Democrat Demands Examination of "Failures" in Iraq (Chuckie Schumer Alert)

GOP USA - CNS News ^ | 12-12-05 | Susan Jones

[smoothsailing]

Democrat Demands Examination of 'Failures' in Iraq

By Susan Jones

CNSNews.com Senior Editor

December 12, 2005

(CNSNews.com) -- Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has asked President Bush to immediately appoint a "senior delegation of distinguished retired military leaders" who would travel to Iraq, assess the capability of Iraqi troops, and report back to Congress and the American people.

In a letter to the president, dated Sunday, Schumer suggested that former U.S. military leaders "should go to Iraq to make a first hand assessment about why the president's troop training plan is not going well." According to a press release from Schumer's office, reports indicate there is only a single Iraqi battalion out of 97 that is ready to fight on its own in Iraq.

The press release said Schumer's goal in sending the retired military officers to Iraq is to "examine the failures in [Iraqi] troop training and deployment." Schumer noted that the "lynchpin" in President Bush's plan for victory is training enough Iraqi troops so they can stand up as U.S. forces stand down - "so it is critical to know what is going wrong," he said.

"A distinguished delegation of former military leaders like General Tommy Franks, General Norman Schwarzkopf, and Secretary Colin Powell should be sent by the President to report back to the American public as soon as possible so we can fix these serious problems," Schumer added.

Schumer's request to examine the "failures" in Iraqi troop training comes in the same week that Iraq is holding critical elections for a new National Assembly, which will govern Iraq for the next four years.

Early voting began on Monday, for Iraqis in hospitals, military camps and prisons; on Tuesday, Iraqi voters living outside the country may cast their ballots. Election Day for most other Iraqis is Thursday, Dec. 15. On Monday, President Bush was traveling to Philadelphia to deliver another speech defending his administration's strategy in Iraq.

Press reports said the president is delivering the speech in Philadelphia, the birthplace of the U.S. Constitution, to remind Americans that the path to democracy in the U.S. had its share of difficulties, too.

Rep. John Murtha, a Pennsylvania Democrat, said he would respond to Bush's speech on Monday. Murtha galvanized Democrats several weeks ago, when he called for an immediate U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq. He hasn't changed his mind.

"I've finally come to the conclusion that we've become the enemy, and that there's no alternative" to pulling troops out, Murtha said Sunday on the CBS program "Face the Nation."

"Every day we're there, we inadvertently kill people. ... That makes enemies," Murtha said.

Politicians from both parties have accused each other of politicizing the war.

Copyright © 1998-2005 CNSNews.com - Cybercast News Service

[Chode]

NONE!!! 8^)

[smoothsailing]

I heard that too. Katie Barge and Lauren Weiner. The DSCC is picking up the tab.

[CyberAnt]

"W" should tell Chuckie - "Pack your bags"

[punster]

---

Dear Chuck,

Bite me.

Love, "W"

---

Better yet:

Dear Putz,

[Zacs Mom]

Their political agenda requires Chuckie, Murtha and their ilk to refuse to acknowledge the
evidence of progress in the war

~ they have the info from this report and KNOW :


(Click on the title to download a copy)

The following was also in the above Progress Report which
further demonstrates the great strides being made there:

Pretty amazing, huh!?

[Candor7]

Thanks for the nice graphic info and links. I pinged it Big for future reference!

[Awgie]

The democrats greatest fear regarding Iraq and the war on terror...is that it will succeed. They are blatantly and obviously politically self serving in their criticisms, and always have been.

A pro military, pro national security republican president conducting and winning a war of this importance...represents total and complete annihilation of the democrat party.

Never say the democrats don't understand the importance of winning the war on terror. They are very aware it is a life and death struggle. If George Bush is successful...they are dead!