Coble suggests pullout in Iraq [R-NC-6, "It ought to be placed on the table for consideration."]

News-Record [Greensboro, NC] ^ | Jan 9, 2005 | Stan Swofford

[Mike Fieschko]

U.S. Rep. Howard Coble, dean of the state's congressional delegation and an avowedly strong supporter of President Bush, says it's time for the United States to consider withdrawing from war-ravaged Iraq.

Coble, a Republican from Greensboro, is one of the first members of Congress -- Republican or Democrat -- to say publicly that the United States should consider a pullout.

The 10-term congressman, head of the House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security, said he is "fed up with picking up the newspaper and reading that we've lost another five or 10 of our young men and women in Iraq."

Coble said he has noticed a shift among his constituents in the 6th Congressional District regarding their feelings about the war. Letters, phone calls and messages that had been overwhelmingly supportive of the war are now about even, his office said.

Coble, however, said most of his constituents still strongly support America's involvement in the war, as he does, and believe the United States invaded Iraq for the right reasons.

Nevertheless, Coble said a troop withdrawal should be an option if the Iraqi government is unable or unwilling to "shoulder more of the heavy lifting" for its own security.

There has been little or no indication that the Iraqi government can do that, he said.

"What we have are Iraqis killing Iraqis and American troops," Coble said. "All I'm saying is that a troop withdrawal ought to be an option. It ought to be placed on the table for consideration."

Coble said he is seriously considering raising the issue of a troop withdrawal with his subcommittee, although he acknowledged the panel might not be the forum for it.

"I'm going to keep talking about this," he said.

Coble said he is aware that few members of Congress have said openly that the country should consider withdrawing from Iraq.

Republican Rep. James A. Leach of Iowa may be the only other GOP congressman to call for a pullout, he said. Leach said on the House floor more than a year ago that the United States should complete a withdrawal that would be complete by the end of 2004.

Although many Democratic congressman have sharply criticized the Bush administration's decision to invade Iraq, as well as its conduct of the war, most say the United States must now stay until the Iraqi government is strong enough to defend itself.

Only Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, who ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic presidential nomination, called for a U.S. troop withdrawal to be accomplished in 90 days.

Coble said he arrived at his position only after many months of searching in vain for evidence that the Bush administration had a post-invasion strategy to deal with the transition to Iraqi self-government. Insurgent violence against Iraqi security forces and Americans has increased as the Jan. 30 date for the country's national elections draws closer.

Coble, one of the most popular Republicans in North Carolina, has represented the 6th Congressional District, which touches counties from Alamance to Rowan, since 1984. He was interviewed last week not long after he learned that Iraqi insurgents had assassinated the governor of Baghdad and that five more Americans had been killed in combat.

Their deaths, and the deaths of other U.S. soldiers in Iraq, occurred a little more than a week after 18 Americans were killed and dozens were wounded when a suicide bomber blew himself up in a crowded mess tent near Mosul in one of the deadliest attacks against Americans since the beginning of the war.

They were among the more than 1,200 Americans killed since U.S. forces first occupied Baghdad in May 2003, when Bush declared the end of major combat operations in Iraq. The number includes at least 886 killed since U.S. forces captured former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein on Dec. 13, 2003. According to figures compiled by Coble's office, 31 military men and women from North Carolina had died in Iraq as of Dec. 11, and 279 had been wounded.

Coble was part of the overwhelming majority of the members of Congress who voted Oct. 12, 2002, to approve a war-powers resolution allowing Bush to attack Iraq if he decided it was necessary. Coble said he thought then that Bush was correct in attacking Iraq, and that he still believes it was the right decision.

"We've done a lot of good over there," Coble said, "and you don't read much about that in the mainstream media."

Mainly, the United States captured Saddam, "the international terrorist, the tyrant, the snake," he said.

But Coble voted to grant Bush the sweeping war-making powers believing that the administration had a "post-invasion strategy." Apparently, there was none, he said.

"If there was, I wish someone would tell me what it is or show it to me," he said. "I'd like to see it."

Coble said that if he had known there was no post-invasion strategy at the time of the vote on the war-powers resolution he would have "insisted that we keep our powder dry while we do some probing and planning."

Coble said he simply assumed that the administration had a post-invasion plan.

"There was never any question that we could whip their butt," he said. "The question was what were we going to do after that.

"Obviously, somebody was asleep at the planning table."

Coble noted last week that he was outspoken in his criticism of the Bush administration's post-invasion plan, or the lack of one, during his re-election campaign.

Coble, a former Coast Guard officer who saw duty in hostile waters during the Korean War, is known as an astute politician quick to respond to the moods and needs of his constituents.

He said he began to detect a shift among people in his district about the war as early as March. Mail that had expressed overwhelming support for the war was then running only slightly in favor. Coble's office said last week that the 700 letters, calls and messages about the war received this year have been split almost evenly for and against it.

Coble said he believes most people in his district feel as he does about the war in Iraq.

"They believe we were right to go there, and they strongly support our troops," he said, "but they are getting increasingly tired of our young men and women getting killed every day.

"We got rid of Saddam the snake. Now it's time to let the Iraqis take care of the snake pit."

[Txsleuth]

Did you ever stop to think that the reason some of the Iraqi aren't fighting right now, is because they don't trust the Americans to stay the course.

If they are seen fighting beside the Americans or even cooperating with them, and they leave like you want them to do, every one of the men, women and children that even smiled at a US soldier will be murdered.

They have a right to be skeptical because of the rhetoric like yours coming from so many of our loudest politicians, that they can't trust us yet, therefore, they will wait and see. I don't blame them.

Did you see how Kerry is over there this week bad-mouthing the Commander-in-Chief? If you were an Iraqi, would you want to be seen cooperating with US and fighting other Iraqis?

[kempo]

Looks like the MSM has caught Coble in a compromising position and they are going to use him for their own agenda. Must be some good pictures.

[F.J. Mitchell]

BUMP!

[Boot Hill]

Rep. Howard Coble says:   “It ought to be placed on the table for consideration.”

Never! President Bush is commander-in-Chief, not Congress. Congress has no say in how the war is prosecuted. Coble should take his defeatism and shove it where the sun don't shine.

--Boot Hill

[goosie]

Coble's job is definitely not in danger. He has been unopposed for many years until November and he cleaned his opponent's clock (my husband's attorney and best friend).

Coble has always been a steady as a rock conservative and I would love to hear more to try to understand what he is thinking.

[Txsleuth]

Okay---I know that you don't want to just leave, but in my opinion, your option would be just as bad, because dropping bombs on cities filled with Iraqi citizens that WANT us to succeed, they are just afraid, would not help us in the long run.

Bush wants to establish some sort of a democracy, so that the people (not the terrorists) can see how much control they could have. In turn, they will take over the defense of their cities, towns and country.

Also, he is hoping that this will influence the Palestinians the Syrians and the Iranians that have the desire but too much fear to stand up against their tyrants and terrorist regimes.

But, destroying everything in Iraq would not help that course at all.

[xm177e2]

How can anyone talk about pulling out before the elections are held--they're less than a month away! Let's see how they go down before we decide what to do next.

[Txsleuth]

The thing that confuses me the most about this is that he is calling for the troops to be pulled BEFORE the elections at the end of this month---

What is the hurry? I don't expect the elections to make things any safer right away and I'm sure Bush doesn't either. In fact, it might get worse because Zarquawi will be even madder, but it puts us one step closer to NOT be seen as occupiers which I get the impression is one of the worst things you can be called over there. My goodness, just today the Palestinian people are still talking about the "occupation of Palestine" by the Israelis.

History means nothing to these people---their view of the world is 180 degrees different than we think about these things and it's like hitting head against walls to try to convince them of anything else.

[TaxRelief]

Coble's office said last week that the 700 letters, calls and messages about the war received this year have been split almost evenly for and against it.

Please tell us that Coble is not falling for the silly letter-writing campaigns of the leftists. If he is, we need to start writing...

[loboinok]

How can anyone be for the wrong decision?


It is just continuing the Vietnam Era mindset.

Example = A poster on here sides with the moron, in withdrawing from Iraq because her boyfriend came back from Iraq liking John Kerry. To he!! with what is good for our Nation as-a-whole, its all about me.
When this war started, a majority of the country was for it and those who weren't were certainly not vocal about it. Those who were, suffered consequences. Then they started to slowly and softly test the waters. It will only get worse.
Many people really do believe only what they are taught to believe. Lies, halftruths, misrepresentations, propaganda.
( thats what I like about FreeRepublic...easier to find the truth here.)

[iconoclast]

But our Forefathers stood their ground . . . during far more defeats than victories . . . overcoming overwhelming odds . . . when anyone with an IQ above 10 KNEW we would lose.

With all due respect gd, I think you're Viet Nam experience is warping your thinking.

In ALL of the instances you cite, our forefathers are "standing their ground" on their own ground, not in some pissant, God forsaken country that some "suits" (usually empty) have decided to send them off to.

Your generation didn't fail! They suffered from failed leadership, and this generation is too.

[iconoclast]

Respectfully, leave the sarcasm off an answer my question.

[MikefromOhio]

I will put /sarcasm wherever I feel it is necessary.

[oldbrowser]

if the Iraqi government is unable or unwilling to "shoulder more of the heavy lifting" for its own security. There has been little or no indication that the Iraqi government can do that, he said.

I think he is just trying to get a message across to the Iraqi people that nobody can hand you freedom, you have to fight for it. If they would get up and fight this thing could be over in 30 days. We are taking a lot of casualties in the meantime and we are getting a little frustrated.

[iconoclast]

Whenever Iraqi government forces are capable of providing security and stability on their own.

Apparently you are prepared to paint a good many flag draped coffins on your home page for years, and years, and years.

Which leads me to my next question ... what the hell for???

[loboinok]

Or did he see a nation of cowardly, untrustworthy, scheming Koranics whom he didn't care to die for?


Well if he saw that,it is beside the point.
I am sure he started out stateside with a belief or at least an understanding that he would fight for his country, family, freedom and way of life.
I also am sure he was made aware of the facts of duty and obligation BEFORE he signed on the dotted line and swore or affirmed the OATH. I'm also sure he realized that if the President of the United States was to commit troops to a military action, he would not be coming to the base to ask him for his opinion on whether or not we should be going to war.

[iconoclast]

Experience tells me that Coble is full of crap. But I have only spent a year in Iraq, so I probably dont know anything. /sarcasm off

May God protect you and your brothers. I pray for the day when you can return and spend some time reading the world history for guerrilla wars so you won't wind up with the kind of heart-rending guilt complex that geedee suffers from.