Posted on 11/12/2003 9:03:55 PM PST by yonif
Edited on 04/29/2004 2:03:26 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
TOKYO, Japan (AP) -- The attack on Italian forces in Iraq will force Japan to postpone its dispatch of troops to that country until sometime next year, a top government spokesman said Thursday.
Japan was hoping to send its first batch of troops to Iraq to help rebuild the country by the end of 2003. But Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said the security situation is not yet stable enough.
(Excerpt) Read more at edition.cnn.com ...
It's one thing to be diplomatic, another to be realistic. There's nothing to apologize for, if the Japanese don't want to go, that's their affair and they can stay home. They have not been harmed.
If you go to dictionary.com you can research the difference between applying a label and describing an action.
I see you got the talking point fax from McAuliffe.
A rat lie.
By BARRY SCHWEID, AP Diplomatic Writer
WASHINGTON - Under the pressure of increasing U.S. casualties, President Bush (news - web sites) is moving to speed up establishment of an Iraqi government to take charge in Baghdad.
With 396 U.S. casualties, shrinking support from the American public, a troubling intelligence report and a stony silence from nations that have been asked for more peacekeeping troops, Bush wants to shorten the U.S. occupation.
That involves accelerating efforts by Iraqis to take charge of security, write a constitution, hold elections and assume control over government institutions.
"We're looking at all sorts of ideas and we do want to accelerate the pace of reform," Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) told reporters.
The administration does not intend to abandon the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council, officials said, but was exploring new scenarios. One option called for creating a smaller body within the 24-member council — perhaps 10 people with expanded roles — or establishing one person as a strong leader of the council, a senior administration official said Wednesday.
Another administration official said an interim Iraqi leader could have authority to govern the country until a constitution was written and elections held.
For months, the Bush administration has been saying Iraq (news - web sites) must first have a constitution in place and hold elections before the U.S. would relinquish sovereignty.
In Baghdad, there was disagreement among governing council members about whether to push for an interim government with more power before a constitution is written.
The administration refused to discuss publicly what was under consideration, saying the Iraqi council had to be consulted first. U.S. officials said decisions would not be imposed by the United States, but would be agreed upon with the council. (Enough with the charade. Whatever the US decides this council will accept unanimously)
The top U.S. administrator in Iraq, L. Paul Bremer, who was called to Washington for a quickly arranged visit with Bush and other top administration officials, was taking back to Baghdad several scenarios for discussion, an official said. Some of the ideas that were reviewed by Bush originated from the council itself while others were suggested by Bremer to the council, the official said.
Bremer said he would tell the council that "we need to pull this all together and integrate it into a plan going forward" and that Bush was steadfast in his determination to defeat terrorism and to give Iraqis authority over their own country. (Translation - We've had enough and will cut and run as soon as its possible o say with a straight face that the Iraqis now govern their own country)
The U.S.-appointed council faces a Dec. 15 U.N. deadline for producing a new constitution and holding elections. Privately, administration officials have complained that the council was not making enough progress toward that goal.
Another attack Wednesday on occupying forces underlined the need to stabilize Iraq. A suicide bomber blew up a truck packed with explosives at an Italian paramilitary base in southern Iraq, killing at least 26 people, including 18 Italians. It was the deadliest toll suffered by non-American coalition forces since the occupation began in April.
The United States struck at the Iraqi insurgency hours later, destroying a warehouse in Baghdad and chasing attackers who were seen firing mortars. (What this report failed to mention is that we nicely asked everyone in the area to leave and bombed an empty building. Shows how hamstrung Bush is at that this point that avoiding any collateral damage is given a higher concern than taking out brutal terrorists. But it has to be done to give the impression that we're "doing something.")
Powell described the security situation as difficult, but said, "We are confident that our commanders will be able to get on top of it, and that our intelligence experts will be able to penetrate these remnants of the old regime who are trying to destroy the hopes and aspirations of the Iraqi people."
On Capitol Hill, Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota called on the CIA (news - web sites) to brief Congress on "just what, if anything, can be done to change the deteriorating set of circumstances." A top-secret intelligence report that came to light Wednesday warned that Iraqis were losing faith in U.S.-led occupation forces, two senior U.S. officials said.
After the attack on the Italian base Wednesday, Bush, who has refrained from reacting to American casualties on a daily basis, expressed remorse. "We appreciate their sacrifices," he said. "I appreciate the steadfast leadership of Prime Minister (Silvio) Berlusconi, who refuses to yield in the face of terror."
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20031113/ap_on_re_mi_ea/us_iraq&cid=540&ncid=716
Richard W.
A rat lie.
Wars are NEVER over.
Strange thing is they make such bloody good cameras.
Think much? I think you need to cancel your subscription to "DNC Partyline Mailing List". Give me the quote or source that made this statement on the carrier.
How gay, why not just send them somewhere REALLY safe like Disneyland?
Is there a mister Rodgers neighborhood we could send them too?
Japan..what a bunch of bed wetting pillow biters.
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