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Joe Biden: The Surge Is A Failure

April 5, 2008 11:23 AM EST | AP

Read More: Iraq Surge, Joe Biden, Joe Biden Iraq, US Troop Surge, US Troops, Warwire, Breaking Politics News
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Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del. gestures while speaking in Vienna, Va., in this Friday, Nov. 30, 2007 file photo. Biden declared 2007's troop buildup in Iraq a failure because U.S. troops remain committed there in large numbers and political reconciliation has not been achieved. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

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.
 

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collapse iratior See Profile I'm a Fan of iratior

Up until two weeks ago, the administration had been able to create at least the appearance that the surge was working. Baghdad had been ethnically cleansed of many of its Sunnis, whom the occupation under Bremer had treated much worse, and therefore made much more rebellious, than the Shi'ites. Moqtada al-Sadr, the Shi'ite Mahdi army leader, had declared a cease-fire. Al Qaeda fell out of favor in rural areas, because of doing something hardly possible: treating the natives worse than Bremer did. . But the violence of the past two weeks spoiled it all. Nouri al-Maliki, doubtless with White House encouragement, has tried to be at once dictator and puppet. Now, to attempt to crush the Mahdi army, he and Petraeus have the inestimable pleasure of house-to-house fighting in Sadr City and Basra. Joe Biden certainly picked the right psychological moment to say the truth: THE SURGE HAS FAILED.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:30 AM on 04/07/2008
collapse LizM See Profile I'm a Fan of LizM

Actually, Joe Biden has been speaking the truth about Iraq long before most people in this country became the least bit interested or concerned about US foreign policy. The problem has always been, and continues to be, that not enough people have bothered to pay attention.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 07:14 AM on 04/08/2008
collapse JohnTalbutt See Profile I'm a Fan of JohnTalbutt

Biden is firmly in the ignoble ranks of those who voted for the war but later made criticism about how it was conducted. Biden's idea about the three autonomous provinces was one of the stupidest or most disengeneous. Now he believes that the Iraqis need better training. Millions of Iraqis, both Sunni and Shite have military training and combat experience and served together in the Iraqi Army.

We need to just get out. Identify those Iraqis who will be considered Quislings and provide for their safety. Then give the military the mission to withdraw as expeditiously as can be safely done.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 08:58 PM on 04/06/2008
collapse LizM See Profile I'm a Fan of LizM

You can count yourself among the ranks of those who need to read beyond the title of a resolution to understand what is going on here. But, you have lots of company!

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 07:17 AM on 04/08/2008
collapse research See Profile I'm a Fan of research

End America's Goddamn Iraq Invasion and occupation War Crime NOW!

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 05:59 PM on 04/06/2008
collapse sodakhic See Profile I'm a Fan of sodakhic

Those liberal Dems really got us out of Iraq after the 2006 elections. Can you say imcompetent?

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 07:55 PM on 04/06/2008
collapse research See Profile I'm a Fan of research

the DLC dems are Corrupt.

DLC=corporatist=Clintons=fascist=GOP=war forever

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 08:35 PM on 04/06/2008
collapse fightorleave2 See Profile I'm a Fan of fightorleave2

No, now, after 5 years, we need a "period of assessment." The Iraq War has now officially become a freakin' joke! I can't believe I'm saying that, but it's true. The war is a joke. A bad joke, but a joke nonetheless.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 06:56 PM on 04/06/2008
collapse timothe See Profile I'm a Fan of timothe

Once again, a Democratic senator is playing politics with our troops. All he wants to do is hang the war around Bush's neck because he knows none of the three candidates will remove the troops during their first term. It didn't work the other 58 times they tried it and it's not going to work this time either.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 05:56 PM on 04/06/2008
collapse research See Profile I'm a Fan of research

I can be disgusted with the DLC dem cowardice in refusing to end America's goddamn Iraq invasion and occupation war crime, but the real enemy is:

The rethugs=GOP=Conservatives=BushCo=fascists=McCain

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 08:38 PM on 04/06/2008
collapse sodakhic See Profile I'm a Fan of sodakhic

I couldn"t have said it better.The senate has a 22% approval. Can you say worse than Bush?

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 08:00 PM on 04/06/2008
collapse GPRogueCowboy See Profile I'm a Fan of GPRogueCowboy

Over the past 2 weeks there has been a Major Uptick in Violence.

None of it has been attributed to Al Qaida.

Why are we there?
Are we joining the CIVIL WAR?
Which Side are we fighting for?
Sunni's that used to be Insurgents or part of Sadamm's Army and now Our Awakening Force?
The Shia controlled government?
The Mahdi Army?
The "THUGS? in Basra, Baghdad and Mosel?

I thought the LATEST REASON for staying in Iraq was to DEFEAT Al Qaeda there so they
do not come here to kill Americans.
Between the Allied Force of 160,000, the Awakening Force of 70,000 and the 430,000 Iraqi
Security Forces (660,000 Total) shouldn't we be focusing on the remaining 6000 Al Qaeda Terrorists? Apparently we have killed or captured 4000 Al Qaeda over the past couple years.
So if we stay focused 100 years will not be necessary.

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5g6Wvx25P1oVNBEjTF_X7wJmBq8SQ

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7333099.stm

http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2008/04/report-more-tha.html

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23977964/

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 07:18 PM on 04/06/2008
collapse JohnTalbutt See Profile I'm a Fan of JohnTalbutt

For those who have observed that the Mahdi army and the Sunnis are in concert. the joke is that al-Sadr started the current uprising because Bush slowed down on the bribes to the Sunnis and he started missing arms shipments.

Millions of Iraqis served in the Iraqi army, that army was integrated with Sunni and Shite through the general officer level. They got extensive combat experience fighting Iran. Yet the American public is being told some B.S. that we need to train the Iraqi army in order to stabilize the country.

Just get on the bus, Gus.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:19 PM on 04/06/2008
collapse JohnTalbutt See Profile I'm a Fan of JohnTalbutt

BTW Al Queda can exists only where the U.S., Saudia Arabia and Pakistan place them. They are so intolerant of all others they can't coexist and have to me made stronger than the local population by those sponsors. They were installed in the North-West Providence of Pakistan by the above three sponsor in the early 1980s as a base to take over Afganistan. In the recent elections that Musharraf, our ally, could not stop, the secular Awami Party which had been in power until killed off by Al Queda in the 1980s, regained power.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:30 PM on 04/06/2008
collapse LizM See Profile I'm a Fan of LizM

Your comments betray an incredible ignorance.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 06:30 PM on 04/06/2008
collapse dr4Will See Profile I'm a Fan of dr4Will

Gee,McCan't and bush and lieberjew and gramm said it works,freedom is near!! get out before bush and the boys try to keep us their thirty more years---think American , not Iraq

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:52 PM on 04/06/2008
collapse JerryTheAngel See Profile I'm a Fan of JerryTheAngel

We can't afford this war for another 5 or 10 years. Everyone outside of the Make Believe World the war criminals live in, reality has set in across the board. Military experts who know the numbers and can crunch them, Senators and Congressman who face re-election in the fall.

The only question is will the American people step up and do the right thing on election day. Even with the very tough economy conditions on the minds of most people, we CANNOT forget our brave troops who need to come home. We need to give them a huge ticker tape parade all across this country and then spend the money to help heal them.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:31 PM on 04/06/2008
collapse GrammyinPA See Profile I'm a Fan of GrammyinPA

Senator Biden is absolutely correct. Sadly, he is the person who should be our nominee for the Presidency. However, the media (Russert, Tweety, etc.) along with HuffPo decided that our candidates should be either a Black Man or a Woman. This would make history, Right??

IF Senator Biden had recieved the same exposure and promotion as Obama/Hillary recieved, people would then know his exceptional experience and what a true leader he could have been.
So sad, that in a Great country like ours, the presidency is a popularity contest.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 10:59 AM on 04/06/2008
collapse ErikW65 See Profile I'm a Fan of ErikW65

It's fine with me if you want to bash the corporate media, but with regard to who decided which candidates should drop out, the Dem Primary voters did have a lot to do with it, no?

Biden got tons of media exposure. The problem was, from the day he announced his candidacy, he started putting his foot in his mouth. Again.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 11:20 AM on 04/06/2008
collapse GrammyinPA See Profile I'm a Fan of GrammyinPA

And you are saying..........none of the other candidates have made any mis-statements??

The preacher and Obama's comments; the abortion question comment, etc.
Hillary and the trip to Bosnia, etc.
McCain and his numerous gaffes on Irag, etc.

The Dem voters made their choice on the hype fed to them by the media; not too smart.

Get REAL this election is a popularity contest.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 11:56 AM on 04/06/2008
collapse ErikW65 See Profile I'm a Fan of ErikW65

Hey I'm sorry about Biden. I like Joe. But let's not forget that this same media was around in 1988, when Biden lifted a whole speech off a British politician, and had to drop out because of it. That's the larger context. But you probably blame the media for that too....

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:08 PM on 04/06/2008
collapse GrammyinPA See Profile I'm a Fan of GrammyinPA

Hi ErikW65,

How is this terrible sin that Biden committed (lifting a speech) in any way comparible to the numerous mis-statements (lies) being put out there by the current candidates?

I am more interested in a plan to get us out of Iraq (which Biden has)
and improving our realtionship with other countries (which Biden could do) and his expertise in constitutional law.
You do need to be more informed on the candidates.
I do not know or care which candidate that you support; but what do you expect of your candidate?

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:34 PM on 04/06/2008
collapse JohnTalbutt See Profile I'm a Fan of JohnTalbutt

Sorry, his plan was one that failed the Brittish, the Turks, the Crusaders, the Mongols, the Persians and a few others. Divide the population to rule has been done successfully elsewhere, but the folks in Iraq caught on to it 4000 years ago.

Maybe Joe just didn't know.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:39 PM on 04/06/2008
collapse LizM See Profile I'm a Fan of LizM

You don't know Joe's plan...that much is quite obvious.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 07:56 PM on 04/11/2008
collapse ErikW65 See Profile I'm a Fan of ErikW65

1) I never made avalue judgement about Biden, you called it a sin, not me. I'm just making the case for putting this in context. Biden is just as responsible for his lack of favorable press coverage as anyone. When you put your foot in your mouth repeatedly, you call your own judgement in to question, and that's what Biden did. It's just a historical fact.

2) You keep telling me I need to learn more about the candidates. I've been following politics since 1976. I kiow plenty about the candidates. You have not shown anything I've posted to be uninformed, but you have revealed your high opinion of yourself with your condescending remarks.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:10 PM on 04/06/2008
collapse Trueheart See Profile I'm a Fan of Trueheart

I worked in Manchester, NH for Biden's campaign when he ran for president. There were people who were working for other candidates who were responsible for that leak about using Neil Kinnock's language in a speech, and created a media flap about "plagarism" which I always viewed as a tempest in a teapot.

But it took this good guy down in public opinion--as it was designed to do. Also, remember that he had a brain tumor during that campaign and passed out several times before it was diagnosed. He's a fighter, and he's very sharp and smart. I like him.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 05:49 PM on 04/06/2008
collapse realpolitic See Profile I'm a Fan of realpolitic

It is ironic that something as minor as that can take down Biden when Bush survives drunk driving arrests and incredible wrongdoing in his name by Rove. Bush is teflon.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:02 AM on 04/07/2008
collapse ErikW65 See Profile I'm a Fan of ErikW65

I like Sen. Biden too, as I wrote earlier.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 06:42 PM on 04/06/2008
collapse YankeeCanuck See Profile I'm a Fan of YankeeCanuck

It was not the primary, but the lazy media. I watched them talk about "all THREE Democratic candidates" last May when there were EIGHT. Biden and Dodd, both champions of human rights, well versed in constitutional law and foreign relations were largely ignored by the media. Same goes for Richardson and Kucinich, both candidates of substance-- not of money and celebrity. All these candidates were given little time and/or asked asinine questions in the debates-- if you watched them.

Biden has been known to put his foot in his mouth on occasion-- but he is also know for his eloquence, prodigious knowledge, and high standard of ethics.

We need to perform our due diligence on our electoral process, and early on. We tend to get the president we deserve rather than the one we need. Erik, it's good to question, but read a little more.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 11:51 AM on 04/06/2008
collapse Trueheart See Profile I'm a Fan of Trueheart

And don't forget the way John Edwards became the Invisible Man shortly after coming out of the gate. Guess his message that poverty is the root of all our social evils was just too powerful, and had to be dismissed......or repressed, depending on how you feel about it.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 05:52 PM on 04/06/2008
collapse preatorius See Profile I'm a Fan of preatorius

It is so easy to choose poverty as your platform, when you are so stinkin' rich.
If Edwards want to help the poor, why doesn't he do as a private citizen?
He has been out of office for a while. How many poor people has he helped?

Hmmmm. . . too busy rakin in the dough!

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 07:11 PM on 04/06/2008
collapse JohnTalbutt See Profile I'm a Fan of JohnTalbutt

Edwards is still engaged in working for the poor. He made his money representing poor people against big corporations. His trick was to convince juries that the life or pain and suffering of a poor workingclass person meant as much as that of the rich.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:43 PM on 04/06/2008
collapse ErikW65 See Profile I'm a Fan of ErikW65

Read a little more Biden, or in general?.........;)

Seriously, if either Kucinich or Biden had been in the top 3 in Iowa, do you think that they wouldn't have had a deluge of reporters trying to get in on the action? The best case for blaming the media is to say the also-rans didn't get enough exposure prior to the first contest. Show me poll results that show that people were not aware of Kucinich and Biden prior to Iowa. I'll bet Obama had less name recognition than either. Then you've the de facto voting that is fundraising, and there again, you'd have to believe that the media was also causing Kucinich, Biden and others a disadvantage there as well. Sorry, it's all too conveniently conspiratorial.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:03 PM on 04/06/2008
collapse LizM See Profile I'm a Fan of LizM

You want evidence that the average voter is aware of who Biden is and what he brings to the table - you gotta be freakin' kidding me!

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 06:35 PM on 04/06/2008
collapse DerekRC See Profile I'm a Fan of DerekRC

I wonder where the term "DEFEATOCRAT" came from?

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 10:53 AM on 04/06/2008
collapse JohnTalbutt See Profile I'm a Fan of JohnTalbutt

Take a whiff of your fingers and I think you can figure out where it came from.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:46 PM on 04/06/2008
collapse 2008WakingFromaNightmare See Profile I'm a Fan of 2008WakingFromaNightmare

It comes from a group of morons unable to argue based on facts. The strategy entails forming cute little terms in black and white in response to the average American's inability to tolerate complex problems. This enables much of the population to bury their head in the sand and ignore real problems and dismiss reality with ill conceived perceptions.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 11:33 AM on 04/06/2008
collapse ErikW65 See Profile I'm a Fan of ErikW65

I'll bet you still think we could have won in 'Nam, were it not for the US Leftists.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 11:23 AM on 04/06/2008