Posted on 01/26/2007 8:29:44 PM PST by NormsRevenge
BAGHDAD (AFP) - The new Democrat speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi (news, bio, voting record), made a surprise visit to Baghdad where she urged Iraqi leaders to pursue political solutions to end spiraling sectarian violence.
But US and Iraqi officials announced tough new tactics to starve sectarian violence of outside support with US forces now targeting Iranian agents in Iraq for capture or killing.
Despite US and Iraqi efforts to increase security in the capital, bombers on Friday killed 15 people in Baghdad's famous pet market.
Pelosi, 66, the first female Speaker of the House who is known for her strong anti-war stance, arrived in Baghdad along with several other senior Democratic lawmakers.
Pelosi is the spearhead of Democratic opposition to US Presideng George W. Bush, who asked critics of his new Iraqi strategy Tuesday to "give it a chance."
But in meetings with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and US officials she advocated the Iraqis reaching political solutions rather than relying on a surge in US troops to end sectarian violence.
"The sooner Iraqi leaders make necessary political accommodations, including amending their constitution to resolve outstanding differences among all Iraqi communities, the better the chances for ending the sectarian violence," the lawmakers said in a statement released by Pelosi's office after the meetings.
They said that in their meetings they stressed their belief that Iraqis must take "primary responsibility" for the country's security.
"The delegation's view is that American forces should quickly begin to transition from a combat role to one focused on training, counter-terrorism, force protection, and controlling Iraq's borders."
Maliki assured Pelosi the that Baghdad was determined "to assume security missions currently handled by US-led forces in Iraq," but asked that the training and equipping of Iraqi forces with modern weapons be speeded up, a statement from his office said.
The California Democrat is second in line to assume the US presidency, behind Vice President Dick Cheney.
The US Senate, meanwhile, confirmed Friday Lieutenant General David Petraeus as the new commander of US forces in Iraq, replacing General George Casey.
Bush said on Friday he had issued orders to confront those who target Iraqis or US forces in Iraq, as US and Iraqi officials confirmed tough new tactics against Iranian agents there.
"If somebody's trying to harm our troops, or stop us from achieving our goal, or killing innocent citizens in Iraq, we will stop them," Bush said.
At the same time, Bush said as he met with Petraeus that it would be wrong to think that such efforts mean a coming war with Iran.
Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns said Washington had made clear it fears that Iran was supplying Shiite Iraqi insurgents with technology to make sophisticated improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to attack US forces.
"We have every right to go after those Iranian paramilitary intelligence agents engaged in this activity inside Iraq," Burns told reporters.
In Baghdad, Maliki outlined to Pelosi his plan to quell violence in Baghdad, a necessity underscored by the bombing earlier Friday of the Al-Ghazil market that killed 15 people, the latest in a bombing spree targeting shopping areas that has killed more than 150 people this week.
The bombing was another gruesome example of the current trend followed by insurgents to attack markets to inflict as many civilian casualties as possible.
Elsewhere on Friday, five more Iraqis were killed in violence, while police in Baghdad discovered 27 bodies bearing bullet wounds.
"The prime minister underscored his government's determination to deal with terrorist groups. This confrontation will not be based solely on military force however, but also on political means," Maliki's office said.
US and Iraqi authorities stress their new security plan will target militiamen involved in sectarian killing, and its focus was expected to be the Mahdi Army, the armed unit headed by anti-US Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.
"are all these people loaded on botox? jesus they don't look human"
You notice that too? It's not just me?
I thought it was the shadow of Satan showing through.
When the new strategy starts to show fruit, Nancy will now be positioned to take the credit.
DNC statement: Speaker Pelosi's speaking truth to power in Iraq in January 2007 is what turned the situation around, not those silly soldiers and their silly surge. It was her superior diplomatic prowess that made the difference, and caused Maliki to see the light.
*spit*
Reports by Arabic interpreters that Al-Maliki said in response to that disclosure "This twit? Are you kidding me?" could not be confirmed at press time.
Clueless.
She wants a political solution to "sectarian violence." LOL
Maybe they should offer Sadr some additional earmarks. /s
"She wants a political solution."
In his statement before the Senate Armed Services Committee, General Petraeus said that security had to be established before Iraq could move forward politically or economically.The following quote speaks to that.
"Some of the members of this committee have observed that there is no military solution to the problems of Iraq. They are correct.
Ultimate success in Iraq will be determined by actions in the Iraqi political and economic arenas on such central issues as governance, the amount of power devolved to the provinces and possibly regions, the distribution of oil revenues, national reconciliation and resolution of sectarian differences, and so on. Success will also depend on improvements in the capacity of Iraq’s ministries, in the provision of basic services, in the establishment of the rule of law, and in economic development.
It is, however, exceedingly difficult for the Iraqi government to come to grips with the toughest issues it must resolve while survival is the primary concern of so many in Iraq’s capital. For this reason, military action to improve security, while not wholly sufficient to solve Iraq’s problems, is certainly necessary. And that is why additional U.S. and Iraqi forces are moving to Baghdad."
http://www.rrstarforums.com/viewtopic.php?p=22513&sid=2f83f14e1e35cdfd03b0862e1418a93d
Killing works for me. Although best they be hanged as spies after being captured and thoroughly interrogated.
That's more like it, don't you think?
Have Patience my FRiend. It won't take much of it either, if I'm reading the tea leaves correctly.
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