Michael Ware On Iraq Hearings: I Just See A Lot Of Oxygen Being Wasted Here

Speaking to CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Tuesday, the cable news outlet's Baghdad Bureau Chief Michael Ware expressed his disappointment with the way in which lawmakers were questioning General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker. Ware said that it seemed like the hearings were more about political grandstanding than solving the Iraq crisis. "I just see a lot of oxygen being wasted here," Ware said. He also took the members of the committees to task for their lack of knowledge about the Iraq situation. Watch the exchanges below:

Click here for updated coverage of the Petraeus hearings.

Comments

[stop7997]

The guy's demeanor is really bizarre.

[grannysharp]

Mr.Ware is correct that many questions that should be asked are not, but unless those asking have spent some time there and not just the usual photo op and meet and greet with other big wigs, how would they know what to ask. They can read all the reports and be briefed but then they are depending on some one else's observation which could be fact , fiction or a mixture of both.

[venicesurfer]

it was just another campaign stop for the candidates.

[argent1]

If Iraq, Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan would unite as a new entity and kick the foreign occupiers out, would it just make too much sense?

[DuckofDeath]

I respect and like Ware, but not as much lately. I get that he's mad at Americans for our short attention span, and he's right about that, we don't understand the world as it is. But he doesn't understand America. I understand what he's saying regarding his whole 'America broke it America has to fix it' spiel, but what he doesn't understand is, America no longer has the wherewithal to finish this, we don't have enough troops(w/o a draft anyway) and we don't have the money....it's really that simple people.

[geese1920]

I couldn't have said it better myself. I have been seeing a lot of Ware's commentary on Iraq on CNN and also on Real Time With Bill Maher. He sees for himself what a terrible shit storm Iraq has become, but I do not think he quite gets it that whether we leave in a year, two years or ten years, once we do, things are going to get worse before they get better. It's a civil war, after all. And say what you will about Saddam, he did the same thing in Iraq that Tito did in the former Yugoslavia. He kept a lid on the ethnic tensions in their respective countries. And once we took Saddam out, there was nothing to stop those ethnic tensions. We uncorked a lot of bad blood, and that is what is happening in Iraq. And their hatred at what they see as a U.S. occupation is certainly not helping things either.

[nogop]

Tell us something that's not known even by the Australian Aborigenes!!! Talk about a waste of oxygen!!!!

[Jonni Rae]

geese,, you are so right and now we wish we had some strong man like Saddam to pull it all together. So ironic!!! So stupid!!

[racom]

Mostly I agree duck, just not that we don't have the money thing. We have never paid for this war, our problem now is that our credit cards are maxed out and the Chinese banks will not return our calls.

[CaptainSunshine]

Is it me or does this guy look like a crack fiend?

[nogop]

It's you!

[CaptainSunshine]

are you on crack too?

[BlazingChalice]

I made the observation today that the US Senators particularly the Democrats are incredibly uninformed and naive to what is happening in Iraq and as such did not have the right questions for the General and the Governor.

I also made the observation that US was able to buy the Sunnis cooperation in the fight against Al Qaida. We are however competing with Iran for influence over the Shia and we have lost that race.

These poppy cock Senators should be turned out to pasture. They are incompetent and they allow the supposedly stupid guy in the White House to run rings around them daily.

The Democrats enabled this war and its about time they are held accountable for it.

[TN]

How many votes in the Senate did Bush need to get his authority? The repugs had 60 votes, was that enough? If it was, our vote couldn't have stopped them. Always wanted to know the answer to that.

[rebeccaj]

BlazingChalice: I assume you meant "Ambassador?"

Your screw-up of Ryan Crocker's tile was about the level of competence you showed during the rest of your rambling posting.

I have no idea what you were trying to say except to bash Democrats.

This war belongs to the Bush Administration and to the GOP.

Period.

[TheScarletPimpernel]

I think Ware shows the frustration that many around the world feel in that the hearings today point out how easily amused Americans are and how little they know or understand about the Middle East, Islam, and the world in general. I am constantly astonished at the ignorance of the American public of matters of Foregin Affairs.

I am also astonished at the stupidity of US Senators.

[realitycheck7]

most of the world is ignorant, and most governments are incompetent, it's just that america is so often in the spotlight

[TN]

This was nothing but a dog and pony show. Even if tough questions were asked, do you think they are going to let anyone know any real anything. Oh no, the real talk goes on in private, and unfortunately with King Bush it is a one way street. No big examination or any information would be given today for the world to see.

[racom]

When you live in a fascist country you learn what a fascist media wants you to learn.

[dill]

I love Michael Ware. He tells it like it is!

[Jonni Rae]

Would he have told us to stay in VietNam? Because that's what this is - fighting for American interests ie oil, ie money, just like in VietNam. Pretty soon they will kick us out.

[researcher]

more war please and lets invade iran before the spineless demos get into office.

god my oil stocks are paying me tons of money and my industrial military complex stocks are giving me a lifestyle in a the richest area of scottsdale az. also i can afford to send my kids to elitists schools and they both drive new BMW's.

god bless america the land of opportunity. best nation on earth and as long as we allow cousins to marry cousins in the southern states we w ill have no trouble filling our mercenary armies iwth troops willing to fight for theri country.

like bush said it is romantic to fight in these wars. pure bliss. glad we can accomodate these people. and with my business the lower the dollar goes the more overseas sales. hope it drops to two dollars to one euro.$$$$$$$$$$$$$

wars forever baby it is the american way truly we are a christian country.$$$$$$$$$$

signed
evangel neo con repub and a proud america.
repubs in office forever.$$$$$$$$$$$

[researcher]

oh i forgot to mention my kids go to stanford and they get to hear rumsfeld (rummy) speak and he will be able to teach them how to have more wars.

god i love elitist univeristies they are truly american. soon condi will be there to work with rummy and she really knows how to help students learn how to invade and occupy a country.

like rummy she is truly an american war hero. she and he deserve the medal of freedom.

we win both ways. 40 years of oil and all that money to be made with our privatized military and our industrial military complex.

god we are a truly great country. i love america truly a nation of war mongers.$$$$$$$$$

americans never saw a so called defense budge they did not support. say it is for defense and americans open up their pocket books or just borrow it from china or hey just print more money let the grandchildren pay the debt off.

who cares about grandchildren as long as my standard of living remains the same or better.

signed
just your average american voter

[nogop]

Just the average American REPBLICAN voter,you mean!! "PROFIT OVER COUNTRY"-the GOP MANTRA!!

[richardmcnoggin]

The only people wasting oxygen there were the oxygen theves known as liberal democrats.

[chinacatsunflower]

so petraeus and crocker are liberal democrats????

[williamg]

Ware does seem to be pretty sympathic to the Sunnis in Iraq (not that there is anything wrong with that). We are the only thing that is keeping the Sunnis from being crushed Economically, politically and maybe even milatarily in Iraq, and I think Ware has that on his mind.

[racom]

Aren't the Sunnis being hired now basically the same people paul ( moron ) bremer fired when he disbanded the Iraq army? Wouldn't it have been better to just pay them then, they worked for much less and they were not pissed at you? This administration has totally redefined ineptutude. But he was able to push through the neo-cons agenda of Privatization of the country. Greedy bastards!!!

[dr4Will]

Mr.Ware would have been a valuable addition to the Committee today--He is an interesting and highly competent reporter--we need many more like him!

[Hopalongpoppyseed]

I have long found Michael Ware's reporting from Iraq valuable. I like that he has a point of view. I do not have to agree with him all the time. After reading all the posts here that are prior to mine, I will be open to learning more about Michael Ware. What Mr Ware had to say about the Senate hearings today did not impress me. He spends so much time overseas, I doubt he has much of an ear to the nuances of domestic U.S. politics.

[williamg]

Agreed. But you have to admit, Ware has some big balls.

[Hopalongpoppyseed]

Si, muy grande cajones.

[pimpdown]

Maybe you just have a small mouth. Try again.

[mig991]

I have always been very interested to hear what Mr. Ware has to say. As opinionated as he is, I am surprised he is still alive. I dont always agree, but respect the fact that he is there everyday.

As for the hearings, what are any of them supposed to do? Clinton and Obama are in a terrible position. They can say they will pull the troops out but both know (as well as the American electorate) that is not possible. I commend the senators for even trying. I like Obama on the Today show when he said that if the surge works we have to keep troops there, and if the surge hadn't worked we would have to keep the troops there. We are screwed either way. I can't figure out why Clinton or Obama would want the be President in 2009 with this mess awaiting them.

Only McCain is suited for it, as he is a war loving, crazy old man, "boot up their ass", America is the 'greatest' country on earth believer anyway.

[IndependentTogether]

Ware does come off like he believes that his point of view is all that matters; all who disagree are ignorant, in his view. In my view, both panels (especially the FRC) did a good job under the circumstances; Petraeus & Crocker should not have been there to defend the Buch/Cheney policy on Iraq, and both panels know this.

I also think that Clinton & Obama did a good job in their line of questioning/reasoning. Clinton's best moment came in framing the "illegal" behavior of the Bush administration, and Obama did a good job of framing what success in Iraq should look like (since this hasn't been previously defined). McCain? Well, the polls are kind to him now... but he just keeps digging him self deeper into that inevitable hole.

[blueshift]

He's been there. In Iraq. In Washington. What about you? Where you been?

[IndependentTogether]

I don't understanding your point... I wasn't saying that he disagreed with *me*...

Further, I was very specific in the parameters of the discussion. Are you saying that just because I may not have gone to Iraq that I can't recognize the value of the opinions of those who had (which includes those who've actually *served*)? Also, are you saying that just because he's been in Iraq that his opinion is the only one that matters?

What *is* your point?

[Merg]

Yeah, but Biden is the one who nailed the balls to the wall.

[buddhistMonkey]

((( "Ware does come off like he believes that his point of view is all that matters; all who disagree are ignorant, in his view." )))

He's absolutely right.

[asere]

Look, bottom line, the best way to do anything is to go ahead and do it.
Iraq will very likely NOT hold together as a country once we leave; it's a fact of life and it must be accepted as such.
There will be a Shia area ( friendly to Iran ), a Sunni area, and a Kurd / Turkish area ( expect the Turks to move in and take over Kurdestan, it's got OIL ).
So, what's left, When and how we leave, right?
Mc Bush gets in, won't happen in his watch ( he's already said so ).
Both of the Dems are committed to pull out, albeit at different time schedules.
Get out we must, WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO SPEND TAX DOLLARS AT THE RATE WE ARE SPENDING ON IRAQ - IRAQ IS BLEEDING US WHITE.
Is a question of simple Economics.

[skibum49]

asere writes:

"Get out we must, WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO SPEND TAX DOLLARS AT THE RATE WE ARE SPENDING ON IRAQ"

I get so tired of hearing this never ending litany. Where in the hell do you people think the 12 billion a month is coming from? Sorry folks! Reality check! Its not coming from "tax revenue".
Whenever the Congress passes another 60 Billion dollar Supplemental for war funding the money doesn't just get deposited in the Federal Treasury by some tooth fairy. This is money we are BORROWING (in increasing percentages from Japan the Chinese and various middle east oil states).
Its just more debt on the national charge card for "somebody" in the future to figure out how to pay. Of all the sins that we have been party to in this war the worst by far is that we don't even have the guts to pay for the damn thing ourselves with current tax revenue. Our grandchilden are really going to hate us and I am not going to blame them one bit.

[racom]

Skibum, you speak of tax revenues as thought they are available for this war. Well, they aren't, far too many folks in this country just don't understand how impossible it is to pay for a war and give obscene tax cuts to your conservative friends. It's all about priorities!!! If congress had made king george put a down payment on this abortion of his maybe we would have had to just forgo the war.