Joe Biden: The Surge Is A Failure

WASHINGTON — A leading Democrat on Saturday declared last year's troop buildup in Iraq a failure. Sen. Joe Biden, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the military push didn't succeed because U.S. troops remain committed there in large numbers and political reconciliation has not been achieved. "The purpose of the surge was to bring violence in Iraq down so that its leaders could come together politically," said Biden, D-Del., in this week's Democratic radio address. "Violence has come down, but the Iraqis have not come together." He later added, "There is little evidence the Iraqis will settle their differences peacefully any time soon." Biden offered an early rebuttal to next week's testimony by Gen. David Petraeus, the top military commander in Iraq, and Ryan Crocker, the U.S. ambassador there. Petraeus and Crocker are expected to say the recent buildup in troops has succeeded in improving security. But they also likely will say that a period of assessment is needed this summer before officials can decide whether troop withdrawals can continue. Democrats have called this approach unacceptable and said they would pursue an alternative policy through legislation. They said their focus will be on restoring the strength of the Army and Marines and refocusing the nation's resources on fighting terrorists in Afghanistan. "I believe the president has no strategy for success in Iraq," Biden said. "His plan is to muddle through, and hand the problem off to his successor." Republicans say they are satisfied with the recent drop in violence and that more time is needed to improve the situation there.

Comments

[IntelligentDesign]

The surge was never meant to be anything other than a smoke and mirrors diversion to buy time for the Criminal in Chief to rake in additional obscene profits before the getting gets got, as well as to avoid having to make any actual decisions regarding Iraq debacle - it's called leadership by duping some of the people all of the time.

[scandals&skeletons]

Biden tells Dick the chickenhawk 5 deferrment Cheney the surge aint a workin.

his reply

so?

[richsmith]

All that the congressmen and congresswomen that have to listen to the stream of codswallop that issues from Petraeus and Crocker have to do is pose the questions which retired General Odom has provided them with. The two Admin yes-men will come across as fools, as (oh my god) betrayers of the trust of the nation.

No need for me to rehash those questions. If you haven't already done so, review the full list presented by General Odom at:

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/32419

[SeriousBlack]

That link says it all.

[transendentilist]

No what in the hell was wrong with my posts??

[getoffmedz]

Thanks Senator Biden for stating the obvious. The "Surge" was a failure from the moment of conception.

But it sure was another excellent distraction for Bush/Cheney? What a waste!

[joebaggadonuts]

Ya sure, but just try to abort a stupid idea of the right wingnuts!

[Raymondf]

I did my time in 1961-1968 so my classification is 4f

[BlueStateMan]

4F was a PHYSICAL deferment.

However, there (currently) is NO draft..... so there is NO such thing as a "4F".

[Raymondf]

NO 4F is sufficent pryor service and sole surviving son you better read a little.

[speakingtruth2power]

This cowardly punk is only lying,

using terms he's heard before.

[Raymondf]

If I was Physically disabled how did I spend 8 years in service.

[SupremeIdiot]

The 4-F classification was given primarily for muscular and bone malformations, hearing or circulatory ailments, mental deficiency or disease, hernias, and syphilis. There were ramifications when a man got that classification.


"Nobody wanted to date these boys who didn't pass their physicals, and we called them "f-Fers." Now that I think back, that was terrible. . . We all thought they were physically unfit to go and fight for our country. How awful!"
— Sylvia Iwanski Chalupsky, Ord, Nebraska State Bank employee.
____________________________________________________________________________

heh...

[bikerdude]

4-F meant unfit for military duty. Guys like Joe Namath (knee) were 4-F. It was a broad classification and meant the draft couldn't touch you.

[bikerdude]

4-A Registrant who has completed military service.
4-A-A Registrant who has performed military service for a foreign nation.
4-B Official deferred by law.
4-C Alien or dual national.
4-D Minister of religion.
4-F Registrant not acceptable for military service. To be eligible for Class 4-F, a registrant must have been found not qualified for service in the Armed Forces by a Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) under the established physical, mental, or moral standards. The standards of physical fitness that would be used in a future draft would come from AR 40-501.
4-G Registrant exempted from service because of the death of his parent or sibling while serving in the Armed Forces or whose parent or sibling is in a captured or missing in action status.
4-T Treaty alien.
4-W Registrant who has completed alternative service in lieu of induction.
5-A Registrant who is over the age of liability (26) or if previously deferred (35)


[edit] Directors

[Ping]

It's obvious you have no military experience.

[rwe]

big freakin deal, every progresso lib would say the same thing,,, except Murtha , Kennedy and durbin who all have said it is working.

[BlueStateMan]

No, they HAVEN'T.

[Raymondf]

yes they have.

[Raymondf]

How long does it take to moderate three words.

[Raymondf]

AS i SAID HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO MODERATE 3 WORDS WHAT A JOKE

[Raymondf]

YES THEY HAVE

[Raymondf]

The Bush Administration hasn't harmed me at all.

[BlueStateMan]

What GOOD have they done you?

[robodweeb]

You share in the $9 trillion debt.

A litlle less than a third of your taxes go to pay for the interest on the Reagan/Bush/Bush debt.

Your country's reputation is ruined.

[Raymondf]

yOU SEEM THAT CIGAR SMOKER WAS IN THERE ALSO LOL

[Raymondf]

I SEEM TO REMEMBER SPOTS ON A BLUE DRESS, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.

[IngeniousGirl]

So what has the Bush administration done for you lately?

[peterg76]

The true purpose of the surge was to allow Bush to stall for time. Thanks to the inaction of Congress, that aspect of the surge has been an overwhelming success.

[robodweeb]

"We will not simply look away, hope for the best, and leave the matter for some future administration to resolve."

Deferment Dick, Aug. 2002 discussing the Saddam "problem".

[speakingtruth2power]

That is true but there is much more insidiousness

that is layered beneath the neocon's fascist cabal.

[Raymondf]

Like I said I'm 65 with a bad heart, and I'd go tomorrow. because I believe in this country, and its freedom. and if we don't win in Iraq, and afghanistan. you'll be paying 8.00 a gallon for gas by August anyway, If the dems get in and raise your taxes. I know some people in my city that commute 60 miles 1 way a day to go to work, could get pretty expensive for them how far do some of you have to commute daily, better think about it, the so called environmentialist want let us drill anywhere or put up more refineries so its coming. I guess we can all sell our big suv's,and cars, and big 8 cylinder trucks, and buy us a bicycle, If you had to ride a bicycle to work for 60 miles you'll be to tired to work.

Oh! and don't forget that if we bring the troops home, all the radical muslims, will probably beat them home. and become your neighbor, that means your property values will fall like a rock.

Seems as though all you idiots have forgotten 911 well I for one proud American haven't, and I don't like the thought of a radical muslim living next door to me wise up Idiots.

[Ping]

"Like I said I'm 65 with a bad heart, and I'd go tomorrow. because I believe in this country,"

Just words, babe. And a lame excuse. Another example of a Republican PUSSY. All tough talk, NO BALLS. They got truck driving jobs over there babe, you can drive a tanker truck for big money.

[robodweeb]

In August 2002 Deferment Dick spoke about the "Saddam problem"...

"We will not simply look away, hope for the best, and leave the matter for some future administration to resolve."

But leaving a quagmire fiasco to some future generation to try to recover from... that's apparently okay.

[JerryTheAngel]

The war is going to end. The process and the logistics of getting our troops out as safely as possible will start with whoever is elected President. It's been Bush's tactic all along to stall and to "stay the course" so that if a bloodbath does follow our redeployment, he won't be around to take the heat.

I suspect the violence that follows our exit out of Iraq will not get any worse then it did at the height of this civil war that will land Cheney/Bush in the top 10 War Criminals that ever existed. Yes, there will be a fight for power and someone will emerge as the leader. And that leader is going to be a very close ally to Iran. We've upset the delicate balance in that region of the world that Saddam provided although through strong armed tactics. The Iraqi people are not worthy of a government like America.

The Iraqi people are the ones who will have to fight it out and some type of government will emerge. We are turning Iraq into an American welfare state. We have our own problems facing us here at home. We can't afford to do this much longer without very serious consequences.

[BlueStateMan]

We NEVER could afford it..... & the serious consequences have already started & will last for GENERATIONS.

[speakingtruth2power]

It's like paying the interest only on your credit card

and it's damn well intended to last for generations!

[minnehot]

THE SURGE IS WORKING. I would to get Mr. Windy himself on the stand to answer this:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080405/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_boosting_al_maliki;_ylt=ArLNEAlnW8cr.FlwCqmxbkybOrgF

[BigLib]

This clown claimed the surge was a "failure" before it even started.

A few of his hair plugs must have been too deep.

[robodweeb]

Since he was right he must be clairvoyant.

[BlueStateMan]

It's called FORESIGHT, moron.

[agnostic1]

some, like Cheney, call it foreplay.

[HumeSkeptic]

Most smart people can predict the outcome of a dunb move, Genius.

[shockmagog]

He may have claimed the "surge" would not work, which was pretty much a "duh" prediction (you'll note that it has become an escalation, as was also predicted).

Duh.

[jnratliff]

The surge was a failure before it started just like everything else george bush has ever done.
poorly thought out, has had tons of money injected into the wrong things at the wrong times, and all for the wrong reasons. You could find no more perfect fuck up if you looked a hundred years.

[speakingtruth2power]

In Bizarro World, failure is success. In reality, the Iraq failures have all had intended consequences.

Look at all the mistakes that were made! They all guaranteed a prolonged civil war, increasing the

opportunities for profiteering and privatizing. Sending too few troops to secure the peace, disbanding

the Iraqi army, failing to provide basic public services, then arming all the rival factions to the teeth?

How can any one not conclude that this was designed to be a perpetual war by the friends of the MIC?

ST2P.

[FirstForty]

I believe Joe Biden has the best read on this and Ive been waiting for his analysis. The current strategy is one of containment only to appease the public. As McCain says, its a 100 year committment. I would not feel bad about this if Iraq were paying the bill. If we have men who want this kind of work and volunteer. But they are not paying the bill.

We may not be able to pull out in a year as candidates suggest. A new dem prez must get other arabs mobilized to come to the party and address in their own interest. IMO, Barack Obama has the best chance to make this happen.

Right now, we are set up for a 100 year containment stategy which hold a country together with american money and blood.