Senators (both parties) slam administration on Iraq

[UpInArms]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-09-15-sens-iraq_x.htm

WASHINGTON — Senators from both parties accused the Bush administration Wednesday of incompetence in its efforts to rebuild Iraq and said the United States could lose the war unless it improves security and gets more money into the Iraqi economy.

Among those harshly criticizing the White House at a hearing were the two top Republicans on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee: Chairman Richard Lugar of Indiana and Chuck Hagel of Nebraska.

Of the $18.4 billion Congress approved last year for Iraqi reconstruction, only $1.1 billion has been spent because of violence and other problems. Hagel called that record "beyond pitiful and embarrassing; it is now in the zone of dangerous."

Even Lugar, who is not usually given to strong rhetoric, said the failure to inject funds into the Iraqi economy quickly was "exasperating for anybody looking at this from any vantage point."

<snip>

Hagel told two State Department officials they had "inherited a mess" from a year of Pentagon-supervised government in Iraq and expressed doubt that the United States was winning the war. "It's not a pretty picture," he said.

...more...

[skooooo]

1. You mean it's not Clinton's fault??

[alittlelark]

2. There are some Rupub ideals I believe in...

it's too bad that most of our elected Rupubs DO NOT!!! A TRUE consevative would be barring her teeth at these frauds in the WH.

Bully for the REAL Republicans!!!!

[annxburns]

3. Here, here ....

and while I would not vote for a Chuck Hagel, he does seem genuine in his concern about Bushies foriegn policy. I wish we had more republicans like him.

[Eloriel]

11. Well, we don't want too any more who own a big chunk of

of the company that makes the electronic voting machines they're elected on, like Hagel.

[DeepModem Mom]

4. kick

[Skinner]

5. Kick

:kick:

[Just Me]

6. Well, I suppose I am grateful they are catching on to the reality,...

,...of the circumstances. We suggested this nearly a year ago: that, if money/jobs were not handed directly to the Iraqi people, desperation would set in and retaliation (insurgency) would ensue because people have to freakin' eat, for crying out loud!!! The arrogance, shallowness and heartlessness of the neocons have created the perfect environment for a quagmire,...and, what makes matters more disgusting is that they may have done so ON PURPOSE to fulfill the aims of their f-upped agenda!!!!

[drfemoe]

7. so there are

actually 'statesmen' in the House?

Probably the reason no more has been 'spent', from allocated funds, is because those $Billions are now residing in someone else's bank account.

Listen. He has F*cked us over, ours and and our Country.
Who in their 'right' mind ( a pun ) could believe 'he' can do ANY- Freaking - THING for a nation on the other side of the planet? Other than cheat, steal and lie? Time zones do not change the the beast.

[MissMarple]

8. It's worse than we think if Lugar and Hagel are so outspoken.

This is a fine mess George has gotten us into.

[Kimber Scott]

9. Hiring Iraqis to work in Iraq would be a start.

I know many in the Bush administration think Iraqis need to be "trained" to wipe their own asses, but I think they could handle working at many of the jobs now done by foreign labor for exhorbitant salaries. This is why so many foreigners are being kidnapped. The Iraqis want to work.

Edited for puncuation.

[MissMarple]

10. Exactly, the CPA refused help to get Iraqi factories going.

This was in an article in the current Harper's Magazine by Naomi Klein. The factories try to operate with sporadic electricity and hand carried water. Apparently we wanted to sell off Iraqi government owned factories to foreign multinationals and create a regulation free capitalist paradise. Obviously this isn't happening. And no wonder the Iraqis don't trust us.

Also, products that are produced in Iraq such as cement, are imported from other countries. Now, how stupid is that?

[leftchick]

12. as long as bushco* is in charge.....

that ain't gonna happen. They still think they can make a profit out of this debacle!

[Kimber Scott]

13. Well, they've got 18 billion of our dollars. How much more do they want?

nt

[Raster]

14. Bulletin: The Illegal and Immoral war is already lost. The damage...

...has already been done. The reverberations will be felt for decades. You really cannot overstate the negatives. And of course, there are NO POSITIVES. Not a one.

[Rose Siding]

15. Reuters and CNN coverage *links*

Republicans Criticize Bush 'Mistakes' on Iraq

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6273276

CNN buried it in an Allawi article:

Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Nebraska, disagreed with such upbeat assessments in his appearance on CBS' "Face the Nation."

"The fact is, we're in trouble," Hagel said. "We're in deep trouble in Iraq. We need more regionalization. We need more help from our allies; we need the Iraqi people to come around us in a more supportive way."
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/09/19/saddam/index.html

[Princess Turandot]

19. Cnn has an article up reporting the McCain & others are criticizing ..

Bush's spin on what is going on in Iraq right now, and what the future holds.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/09/19/iraq.senators/index.html

"McCain: Bush not straight enough on Iraq
Senators of both parties criticize his picture of conditions there
Sunday, September 19, 2004 Posted: 6:46 PM EDT (2246 GMT)


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Several Republicans and Democrats took President Bush to task on Sunday's talk shows over his repeated assertions that all is well in Iraq.

Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona said Bush was not being "as straight as maybe we'd like to see" with the American people about Iraq."

The article is quoting McCain, Hagel, Lugar ("Lugar, who is chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, said "the incompetence in the administration" led to only $1 billion spent out of $18 billion appropriated last year for reconstruction efforts...") and Lindsey "Let's Kill Bill" Graham as all criticizing Bush on various aspects of Iraq, along with several Democrats.

(Originally, it was on the top right of their webpage; now it's in the Politics section.)

Hagel seemed the most-outspoken of the Republicans they are quoting.
He sounds sincerely angered but I wonder if everyone else is starting to cover their asses.

[salin]

16. THe view of Indiana republicans

per Lugar's statements... are that he has been consistently curmudgeonly on this issue. The party line does not allow that he might be correct...

[BrotherBuzz]

17. Not one more nickel for Iraq until....

Rumsfeld can account for the missing billions of dollars.

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0821-01.htm

'Staggering Amount' of Cash Missing In Iraq
by Emad Mekay


WASHINGTON - Three U.S. senators have called on Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to account for 8.8 billion dollars entrusted to the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in Iraq earlier this year but now gone missing.

In a letter Thursday, Senators Ron Wyden of Oregon, Byron L Dorgan of North Dakota and Tom Harkin of Iowa, all opposition Democrats, demanded a "full, written account" of the money that was channeled to Iraqi ministries and authoritiesby the CPA, which was the governing body in the occupied country until Jun. 30.

The loss was uncovered in an audit by the CPA's inspector general. It has not yet been released publicly and was initiallyreported on the website of journalist and retired U.S. Army Col David Hackworth.

The CPA was terminated at the end of July to make way for an interim Iraqi government, which is in turn scheduled to be replaced by an elected body early in 2005.

"We are requesting a full, written account of the 8.8 billion dollars transferred earlier this year from the CPA to the Iraqi ministries, including the amount each ministry received and the way in which the ministry spent the money," said the letter.

<more>

[struggle4progress]

18. kick

:kick:

[T Bone]

20. so will these two hounds for media coverage ever vote against Bush

on any legislation he sends up to the hill?

Don't hold your breath.

[demoman123]

21. This is BS. They are all criticizing Bush from the right.

All of them, including Biden, recommend escalating the war.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=615&e=1&u=/nm/20040919/pl_nm/iraq_usa_policy_dc