Senators (Warner & Levin): Iraq situation bleak (U.S. losing Baghdad)

[sabra]

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-2155617.php

Senators: Iraq situation bleak

Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee offered bleak assessments Thursday of the situation in Iraq and of chances of any near-term withdrawal of U.S. forces.

Sen. John Warner, R-Va., the armed services committee chairman, said Iraq “is imply drifting sideways” because the new government has been unable to exercise the reins of power or find a way to disarm the secular militias that are endangering lives.

Warner flatly declared that the U.S. is “losing the Baghdad campaign” as the number of casualties rises.

“War grinds on and we taking distressing tolls of life and limb every day,” he said.

Warner said something big needs to happen to jump start the government so it regains some hope after last year’s elections. He suggested another vote on a referendum for the Iraqi people about whether and how long they want U.S. troops to remain.