Responses To The Petraeus Report

Hey folks,

I just posted the Petraeus Report last night so you can read it and make your own decisions. This morning I want to talk about the insanity, and the smackdown responses over this report. If you really want a good and detailed account of all this, I recommend you check out ABC -Day of Reckoning for Bush's Iraq Strategy. There is a wealth of information there. They did a great job.

But first I want to start with moron.org. I mean Moveon.org. I always get the two mixed up. They took out a full page in the NYT calling General Petraeus General Betrayus. This got a lot of attention. Soros spent his money well on this one.

Former presidential candidate Gary Bauer condemned moron.org over this. He said.

"General Petraeus has devoted his entire adult life to honorably serving and protecting our country. He has been sent to Iraq to secure our victory in a war against vicious terrorists who desire our deaths. Now a left-wing political outfit has the audacity to call him 'General Betray Us' in a full- page ad that is being run in today's New York Times. The ad accuses Petraeus of 'Cooking the books for the White House' and goes on to state, 'General Petraeus is a military man constantly at war with the facts.'

MoveOn.org has every right to disagree with the administration and its policies. But our nation is at war and accusing our generals of betraying us is despicable. This is a disgusting smear against our men and women in uniform and it has no place in our political discourse. I call on every politician, Democrat and Republican, to denounce this ad and to demand an apology from MoveOn.org to our heroes in uniform. I especially hope to hear from those individuals hoping to become Commander in Chief. Candidates seeking the moral authority to send our young men and women into combat should not be aligned with political outfits that are disparaging them."

Do you really think they will? I don’t. They HATE the military. They despise it. They always have. They will not condemn those that give them millions. Moron.org even came out and said it. “We bought them, We own them.” They really do.

They have been attacking this report long before it was released yesterday. They starting the hearing yesterday with Rep. Tom Lantos, D-Calif calling General Petraeus a liar, before he even said anything. He called him a puppet.

During opening statements, Rep. Tom Lantos, D-Calif., said the men had come to Congress to "restore credibility to a discredited policy."

But, he said, "with all respect to you ... I don't buy it," Lantos said.

"We need to get out of Iraq, for that country's sake and for our own," Lantos said.

Which was quickly rebutted.

Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., said "it's an outrage," that unnamed Democrats were attacking the general's credibility in advance of the nationally televised hearing.

Petraeus also countered Lantos idiot and planned remarks right from the beginning of his testimony. He said this.

“At the outset, I would like to note that this is my testimony. Although I have briefed my assessment and recommendations to my chain of command, I wrote this testimony myself. It has not been cleared by, nor shared with, anyone in the Pentagon, the White House, or Congress.”

They already said they would not believe him. They already said, along with the good little soldiers known as the Mass Media Drones, that Bush and the White House wrote this report. Which is asinine from the get go. But Petraeus did what CONGRESS ordered him to do. He wrote, and presented HIS report.

Early Republican response? House Republican Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) issued the following statement.

The testimony delivered this afternoon by Gen. Petraeus and Amb. Crocker was as sensible as it was straight-forward - an even-handed assessment informed by the facts as they exist on the ground, not the politics as they exist in Washington.

These two honorable, eminently qualified public servants imparted on us today the importance of building on our current progress in Iraq, and avoiding the consequences that would be sure to follow a precipitous withdrawal of support forces from the region. In my view, we should fully and carefully weigh this testimony before rushing to legislative judgment - but we should also reflect on what was said here today and take its observations seriously.

Not a single member of this institution wants to see our troops stay in Iraq one day longer than is necessary - and today Gen. Petraeus made clear his intention to suggest a modest drawdown of troop levels in response to the successes he believes we have achieved in recent months. It's a recommendation this president will likely take a close look at, and coming from a man of Gen. Petraeus's caliber and experience - it's one that deserves our serious consideration as well.

Today's testimony reminds us that our progress in Iraq has not come without a price. That's why it remains more important than ever that Congress work together to craft a policy worthy of our troops' continued sacrifice, and consistent with their single-minded determination to succeed.

I love THIS response by the National Commander Marty Conatser of The American Legion.

Gen. Petraeus forcefully and effectively reported measurable gains to the joint session of the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees and his honest and professional assessment reinforced what I had seen in Iraq in the last month, Conatser said.

“General Petraeus's assessment that the military objectives are in large measure being met plus his reasonable proposal for a troop draw down prove the wisdom of the 'surge' strategy, Conatser explained.

He also applauded Gen. Petraeus's view that failure to follow through would be a rush to failure.

I visited Iraq in August and met with troops and Gen. Petraeus, Conatser said. There is no doubt in my mind, a premature troop withdrawal from Iraq would be disastrous for the Iraqis and the United States.

Conatser said the troops he spoke with there said they've seen significant change and real improvements in the security environment, echoing what Gen. Petraeus told Congress today.

The Senate confirmed Gen. Petraeus to change direction in Iraq, Conatser added. He's doing that but change does not happen overnight and his 'surge' strategy just became fully implemented in mid-June when the requested reinforcements finally arrived.

In the broader context, this report to the Congress today demonstrates progress in the global war on terrorism, the national commander said. We agree with the Multi-Nation Force Iraq Commander that this will be a long struggle but we support our nation's forces and their leadership for the long haul.

Two weeks ago, The American Legion unanimously re-affirmed The American Legion's unwavering support for the war on terrorism during the organization's 89th National Convention in Reno, Nevada. Resolution 169 also points out that the United States was suddenly and without provocation, attacked by terrorists on September 11, 2001. It adds, The global war on terrorism is a just war, aimed at protecting the very foundations of freedom and freedom-loving people everywhere.

Conatser, a retired sergeant major with the Illinois National Guard, fully supports Resolution 169.

I am proud that The American Legion passed Resolution 169, which reminds people that supporting the troops also means supporting their mission. Iraq is part of the Global War on Terrorism. I always believed that but after seeing it firsthand, I am more convinced than ever, he said. Everything I saw in Iraq last month points to the fact that the 'surge' is working.

The National Commander also addressed recent personal attacks on Iraq's top military commander.

For anyone or group to portray Gen. Petraeus as a traitor is outrageous and downright despicable, Conatser said. The military leader I met with is an honest, dedicated patriot who is succeeding given the very difficult mission before him. He should be commended not condemned for his 35 years of selfless service to our nation.

But this is who the LWL is. This is what has become of the Democrat Party. This, the anniversary of 9-11, where 3000 American lives were killed on American soil, some use THIS for political gain. Yesterday, Democratic Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich said this.

"Let us on this day mourn for those who tragically lost their lives on 9/11. And let us commit that their lives not be lost in vain, but become the basis for a new America of peace and justice. America must regain the moral high ground in our efforts to recover from 911.

Let us not forget the world was with America in our sorrow on September 11, 2001. The world was prepared to unite with America in a cooperative effort to challenge terrorists who attempt to disrupt civil society. Instead, the Administration used 9/11 as an excuse to attack a nation that did not attack us. Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11, or with Al Qaeda's role in 9/11. Iraq did not have the intention or the capability of attacking the United States. Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction. Yet the Administration deliberately and falsely conflated 9/11 with Iraq, with the cooperation of an unquestioning media.”

Complete outdated, false, and insane LWL talking points all. Ratboy needs new stuff.

"As a result, nearly 4,000 of our brave soldiers have lost their lives, and tens of thousands have been permanently injured in combat in Iraq. The subsequent occupation has fueled the insurgency and will continue to result in more troop losses until the United States leaves. Also, nearly one million innocent Iraqis have lost their lives as a result of this war. This violence against an innocent people is a tragedy of immense proportions. It is also a violation of international law, and those who authored this war must be held accountable for their actions.

Americans will spend close to $2 trillion in Iraq by the time the costs of this war are totaled, but the longer term costs have included the undermining America's moral authority in the world, the separation of America from the nations and the peoples of the world, and the destruction of a domestic agenda which is being deferred while we borrow money from China to fight the war in Baghdad.

We need to call those who used 9/11 to take us into war against Iraq to an accounting under the U.S. Constitution, U.S. law, and international law. We must soon begin a period of truth and reconciliation in our own nation. We must have forums of open dialogue throughout the country where we can come together to remember who we were before 9/11, to share our personal narratives of the times when we felt most secure, most in love with our nation, most trustful of our democratic institutions. We must recover our capacity for civic action. We must reclaim our nation. The only way we can do that is to tell the truth."

You can’t handle the truth! You wouldn’t know the truth if it slapped you up the side of your head. But this is who they are.

On this day, let us never forget. 9-11 really DID happen, and it could very well happen again. We need to listen to those actually fighting this war. Those engaging the enemy. NOT those sitting behind a desk, declaring war AGAINST their own country.
Peter


Sources:
ABC -Day of Reckoning for Bush's Iraq Strategy
Office of the Republican Whip
Campaign for Working Families
The American Legion
Office of Kucinich For President