Petraeus Testimony Today
For many, all the questions that could be asked of Gen. Petraeus boils down to the same one asked of him by Sen. John Warner last time he testified in front of Congress:
SEN. WARNER: . . . Are you able to say at this time, if we continue what you have laid before the Congress here as a strategy, do you feel that that is making America safer?
GEN. PETRAEUS: Sir, I believe that this is indeed the best course of action to achieve our objectives in Iraq.
SEN. WARNER: Does that make America safer?
GEN. PETRAEUS: Sir, I don’t know actually.
Six months later and Bush's "surge" later, that answer is clearly no, as the situation in Iraq is getting worse, and as TomDispatch points out, the "success" of the surge was always an expensive illusion for which payment will someday come due. The netroots have been promoting A Responsible Plan, which has been endorsed to date by 50 Democratic congressional candidates and 3,500 people (why haven't you signed up?), and Matt Stoller posed the question of what they would ask Petraeus to some of the Responsible Plan congressional candidates.
What would YOU ask of Petraeus?
saw all the goobers licking betrayuses ass and each other ,thier all dirty!
Watching the Senators joking and laughing as they greet each other is always jarring. I don't think I could ever stand to be in the same room of some of these pols who have made such disaterous decisions. I think I'll vomit about now.
Once again the military becomes a political
armshill.big typo: Petraeus s/b Betrayus.
"Sir, I dont. No actually."
Let the White-wash begin. But on your boots people! We will be wading Bull-crap!
Who cares what the PR Man says?
It's usually lies.
I have two questions for the General...."How many men do you expect to sacrifice simply to achieve your career aspirations?"
and "How DO you sleep at night carrying the heavy load of intellectual dishonesty that you do?"
For lovers of red:
Http://www.redle.it
Full red Google
Nicole said:
I haven't signed up because I'm a coward. Once the administration shows its true colors and forms the Fourth Reich do you think I want my name to be on a list like that? Those are the first people going to the concentration camps.
McCain is up.
we can never leave iraq untill every swinging dick in iraq has become bush botts ,
McCain is telling us Petraeus and Crocker are patriotic Americans.
Gen'l Petraeus, since you've decided to be a shill for the Republicans instead of a military commander, why don't you go f*ck yourself? Thank you.
Tool.
*
I think McCain is about to start pitching Time Shares in the Green Zone.
why is liberdouch not cupping mccsnanes balls in his hands? you got to sacrifice if you want to be vice president!
"thank you my freinds, I hope I can count on your vote"
McCain says that once we beat Iraq, terrorism will be over and our soldiers can come home.
What a great question John McC. Oh no questions? Just an excuse to pimp your presidency run, sweet. Free AirTime on NPR
putz.
Do you think they'll break in with shots of the Green Zone being bombed?
*
McCain just gave us his evil laugh. It was creepy.
emphasa @ 10:
i wonder if folks in dresden, germany circa 1945 ultimately concluded the silence stategy paid off.
"Just little bit more death and destruction, please?"
general betray-us please go home!
as mcnertz says untill every iraqy becomes a us collaborater we cant leave our interests there are to importent ,
:In the recent fighting in Basra our troops supported elements of the Badr Brigade which is strongly align with Iran.Is it our policy now for soldiers to fight and die in support of a militia that is supplied and supported by a member of the axis of evil Iran?
Who will be the first Democrat to say "Mr Chairman I ask that Candidate McCain's election statement be stricken from the record"
Why don't you bring back the draft?
From my OT post below, which is now On-Topic. FYI
♣Bangkok Bob♠ @ 29:
greg @ 29:
That is a very obvious but, politically inconvenient question.
Petraeus says, "Stuff is getting better."
Oh wait, that was Kevin Costner in the, 'The Postman'.
It's all Iran's fault!
What is our objective in Iraq?
the most obvious but unasked question.
Weaseldog @ 32:
god damned right! if iran had been turned to cinders we,d have won! errr wait!!!!
In addition:
Spell out for us....
What is the objective
What is the mission
What is winning
General Petranus says, "Always bring a towel".
Alice Hussein @ 3:
A shill, a pimp, for Bushco's illegal war of aggression.
"general petreaus, do you believe china, russia, iran, europe, south america, africa, the entire middle east and, for that matter, the polar bears in the arctic circle will all join up and conspire against the u.s. if we continue on this present course? and if so, do you believe that's a struggle the u.s. can hope to achieve "victory" in?
"general petreaus, are you a fundamentalist end-timer?"
"general petreaus, as a student of u.s. history, do you recall whether or not the "i was simply following orders" argument got any nazis off the hook at nuremberg?"
i see another star for betrayuses shoulder comeing up, poor bastard thiers a heavy load on his shoulders !
bilhelm-hussein-X @ 36:
And, "Don't Panic!"
Yay! They are finding more weapons caches!
I wonder if that has something to do with all the weapons we're giving away / losing.
Bomb..bomb...bomb......bomb.bomb iran.....
HOW can ANYONE that lives in the real world believe ANY of these lies???
Fixed news will have bile for months .....
NEW YORK - Retail gas prices will peak near $3.60 a gallon in June, but prices at such lofty levels will make many Americans think twice about hitting the road this summer, the Energy Department said Tuesday.
Well of course people aren't PLEASURE or non discrentionary driving MORONS. So go ahead just jack up the price to make up for lost profits!!!!!!!!!!
You Oil Company bastards and your sham titles and privileges really need to be reined in.
BIG TIME
General, can you tell us what "winning" means? What do we "win" and how do we know we have?
Well, to say things are getting better now- with the surge and everything else- would logically mean that pre surge, things were NOT going well. Thus, I'd expect to find lots of testimony and clips from government figures saying just that. But there are none: the line has always been things are getting better- pre surge and after. Therefore, Patreous- or any other mouthpiece for the administration- has no credibility given they have proven they cannot be trusted to deliver sober accurate assessments of the situation.
Here's what I would ask Petraeous: Since both reductions and increases in violence are used as indicators to show the surge is working, it appears that the level of violence is not being used as an indicator of success. Then, exactly, what permanent improvements has the surge created which allows you to draw the conclusion that this mission will lead to a successful political solution? Based upon the military strategy we are now following when, in your estimate, will you know whether we have failed? (When our weary and traumatized troops are unable to mobilize for another deployment to Iraq is not an acceptable answer.)
Why do I even subject myself to this.
God DAMN
Petraeus has argued that finding more weapons caches is a sign they we're winning.
If I use a gardening analogy, discovering even more weeds to pull is not a sign of progress. In fact and increasing quantities of weeds to collect is a sign that I'm falling behind.
Finding more weapons caches is a sign in my view that activity is increasing and that our Iraqi enemies are better supplied.
What would I ask Petraeus.
With all the information out now, Do you think the US was justified in invading Iraq?
And the media really luvs McCain, while he was talking, they started putting up his "National Honors".
unfuckingbelievable.
LA, I agree. What the Hell I'm I watching for? Betrayus will get his six more months, the death count will rise and McCain will say how successful it all is, and the ignorant Americans will swallow it. Why do I even get up in the morning?
Why bother asking questions of Patraeus? He has no credibility, thus his answers are immaterial.
L.A. Confidential @ 46:
Lots of incredulous boo's here. Especially at the constant use of the term Al Queada in Iraq, instead of Insurgents.
betrayus has just told you none of these goobers running for president are going to bring the troops home! i concur!
The MoveOn.org General Betrayus ad is what got the Rethuglicans worked up? Time to clean more house this November!
Weaseldog @ 47:
good point.
L.A. Confidential @ 42:
I thought congress just gifted them another big chunk of subsidy payments? If the oil industry is going to be corporate welfare whores, they could at least give back a little. We're not inflating the cost of goods and services for our benefit.
Even so, Cantarell and now the Caspian are in decline. Conventional World Oil production peaked in 2005. It is in decline now. Total liquids may well be declining now.
The oil industry knows this is there last chance to cash in, as oil supplies go into decline and the world slips into war to compensate.
Sen. Levin's speech said it all. It was outstanding. After that,McCain sounded like a wet rag.
Displaced persons? I guess he means the millions of Iraqi refugees. Hmm. . .
General, how do you sleep knowing that you are killing innocent people, and supporting war crimes by backing george bush and the rest of his administration?
P.D. @ 49:
Those of us with developed discretion find it impossible to tolerate evil and dysfunctional deeds yet we are given the brush off when we point out the clear and obvious flaws.
You can't win, and you can't even break even.
tyree @ 34:
Israels minister of interior promised yesterday if Iran attacked Israel (he didnt say how), Israel would destroy the Iranian nation.
Weaseldog @ 55:
Right exactly. As if there are not alternatives for genius solutions?
Of course there is. Millions of ways to get it done.
Don't try sinking that in to the heads of the Lee Raymonds though.
On Morning Joe, they were discussing a Gallup poll that said Americans trust McCain on the Iraq War over Hillary or Obama. Who are these people? I thought people were getting smarter, guess I was wrong!
Shelling in the Green Zone.
Rebuffed offensive in Basra
Increase in the number of Weapons Caches found.
This sounds like a counter offensive may be coming soon from the Iraqis.
galmud @ 60:
we should all get behind israels agresshion ,after all we dont give then 50 billion dollars a year to just destroy people in lebannon!
P.D. @ 62:
Because he was a POW... No other reason.
They don't know anything else about him.
I'd ask him what his future political aspirations are and if that is why his brown-nosing views match the views of this administration's desire to want to bomb IRAN.
galmud @ 60:
These guys are doing nothing but inflicting misery on our world.
Thats the bottom line. Bush, Eliezer, Poobah, Shieky, you name it. Every last one them.
if you take the "I don't" from the generals statement you do indeed have the truth.
Iran weapons, Iran militia, Iran nukes, Iran aid, Iran support, Iran threat, Iran meddling, Iran influence.
I don't even need to watch the damn thing to know what this glorified chess piece is going to say.
Weaseldog @ 65:
Perhaps in the general election that will all be brought out, but given the media's love affari with McCain, I wouldn't count on it. It will be up to the Dem candidate to bring that up in some debate, but those debates are so structured, you couldn't find out someone's age much less issues that might affect a person's vote.
L.A. Confidential @ 61:
Right, even if there is no solution, there is always mitigation. But mitigation involves sacrifice and negotiation.
Sacrifice can be forced on Americans in the form of higher prices for food and fuel, and increasing unemployment, but they can't be asked to sacrifice.
And forcing sacrifice on us has a positive effect for Bush and McCain. They can redirect our anger to the ME, saying, it is all Iran's fault that you are suffering!
World Leaders? We refer to guys who constantly create a chaotic existence of error and it's consequences which is always inevitable in that state of mind LEADERS?
Okay what EVER
Weaseldog @ 71:
Exactly. Little men in their protected bubbles of privilege.
'Illegal Groups'? What a loaded term.
Weaseldog @ 74:
Yes there you go don't try talking sense to these guys they got one thing on their minds red meat, money, dominance and power over anyone who will fall for their bullshit.
Well, maybe McCain will have a Chaney moment. Remember when Dick fell asleep during the meeting about the California wildfires?
What a laundry list of goals! We can wage war in Iraq forever!
the reson they will not tie the hands of the next administration is , they dont want to hinder mccinsanes charge into iran!!!!
At a cost to US taxpayers of ONLY 8 to 12 Billion per month.
Ryan Crocker (how appropo) , is spewing his complete crock of shit for the last ten minutes now..........
The Iraqi economy has been stabilized and inflation has been tamed.
Why can't they do that here?
Iraqi buying $5 billion worth of aircraft from the US. (???)
The era of trying to rebuild Iraq is over. (As if it ever started)
MoneyMoneyMoneyMoneyMoney -> Iraq
He has a counting of the Iraqi Civilian dead? They claimed no body counts, they haven't given this info out, yet they tout its better!
Assholes! Get rid of this group!
MCMetal @ 80:
He's working to open the floodgates of cash wider.
bullfrog @ 23:
Oops my comment ended up being a bit of a mess, a misquoted mess.
Notice no mention of Coalition forces .... probably because it would sound hollow since it doesn't exist.
Weaseldog @ 81:
Old farts indulging in Booze Babes Gambling and Golf - you forgot that.
BobD @ 82:
sorry we would ,but that shipment of rope has not arrived from china yet!!!thier to busy getting ready for the olimpics!
Criminals (Bush Administration) questioning Criminals (rest of Congress).
All talk, No Action. Business as usual by our government.
On Morning Joe they were discussing how we had to get rid of Sadaam because he was a bad guy. Give me break! They are many bad guys. But they don't run a country surrounded by oil fields.
they just showed your next vice president!!!joe mcliberdouch!enjoy!
Surprise NO mention of Saudi-Arabia..
Iraq is an investment, that needs our support.
P.D. @ 62:
That's exactly why I think it's foolish for everyone to assume a Democrat has the election locked up. Furthermore, if Obama or Clinton is elected it will really scare our nation once we learn there is no savior party... both parties have been infiltrated by the Neo-Con elite. We just have to ride things out now and hope for the best.
Al Quada is retreating in Iraq, even as they shell the Green Zone...
Bottom line...the surge is working but it could be not working at any time. Send more money and thanks for the opportunity to speak to you today.
Love,
General Petraeus and Mr Crocker
P.D. @ 90:
Right, that's what they mean when they talk of our "vital interests in the ME". It's all about the oil, baby!
Iran Iran Iran Iran Iran Iran
Weaseldog @ 95:
Mabye they're retreating INTO the Green Zone?!
P.D. @ 90:
You DON'T empower guys like Saddam to begin with!
Why is that so difficult for "Leaders" to understand?
You'll only ever get a real response to an off-the-wall or trick question. They have the pat answers and diversions to all the real questions that they expect.
Dr. Acula @ 99:
i guess iran has not furnished them with compases!
Damn, we should have made bets on how many times we would hear the word "Iran" in both of their speeches.
We got greedy thugs who've gone off the deep end into their little bubble of personal insanity running the world. Thats the problem.
Petraeus is a COMPANY MAN. What do you THINK he's gonna say?
This message brought to you by DUHHHHH.
Talk talk talk - the Dems are useless. Tell me again why I voted for these morons?
Frank Dufek @ 94:
Sadly I agree.
This is on the path to escalation. We will be forced to sacrifice.
Start your Victory Garden and start assembling a rain water collection system.
Doomsday isn't coming, but harder times are. There has never been a war without sacrifice. If we don't choose our sacrifices, they will be chosen for us.
Who here can ride out $4.50/gal gasoline and 50% higher food prices, right now? How can you get there?
This won't end for years.
I believe that Bush will hit Iran. When he does, my scenario above is overly optimistic.
If he doesn't, Iraq will continue to erode our economy for years to come.
I was called a Chicken Little by predicting we'd be here today. I may be a Chicken Little now, but what is the price if I am right, the price if I am wrong.
"Bring Them Home!"!!!!
Nail down your strength-sanity-integrity. The rest of this year is going to be sheer madness friends.
tyree @ 78:
Yep, Iran was common theme in his speech. The repugs and the media has chosen McBonkers to lead our nation into a kamikaze nose dive into Iran, WWIII, and the second great depression.
redratio 1, what choice do we have? Spineless jerks or religious nut-jobs?
Petreaus was surprised that the counter offensive in Basra was so quick and decisive.
He says that they could've done better.
redratio1 @ 106:
because you were foolish enought to believe any of these lieing son of a bitches, none of them give a crap about you or anyone , just your vote , after that its eat a mean one!
P.D. @ 110:
Clueless Morons?
The netroots have been promoting A Responsible Plan, which has been endorsed to date by 50 Democratic congressional candidates and 3,500 people
Kucinich has had a 12 point plan in hand for years and they laugh at him. What do you think will happen to your congressional candidates and 3500 people? Spare me the bullshit please.
L.A. Confidential @ 108:
And CNN/Fox/MSNBC will have live coverage for your viewing pleasure!!!
Someone should ask Petraeus how he would feel if foreign troops were to illegally occupy the United States and, as an extension of that occupation, kill millions of Americans. But it is extremely doubtful if those pusillanimous Democrats have the courage to ask that logical and very relevant question. Very few Americans seem to have the word empathy in their vocabulary.
tyree @ 112:
Learn and move on.
Don't let emotions effect your judgment. Don't let election day pandering make you forget their history.
The Iraq War is not making us any safer because we attacked the wrong country to begin with:
www.asecondlookatthesaudis.com
Erroll @ 116:
'Empathy' - We should get some for the USA.
Petraeus has closed the barn doors. McCain is pleased.
General Petreaus (R-Iraq)
Patreus is saying that the coalition leaders had no idea that the Iraqi army was planning a major offensive in Basra until a couple of days before it was launched.
Either He's lying or they have no control of the situation there.
Che's Lounge @ 122:
Either He's lying AND they have no control of the situation there.
Levin has been kicking ass. Makes me be proud to be a Michigander. He's been asking the tough questions and hasn't been satisfied with non-answers. McCain is looking like a toady; soft questions and a lot of glossing. The smirk he gave when the protesters got their warning during his opening speech was positively Chimp-like. My skin crawled.
I actually stood up and CHEERED when the protesters spoke up! Hope they have more in the chambers.
Weaseldog @ 107:
"Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship . . ."
But if people said . . "oh really Mr Little Ego Trip? And just who in the hell do you think you are you pipsqueak" . . we'd take a major giant step for mankind.
Congressman Wexler asked for submissions of questions for Petraeus. Mine was something along the lines of, "General Petraeus...since you're on record as saying that counter-insurgencies take about ten years, do you think the US military can fight for ten more years in Iraq without resorting to a draft?"
I really hope Wexler picked some damn fine questions to ask.
StirFry @ 115:
NO THANKS
Weaseldog @ 119:
We should 1st procure some brains and honesty for this horseshit president and administration ................
Crocker sounds like he doesn't believe what he is saying.
Shouldn't an ambassador be skilled at speaking and presenting?
My question would be:
"Don't you think that Osama Bin Laden is very happy with the monumental financial cost and loss of life that the quagmire in Iraq has caused the U.S.?"
By saying that we can't leave till we win, we are committing ourselves to ruin.
Great strategy Osama. Really.
Weaseldog @ 119:
We had the entire world's empathy on 9/11 and for a short while thereafter. Then the Worst Ever decided to f*ck up the world.
Weaseldog @ 123:
Well within the Cheney administration levels the violence is exactly what they want. I think they are controlling things more than we may know. My implication is that Patreus is lying.
Wow. Big news.
Weaseldog, I already started my victory garden. By the rate food prices are shooting up, I think I'll be a vegetarian this year.
L.A. Confidential @ 108:
Wow, I get chills down my spine every time I think about that. It's true though.
General, why do you view it as your job to defend this administration's policies? Aren't you essentially justifying a political position? When did that become part of your job description?
When President Bush says that he will rely on you for his military decisions, do you not find it incumbent upon yourself to point out to him that he has it exactly backwards; that he sets policy, you execute it. Will you promise to resign when a democrat wins since you are clearly carrying water for Bush?
Erroll@116:
These are questions I ask myself every time I hear the news of the latest horrors in Iraq. "How would you feel, senator if that were your wife and child?"
And to the armchair war mongers and 'support the troops' bumpersticker displayers I would ask them how they'd feel if they were shipped to Iraq and forced to fight a pointless, morally and ethically wrong battle against an unknown for an undetermined length of time [or until they die whichever comes first] simply because a bunch of over fed, over paid, neo-ruling class types think they should own the world.
I wonder how quick any of these idiots would be to side with a bunch of neocon murderers if they or their families were on the receiving end of some "enhanced interrogation".
It's all fine and good and "for the better of us all" until it's happening to you.
Then come the cries for sympathy, mercy and assistance.
I think that's what most of the war lovers need. A little war to come to them. I expect it would change some minds in a big hurry.
Weaseldog @ 129:
He's probably reading from documents that were handed to him last night. And they totaly contradict what he has been experiencing over the last year.
He should take a page out of Gonzo's book. Repeat, smirk, repeat.
Watch reichwingers start calling him Betrayus.
General Betrayus, with all due respect, go f*ck yourself.
I think they should waterboard Petraeus and ask him the real questions.
After all, it would be perfectly legal.
Go Teddy! Rip these bullshit artists new ones.
Weaseldog @ 129:
Nope, most of the time they're just the guy who ponied up the most dough during the last election. Ambassadorships are the last vestiges of the spoilage system.
Now it's old man Warner licking their balls.
AP: al Sadr is threatening to end cease-fire. Holy Crap!
Frank Dufek @ 134:
It's getting crazy everyones retreating into their shell while these so called leaders run amuck and get a free pass every step of the way. Those of us who say something about it get brushed off.
Kevin Holsinger @ 126:
Mine would be:
American airstrikes of civilian population areas in Basra and Sadr city predictably killed many innocent civilians many of them children. How do you think an Iraqi man in Sadr city reacts seeing an American warplane blowing his home to pieces, decapitating his daughter, her mother bleeding to death? If he joins the Mehdi army and fights Americans in his neigborhood would you characterize him as a "criminal" or "terrorist" controlled by Iran?
L.A. Confidential @ 146:
The question is: Do we expatriate or do we stay and fight?
Mr. Warner,
After 5 years and 500 billion dollars we have not (nor has the Iraqi "government") even built a foundation for the security of Iraq.
Iran
Al Qaeda
Iran
Al Qaeda
How telling is it that both Betrayus and Crockofshit admitted to not being told about the Basra invasion? Are we supposed to believe that the Iraqis acted independently? IF they did, good -- let them do it all so our troops can come home!!!!
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