Wednesday, September 05, 2007
U.S. report says Iraq Interior Ministry 'dysfunctional' - CNN.com
An independent report is now saying that the Interior Ministry is "dysfunctional and sectarian" and should be "disbanded and reorganized". Didn't we already do that once and it came back to bite us in the ass when people were all of a sudden unemployed and pissed?
Well at least the Pentagon isn't going down that road again:
The Pentagon said Wednesday it does not agree with the report's recommendation that the Iraqi National Police be disbanded.
Think about that for a minute, they want to disband the Iraqi police force. Sure, there's always going to be rogue officers and corruption in any police department, even ones here in the US, but to completely disband the police is insanity.
But then they turn around and make this comment:
The report says the "Iraqi Police Service must be better trained and equipped," and the commission "believes that the Iraqi Police Service can improve rapidly should the Ministry of Interior become a more functional institution."
So do they need just better training and equipment or do they need to be disbanded and reorganized?
But it's not all bad news.
The report has promising words for the Iraqi army, special forces, navy and air force, describing them as "increasingly effective" and "capable of assuming greater responsibility for the internal security of Iraq."
So the Iraqi police force needs work, but the military is working out pretty well. If that's the case, then work on the police force, don't disband them. It'll lead to lawlessness and higher levels of violence.
Do I really need to get a job writing reports for Congress? Because it appears that these idiots don't have a clue when it comes to repercussions of their words.
Travis
Labels: Congress, iraq, Report
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Back to work: Congress faces tough choices on Iraq - CNN.com
Well Congress is back to work and their top agendas are Iraq, the SCHIP, and the mortgage crisis going on.
I think what you'll find is that not a lot is actually going to get done on the Iraq front until you see the report from General Petraeus next Monday. What's worse is that even with positive parts leaking out into the wild world, you're seeing Democrats already trying to spin it towards getting us out of Iraq asap.
The same report will also be cited by anti-war Democrats who say military success has little relevance given the failure of Iraqi politicians to stop sectarian fighting and create a viable government.
Does the Iraqi Parliament need to get on top of things? You bet your ass they do, but to leave Iraq is indeed a vast mistake. With the threats we are getting already from other nations such as Iran, leaving Iraq without a stable government would be a big mistake by anyone who has a brain's measure.
Travis
Labels: Congress, Democrats, iraq, Politics
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Congress report finds Iraq failing on goals | World | Reuters
3 out of 18 goals is failing by any standard, but I do wonder what the White House Spokesman meant by this statement: "While we've all seen progress in some areas, especially on the security front, it's not surprising the GAO would make this assessment, given the difficult congressionally mandated measurement they had to follow," Johndroe said.
What's the "difficult congressionally mandated measurement" that he's talking about? Was there things in place that made the report more negative then an open and fair assessment? Of those 18 goals, how many of them are on the cusp of being complete?
While it may be true that only 3 of 18 are complete, that gives a very negative picture, but what if another 8 or 10 are just about to be completed within weeks or a few months? That would certainly paint a much different picture than the one I'm hearing from people who are actually there and seeing things first hand.
The Post reported the GAO draft says that while there have been fewer attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq under the new security plan in recent months, the number of attacks against Iraqi civilians remains unchanged.
So fewer attacks on US troops but the attacks on civilians are unchanged means that things aren't improving? Lesser levels of attacks on either group is a welcome change. Of course, I'd like to see the level of attacks go down to zero on both fronts, but even the "negative report" from the GAO is saying that violence levels are going down.
If that's the case, then the upcoming goals should be that much easier to obtain correct?
Travis
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Police report: Senator signaled desire for 'lewd conduct' - CNN.com
Well it appears that our friend Senator Larry Craig has been arrested at the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport for "lewd conduct".
I wonder what might become of this:
Rated 100% by the Christian Coalition: a pro-family voting record. (Dec 2003)
Looks like you can kiss that 100% rating goodbye Mr. Craig. If he's convicted, I don't think it will mean much, but he certainly has a LOT of explaining to do when he gets home. :)
Personally, I think if anyone is convicted of a felony while serving in Congress, they ought to be removed from office. They don't trust bank tellers who've been convicted of a felony, why not one of the most powerful people in America to be held to the same standards?
Travis
Labels: Arrest, Congress, Larry Craig
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