included four Democrats and two Republicans, all indicated they are encouraged by signs of progress in carrying out the three-pronged U.S. strategy of support for bolstering Iraq's security forces, economy and political system.
"One of the people we met with today called Iraq 'an infant democracy,' and we can't leave this infant alone," said Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.). "I believe what we are seeing here is good."
Sen. Robert Bennett (R-Utah) compared this visit with an earlier visit he made last year. "I find a quiet optimism instead of a cautious optimism," he said. He added, "I think that the elections and the strengthening of the Iraqi security forces have given us hope that the seed of democracy has been planted here. There's still a lot to do and we still have a lot to worry about, but the signs are more optimistic now than before."
Even Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), who has been a leading critic of the Bush administration's Iraq policy, seemed upbeat about the future of the new Iraq government.
Declaring that the success of Iraq's future stability "greatly depends on the training of Iraqi security forces," she said, "we got a very, very upbeat report" from the top U.S. military officials, including Gen. George Casey Jr., who commands the multinational coalition forces, and Lt. Gen. David Petraeus, commander of the NATO training mission here.
She added that it's essential that the new government, which will be put together in the coming months, include all elements of Iraqi society, especially women. "I think it's fair to say that all of us today gave that message" to the leaders of the three main ethnic factions in Iraq, the majority Shiites, the minority Sunnis and the Kurds.
However, Boxer also indicated after the group's meeting with the man who is expected to be Iraq's next prime miniser, Ibriham al-Jaafari, that he is not as upbeat about the quality of the Iraqi police and security forces.
"My sense was that he was certainly in no rush to hand over security to his new police force," she said.
Other members of the Senate delegation included Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and freshman Ken Salazar (D-Colo.).
Salazar, who was making his first visit to Iraq, said, "This trip has enforced the enormity of thechallenge in Iraq and the need to help the Iraqi people."
Gotta get on the bandwagon now or it'll be full. Before too long they'll all be taking credit for it. Politicians!
GET OUT! Pigs must be flying.
"Even Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), who has been a leading critic of the Bush administration's Iraq policy, seemed upbeat about the future of the new Iraq government."
If this is true, it will be fun to watch the "Two Minutes Hate" launched against her at DU.
no kidding.......and Boxer is the Queen of DU....maybe she as actually in Sweden but thought it was Iraq and thought things were OK there.........
Someone should post this at DU... ;)
haha.......yeah, they will rescind here monarchy there
If they were that impressed after spending just one day there, think what they would be like if they spent a week, or a month there? Too bad they didn't take "The Swimmer" with them!
"Gotta get on the bandwagon now or it'll be full. Before too long they'll all be taking credit for it. Politicians!"
No doubt the tireless struggles on the Senate floor and in the House by the likes of Boxer have paved the way for a new Iraq.
I wonder how they will spin the first black and/or woman in the White House as a credit to their efforts when he or she is a Republican they fought tooth and nail to keep out of office.
Must have spent a night with the NEWHillary! and got into the groove, going over every nook and cranny to see how they could change their image.
FMCDH(BITS)
Democrats:
"Miserable failure! Foreign policy disaster! Quagmire! Bush lied!"
"Oh, it's working?"
"We've been behind this 100 percent, right from the beginning!"
Avoid duplication. Don't change the title. Thank you.
If they had left Boxer and Murray there, the average IQ of a U.S. Senator would have risen by about 20 points.
..."...he is not as upbeat about the quality of the Iraqi police and security forces."...
Yes--the Keystone Kops will be one of the last pieces of the puzzle that will fit.
Yes sir! :-)
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