Lugar says U.S. may need to delay Iraq handover

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N04347237.htm

WASHINGTON, April 4 (Reuters) - The Bush administration may have to consider extending its June 30 deadline for the transfer of sovereignty in Iraq or risk seeing the country lapse into civil war, the head of the U.S. Senate's foreign relations panel said on Sunday.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Lugar of Indiana and the panel's ranking Democrat, Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, said in separate interviews that more troops may be needed to stabilize the Arab country amid growing violence including Sunday's deadly gunbattle between Spanish soldiers and Shi'ite demonstrators.

The lawmakers also chastised the Bush administration for failing to produce a plan to deal with a newly sovereign Iraq, and touted a Biden proposal that would give NATO a major new security role and establish a U.N. commissioner for Iraq who would answer to the U.N. Security Council.

"We're going to end up with a civil war in Iraq, if in fact we decide we can turn this over -- including the bulk of the security -- to the Iraqis," Biden told "Fox News Sunday," saying an Iraqi force would not be ready to take over security duties for at least another three years.

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[louis-t]

1. Of course they won't transfer sovereignty....

Islamic clerics would surely take over, declare the new 'constitution' to be against the laws of Islam and a new Arab theocracy would emerge. Nice going shrub.

[KissMyAsscroft]

2. It's now the 51st state.

And a very expensive one at that.

But hey, at least we are getting cheap oil! (oops we arent...hmmm)

But hey, the Iraqis are better off!!!(oh..they aren't///hmmmm)

But hey, Iraq is no longer a threat to our nation!(oh wait...hundreds of dead soldiers and thousands of new terrorists..)

But hey, Israel is safer!!!(oh, thats right...there are thousands of new suicide bombers...)



Hmmm....looks like the invasion didn't accomplish anything.

[Cooley Hurd]

3. Hi Don

There's an existling LBN thread about this topic. Please continue the discussion here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x462853

Thanks! :hi: