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GOP Defections on Iraq: Who's Next?
Newly naturalized US Marines raise their hands during a ceremony at Camp Victory, Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, July 4, 2007, at which troops reenlisted and some were naturalized as United States citizens. Around 160 troops from 52 countries were given US citizenship during the ceremony. (AP Photo/Ali al-Saadi, Pool)
Attacks on Baghdad Green Zone
WHAT'S THE GREEN ZONE? Also called the International Zone, it's the heavily protected area in central Baghdad that holds the U.S. and British embassies, the Iraqi parliament and prime minister's office.
OPEN TO ATTACK: A U.N. report in June said insurgents had bombarded the area with rockets and mortar fire more than 80 times since March.
CASUALTIES: Nearly 30 people have been reportedly killed in the barrages.
Democrats Push All-Night War Debate
SLEEP OVER: Senate Democrats continued Tuesday to push Republicans into an exhaustive debate of legislation to bring troops home from Iraq by arranging for an all-night session.
TESTING: GOP leadership has been successful at blocking anti-war legislation because Democrats don't have the 60 votes to prevent a filibuster.
SUBJECT: The bill would order troops to start leaving Iraq in 120 days and complete the pullout by April 30, 2008.
U.S. Announces Major al-Qaida Arrest
THE ANNOUNCEMENT: The highest-ranking Iraqi leader of al-Qaida in Iraq was captured July 4 and told interrogators that Osama bin Laden's inner circle wields considerable influence over the Iraqi group.
WHY NOW: The White House is stepping up efforts to link the war in Iraq to Sept. 11, with a growing number of Americans opposing the Iraq conflict. Some independent analysts question the extent of al-Qaida's role in Iraq.
THE LINK: The U.S. says the captured man carried messages from Osama bin Laden and his deputy to the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq.
Senate Torpedoes Troop Withdrawal
ALL-NIGHT DEBATE: Senate Republicans scuttled a Democratic proposal ordering troop withdrawals from Iraq in a showdown that capped an all-night debate.
DEMOCRATS DEFEATED: The 52-47 vote fell short of the 60 votes needed to cut off debate.
TROOP WITHDRAWAL: The Democratic proposal would have required President Bush to start bringing home troops within 120 days and complete the pullout by April 30, 2008.
Diplomat: the Word in Iraq Is Fear
THE WORD IN IRAQ: The top U.S. diplomat in Iraq said "fear" still pervades the country and dampens progress.
SOME PROGRESS: Ambassador Ryan Crocker also said President Bush's troop buildup was just now hitting its stride and was showing some gains in tamping down violence.
WITHDRAWAL WARNING: Crocker warned against a withdrawal of U.S. troops, contending such a move could create a "comfortable operating environment" for al-Qaida.
General: Strikes Planned in Iraq
TARGETING INSURGENTS: Army Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno said coalition forces are planning "quick strike raids" aimed at smashing al-Qaida and other insurgents in Iraq.
CAUSING VIOLENCE: He said al-Qaida is the biggest threat because it wants to establish a safe haven in Iraq.
PULLING BACK: Commanders plan to start withdrawing troops in April that were sent in as part of President Bush's buildup.
the Combat Role in Iraq
STRATEGY: U.S. military officials are narrowing the range of strategy options for Iraq.
OPTIONS: They appear to be focusing on potentially reducing the U.S. combat role in 2008 while increasing training of Iraqi forces, although the final decision would rest with President Bush.
WAYS OUT: The main exit would be Kuwait, but officials are laying the groundwork to possibly move some troops and equipment through Turkey and Jordan.
Report Finds Iraqi Government Precarious
NEW REPORT: The Iraqi government is strained by rampant violence, deep sectarian differences among its political parties and stymied leadership, the nation's top spy analysts concluded in the National Intelligence Estimate.
TEETERING COUNTRY: Iraq's neighbors will continue to try to expand their leverage in the fractured state in anticipation that the United States will soon leave.
SOME FINDINGS: The report found some security progress but elusive hopes for reconciliation among Iraq's feuding groups.
GAO: Iraq Hasn't Met 11 of 18 Benchmarks
ASSESSMENT: Iraq has fully achieved only three of 18 political and security goals, says a report released Tuesday.
POOR PROGRESS: The Government Accountability Office determined that Iraq has partially met four benchmarks _ two more than identified in an earlier draft report _ and failed to reach 11.
STRINGENCY: The agency applied a stricter standard than the Bush administration, which determined in July that Iraq had made satisfactory progress toward eight of these goals.
Summary: Petraeus Eyes Troop Reduction
RECOMMENDATION: Gen. David Petraeus said he has recommended to President Bush that the drawdown of U.S. forces from Iraq begin this month with the departure of a Marine unit.
JULY 2008: Petraeus told Congress he envisions the withdrawal of roughly 30,000 U.S. troops by next summer.
TIMING: Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker's testimony came at a politically pivotal moment in the war, with the Democratic-controlled Congress pressing for a troop withdrawal deadline and the Bush administration hoping to prevent wholesale Republican defections on the issue.
Officials: Bush to Announce Troop Cut
UPCOMING ADDRESS: President Bush will tell the nation this week he plans to reduce the American troop presence in Iraq by about 30,000 by next summer, The Associated Press has learned.
CONDITIONAL CUTS: But he will condition those and further cuts on continued progress.
ENDORSEMENT: In a prime-time television address, probably Thursday, Bush will endorse the recommendations of his top general and top diplomat in Iraq.
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- Public Discussion (1)
As Bush withdraws into himself, in the twilight of his presidency, he simply does not care who deserts him at this point. He will do largely as he wishes: the fair-weather patriots who rah-rahed his War on Saddam, they're all gone. He's all alone on the parapets of his castle, hoping history will vindicate him. There seems to be a streak of fatalism to Bush, born of his incuriousness and deep ignorance of the American people. A bit of Lear:
'Tis the infirmity of his age: yet he hath ever
but slenderly known himself.
- 1 vote
#1 - Sat Jul 7, 2007 11:52 AM EDTYou're in Easy Mode. If you prefer, you can use XHTML Mode instead. |
