INTERVIEW-Iraq says al Qaeda exploiting U.S. disunity over war

Alert Net ^ | April 29 2007 | By Ross Colvin and Dean Yates

[april15Bendovr]

INTERVIEW-Iraq says al Qaeda exploiting U.S. disunity over war

By Ross Colvin and Dean Yates

BAGHDAD, April 29 (Reuters) - The political battle in Washington over a Democratic plan to pull U.S. troops from Iraq is being exploited by al Qaeda, which has stepped up attacks to hasten a withdrawal, Iraq's foreign minister said on Sunday.

Hoshiyar Zebari said Iraq had become "entangled" in domestic politics in the United States, where there is growing impatience for progress in reconciling the country's warring sects.

U.S. President George W. Bush has vowed to veto a war spending bill that requires combat troops to begin withdrawing by Oct. 1. Congress, which is controlled by the Democrats, plans to send the bill to Bush on Tuesday.

"This plays out very badly here," Zebari said in an interview with Reuters, making the first substantive government comment on the political tussle.

"It shows the administration is not united. And everybody watches this development, al Qaeda, the anti-democratic forces who are fighting us."

He pointed to an increase in car bomb attacks blamed on al Qaeda that have caused the civilian death toll to stay high despite a major 10-week-old operation by U.S. and Iraqi troops in Baghdad, the epicentre of the violence.

"This recent escalation you have seen was expected, just to show the Baghdad security plan is not working. If this plan were to fail, then the next step is for the multinational forces to withdraw. That is their simple strategy," Zebari said.

BENCHMARKS

Bush's Republican administration, facing presidential elections in 2008 and mounting public pressure to show progress in the unpopular war, has set Iraq's government political benchmarks that it wants to see progress on by September.

It wants parliament to delay a two-month summer recess due to start in July to pass laws on sharing Iraq's oil wealth, easing a ban on former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath party holding office, and paving the way for provincial elections.

U.S. officials believe these measures will be crucial to bringing minority Sunni Arabs, the backbone of an insurgency, more firmly into the political process and isolating al Qaeda.

"Iraq is entangled now with electoral agendas in other countries, so demands have been made, benchmarks have been set. These pressures adversely affect developments here. Our enemies really exploit those differences," Zebari said.

He said the government had set up a high-level commission to drive the political process forward and make "concrete and not theatrical moves".

"We are mindful of the timetable ... We need to accelerate parliamentary work on these issues," he said, adding that he hoped parliament would make progress on the laws by September.

But he said the laws would have a big impact on the future of Iraq and it was only right that parliament should have time to debate them fully.

"We need to be patient here in Iraq. If you look back over the past four years ... there have been unbelievable changes. For these changes to take root you need to be patient."

"The problem is patience is in short supply in Washington and Europe. They are looking for quick fixes, immediate results. There are no quick fixes." (Additional reporting by Mussab Al-Khairalla)

[bcsco]

No s—t, Sherlock!

[DTogo]

Zebari’s got more common sense than the entire DNC.

[rlmorel]

The only people who don’t understand this are Democrats and their liberal constituents.

Oh, wait. They DO understand it all to well. They just think this is Vietnam, and that forcing us to withdraw is another way to relive their glory days.

Thing is...the American left was a tool of the communists during Vietnam, and they freely admit it.

The American Left is now a tool of the terrorists. The terrorists all smile and know it as well. The only ones who don’t REALLY get that they are the “Useful Idiots” are the Liberals.

[EGPWS]

Iraq says al Qaeda exploiting U.S. disunity over war

Those in Iraq have more common sense and higher I.Q.'s than those in office here in the U.S.A. who are sanctioned by the DNC.

No reason to think those in Iraq are Einsteins for it doesn't take much to overwhelm the intellect of those who support the DNC.

[EGPWS]

Thing is...the American left was a tool of the communists during Vietnam, and they freely admit it.

The "left", makers of true leaders... /s

[april15Bendovr]

Al Qaeda and Democrats seem to want the same outcome.

[april15Bendovr]

Al Qaeda and Democrats seem to want the same outcome.

[Eyes Unclouded]

A loss in Iraq for this republic ensures power and riches to both of them. It’s only natural that they want that.

[EGPWS]

Zebari’s got more common sense than the entire DNC.

My Husky has more common sense than the entire DNC.

Of course he had a good upbringing. ; )

[SandRat]

Lord Haw-Haw Harry Reid and his ilk are too dumb to understand this. TRY THE LOT OF THEM FOR TREASON!

[EGPWS]

Al Qaeda and Democrats seem to want the same outcome.

Yes they do, however for two totally different reasons.

Al Qaeda has conviction...

[bray]

The fool thinks the Democrats care about the Iraqi people. How naive! They care about their craven hunger for power and nothing more.

Pray for W and Our Troops

[april15Bendovr]

Your right

“Al Qaeda has conviction...” Democrats don’t

It reminded me of a 12 step recovery quote

“After you talk in a meeting, listen to hear if you said anything.”

For Democrats the new quote would be

“After you talk in public, listen to hear if you said anything.”

[GeorgiaDawg32]

For Democrats the new quote would be

“After you talk in public, listen to hear if you said anything.”

never happen. dems are great at saying a lot of words with no substance. however, once they say something that people can jump on, they insist that what they said isn’t what they said and it’s been taken out of context, then other dems jump in and misquote the original quote to put a different picture on the actual quote that was misquoted to explain what was really meant..thereby deflecting all criticism to the people that quoted the quote before it was misquoted and calling it a “swiftboat” quote..got that?

[april15Bendovr]

Republicans when they are quoted have to stand on facts.

When Democrats are quoted they have the mainstream media standing over them like helicopter parents to the rescue.

[bnelson44]

YOUR ACTION REQUESTED BY SOME TROOPS IN IRAQ: Please spread the word about an appeal for redress that people in the military can sign to show support for the mission. They are having problems getting the word out:

www.appealforcourage.org

If you haven't seen this yet: A campaign by active-duty troops asking Congress to drop plans for a withdrawal from Iraq. Lt. Jason Nichols, a 33-year-old naval projects officer who has been in Baghdad since mid-January, said the goal is to keep lawmakers focused on letting the military finish its mission in Iraq, and not prematurely declare failure

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7392499685041821301&hl=en

Petitions for civilians:
http://www.townhall.com/ref/surrender
http://www.gopetition.com/online/11574.html

[april15Bendovr]

Signed sealed and delivered.

I will forward the appeal by email to all my friends.

Has this been posted under activism yet?

[SoCal Pubbie]

I watched the movie Bobby last night. It was a very good film, well made and acted. It struck me as sad, though, how stuck in the sixties the filmmakers are, and by extension nearly all the political left in this country.

[SomeSay]

It is fully my opinion that at least half of the US casualties sustained in Iraq over the last two years are due to the traitorous words and actions of Congressional Democrats.

If we had had a unified Congress against the WoT, the status in Iraq, if not also Afghanistan, would be significantly better.