Ambassador Crocker: "Baghdad's Never Looked So Good"

Highlighted Excerpts

On why he's eager to return to Iraq after his Congressional testimony

CROCKER: It's all part of American democracy, but Baghdad's never looked so good.

On American presence in Iraq

CROCKER: An end state that is - of a country that is stable, secure and democratic is probably years in the making. Now, that does not by any means imply that we're going to have to have significant numbers of troops on the ground to sustain security while we work through these things but this is a long term project.

On displacements and ethnic conflict

CROCKER: Well, that's right. The displacements are about equally divided between those who fled the country entirely and those who are displaced within Iraq and it is a fact that even with the surge that there are some displacements still ongoing.

BLITZER: Is that one of the reasons that there's been a reduction in violence, because in effect, in Sunni neighborhoods there are no Shia and in Shia neighborhoods there are no Sunnis?

CROCKER: Well, certainly, when, in a place like Sadr City, which is for example almost exclusively Shia, you see relatively little violence but that doesn't explain the general reduction in violence. That's attributable to the surge.

On meeting with Iranian leaders

BLITZER: Did it lead to any positive change as a result of those meetings?

CROCKER: So far we have really seen no change on the ground.

BLITZER: So the Iranians are still doing what they were doing?

CROCKER: That is certainly how it looks to us, yes.

On planning for Ramadan

CROCKER: Clearly Iraqis are aware of the pattern in Ramadan, as are we.

And a number of precautions have been taken to try to be ready for any

effort to increase the level of violence or insecurity. We'll have to

see what happens.

BLITZER: But you're stepping up your security precautions?

CROCKER: Yes we are.

Comments

[patanderson]

02:15 PM on 09/13/2007

Well, this is great news. Baghdad looks good.

So Ambassador Crocker, we can look forward to the "dog and pony shows" with our elected officials ending and instead will see them walking freely around, sans armor and armored guards, mingling with the Iraqis. Shopping at their stores, going into their homes for a drink of tea, maybe spending the night outside the green zone?

What's that sir? What do you mean "when pigs fly"?

[delphi]

02:06 PM on 09/13/2007

With eyes as vacant as his, it's easy to say "Baghdad has never looked so good."

What a crock, Crocker!

[gardengoddess]

01:59 PM on 09/13/2007

ammobob is just suffering from SLWM Syndrome. He quivers under the covers and pees his pants if someone at FUX News says the word "terrorism". He just wants "daddy" to take care of things for him: "Please daddy, win the war game for me. Don't lose, my ego can't take it. I don't care how many people get killed. I don't care if they're starving over there. Hell, I don't care about the people starving here. I don't care if our soldiers have to drink contaminated water and eat MREs with maggot in them. I don't care if they get maimed and come home with brain damage. I don't care if children are being blown to pieces every day. Just win. Win! Win! Win!"

[Ammobob]

03:21 PM on 09/13/2007

Now, now. Gardenhoe. You'll make me cry. I'll give you 20 minutes to stop. Continue RANTING now.

[innerpeace]

01:45 PM on 09/13/2007

ammobob-Democrats who fund the war are Defeatocrats?So,politicians who fund the war are in favor of defeat and those who don't fund the the war are in favor of victory, according to your logic.

[Ammobob]

03:19 PM on 09/13/2007

No, Democrats who fund the war COULD be Defeatocrats. Not all Democrats are Defeatocrats and not all Defeatocrats are Democrats. Walter Jones here is a Republican Defeatocrat.

[innerpeace]

03:24 PM on 09/13/2007

ammobob-Fact is that you're supposed to post defeatocrat even though you contradict yourself when you do it.

[MAC2]

01:37 PM on 09/13/2007

You know it don't take a lot to bull shit us after all this country did vote for the biggest (little) fucking idiot of this and last century. Why would you not think that a couple of used car lot salesman like these two idiots (Betrayus and Cocker) would be any different. Look who picked them, idiot number one (little Bushman)

After all the party of the wide stance is off fighting there bathroom guilty pleas and fighting daily news releases about buying sex. They don't have time to spend on Bushmans war other than to say hey it be good.

[GiveMeStrength]

01:10 PM on 09/13/2007

As compared to what? Berlin in May, 1945

[nippersdad]

12:15 PM on 09/13/2007

(I know that this will have been done a thousand times already, but:) Somebody needs to ask Ambassador Crock full of Betrayus, was it just like a market town in Indiana?

[cognitorex]

11:58 AM on 09/13/2007

U.S. National Interest in Iraq left Undefended?.
We and the Brits have left the oil rich part of Iraq and its vital international port for shipments, i.e. the most important part of Iraq, to Iranian influenced warring bands of Shiites.
Elsewhere our troops are attacked one hundred and seventy five times a day.
(177.8 attacks a day on troops Reuters 7.20.07)

What in the holy christ are we exactly doing there? Defending the contractors in non National Interest territory???

If we're staying in Iraq in such force to defend the Emerald Palace when we've already lost control over most areas of strategic interest, that's like defending your ego when you're in quicksand. Or like getting a boob job with the last of your cash when the Doc says you've got cancer. --cognitorex blogspot --

[desertdweller]

11:38 AM on 09/13/2007

Two words: "green zone"

[Nuzzy]

11:37 AM on 09/13/2007

Of course it looks good to Crocker. There is no effective, central government to assert and enforce Iraqi sovereignty over Iraqi oil.

Kinda gives a whole new perspective about the military calling up reserves [as in "petroleum reserves"], doesn't it?

[susang]

11:04 AM on 09/13/2007

Baghdad and all of Iraq looks good to the GOP--it's their money tree.

[ShamanOmaha]

10:48 AM on 09/13/2007

Baghdad Does Look Good to the Corporatocracy

Big Oil, a key player in the Corporatocracy that operates America for its own benefit, purposefully destroyed Iraq in order to seize its oil. The seizure was spun as "bringing democracy to Iraq." When Iraq's territory has been secured, U.S. military forces will be brought home, leaving Big Oil's private armies to maintain the territory and protect the refineries.

The U.S. military destroyed Iraq's infrastructure, killed a million Iraqis, and chased 4 million from the country. Then Bechtel and others constructed several large fortresses on top of the Iraq oil sands.

The U.S. troops will eventually be reduced, and the private military contractors will take over the fortresses, using them as bases from which to enforce the Corporatocracy's plunder of the Iraqi oil.

Bush and Petraeus know that the foundation for this plan will only be complete in the spring of 2008. After that, some U.S. troops will return, but the private armies will remain.

The private armies serve Big Oil. No politician is even considering forcing Big Oil to bring its hired guns home.

[hootie1fan]

10:18 AM on 09/13/2007

Ambassador Crocker: "Baghdad Has Never Looked So Good"

-----------------------------------

How can he see anything when Baghdad is getting only 1 to 2.5 hours of electricity a day? Or is this like the whole if they get shot in the front of the head it doesn't count as sectarian violence thing. If it doesn't happen when the lights are on and you can't see it, it can't really be that bad.

[gakabani]

10:05 AM on 09/13/2007

We americans are so stupid. Yes, let us believe everything these criminals are saying.

Please, Baghdad looking good? I have a friend that contacts me every day from Baghdad using Skype. He tells me that the army is building ghettos. Such tactic is similar to that in Palestine by Israel. A ghetto here and a ghetto there will make everybody go away. Where, outside Baghdad, outside Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Iran.

Bush wants to clean up Iraq from its population to control it as a territory not as a nation. Welcome to the new fashion for ethnic cleansing 'a la americana'.

Oil is the issue.

[LorettaSingbiel]

09:49 AM on 09/13/2007

"But...But...But...SADDAM murdered & maimed Muslims TOO!", proclaim our PRO-war "patriots"...

WHAT is "VICTORY"? ... HANGING Saddam?

Saddam will seem like a SAINT, compared to his SUCCESSOR, compared to OUR TROOPS (who NOW fight WITH Saddam's LOYALISTS), and compared to AMERICA (compliments of GENOCIDE GEORGE)!!!

"But...But...But...They hate us for our FREEDOM!", proclaim our PRO-war "patriots"...

WHAT is "FREEDOM"? ... FREEDOM from our unchecked & UNBALANCED President, who's HELL-BENT on DESTROYING our country and the WORLD?

"GIVE ME LIBERTY, OR GIVE ME DEATH"? We don't have "LIBERTY" (freedom from unjust or undue governmental control)...so MUST "I REGRET THAT I HAVE BUT ONE LIFE TO GIVE TO MY COUNTRY"???

SEE YOU ALL IN HELL!!!

Stay safe, healthy and happy,
Love, Loretta