Kerry: The Escalation Didn't Work

[ProSense]

The Escalation Didn't Work

by John Kerry
Wed Sep 05, 2007 at 09:19:03 AM PDT

The escalation failed to do the one and only thing it was supposed to do. The entire Iraq policy of George W. Bush has failed since the fall of Saddam Hussein’s statue in Baghdad. No amount of parsing or spinning can change those simple facts: the escalation is and was the wrong answer.

I chaired a hearing on the GAO Report yesterday, the report that stated that Iraqi civilians overall aren’t any safer, that the political benchmarks aren’t being met in Iraq, that, in short, none of the rationales for the escalation in Iraq have come to pass. It unfolds with maddening, enraging regularity: the Administration claims goals for their policy, they gradually back off of those goals and substitute smaller, less easily measured goals, and then muddy the waters hopelessly on whether even those modest new goals have been met. Time and again we’ve been through this.

<...>

Judgment time is here, and the only verdict is the same one we had in January, the same one we've had for a long time in Iraq: the Bush policy is a tragic failure. It's a policy that not only isn't working; it can't work. A political solution in Iraq cannot come about without a clear deadline on where our troops will be pulling out. Only Iraqis can end this civil war, and they aren't - and won't be - making any progress with an open-ended, massive presence by our military in their country.

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On edit: The post has been updated

[groovedaddy]

1. No shit! Now, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

It's time!

[ProSense]

2. After a month of listening to Bush spin with the media's help, it's about time for some truth. Now

where the hell are the rest of the Dems?

[cali]

6. Well, Senator Leahy is ahead of Kerry

He says the only way to end the war is to defund it, and he, Sanders and Welch are all adamently opposed to the 50 bil supplemental.

[ProSense]

7. They voted on it remember.

Kerry is a co-sponsor:

To safely redeploy United States troops from Iraq. (Introduced in Senate)

S 1077 IS

110th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 1077

To safely redeploy United States troops from Iraq.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

April 10, 2007

Mr. FEINGOLD (for himself, Mr. REID, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. DODD, Mr. KERRY, Mrs. BOXER, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. HARKIN, and Mr. SANDERS) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

Rule

A BILL

To safely redeploy United States troops from Iraq.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

(a) Transition of Mission- The President shall promptly transition the mission of United States forces in Iraq to the limited purposes set forth in subsection (d).

(b) Commencement of Safe, Phased Redeployment From Iraq- The President shall commence the safe, phased redeployment of United States forces from Iraq that are not essential to the limited purposes set forth in subsection (d). Such redeployment shall begin not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.

(c) Prohibition on Use of Funds- No funds appropriated or otherwise made available under any provision of law may be obligated or expended to continue the deployment in Iraq of members of the United States Armed Forces after March 31, 2008.

(d) Exception for Limited Purposes- The prohibition under subsection (c) shall not apply to the obligation or expenditure of funds for the limited purposes as follows:

(1) To conduct targeted operations, limited in duration and scope, against members of al Qaeda and other international terrorist organizations.

(2) To provide security for United States infrastructure and personnel.

(3) To train and equip Iraqi security services.

[TayTay]

11. Sen Kerry was one of only 11 Democrats to vote AGAINST

the supplemental funding bill on May 24th of this year.

He was also an original co-sponsor of Reid/Feingold which had a clause in it cutting off funding by March of 2008 for the war. This amendment went down to defeat by a 29-66 vote.

[aquart]

3. Thank God, he didn't call it a "surge."

[ProSense]

4. Also

posted at HuffPo.

[BlueIris]

5. Proud to be the 5th rec. Get thee to the Greatest Page!

[ProSense]

8. Kick! n/t

[hibiscus]

9. K & R n/t

[politicasista]

10. K&R

:kick: