47 Comments
Whatever we do in Iraq from here forward, we must strive to make better decisions than those made between 2003 and 2006. And one way to achieve that is by making certain that our civilian leaders are fully informed. All three candidates for President are extremely intelligent, but that doesn't mean that all three are tracking the truth on the ground in Iraq. Anyone who wants to be President of the United States needs to see Iraq without the distorting lenses of the media or partisan politics. I would be honored to visit Iraq with Senator Obama, Senator Clinton, Senator McCain or any of their Senate colleagues.
I hereby offer to accompany any Senator to Iraq, whether they are pro-or anti-war, Democrat or Republican. I will make this offer personally to a few select Senators as well. Our conversations during the visit would be on- or off-record, as they wish. Touring Iraq with me, as well as briefings by U.S. officers and meetings with Iraqis, would provide an accurate and nuanced account of the progress and challenges ahead, so that the Senators might have a highly informed perspective on this most critical issue. Our civilian leaders need to make decisions based on the best information available. The only way to learn what is really going on in Iraq is to go there and listen to our ground commanders, who know what they are doing. Generals Petraeus and Odierno have years of experience in Iraq, and vast knowledge of our efforts there. But the young soldiers who have done multiple tours in Iraq also have unique and invaluable perspectives as well. These young soldiers have personally witnessed the trajectory of the war shift dramatically, and can articulate those changes in concrete and specific terms. It doesn’t matter if a soldier is only twenty-something. If he or she spent two or three years in the war, that person is likely to have valuable insights. The best way to understand what is really going on is to listen closely to a wide range of service members who have done multiple tours in Iraq. Some will be negative, some will be positive, but overall I am certain that the vast majority of multi-tour Iraq veterans will testify that there has been great progress, and now there is hope. Combat veterans don’t tolerate happy talk or wishful thinking. They’ll tell you the raw truth as they see it.
Whether any Senators take advantage of my offer, I do hope that the presidential candidates visit Iraq, not just for a photo opportunity, but to spend time with our commanders and combat veterans, who know the truth and are not afraid to speak it.
because of prejudices and institutional thinking. Gen Petraeus somehow put it all together and sold it. i believe that President Bush and Secdef Rumsfeld were mislead by the army establishment and because they had been trained to defer to the military by Presidents Johnson and Nixon they swallowed the party line. even as Casey and Abizaid were leaving they were speaking ill of the "surge", not exactly playing for the team. McCain was correct to vote to not confirm Casey as Cheif of Staff.
of Ninevah Province which has it's capital in Mosul. Petraeus discovered that Mosul was home to a large number of retired Iraqi generals. He organized a regular Tuesday meeting with 40 of these generals to get Mosul up and running as quickly as possible all before Paul Bremer arrived in Iraq and fucked things up.
rd term. So be it. I just hope that the American people can figure out that political courage is more important a qualification than how well a guy fills out an empty suit, or how many women faint at a campaign rally. The fact that some who seek the highest office in the land, (Mr. Barack Hussein Obama) would seek that office with a policy that could reverse everything accomplished and sacrificed by our brave men and women based upon perceptions formed -4 years ago on their ONE close-minded visit, is abhorrent to me.
5. Huntress, pettyfog;
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