Sunday Morning Talk Show Thread 5 March 2006

Various big media television networks ^ | 5 March 2006 | Various Self-Serving Politicians and Big Media Screaming Faces

[Alas Babylon!]

The Talk Shows

Sunday, March 5th, 2006

Guests to be interviewed today on major television talk shows:

FOX NEWS SUNDAY (Fox Network): Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Michael Brown, former head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency; National Weather Service Director David Johnson.

MEET THE PRESS (NBC): Pace; former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., and former Rep. Jack Kemp, R-N.Y., co-chairmen of the Council on Foreign Relations' task force on U.S. policy toward Russia.

FACE THE NATION (CBS): Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind.; Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa.

THIS WEEK (ABC): Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine; Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif.; retired Gen. Wesley Clark; comedian Stephen Colbert.

LATE EDITION (CNN) : Gen. James Jones, NATO supreme Allied commander; Iraqi Parliament member Adnan Pachachi.

[Seattle Conservative]

"Chrissy Matthews is on talking about the President possibility pulling down troop when a Civil War is starting in Iraq"

Sissy is an idiot (but we all knew that). FNC mentioned earlier that Blair said that the UK and US would have almost all troops out of Iraq by the end of 07 UNLESS they're was a civil war also in a Reuters article below (Reuters should perhaps speak w the US Military for the full picture).

The MSM are the ones trying to make the situation in Iraq into a civil war. Ralph Peters and others who are/were there tell a different story. Talibani says the troops will be there for awhile and it's the TERRORISTS that are trying to start the civil war. Iraqi forces are doing a lot of good work and helped capture 61 AQ members. I believe what Rummy and the Pres have said repeatedly - we'll pull out the troops when Iraqi forces are trained and can handle security on their own, which is exactly what the US Military is saying (last article). It also wouldn't surprise me if we kept some troops in Iraq for a long time (at the request of the Iraqi government). WWII and the Korean War were over years ago, but we still have troops there (more than we should IMHO) because they are/were strategic locations. Iraq could be a strategic location for a US base in the ME, epecially since we don't have troops in Saudi any longer.

Iraqi President: U.S. to Stay As Needed [``no matter what the period.'']
AP ^ | 03/04/06 | ALEXANDRA ZAVIS

Posted on 03/04/2006 5:22:11 PM PST by Former Military Chick

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - President Jalal Talabani on Saturday underscored the need for a unity government in Iraq after a spasm of sectarian killing and said he had been assured U.S. forces would remain in the country as long as needed - ``no matter what the period.''

His comments came after a bomb exploded at a minibus terminal during morning rush hour in a southeastern Baghdad suburb, killing seven people and wounding 25, one of a string of explosions in the capital and elsewhere.

The violence shattered the relative calm brought by Fridays' driving ban in Baghdad and its outskirts, which helped avert major attacks on the day Muslims congregate for the most important prayer service of the week.

Talabani spoke to reporters after meeting with Gen. John Abizaid, chief of U.S. Central Command.

Abizaid said he was ``very, very pleased with the reaction of the Iraqi armed forces'' during the crisis unleashed by the Feb. 22 bombing of a sacred Shiite shrine in Samarra and reprisal attacks against Sunni Muslims that pushed Iraq to the brink of civil war.

``We should understand that the terrorists are trying to create problems among the Iraqi people that can lead to difficulties between various groups,'' he said after a separate meeting with Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari. ``We should not fall into their trap. We are stronger than they are. We will ultimately prevail.''

>snip
He blamed Al-Qaida terrorists for the blast and said it marked a clear - and successful - change in tactics by the group in its campaign to ignite civil war among Iraqis.

>snip
The surge of violence, which has killed at least 500 people since last week, has tangled negotiations to form a new government after December parliamentary elections and threatened American hopes of starting a troop pullout this summer.

Talabani said Abizaid assured him that U.S. forces ``are ready to stay as long as we ask them, no matter what the period is.''

He said the U.S. commander also stressed that ``a strong national unity government made up of all blocs in parliament will help in stabilizing Iraq and bringing peace.''

---

UK, US to withdraw Iraq forces by early '07: papers [All troops out by Spring 2007]
Reuters ^ | March 4, 2006

Posted on 03/04/2006 3:32:33 PM PST by West Coast Conservative

The United States and Britain are planning to pull all their troops out of Iraq by the spring of 2007, two British newspapers reported in their Sunday editions, quoting unnamed senior defense ministry sources.

The Sunday Telegraph said the planned pull-out followed an acceptance by the two governments that the presence of foreign troops in Iraq was now a large obstacle to securing peace.

"The British government is understood to be the driving force behind the withdrawal plan but all 24 coalition members are likely to welcome the move, given the growing international unpopularity of the war," the Telegraph said.

There are currently about 135,000 U.S. soldiers and Marines and about 8,500 British troops in Iraq. The full U.S.-led coalition numbers around 160,000. Italy, which has the fourth largest contingent in Iraq, has said it plans to pull out this year.

Britain's Sunday Mirror newspaper also reported on the planned withdrawal saying it would happen within 12 months.

U.S. and Iraqi officials have said frequently in the past that foreign troops will be gradually withdrawn from Iraq once Iraqi security forces are capable of guaranteeing security for the 27 million population.

U.S. and British troops have trained around 230,000 Iraqis to take on roles in the police force and a slowly expanding Iraqi army, although both are currently incapable of securing the country on their own.

The U.S. military withdrew around 15,000 troops after Iraq had successful elections in December for its first full-term parliament since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003.

Tensions in Iraq have soared over the past two weeks as fighting between the country's main Muslim sects has intensified. There is also an on-going two-year-old insurgency being waged by militants against the U.S.-backed Iraqi government, its security forces and foreign troops.

The recent sectarian violence has provoked fears that the country is on the brink of civil war, a scenario that could greatly complicate the role of foreign troops.

However, the Telegraph, quoting a defense official, said that if civil war were to break out, it would likely cause the withdrawal plan to be put off.

---

Crisis Caused by Bombing Has Passed, General Says
American Forces Press Service ^ | Sgt. Sara Wood, USA

Posted on 03/03/2006 4:29:45 PM PST by SandRat

WASHINGTON, March 3, 2006 – While the threat of violence remains in Iraq, the main crisis caused by the Feb. 22 bombing of a Shiite mosque in Samarra has passed and the people have proven their determination to defeat terror, the commander of coalition forces in Iraq said today. "This is a difficult time, and there are fairly determined and ruthless terrorists that are out to halt Iraq's movement forward to a democratically elected, constitutionally based government," Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr., commander of Multinational Force Iraq, said in a news briefing from Iraq. "What I see here on the ground is great persistence by the Iraqis to deny them that."

The bombing came at a sensitive time in Iraq's political development, Casey said. In the first few days following the attack, officials received many exaggerated reports that took time to sort through. A final analysis shows that overall violence did not increase significantly due to the bombing, and the Iraqi security forces generally performed well in response, he said.

"We're quite pleased with what we saw both in the Iraqi army, some of the Iraqi police, and with the improved coordination that we've seen between the army and police," he said.

Iraqi security force leaders took initiative in securing key sites and containing demonstrations and violence following the bombing, Casey said. In places where there was militia activity, Iraqi security forces stepped in and prevented violence, he said. "This demonstrates a maturing capability to cooperate and operate effectively in providing domestic order, and we saw this in several places around the country," he said.

In all cases, Iraqi security forces planned and executed operations to quell violence, with coalition forces in a supporting role, Casey said.

After the bombing, the nature of violence around the country did shift to more attacks on mosques and civilians, Casey said. There were about 30 attacks on mosques and about 350 civilians have been killed since the bombing, he said.

There is still a strong terrorist threat in Iraq, but Iraqi officials are working to resolve sectarian tensions, Casey said. He said he does not think the security situation will get out of control as long as coalition forces continue working with Iraqi security forces and the Iraqi people remain committed to forming a democratic government.

"We are working with the Iraqi security forces to continue to prepare them to assume the lead in counterinsurgency operations, while we are pursuing counterinsurgency operations to bring the insurgency down to a level that these increasingly capable Iraqis can contain," he said.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1589653/posts

---

And how many of the MSM covered this??

Key Al Qaeda members among 61 detained
CENTCOMNEWS ^

Posted on 03/03/2006 4:54:49 PM PST by SandRat

BAGHDAD , Iraq – Coalition Forces conducted multiple raids Feb. 27. northeast of Fallujah to capture Al-Qaeda in Iraq facilitators involved in the logistical support of suicide bombers, foreign fighters and funding terrorist activities.

Based on intelligence and reporting, numerous safe houses were targeted by Coalition Forces.

Troops detained a total of 61 individuals who will be questioned regarding their knowledge of, or involvement in, terrorist activities.

There were a large number of weapons and ammunition found during the raids, and the caches were destroyed in place.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1589674/posts

---

[Iraq] Haweeja tribes declare war on Zarqawi
Al-Adala via IWPR (Iraqi Press Monitor) ^ | 2006 Mar 2

Posted on 03/04/2006 9:36:05 AM PST by Wiz

(Al-Adala) Tribal leaders in Haweeja, one of the most tense areas of Iraq, have launched a war against terrorist groups linked with al-Qaeda in Iraq, headed by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They issued a declaration on February 28 allowing the killing of anyone involved in sabotage operations such as murder, abduction, property destruction, targeting of security forces, and attacks on oil facilities.

(Excerpt) Read more at iwpr.net ...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1589973/posts

---

U.S. military denies withdrawal plan
www.alertnet.org ^ | 05 Mar 2006 10:55:45 GMT

Posted on 03/05/2006 6:15:48 AM PST by Esther Ruth

U.S. military denies withdrawal plan 05 Mar 2006 10:55:45 GMT

BAGHDAD, March 5 (Reuters) - The U.S. military in Iraq said on Sunday media reports that America and Britain planned to pull all troops out of Iraq by spring 2007 were "completely false," reiterating that there was no timetable for withdrawal.

Two British newspapers reported on Sunday that the pull-out plan followed an acceptance by the two governments that the presence of foreign troops in Iraq was now an obstacle to securing peace.

But a spokesman for the U.S. military in Iraq reiterated previous statements by U.S. and Iraqi officials that foreign troops would be gradually withdrawn from the country once Iraqi security forces were capable of guaranteeing security.

"This news report on a withdrawal of forces within a set timeframe is completely false," Lieutenant Colonel Barry Johnson said of the stories in Britain's Sunday Telegraph and Sunday Mirror, which quoted unnamed senior defence ministry sources.

"As we've said over and over again, any withdrawal will be linked to the ability of the Iraqi security forces to maintain domestic order on behalf of a representative Iraqi government that respects the rights of all its citizens. This is an ongoing assessment and not linked to any timeframe," he said.

(Excerpt) Read more at alertnet.org ...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1590314/posts

[Cboldt]

Something else is up and pushing this reaction from the Hill and I don't think it has anything to do with national security

I just can't pin point it though

I think it's nothing more than the everyday combination of groupthink and "can't ever admit mistake" entrenchment. Irrational, but very common behavior. In the case of pols, they are following the lead of what they hear from constituents, and the initial reaction FROM ALL QUARTERS was strongly biased against the sale.

[Morgan in Denver]

Good!!! Thanks. It's about time.

[Freee-dame]

That's what the official record shows.

Where can I go to see the official record? I would like to see an hour by hour time line.

[bray]

Well said snugs. This is just like when he was on vacation for a month. Why get into these emotional little hissy fits. Too bad the rest of DC didn't have their backbones!

Pray for W and Our Amazing Troops

[samantha]

Yes, I agree but the Negative Nasties in the Democrat party have been doing this for quite a while. I believe it may have started way back in the Reagan years, but since the Dumbs have been out of power for so long they are more and more crazy to get back their power,therefore they are becoming hysterical and cannot stop themselves from being so mean-spirited. For years the Dumbs called the Pubbies mean-spirited and hateful, and it was never true. Now the Dumbs are behaving way past mean- spirited, and it is time for the Wimpy Pubbies to start pointing it out. The Public gets it, they do not like this nasty,cut throat,confrontational style of Politics being waged and those that deal in it will pay an over-all price not with their base,but with the General Public. Americans are Gentle,Peaceful,kind People and abhor this nonsense, and that is why Hillary will never be President. The American People do not want a Shrew like Hillary or a Male Shrew like Howard Dean, they want to like their President, and they want him/her to be able to deal with People here in America and around the Globe in a decent respectful manner. Ronald Reagan embodied the Type of President that America loved. He was Strong,Decisive,and yet Respectful to all he had to deal with,and got things done. Reagan set that Template for others to follow, and the People wanted it then and they want it now. Leadership is not who can bitch,bellyache,criticize.scream,rant and rave the loudest, it is about doing the right thing with Decorum, even if you stick you neck out for others to try and cut off. GwB does that bravely, and he gets the job done.

[lawdude]

"On the morning of the storm I was listening to short wave reports from NO and there was a report of levee breach, not topping, about 9 am or so. I rushed to watched the tv and nothing was on, all day. I was stunned. There was that one report on short wave and then nothing on radio or anywhere. And the report was live from a sheriff's deputy interviewed in his car during the storm."

I did the same. In fact, the videos from helicopters showed water overtopping the levees but NO breach of levee structure. Too many similar but totally different terms used interchangeably. That is not good.

[Morgan in Denver]

Agreed and thanks. One of the best aspects of FR is knowing we're not alone in our reasoning, and find people who put things in perspectives we can use.

[Cboldt]

Do you think there is another take over of a US company/operation in the wind?

Airlines: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1581759/posts?page=82#82
Energy: Already a done deal, see Texaco, Chevron, etc. in both exploration and extraction. See Riady, Indonesia and Utah National Wilderness for coal.
Food, Clothing and Shelter: I've not investigated these industries in detail.

[chiller]

SOURCES, REPORTERS COULD BE PROSECUTED !!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/04/AR2006030400867.html

No registration required

[patj]

If you remember, Pukin told us some time back that some Republicans in Congress were involved in those "leaks".

[CedarDave]

Edwards and Kemp both are spouting the standard DNC/RINO line that we have to do more for the displaced, jobless, homeless, undereducated in New Orleans following Katrina. What about giving them the tools to do it themselves. Helping people is one think, helping them to help themselves is another.

Local TV news last night had a story about a black family who were evacuated to Albuquerque. The father now has a job at a hospital and the mother is now studying to be a nurse. They aren't looking to move back to NO.

[PrinceOfCups]

You are absolutely correct. November---in political time---is years away. So much can happen. Bush and Company have kept quiet while the Dems have jumped on mini-issues, trying to score points. Wait until a REAL issue emerges. I would put my money on a WOT event. Only the EFFECTIVENESS of the WOT has lulled the USA into a VERY false sense of security. Hey people, there are some dangerous BAD GUYS out here. This will be a long war.

[Charlotte Corday]

just because some people can't get over their personal issues with "a-rabs"

I will immediately get over my "personal issues" with any "a-rab" government which officially
(1) recognizes Israel's right to exist as a Jewish State and
(2) freely permits the preactice of all other religions within its borders.
That's all it takes. "A-rab" ethnicity has zip to do with it.

[OldFriend]

It is my understanding that Pace did an outstanding job of counterpoint to Timmy's DNC talking points.

[snugs]

Iraq could be a strategic location for a US base in the ME, epecially since we don't have troops in Saudi any longer.

Good point

[Cboldt]

Where can I go to see the official record? I would like to see an hour by hour time line.

The hour-by-hour timelines are summaries of official reports. E.g., the Moday 8:14 AM report from the NOLA branch of the NWS can be obtained from them, etc.

Construction of a timeline is gruntwork, and most timelines have an underlying theme. There are levee timelines, bus timelines, official reports timelines, Superdome timelines, Convention Center timelines, etc. I have no quick index to any of them - just general recollection of researching some of them myself.

[Txsleuth]

President Bush comes under fire, even here on FR, for not "fighting back" or getting out in front of a story...

BUT, I think, like you said, that the Republican Party in general, has a real problem with public relations....and a lack of a "fighting spirit".

[Miss Marple]

Seattle, that is an excellent idea. I am sick of the Republicans who act like the Scottish Lords who stabbed Wallace in the back.

If they think acting like this is going to win them support, they are woefully wrong.

[freema]

Very well stated, thank you.