I’m thinking you must know I agree with you. Although I’m not sure of anything McConnell (maybe you can enlighten) said on the subject of a “small redeployment”, I know what Warner said.
I think he was encouraged by the WH to float the balloon because hey, Warner’s not running for anything, he’s as solid a DC Gop type as there is (not that this is necessarily a good thing) and he’s the Repub chair of the armed forces committee, I think, so there’s that.
As to why, if this speculation is correct, this is so, I can only think that the WH maybe WANTS to send Maliki a warning, as Warner hints would be the intent. Bringing home 25K troops is really not a big deal and by the time it would propose to happen they’d likely be coming home anyway.
Iraq’s leadership has all sorts of problems but they are understandable as I see it.
First, all they hear out of America is that we need to get out of Iraq. Well Maliki needs to keep his hand in the pie with Sadr as the local militias might be all he’ll have if the US bails out. And it’s not like we haven’t done this before, much to my shame.
Second, damn, it’s got to be one hell of a job to get the three main factions in Iraq to get along. Many of the Shia have lived for years under the nastiness of the Sunni Saddam followers. I’d be leery of making nice with these people. Frankly I don’t know if we’ve given this fellow enough time or if it’s just a difficult job and takes time.
I do remember reading an article about Vietnam, WSJ I think. One of the lessons, as the article explained, that we should have learned from Vietnam was NOT to go willy-nilly changing leaders. It then went on to say how angry and impatient American leaders were with Diem...I think was the name. So they replaced him and they got something worse even with two more tries.
Yet Krauthammer, a fellow I respect, is rabidly anti-Maliki and says he has to go.
All I know is damn it, THIS time let’s not tuck our tail between our legs and march off in defeat.
Notice how the Dems are all changing their anti-victory chant. Levin...Hillary....I find that very telling.
Warner was talking about 5,000 troops withdrawn and home for Christmas .. and he put syrupy adjectives (like he was campaigning) in front of the mention of the troops.
(I take NOTHING away nor detract in any way from their heroism and how magnificent they are .. but I thought it was overdone and theatric pandering).
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http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&ie=UTF-8&q=sen.+john+warner&btnG=Search
NPR - 28 minutes ago
But Senator John Warner of Virginia recommended that President Bush start bringing home troops in time for Christmas. Five thousand was the number expressed
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What would 5,000 troops less really accomplish?
It’s all so complicated and tough, but one thing I am clear on:
If we leave prematurely, just when we’re finally getting increasing Iraqi cooperation and really top class actionable intelligence on the ground .. because they finally believe our words .. that we’re not going to abandon them .. and then if we do abandon them too early on the cusp of real victory:
God help us all.
McConnell’s comments
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,294657,00.html