Start U.S. Iraq withdrawal in 4-6 months: Democrats

Reuters ^ | 12 November | staff

[shrinkermd]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats, who won majorities in the U.S. Congress in last week's elections, said on Sunday they will push for a phased withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq to begin in four to six months.

"The first order of business is to change the direction of Iraq policy," said Sen. Carl Levin (news, bio, voting record), a Michigan Democrat who is expected to be chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee in the new Congress.

Levin, on ABC's "This Week," said he hoped some Republicans would emerge to join Democrats and press the administration of President George W. Bush to tell the Iraqi government that U.S. presence was "not open-ended."

Bush has insisted that U.S. troops would not leave Iraq until the Iraqis were able to take over security for their country.

"We need to begin a phased redeployment of forces from Iraq in four to six months," Levin said.

Speaking on the same program, Sen. Joseph Biden (news, bio, voting record), a Delaware Democrat who is expected to head the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he supported Levin's proposal for a withdrawal.

[NJRighty]

Democrats, who won majorities in the U.S. Congress in last week's elections, said on Sunday they will push for a phased withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq to begin in four to six months.

Not victory. Withdrawal. Seriously, they can't even utter the word victory.

[uncle fenders]

Isn't it amazing the democrats have in fact filled osamas prophecy that we couldn't stay focused and win ?

[ohioman]

The rats are traitorous scum plotting to have us lose a war. I hope they are made to pay for this - at least in this lifetime.

[EternalVigilance]

People are way overrating the power of Congress to influence foreign policies. The executive branch and the President of the United States is stronger than 66% of Congress on domestic issues and stronger than 90% of Congress on foreign policy issues. Many people outside and inside the US are about to learn some lessons about the US Constitution.

What you say is true...IF the Executive understands and has the political courage to exercise his power.

There is some reason to fear in that regard, currently.

[Cinnamon]

bunch of retards. period.

[EagleUSA]

Yep, Old Rangel will see to Making sure it gets defunded.
-----
And let's hope we have a STRONG Repub candidate in 2008 that will document what is going to happen in Iraq to show the cowardly socialists for what they are....and what they value most -- their own POWER AND CONTROL and be damned with ANYONE AND EVERYTHING ELSE.

[technomage]

Elections have consequences.

And it is the unintended consequences of protest/non voting that is the most dangerous.

[jveritas]

Seems to me that to the degree "W" kowtows to the Dems he is joining them in encouraging the genocide sure to follow in Iraq.

How did he kowtow to the dems? Is it because he invited them to launch and has a "polite" discussion? Guys either get real.

[mewzilla]

I know that there are a lot of real 'Rat wackdoodles on the Hill. But they're not the ones calling the shots. Those are unprincipled pragmatists who only want to stay in power, and a successful terrorist attack on American soil while they're in control of Congress will see to it that they're not put in positions of power for a very long time. They can kiss siiting in the WH goodbye.

Like I said, the loons can talk big, and the ones calling the shots can kiss up to the loons, but I don't think they'll try anything substantive.

Unless of course, due to blackmail and/or bribery, the 'Rat leadership in now a wholly owned subsidiary of AQ, Inc. In which case all bets are off. And that is why members of Congress should be required to undergo exhaustive and periodic backround checks before they're entrusted with intel.

[misterrob]

I actually think that we should be rolling back to bases and stop acting like cops over there. Our bases would act as regional deterents against further outright aggression by Iran and Syria.

Don't ever expect the dems to admit to anything that they did wrong. Don't expect the media to criticize them save for not acting liberal enough.

[VRWC For Truth]

Bush should force them to defund the war. Alas, he'll bend over AGAIN.

[smoketree]

I don't think they care.
The only thing they care about is themselves and their power.
I don't think they care how many people die either as long as they are in power.
Just look at what they are saying now; "now is the time for civility". What kind of nonsense is that. They were the most uncivil when the American people voted them the minority. The time for civility is always not only when they are in power.

[muawiyah]

Who do you think told Allen to not ask for a recount?

[ohioman]

Wars are not run by polls. About 2/3's of the country was against the Amnerican Revolution. We CANNOT lose this war. Why am I telling this to a quaker, y'all don't fight anyone.

[Verloona Ti]

...we cannot leave them Iraq as a base. We need bases in their territory....

We need bases in the ME-definitely, especially with the Iranian situation . Saudi Arabia bases will sooner or later be lost to us ; I believe we're down to a fraction of our presence there already (the stats I saw said 2500 troops before 9/11, now about 500 troops). We can fall back to bases in Iraq and leave the Iraqis to kill each other, but troops will be stationed in Iraq, so far as I can tell and unless Congress is really determined to destroy US security.

[muawiyah]

This is AFTER the American phase of the Viet Nam war. Within weeks of this picture half a million Vietnamese people would be dead at the bottom of the South China Sea.

You'd better believe the guys at the top in Iraq, as well as anyone who ever got photographed by our newsmedia voting will probably be dead before the next election.

[FReepapalooza]

Good one dfu. Especially the Uncle Sam poster at the end!

[muawiyah]

Silly person. The Democrats want your children dead one way or the toher. They are the party of death.

[Madame Dufarge]

You forget Snow, Collins

Absolutely correct.

They'll cave in a heartbeat.

[operation clinton cleanup]

Every time I hear "phased withdraw", that picture comes to mind. Viet Nam and the Iraq war have little in common, except maybe the outcome if the democrats get their way.