Posted on 01/09/2005 8:29:35 AM PST by 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."
Who'd have thought it? An actual conservative representing the state of North Carolina...as the WOST continues and troops are stationed for years in Iraq (and they will be according to the administration) I imagine there will be more Republicans start to lean this way. Especially after 2008 if a Democrat gets into the White House. We'll see Republicans in Congress flipping faster on this issue than even John Kerry could. Good to see Coble didn't wait until then.
I had a strong hunch that something like that had occurred, especially from your description of the groupthink transformation of his group. Too bad you didn't have a chance to get him a copy of Dick Morris' Fahrenhype 9/11 video which thoroughly refutes Moore's assertions. However, if he was so weakminded as to let one lousy movie completely reprogram him, you're better off without him.
One final observation. I understand your misgivings about the current situation in Iraq, but keep in mind that you are being lied to constantly by the MSM and also by far too many of our own elected "public servants". There are no guarantees in life, but the vast majority of Iraqis want us to stay and help them until they can take care of themselves, at which time they naturally and correctly want us to leave.
They understand clearly, however, that they need us right now. When the MSM reports polls showing the Iraqis "want us to leave" they deliberately and dishonestly leave out the qualifier "when they no longer need us". Remember this when you're watching media coverage.
Here's a good link to check out: www.voicesofiraq.com
Get the video (it's worth signing up for Netflix just to rent it if you don't want to but it). It will truly open your eyes.
I don't cast my pearls before "dudes" throwing nukes around.
Okay, one of yours questions, the one with the pre-emptive strike accusation is a dem talking point--- so anything you said after it loses any veracity.
Do you think Bush himself decided when to attack Fallujah?
What about Gen. Myers, Gen. Abizaid, the other military at Centcom and Qatar. If Bush is the one giving the order when to take on Fallujah, then maybe you have something, we are wasting a lot of time training officers because it is the PRESIDENT, not the officers that give orders to "grunts" (which, whether correct or not, is an odious term).
I guess Tommy Franks deserves no kudos for either the Afghanistan war or the Iraq war, for winning two wars so fast with so few casualties.
Now, if you are gonna blame Bush for losing every battle, are you gonna give him credit for the elections in Afghanistan that basically went off without a hitch? How about the smart move he made in not acknowledging Yasser Arafat---would there even be elections if we were still kissing PLO butt?
Oh, goody more good news on the terrorist front---
Fox News is reporting that the Tamil Tiger terrorist group has set up settlements and will be recieving American taxpayers funds to help them from the tsunami(right) disaster. So now, they will use those funds to kill us, maybe starting with the Marines helping the victims.
So, do we also pull our troops from the SE Asia tsunami area? I mean it could get dangerous!!!
bttt
Who decided WHEN to attack Fallujah, a couple of officers after a poker game? The Pentagon/White House make ALL strategic decisions!
Our military did just fine while it was soldier vs soldier. Soldier against surreptitiously planted bombs is a whole 'nother dirty ballgame.
Glad you liked it!
BTW, I'm a Tarheel by birth, but I'm a Texan by choice! I wasn't born in Texas, but I got there as quick as I could! One day I plan to return, hopefully to somewhere in the hill country. Save some Bluebell ice cream for me!
I will save you some Bluebell---
Just don't move to Austin----liberal pardise....
Round Rock is close, Nolan Ryan has a minor league baseball stadium and club there. But off the freeway, back by the river is the prettiest.
And, this is definitely a RED state.
Subject: Your statements with respect to a possible pullout from Iraq are unwise and untimely.
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2005 15:01:42 -0500
To: howard.coble@mail.house.gov
I would expect such ill-advised commentary from the Democrats.
Don't you realize that the Iraqis are taking casualties at a rate that is 25 times higher than that of coalition forces?
And how can it be, with your automatically granted TOP SECRET clearance, that you are unaware of all the positive developments that are not reported in the mainstream media here?
Go to Arthur Chrenkoff's weblog if your intelligence briefings are overwhelmingly negative. Sometimes I wonder if there is a faction within the CIA that is acting in concert with cadres from Foggy Bottom to overplay any negative developments and dismiss any positive ones.
The periods immediately preceding and subsequent to the elections scheduled for 30-JAN-2004 will undoubtedly be increasingly violent, as the terrorists are becoming more desparate as they see their window of opportunity closing.
More and more Iraqis have "had enough", and, as a result, the amount of intel that's being received is on the upswing.
This is resulting in additional setbacks for the enemies of freedom which are also going unreported.
And while we hear about every instance when a police station is overrun, we hear NOTHING about the times when the IP and ING held their own and successfully fended off the attacks.
If every traffic accident that occurred in the US was covered on the nightly news, it would create the general perception that automobiles should be banned.
Sincerely,
I keep that image on my home page both to honor those who gave their lives to a higher cause and to remind me of where we've been and where we're going. If our fine military people were sacrificed for naught, then that's all the more reason to keep their memory in mind. The American people have chosen not to hold anyone accountable for this debacle so there's not much I can do about that. Most freepers still admire and support Don Rumsfeld despite the absolute, unlimited incompetence that he's demonstrated. What can I say that might change that? Nothing.
Which leads me to my next question ... what the hell for???
I support our military and I support America even though I didn't advocate this stupid war and never would've chosen it under the circumstances that we were faced with or conducted it in the manner that was initially designed. The only way to snatch victory from the jaws of abject failure is to win the war as it is today: which means leaving behind a secure, benign, stable, rebuilt Iraq. That's the only option that doesn't weaken America's national security or repudiate the lives given and money spent. It doesn't have to be some splendid exemplar of progress and freedom, just a coherent, improving, responsible nation-state. That's just the way it has to be now and I'm not remotely prepared to declare failure and move on.
Maybe this war is destined for inevitable failure, but if so that should not be for failing to even try. We are not out of options, and so we must persevere. That's my view of it. Que sera, sera!
The NYT says Iraqi national guardsmen and police fought off an attack by insurgents, the third time that's happened recently. The paper doesn't cite a source. The Post does, explaining the tip came via a military press release, which said, "The successful defense of the Rasheed station, the third in recent weeks, represents an important psychological victory for the local Iraqi security forces."
We here were left with the impression that the officers in the field wanted to do it months earlier.
2) Where have I mentioned Afghanistan?
I hope you're watching C-Span right now.
I'm sure the timing of our pull out is discussed frequently.
From the looney left.
So you are saying you would be perfectly happy for Saddam to still be in power as long as oil was flowing? Is that REALLY what you are saying?
I gladly part ways with you on that.
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