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Sen. Clinton Says Iraq Insurgents Failing
NY Times ^ | February 19, 2005 | NA

Posted on 02/19/2005 11:03:06 AM PST by neverdem

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 1:01 p.m. ET

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton said Saturday a string of attacks killing more than 50 Iraqis in two days were failed attempts to sow sectarian strife and destabilize the country.

Clinton, a New York Democrat, and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., were part of a five-member congressional delegation that met with U.S. officials and members of Iraq's interim government.

Both Clinton and McCain have been strident critics of the Pentagon's planning and management of the war in Iraq. But Clinton said Saturday that Sunni Muslim insurgents were failing in their efforts to destabilize Iraq through sectarian violence.

Her comments came as numerous suicide bombings and other insurgent attacks across Iraq killed dozens of people, Iraqi officials said, as Shiite Muslim worshippers celebrated their holiest day of the year. A U.S. soldier was among those killed in the attacks, the military said.

On Friday, insurgents staged five attacks killing at least 36 people and Shiites blamed radical Sunni Muslim insurgents for attacking them in a string of bombings, shootings and kidnappings.

Authorities had hoped to prevent a repeat of last year's attacks during the Ashoura festival when insurgent blasts killed at least 181 people in Karbala and Baghdad.

Clinton said insurgents had also failed to disrupt Iraq's landmark Jan. 30 elections, won by the Shiite clergy-backed ticket. The United Iraqi Alliance won 140 seats in the 275-seat National Assembly.

``Not one polling place was shut down or overrun and the fact that you have these suicide bombers now, wreaking such hatred and violence while people pray, is to me, an indication of their failure,'' she said.

``The results of the election are a strong rebuke to those who did not believe that the Iraqi people would take this opportunity to demonstrate their own commitment to their own future.''

But Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, said he did not believe the U.S. military would leave Iraq anytime soon.

``How long I don't know, but to leave too soon would be devastating to stay too long is unnecessary,'' Graham said. ``I ask the American people to be patient, because what happens here will affect our security back home.''

McCain said the U.S. military presence was tied to the numbers of casualties taken by American forces, but he was heartened by the Jan. 30 elections in Iraq.

``We have a long hard difficult struggle ahead of us and I'm far more optimistic now,'' McCain said.

In December, McCain said he had ``no confidence'' in Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, but he added that keeping Rumsfeld in the position was President Bush's choice, not his.

The delegation also was briefed by U.S. Lt. Gen. David Petraeus, who is leading the effort to create an independent Iraqi security force, McCain said.

The group had not left the Green Zone, home to Iraqi government institutions and the American and British embassies, because of the security situation, McCain said. They were expected to meet with U.S. troops stationed elsewhere in Iraq on Sunday.

At least 1,476 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.

The five senators that flew into Iraq included Clinton, McCain, Graham, Maine Republican Susan Collins and Wisconsin Democrat Russ Feingold.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Arizona; US: District of Columbia; US: New York; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: clinton; hillary; iraq; iraqvisit; shepardonedterorists
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To: NorCalRepub

Oh, I see, a moderate is a pol who blasts the President of his own party at every opportunity. IMO, McCain is caught up in his own sore-loser vendetta.


141 posted on 02/19/2005 2:37:41 PM PST by KiloLima (Political correctness is the real quagmire...)
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To: Bahbah

You're most welcome, Bahbah. Glad to know you don't feel like NorCalRepub!


142 posted on 02/19/2005 2:38:11 PM PST by demkicker (John McCain is a power hungry traitor and proved it on 2/19/05 in Iraq)
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To: NorCalRepub

.. and he belongs in the "Sore Loser" party.


143 posted on 02/19/2005 2:38:51 PM PST by KiloLima (Political correctness is the real quagmire...)
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To: Seaplaner
I believe that Hillary indeed has a hidden core (albeit a far left one) and that she likely has carefully prepared plans.

Damned right!

Hillary is the absolute, perfect personification of evil and the antithesis of everything that defines our country.

IMHO, she and her husband may well be the Anti-Christ.

144 posted on 02/19/2005 2:44:10 PM PST by upchuck ("If our nation be destroyed, it would be from the judiciary." ~ Thomas Jefferson)
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To: cake_crumb; smonk
I apologize, I thought that smonk was serious when he/she was saying that hillary was an Arkansan.
145 posted on 02/19/2005 2:46:59 PM PST by Dane ( anyone who believes hillary would do something to stop illegal immigration is believing gibberish)
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To: FairOpinion
Sen. Graham did give the right answer - as we discussed before, the only right answer:

Yes he did. I only wish everyone could have seen their news conference. When Graham interrupted McCain when he was stating our casualty rate might cause us to withdraw, it was obvious that Graham was horrified and couldn't bear to hear that kind of talk so he jumped back in to change the subject and talk about Social Security, Ronald Reagan & Tip O'Neill! What a profound moment!
146 posted on 02/19/2005 2:51:19 PM PST by demkicker (John McCain is a power hungry traitor and proved it on 2/19/05 in Iraq)
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To: NorCalRepub
Sorry. It just sudden;y seems that there's an effort underway bleach the McStain that seems suspicious when coupled with a joint appearance with Hillary.

McCain certainly doesn't mind at all being dragged out as token-Republican attack dog for the media. In fact, he revels in it.

Hillary appears to be in all out kingmaker mode. Partners (occasionally partners in crime) Kerry and McCain seem to be on her short list.

147 posted on 02/19/2005 2:56:00 PM PST by cake_crumb (Leftist Credo: "One Wing to Rule Them all and to the Dark Side Bind Them")
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To: demkicker

Thanks for the transcript link!


148 posted on 02/19/2005 2:56:36 PM PST by neverdem (May you be in heaven a half hour before the devil knows that you're dead.)
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To: NorCalRepub
One man's moderate, is another man's RINO.

One of the things that I've noticed...( along with many others..) is John McCain appears to have never met a mike he didn't want to talk into. IF, he doesn't know that he's a "tool" for the MSM....then he needs to buy a clue.

All in my opinion, of course.

Oh.....I did indeed mean 80%.

FRegards,

149 posted on 02/19/2005 2:56:44 PM PST by Osage Orange (Hillary Clinton's heart is darker than the Devil's riding boots.............................)
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To: Marano NYC
I'm sure you didn't miss the point of my previous post.

I disagree that "he's better than any other interviewer". But hey...that's just me.

And "attempts" can be misses too.

FWIW-

150 posted on 02/19/2005 3:00:20 PM PST by Osage Orange (Hillary Clinton's heart is darker than the Devil's riding boots.............................)
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To: neverdem

You're welcome. The more people that find out about how sinister and dangerous John McCain is, the better.


151 posted on 02/19/2005 3:00:48 PM PST by demkicker (John McCain is a power hungry traitor and proved it on 2/19/05 in Iraq)
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To: DoughtyOne
"What baffles me, is Bush actually makes appearances with the guy. Thus McCain embelishes his credentials for the next attack."

I imagine it's an attempt to keep his enemies closer. I don't dispise McCain as I do his handler, John Kerry. I can at least feel some pity for McCain. The man was broken and remains so. However that's the reason I would never support him for president.

152 posted on 02/19/2005 3:02:30 PM PST by cake_crumb (Leftist Credo: "One Wing to Rule Them all and to the Dark Side Bind Them")
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To: upchuck; Seaplaner

When was the "I'm sick and tired...!" speech given and on what topic? Help. Sean Hannity loves to play that clip. Was it during the primaries last year?


153 posted on 02/19/2005 3:02:35 PM PST by KiloLima (Political correctness is the real quagmire...)
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To: neverdem

Off with her head!


154 posted on 02/19/2005 3:03:27 PM PST by JesseHousman (Execute Mumia Abu-Jamal Today)
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To: demkicker

Yes, the whole exchange was much more powerful, when you actually saw it, than when we just read the transcript.


155 posted on 02/19/2005 3:03:55 PM PST by FairOpinion (It is better to light a candle, than curse the darkness.)
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To: cake_crumb
I imagine it's an attempt to keep his enemies closer.

;-}

156 posted on 02/19/2005 3:04:25 PM PST by KiloLima (Political correctness is the real quagmire...)
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To: demkicker

I saw it. We will never forget McCain served on John Kerry's POW/MIA documentation shredding committee, which then rewarded Hanoi by killing the Viet Nam Human Rights Act and added insult to injury. Was THAT the act of a man who cares about our military?


157 posted on 02/19/2005 3:05:45 PM PST by cake_crumb (Leftist Credo: "One Wing to Rule Them all and to the Dark Side Bind Them")
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To: Osage Orange

Who do you think makes an honest attempt at fairness ? Please leave out anyone employed at Fox, Scarborough & Crowley. Bob Schiefer can sometimes be fair but the rest are dreadful.


158 posted on 02/19/2005 3:13:17 PM PST by Marano NYC
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To: cake_crumb
I saw it. We will never forget McCain served on John Kerry's POW/MIA documentation shredding committee, which then rewarded Hanoi by killing the Viet Nam Human Rights Act and added insult to injury. Was THAT the act of a man who cares about our military?

Great points, cake_crumb! McCain & Kerry are both traitors to their military brethren. And I don't want anyone to play POW violins for McCain. If I had my way, he'd be behind bars again.
159 posted on 02/19/2005 3:15:10 PM PST by demkicker (John McCain is a power hungry traitor and proved it on 2/19/05 in Iraq)
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To: demkicker
"I don't want anyone to play POW violins for McCain. If I had my way, he'd be behind bars again."

Exactly. McCain also had no right to jump to Kerry's defense against the SBVfT. As they said, they earned their right to speak with their blood, they served with Kerry, McCain did not.

160 posted on 02/19/2005 3:20:10 PM PST by cake_crumb (Leftist Credo: "One Wing to Rule Them all and to the Dark Side Bind Them")
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