For the most part, they've received just that. Now that the 'Rats are in control, however, all bets are off. That isn't the President's fault, unless he caves in too.
ROME Iraq's prime minister is blaming the security crisis in his country on the Americans.
Nouri al-Maliki (NOO'-ree ahl-MAHL'-ih-kee) says Iraqi forces would have had better control over their country if the U-S had equipped them with better weapons and more of them. In an interview published today in Italy, the Iraqi chief stops short of criticizing President Bush's plan to send in more than 21-thousand additional troops. But he says things would be a lot better if the U-S had properly supplied his forces from the start. He says there would have been a lot fewer Iraqi and U-S deaths.
But al-Maliki also holds out hope that the situation in Iraq "will drastically improve" because of the U-S buildup, clearing the way for American troops to start leaving "in three to six months."
HUH??? Think back to the 2004 election cycle.
Apr-04:
KIA hostile = 126
non-hostile = 9
Total deaths = 135
This figure is nearly DOUBLE the number of deaths in any given month in the first year+ of the war.
What happened in this country in April 2004?
The Presidential election cycle began in earnest...Dean, carry, Edwards...trying to outdo each other in condemning the President and the war.
Then there was election month, November 2004.
"Coincidently" - November 2004 was the largest casualty rate we have sustained to date.
Nov-04:
kia...125
n-h...12
ttl...137
Think back through the past 14 months and what the demonRATS and half the republicans have said, before the Iraqis voted for their government on December 15, 2005 and 5 months before Maliki was seated.
Remember November 18, 2005!
"Our troops have become the primary target of the insurgency," Murtha said in a Capitol news conference that left him in tears. Islamic insurgents "are united against U.S. forces, and we have become a catalyst for violence," he said. ". . . It's time to bring them home."
Murtha -- November 18, 2005
Gee, was al Murthawi issuing orders to our enemies from the nation's capital here...
Islamic insurgents "are united against U.S. forces, and we have become a catalyst for violence,"
You can almost track the rhetoric in CONgress with the casualty rate in Iraq. Oct-06... 99 ... 7 ... 106
Nov-06... 59 ... 10 ... 69
Dec-06... 96 ... 16 ... 112
There have been 5 out of 46 months where our casualties were just over 100. Two of those months occurred in the past three and 2 directly related to election hyperbole. The islamofacists have nothing on our CONgre$$critter$!