Dem. Intel Chairman plays politics with Soldier's lives

[Recliner Pilot 61]

Hey, this guy didn't know squat about Al Queada, the Sunnis, the Shiites, or Hezbollah before Pelosi nominated him to head up the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, so why should we expect him to do what's best for our troops?

 

This focker changes his position just because Bush does exactly what he asked for. What a tool.

 

Is this the best and brightest the Dems have to offer in the War on Terror? Sad.

 

 

 

 

On Dec. 5, Newsweek magazine touted an interview with then-incoming House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Rep. Silvestre Reyes as an "exclusive." And for good reason.

 

"In a surprise twist in the debate over Iraq," the story began, Mr. Reyes "said he wants to see an increase of 20,000 to 30,000 U.S. troops as part of a 'stepped up effort to dismantle the militias.' "

"We have to consider the need for additional troops to be in Iraq, to take out the militias and stabilize Iraq," the Texas Democrat said to the surprise of many, "I would say 20,000 to 30,000."

 

Then came President Bush's expected announcement last week, virtually matching Mr. Reyes' recommendation and argument word-for-word -- albeit the president proposed only 21,500 troops.

 

Wouldn't you know, hours after Mr. Bush announced his proposal, Mr. Reyes told the El Paso Times that such a troop buildup was unthinkable.

 

"We don't have the capability to escalate even to this minimum level," he said.

The chairman's "double-talk" did not go unnoticed. Among others, Rep. Joe Wilson, South Carolina Republican and a member of the House Armed Services Committee, says such blatant "hypocrisy" undermines both national security and the war on terrorism.

 

Unfortunately for the new House intelligence chief, this is his second (some would argue his third) major blunder in the space of one month. When asked by Congressional Quarterly reporter Jeff Stein whether al Qaeda was a Sunni or Shi'ite organization, he answered: "Predominantly, probably Shi'ite."

 

As Mr. Stein wrote later: "He couldn't have been more wrong. Al Qaeda is profoundly Sunni. If a Shi'ite showed up at an al Qaeda clubhouse, they'd slice his head off and use it for a soccer ball."

 

The reporter added: "To me, it's like asking about Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland: Who's on what side?"

 

In the same interview, Mr. Stein had asked Mr. Reyes about the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

 

His now-infamous reply: "Hezbollah. Uh, Hezbollah? ... Why do you ask me these questions at 5 o'clock? Can I answer in Spanish? Do you speak Spanish?"

 

http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/inbeltway.htm

[Artist Formerly Known as Big O 0]

You seriously need to get laid. Good god, you're as bad as Torrid and MDC with this incessant politcal BS.

[Recliner Pilot 61]

Got laid last night.

 

Two years of fun and games. Welcome to being in the majority.

[davebg 0]

Maybe one day politicians will realize that the American public is sick of their pandering bullsh|t and that is why "politician" is quickly moving into ambulance chaser/attorney territory.

[MDC 5,902]

Bush says a surge would be bad, changes his mind - no problem

 

Some dude I've never heard of calls for a surge, changes his mind - hypocrisy!

 

[davebg 0]

Bush says a surge would be bad, changes his mind - no problem

 

Some dude I've never heard of calls for a surge, changes his mind - hypocrisy!

 

OK, first of all, one of the biggest gripes that you and similarly minded people have about Bush is his unwillingness to listen and take input from others. So, which is it? Do you want him to listen to the recommendations of people like Reyes or not?

 

Second, Reyes is the newly appointed head of the House Select Committee on Intelligence. The fact that you have "never heard of" him says more about you and your lack of knowledge regarding the goings on in DC than anything else.

[MDC 5,902]

OK, first of all, one of the biggest gripes that you and similarly minded people have about Bush is his unwillingness to listen and take input from others. So, which is it? Do you want him to listen to the recommendations of people like Reyes or not?

 

Second, Reyes is the newly appointed head of the House Select Committee on Intelligence. The fact that you have "never heard of" him says more about you and your lack of knowledge regarding the goings on in DC than anything else.

 

My biggest gripe with the surge idea is that it's a political stunt and it came several years too late. I don't know the history of this Reyes guy's comments but it is possible that he called for a surge a year or two ago when it might have made a difference. Or he may just be changing course to rip the President. Either way, I think it's hysterical that RP et al. rip Reyes for demonstrating the exact same hypocrisy they ignore in Bush.

[Recliner Pilot 61]

So it's OK with MDC for the Intel Chairman to take a position based solely on whether or not it is the opposite of Bush, without regard to how it affects the War on Terror.

 

 

And MDC can't grasp the hypocrisy of him about Bush needing to do something different, and then when Bush does something different.

 

Too focking funny.

[FranksTanks 0]

Hey, this guy didn't know squat about Al Queada, the Sunnis, the Shiites, or Hezbollah before Pelosi nominated him to head up the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, so why should we expect him to do what's best for our troops?

 

For example, he knows that the 1,400- year-old split in Islam between Sunnis and Shiites not only fuels the militias and death squads in Iraq, it drives the competition for supremacy across the Middle East between Shiite Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia.

 

That’s more than two key Republicans on the Intelligence Committee knew when I interviewed them last summer. Rep. Jo Ann Davis, R-Va., and Terry Everett, R-Ala., both back for another term, were flummoxed by such basic questions, as were several top counterterrorism officials at the FBI.

http://public.cq.com/public/20061211_homeland.html

 

You must have missed that from the original article written by Jeff Stein. I'm sure you would have started a thread about them too, and this being a problem with our elected officials and not just the democrats. You know, being as how you look at everything with no bias and all, especially when it comes to what is best for the troops.......

[Recliner Pilot 61]

They shouldn't be on the committee either.

 

HTH

[davebg 0]

http://public.cq.com/public/20061211_homeland.html

 

You must have missed that from the original article written by Jeff Stein. I'm sure you would have started a thread about them too, and this being a problem with our elected officials and not just the democrats. You know, being as how you look at everything with no bias and all, especially when it comes to what is best for the troops.......

How sad is it that a bunch of slackers who hang out on a FF message bored all day instead of actually getting work done know more about this crap than our elected officials with whom our security rests.

 

ETA: One day I'd like to see a class action lawsuit brought against Congress on behalf of the American people for their incompetence, corruption and complete disregard of their duties as elected officals.

[MDC 5,902]

So it's OK with MDC for the Intel Chairman to take a position based solely on whether or not it is the opposite of Bush, without regard to how it affects the War on Terror.

And MDC can't grasp the hypocrisy of him about Bush needing to do something different, and then when Bush does something different.

 

Too focking funny.

 

Yeah, I can grasp the hypocrisy of it. I'm just less concerned with the hypocrisy of a guy who was elected Intel Chairman a few weeks ago than with the hypocrisy of the president who's been setting policy for years.

 

HTH!

[Snoopy1 0]

Got laid last night.

 

 

 

Is your hand tired?

[Recliner Pilot 61]

Yeah, I can grasp the hypocrisy of it. I'm just less concerned with the hypocrisy of a guy who was elected Intel Chairman a few weeks ago than with the hypocrisy of the president who's been setting policy for years.

 

HTH!

 

As soon as you can show a Commander In Chief during ANY war who didn't make changes during that war we can talk about the "hypocrisy" of making changes during a war.

 

Until then ya got nothing.

[MDC 5,902]

As soon as you can show a Commander In Chief during ANY war who didn't make changes during that war we can talk about the "hypocrisy" of making changes during a war.

 

Until then ya got nothing.

 

Of course, it's not possible that Reyes just changed his mind.

[Snoopy1 0]

OK, first of all, one of the biggest gripes that you and similarly minded people have about Bush is his unwillingness to listen and take input from others. So, which is it? Do you want him to listen to the recommendations of people like Reyes or not?

 

Second, Reyes is the newly appointed head of the House Select Committee on Intelligence. The fact that you have "never heard of" him says more about you and your lack of knowledge regarding the goings on in DC than anything else.

 

 

Didn't the Baker "New Way Forward(or whatever) come out in time between these two statements.

 

And what imput, the report never stated a "surge" was the approach to take, in fact everything I read has stated the opposite from the report to the Generals.

[davebg 0]

Didn't the Baker "New Way Forward(or whatever) come out in time between these two statements.

 

And what imput, the report never stated a "surge" was the approach to take, in fact everything I read has stated the opposite from the report to the Generals.

Personally, I was never fully sold on the Baker report. In some ways it seemed to be offering suggestions to deal w/the political realities here in the US, as opposed to the actual real realities on the ground, but I could be wrong.

[Isotopes 1]

Has anyone considerd that they are all lying scumbags. Just because Repulicans are bad doesn't mean Democrats are good and just because Democrats are bad doesn't make Republicans good. For the most part they all suck. There are some exceptions but most of these guys are scumbags.

[Recliner Pilot 61]

I don't know the history of this Reyes guy's comments but it is possible that he called for a surge a year or two ago when it might have made a difference. Or he may just be changing course to rip the President.

 

 

I really don't think you even bother to read links before trying to bash Bush. You might try it sometime, it may keep you form looking like a complete idiot.

 

Reyes called for 20,000-30,000 more troops in DECEMBER 2006. As soon as Bush announced the increase Reyes was against the idea saying "We don't have the capability to escalate even to this minimum level".

 

What watershed event happened in December that would make the U.S. incapable of moving these troops to Iraq? I don't recall anything that would have that impact.

[MDC 5,902]

I really don't think you even bother to read links before trying to bash Bush. You might try it sometime, it may keep you form looking like a complete idiot.

 

Reyes called for 20,000-30,000 more troops in DECEMBER 2006. As soon as Bush announced the increase Reyes was against the idea saying "We don't have the capability to escalate even to this minimum level".

 

What watershed event happened in December that would make the U.S. incapable of moving these troops to Iraq? I don't recall anything that would have that impact.

 

You are right - I didn't read that link. Either way I wonder why you never rip Bush for the same exact hypocrisy.

 

you're just a troll Recliner Rick

[Recliner Pilot 61]

As soon as you can show a Commander In Chief during ANY war who didn't make changes during that war we can talk about the "hypocrisy" of making changes during a war.

 

Until then ya got nothing.

 

 

Like I said already MDC. Show me the above and then we can talk about Bush's "hypocrisy"

[wiffleball 4,649]

Gotta love the mouth-breathing mentality of the uber Bush lovers. If Bush flip flops (repeatedly), he's "a thoughtful man who considers all options" (even though he fired anybody who disagreed with him). If a Democrat does it, well he's just a 'flip flopper".

 

Man, at least I can call anybody on being a hypocrite. Sounds like this guy's just playing politics. - I think the reason Right Wingers are generally referred to as generally "stupid" is because they can't seem to apply even their own logic or standards on a consistent basis.

 

That's prolly the case for extremists on both cases, but for a President who sees moderation as "wishy-washy", it comes back to bite him in the axx harder than most.

[SWC 0]

What watershed event happened in December that would make the U.S. incapable of moving these troops to Iraq? I don't recall anything that would have that impact.

 

Didn't the Iraq Study Group's report come out in December, 2006?

 

That report -- bipartisan, commissioned by Congress -- stated, in part, that:

 

3. More Troops for Iraq

Sustained increases in U.S. troop levels would not solve the fundamental cause of violence in

Iraq, which is the absence of national reconciliation. A senior American general told us that

adding U.S. troops might temporarily help limit violence in a highly localized area. However,

past experience indicates that the violence would simply rekindle as soon as U.S. forces are

moved to another area. As another American general told us, if the Iraqi government does not

make political progress, “all the troops in the world will not provide security.” Meanwhile,

America’s military capacity is stretched thin: we do not have the troops or equipment to make a

substantial, sustained increase in our troop presence. Increased deployments to Iraq would also

necessarily hamper our ability to provide adequate resources for our efforts in Afghanistan or

respond to crises around the world.

 

I'm not defending any flip-flop (I don't know enough about it), but this might explain it.

[wiffleball 4,649]

Didn't the Iraq Study Group's report come out in December, 2006?

 

That report -- bipartisan, commissioned by Congress -- stated, in part, that:

I'm not defending any flip-flop (I don't know enough about it), but this might explain it.

 

 

God forbid someone bring FACTS to an argument.

 

Nicely done.

[Recliner Pilot 61]

Didn't the Iraq Study Group's report come out in December, 2006?

 

That report -- bipartisan, commissioned by Congress -- stated, in part, that:

I'm not defending any flip-flop (I don't know enough about it), but this might explain it.

 

 

No, it doesn't explain his flip-flop.

 

Reyes' own explanation was that our military couldn't handle the increase. He said nothing about the Iraq Study Group.

 

So I ask again, what watershed event happened in Dec that would cause the U.S. Military to be unable to sustain a troop increase smaller than the one Reyes called for in early Dec? The ISG has no impact on our ability to deploy troops,

[SWC 0]

No, it doesn't explain his flip-flop.

 

Reyes' own explanation was that our military couldn't handle the increase. He said nothing about the Iraq Study Group.

 

So I ask again, what watershed event happened in Dec that would cause the U.S. Military to be unable to sustain a troop increase smaller than the one Reyes called for in early Dec? The ISG has no impact on our ability to deploy troops,

 

On Reye's explanation: If his explanation was that our military couldn't handle the increase, it certainly sounds like he's echoing the Study Group's evaluation: Namely, "Meanwhile, America’s military capacity is stretched thin: we do not have the troops or equipment to make a substantial, sustained increase in our troop presence." (This was part of the quote I provided above, from the Report.)

 

I checked, and the report was released on December 6, 2006.

 

On your apparent tacit assertion that the Report was not important, or "not a watershed event:" As some others have said in this thread, our politicans can (and often are, sadly) be ill informed of actual on-the-ground, and in-the-field facts. The report consulted the following individuals:

 

Iraq Study Group Consultations

(* denotes a meeting that took place in Iraq)

Iraqi Officials and Representatives

* Jalal Talabani—President

* Tariq al-Hashimi—Vice President

* Adil Abd al-Mahdi—Vice President

* Nouri Kamal al-Maliki—Prime Minister

* Salaam al-Zawbai—Deputy Prime Minister

* Barham Salih—Deputy Prime Minister

* Mahmoud al-Mashhadani—Speaker of the Parliament

* Mowaffak al-Rubaie—National Security Advisor

* Jawad Kadem al-Bolani—Minister of Interior

* Abdul Qader Al-Obeidi—Minister of Defense

* Hoshyar Zebari—Minister of Foreign Affairs

* Bayan Jabr—Minister of Finance

* Hussein al-Shahristani—Minster of Oil

* Karim Waheed—Minister of Electricity

* Akram al-Hakim—Minister of State for National Reconciliation Affairs

* Mithal al-Alusi—Member, High Commission on National Reconciliation

* Ayad Jamal al-Din—Member, High Commission on National Reconciliation

* Ali Khalifa al-Duleimi—Member, High Commission on National Reconciliation

* Sami al-Ma’ajoon—Member, High Commission on National Reconciliation

* Muhammad Ahmed Mahmoud—Member, Commission on National Reconciliation

* Wijdan Mikhael—Member, High Commission on National Reconciliation

Lt. General Nasir Abadi—Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iraqi Joint Forces

66

* Adnan al-Dulaimi—Head of the Tawafuq list

Ali Allawi—Former Minister of Finance

* Sheik Najeh al-Fetlawi—representative of Moqtada al-Sadr

* Abd al-Aziz al-Hakim—Shia Coalition Leader

* Sheik Maher al-Hamraa—Ayat Allah Said Sussein Al

Sadar

* Hajim al-Hassani—Member of the Parliament on the Iraqiya list

* Hunain Mahmood Ahmed Al-Kaddo—President of the Iraqi Minorities Council

* Abid al-Gufhoor Abid al-Razaq al-Kaisi—Dean of the Islamic University of the Imam Al-

Atham

* Ali Neema Mohammed Aifan al-Mahawili—Rafiday Al-Iraq Al-Jaded Foundation

* Saleh al-Mutlaq—Leader of the Iraqi Front for National Dialogue

* Ayyad al-Sammara’l—Member of the Parliament

* Yonadim Kenna—Member of the Parliament and Secretary General of Assyrian Movement

* Shahla Wali Mohammed—Iraqi Counterpart International

* Hamid Majid Musa—Secretary of the Iraqi Communist Party

* Raid Khyutab Muhemeed—Humanitarian, Cultural, and Social Foundation

Sinan Shabibi—Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq

Samir Shakir M. Sumaidaie—Ambassador of Iraq to the United States

Current U.S. Administration Officials

Senior Administration Officials

George W. Bush—President

Richard B. Cheney—Vice President

Condoleezza Rice—Secretary of State

Donald H. Rumsfeld—Secretary of Defense

Stephen J. Hadley—National Security Advisor

Joshua B. Bolten—White House Chief of Staff

Department of Defense/Military

CIVILIAN:

Gordon England—Deputy Secretary of Defense

Stephen Cambone—Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence

Eric Edelman—Under Secretary of Defense for Policy

MILITARY:

General Peter Pace—Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Admiral Edmund Giambastiani—Vice-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

General John Abizaid—Commander, United States Central Command

* General George W. Casey, Jr.—Commanding General,

Multi-National Forces–Iraq

Lt. General James T. Conway—Director of Operations, J-3, on the Joint Staff

* Lt. General Peter Chiarelli—Commander, Multi-National Forces–Iraq

Lt. General David H. Petraeus—Commanding General, U.S. Army Combined Arms Center and

Fort Leavenworth

* Lt. General Martin Dempsey—Commander Multi-National Security Transition Command–

Iraq

* Maj. General Joseph Peterson—Coalition Police Assistance Training Team

* Maj. General Richard Zilmer—Commander, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force

Colonel Derek Harvey—Senior Intelligence Officer for Iraq, Defense Intelligence Agency

67

Lt. Colonel Richard Bowyer—National War College (recently served in Iraq)

Lt. Colonel Justin Gubler—National War College (recently served in Iraq)

Lt. Colonel David Haight—National War College (recently served in Iraq)

Lt. Colonel Russell Smith—National War College (recently served in Iraq)

Department of State/Civilian Embassy Personnel

R. Nicholas Burns—Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs

Philip Zelikow—Counselor to the Department of State

C. David Welch—Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs

James Jeffrey—Senior Advisor to Secretary Rice and Coordinator for Iraq Policy

David Satterfield—Senior Advisor to Secretary Rice and Coordinator for Iraq Policy

Zalmay Khalilzad—U.S. Ambassador to Iraq

* Dan Speckhard—Charge D’Affaires, U.S. Embassy in Iraq

* Joseph Saloom—Director, Iraq Reconstruction and Management Office

* Hilda Arellano—U.S. Agency for International Development Director in Iraq

* Terrance Kelly—Director, Office of Strategic Plans and Assessments

* Randall Bennett—Regional Security Officer of the U.S. Embassy, Baghdad, Iraq

Intelligence Community

John D. Negroponte—Director of National Intelligence

General Michael V. Hayden—Director, Central Intelligence Agency

Thomas Fingar—Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Analysis and Chairman of the

National Intelligence Council

John Sherman—Deputy National Intelligence Officer for Military Issues

Steve Ward—Deputy National Intelligence Officer for the Middle East

Jeff Wickham—Iraq Analyst, Central Intelligence Agency

Other Senior Officials

David Walker—Comptroller General of the United States

* Stuart Bowen—Special Inspector General for Iraqi Reconstruction

Members of Congress

United States Senate

Senator William Frist (R-TN)—Majority Leader

Senators Harry Reid (D-NV)—Minority Leader

Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY)—Majority Whip

Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL)—Minority Whip

Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN)—Chair, Foreign Relations Committee

Senators John Warner (R-VA)—Chair, Armed Services Committee

Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE)—Ranking Member, Foreign Relations Committee

Senator Carl Levin (D-MI)—Ranking Member, Armed Services Committee

Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)—Ranking Member, Energy and Resources Committee

Senator Kit Bond (R-MO)—Member, Intelligence

Committee

Senator James Inhofe (R-OK)—Member, Armed Services Committee

Senator John Kerry (D-MA)—Member, Foreign Relations Committee

Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-CT)—Member, Armed

Services Committee

68

Senator John McCain (R-AZ)—Member, Armed Services Committee

Senator Jack Reed (D-RI)—Member, Armed Services Committee

United States House of Representatives

Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)—Minority Leader

Representative Tom Davis (R-VA)—Chair, Government Reform Committee

Representative Jane Harman (D-CA)—Ranking Member, Intelligence Committee

Representative Ike Skelton (D-MO)—Ranking Member, Armed Services Committee

Representative John Murtha (D-PA)—Ranking Member, Appropriations Subcommittee on

Defense

Representative Jim Cooper (D-TN)—Member, Armed Services Committee

Representative Michael McCaul (R-TX)—Member, International Relations Committee

Representative Alan Mollohan (D-WV)—Member, Appropriations Committee

Representative Christopher Shays (R-CT)—Member, Government Reform Committee

Representative Frank Wolf (R-VA)—Member, Appropriations Committee

Foreign Officials

Sheikh Salem al-Abdullah al-Sabah—Ambassador of Kuwait to the United States

Michael Ambuhl—Secretary of State of Switzerland

Kofi Annan—Secretary-General of the United Nations

* Dominic Asquith—British Ambassador to Iraq

Tony Blair—Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Prince Turki al-Faisal—Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the United States

Nabil Fahmy—Ambassador of Egypt to the United States

Karim Kawar—Ambassador of Jordan to the United States

Nasser bin Hamad al-Khalifa—Ambassador of Qatar to the United States

* Mukhtar Lamani—Arab League envoy to Iraq

Sir David Manning—British Ambassador to the United

States

Imad Moustapha—Ambassador of Syria to the United States

Walid Muallem—Foreign Minister of Syria

Romano Prodi—Prime Minister of Italy

* Ashraf Qazi—Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Iraq

Anders Fogh Rasmussen—Prime Minister of Denmark

Nabi Sensoy—Ambassador of Turkey to the United States

Ephraim Sneh—Deputy Minister of Defense of the State of Israel

Javad Zarif—Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayad—Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates

Former Officials and Experts

William J. Clinton—former President of the United States

Walter Mondale—former Vice President of the United States

Madeleine K. Albright—former United States Secretary of State

Warren Christopher—former United States Secretary of State

Henry Kissinger—former United States Secretary of State

Colin Powell—former United States Secretary of State

George P. Schultz—former United States Secretary of State

Samuel R. Berger—former United States National Security Advisor

Zbigniew Brzezinski—former United States National Security Advisor

Anthony Lake—former United States National Security Advisor

69

General Brent Scowcroft—former United States National Security Advisor

General Eric Shinseki—former Chief of Staff of the United States Army

General Anthony Zinni—former Commander, United States Central Command

General John Keane—former Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army

Admiral Jim Ellis—former Commander of United States Strategic Command

General Joe Ralston—former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO

Lt. General Roger C. Schultz—former Director of the United States Army National Guard

Douglas Feith—former United States Under Secretary of Defense for Policy

Mark Danner—The New York Review of Books

Larry Diamond—Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University

Thomas Friedman—New York Times

Leslie Gelb—President Emeritus, Council on Foreign Relations

Richard Hill—Director, Office of Strategic Initiatives and Analysis, CHF International

Richard C. Holbrooke—former Ambassador of the United States to the United Nations

Martin S. Indyk—Director, Saban Center for Middle East Policy, The Brookings Institution

Ronald Johnson—Executive Vice President for International Development, RTI International

Frederick Kagan—The American Enterprise Institute

Arthur Keys, Jr.—President and CEO, International Relief and Development

William Kristol—The Weekly Standard

* Guy Laboa—Kellogg, Brown & Root

Nancy Lindborg—President, Mercy Corps

Michael O’Hanlon—Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy Studies, The Brookings Institution

George Packer—The New Yorker

Carlos Pascual—Vice President and Director, Foreign Policy Studies, The Brookings

Institution

Robert Perito—Senior Program Officer, United States Institute of Peace

* Col. Jack Petri, USA (Ret.)—advisor to the Iraqi Ministry of Interior

Kenneth Pollack—Director of Research, Saban Center for Middle East Policy, The Brookings

Institution

Thomas Ricks—The Washington Post

Zainab Salbi—Founder and CEO, Women for Women International

Matt Sherman—former Deputy Senior Advisor and Director of Policy, Iraqi Ministry of Interior

Strobe Talbott—President, The Brookings Institution

Rabih Torbay—Vice President for International Operations, International Medical Corps

George Will—The Washington Post

70

Expert Working Groups and

Military Senior Advisor Panel

Economy and Reconstruction

Gary Matthews, USIP Secretariat

Director, Task Force on the United Nations and Special Projects, United States Institute of

Peace

Raad Alkadiri

Director, Country Strategies Group, PFC Energy

Frederick D. Barton

Senior Adviser and Co-Director, International Security Program, Center for Strategic &

International Studies

Jay Collins

Chief Executive Officer, Public Sector Group, Citigroup, Inc.

Jock P. Covey

Senior Vice President, External Affairs, Corporate Security and Sustainability Services, Bechtel

Corporation

Keith Crane

Senior Economist, RAND Corporation

Amy Myers Jaffe

Associate Director for Energy Studies, James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, Rice

University

K. Riva Levinson

Managing Director, BKSH & Associates

David A. Lipton

Managing Director and Head of Global Country Risk Management, Citigroup, Inc

Michael E. O’Hanlon

Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy Studies, The Brookings Institution

James A. Placke

Senior Associate, Cambridge Energy Research Associates

James A. Schear

Director of Research, Institute for National Strategic Studies, National Defense University

Military and Security

71

Paul Hughes, USIP Secretariat

Senior Program Officer, Center for Post-Conflict Peace and Stability Operations, United States

Institute of Peace

Hans A. Binnendijk

Director & Theodore Roosevelt Chair, Center for Technology & National Security Policy,

National Defense University

James Carafano

Senior Research Fellow, Defense and Homeland Security, Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for

Foreign Policy Studies, The Heritage Foundation

Michael Eisenstadt

Director, Military & Security Program, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Michèle A. Flournoy

Senior Advisor, International Security Program, Center for Strategic & International Studies

Bruce Hoffman

Professor, Security Studies Program, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown

University

Clifford May

President, Foundation for the Defense of Democracies

Robert M. Perito

Senior Program Officer, Center for Post-Conflict Peace and Stability Operations, United States

Institute of Peace

Kalev I. Sepp

Assistant Professor, Department of Defense Analysis, Center on Terrorism and Irregular Warfare,

Naval Postgraduate School

John F. Sigler

Adjunct Distinguished Professor, Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, National

Defense University

W. Andrew Terrill

Research Professor, National Security Affairs, Strategic Studies Institute

Jeffrey A. White

Berrie Defense Fellow, Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Political Development

Daniel P. Serwer, USIP Secretariat

Vice President, Center for Post-Conflict Peace and Stability Operations, United States Institute

of Peace

Raymond H. Close

Freelance Analyst and Commentator on Middle East Politics

72

Larry Diamond

Senior Fellow, The Hoover Institution, Stanford University, and Co-Editor, Journal of

Democracy

Andrew P. N. Erdmann

Former Director for Iran, Iraq and Strategic Planning, National Security Council

Reuel Marc Gerecht

Resident Fellow, American Enterprise Institute

David L. Mack

Vice President, The Middle East Institute

Phebe A. Marr

Senior Fellow, United States Institute of Peace

Hassan Mneimneh

Director, Documentation Program, The Iraq Memory Foundation

Augustus Richard Norton

Professor of International Relations and Anthropology, Department of International Relations,

Boston University

Marina S. Ottaway

Senior Associate, Democracy and Rule of Law Project, Carnegie Endowment for International

Peace

Judy Van Rest

Executive Vice President, International Republican Institute

Judith S. Yaphe

Distinguished Research Fellow for the Middle East,

Institute for National Strategic Studies, National Defense

University

Strategic Environment

Paul Stares, USIP Secretariat

Vice President, Center for Conflict Analysis and Prevention, United States Institute of Peace

Jon B. Alterman

Director, Middle East Program, Center for Strategic & International Studies

Steven A. Cook

Douglas Dillon Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations

James F. Dobbins

Director, International Security and Defense Policy Center, RAND Corporation

Hillel Fradkin

Director, Center for Islam, Democracy and the Future of the Muslim World, Hudson Institute

73

 

(My apologies for the length of that quote)

 

When a bipartisan report (commissioned, I believe, by a then-Republican controlled Congress) based upon consulatation with a list of individuals of the above ilk, recommends against increased troop deployment, I would consider it a watershed moment. A politician taking this Report in hand, given its basis and those consulted in its creation, and then changing his opinion based upon it wouldn't strike me as unusual. In fact, I would hope that the Report educated a few politicians. So I consider it a watershed event.

 

if you don't, then we disagree on that point.

 

Even the President, moreover, appeared to believe the Report to be urgent. He stated, in a press release, that :

 

I told the members that this report, called "The Way Forward," will be taken very seriously by this administration. This report gives a very tough assessment of the situation in Iraq. It is a report that brings some really very interesting proposals, and we will take every proposal seriously and we will act in a timely fashion.

 

The commission is headed up to Congress, and I urge the members of Congress to take this report seriously. While they won't agree with every proposal -- and we probably won't agree with every proposal -- it, nevertheless, is an opportunity to come together and to work together on this important issue.

 

(http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/12/20061206.html)

 

(edited - SWC: p.s. I have to get back to work now, so I probably won't answer anything posted in response to the above. Take care.)

[Recliner Pilot 61]

I think you are confused on two points:

 

First, the Iraq Study Group is in no way a watershed event. It should have been called the "Iraq Surrender Group" because it doesn't address winning in Iraq, just alternative ways to cut and run.

 

Second, you are confusing "a substantial, sustained increase in our troop presence" with a "troop surge" of 20K. However, this troop surge is addressing one thing from the ISG; the need to crush the insurgency in Baghdad so the Iraqi govt/police/military can take over.

 

Reyes flip-flopped for one reason and you know it, because he couldn't be on the same side as Bush on any issue and keep in good standing with the ultra-liberal Dem party leaders.

[Recliner Pilot 61]

Another point: Given the fact Reyes is a dope when it comes to knowing anything about Al Queda, Sunnis, Shiites, or Hezbollah, I wouldn't be shocked to find out Reyes has never even heard of the Iraq Study Group.

[What is the deal? 1]

Another point: Given the fact Reyes is a dope when it comes to knowing anything about Al Queda, Sunnis, Shiites, or Hezbollah, I wouldn't be shocked to find out Reyes has never even heard of the Iraq Study Group.