Administration officials say President Barack Obama is planning to announce that most U.S. troops will be out of Iraq in less than 19 months.
The plan would leave a interim force of between 30,000 and 50,000 to advise and train Iraqi security forces and to provide intelligence and surveillance. They would have to be out by 2011. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
The withdrawal would fall three months short of one of Obama's central campaign pledges to remove U.S. troops in 16 months.
A senior White House official says Obama is at least a day away from a final decision.
There are currently 142,000 U.S. troops in Iraq.
About 4,250 have died and more than 31,000 wounded since the war began in 2003. It has cost more than $650 billion since 2003.
Who will be the first person to accuse the President of breaking his campaign promise to complete this withdrawal in 16 months?
Iraq has been relatively quiet lately, compared to Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Gaza, Covina, etc.
But people are still dying there every day, as a direct result of the Bush/Cheney regime's misbegotten war.
In the spirit of the great IGTNT diaries, here's the story of an Army Reserve surgeon who was killed in Iraq this week.
On Christmas Day, a mortar round landed near the living quarters of the 1st Medical Detachment, Forward Surgical Team, in Mosul. It killed Dr. John Pryor, a decorated major who leaves a wife and three small children.
Pryor was educated in public schools in New York, and earned his medical doctorate at the University of New York at Buffalo.
Former UN Ambassador Richard Holbrooke and Dr. Joseph Stiglitz, author of The Three Trillion Dollar War: The True Cost of the Iraq Conflict, are in town today. They'll be at a news conference in midtown to hit McCain on his support for a war without end in Iraq and what it is costing us here at home.
TODAY, Wednesday, September 24 at 10:15 AM on W. 57th between 10th and 11th Aves. (to the right of the CBS building), Ambassador Richard Holbrooke and Dr. Joseph Stiglitz, renowned author of The Three Trillion Dollar War: The True Cost of the Iraq Conflict, will blast John McCain for his continued willingness to spend countless billions on an endless war in Iraq at the expense of priorities in America, such as roads, schools and health care.
Ambassador Holbrooke is the former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. and member of the cabinet (1999-2001). He was the chief architect of the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement (which ended the war in Bosnia), assistant secretary of state for European and Canadian affairs (1994-96), U.S. ambassador to Germany (1993-94), assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs (1977-81), and a member of Averell Harriman's delegation at the 1968-69 Paris Peace talks on Vietnam.
In addition to his groundbreaking book on the costs of the Iraq War, Dr. Stiglitz was a member of the Council of Economic Advisers from 1993-95, during the Clinton Administration, and served as CEA chairman from 1995-97. He then became Chief Economist and Senior Vice-President of the World Bank from 1997-2000. In 2008, he was appointed by French President Nicolas Sarkozy to chair a Commission on the Measurement of Economic Performance and Economic Progress.
We could never afford this awful war and haven't even begun to pay for it yet. Now we see that as the markets are collapsing all around us, John McCain is still hellbent to keep fighting it even as we still have close to 50 million Americans without health insurance, a crumbling national infrastructure and the wizards of Wall St coming to the taxpayer, hat in hand, and asking for another trillion dollars or so.
(This is a guest post from NY-26 endorsed Democratic candidate and Iraq War veteran Jon Powers. He has posted this on Daily Kos and Huffington Post.)
By Jon Powers
It was mid-July four years ago that the men and women of the Gunner Battalion packed up our gear in Kuwait to redeploy to our families. We just finished a nearly 15 month combat tour that took us from patrolling the garbage strewn streets of Baghdad to torn up neighborhoods of Najaf. Our soldiers witnessed a transition from eating dinner in the homes of the Iraqi people in the summer of 2003 to battling every day farmers who joined Moqtada Al Sadr's uprising during the spring of 2004.
Our soldiers represented a beacon of hope to many Iraqi people as they were excited that we were bringing them the American dream. Unfortunately, Washington's failure to provide us the proper planning, equipment, or even strategy was evident when we were unable to provide even the basic services or support that any human would expect and deserves. As our relationship with the Iraqi people began to unravel, so did the war.
Here we are four years later, over 4100 soldiers killed, countless Iraqi casualties, extremism is on the rise, and America's international standing falling fast. Our soldiers continue to do everything we have asked them to do while Washington failed to provide the political, economic, and diplomatic strategies necessary to support their brave efforts. They have courageously dealt with "mission accomplished," staying the course, the Iraq Study Group (which was thrown out after the 2006 election), and the Surge while returning for multiple tours without the proper recovery or equipment. The American military continues to do everything we have asked them to do, and more.
Today, Governor David Paterson has ordered the flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of three fallen soldiers from Western New York who lost their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Governor David A. Paterson has directed that flags on State government buildings throughout New York be flown at half-staff July 3, 2008 in honor of two members of the New York Army National Guard who were killed in action in Afghanistan, and one Marine who was killed in action in Iraq.
Sergeant First Class Joseph McKay, 51, of Cambria Heights, Queens; and Specialist Mark Palmateer, 39, of Poughkeepsie, died when their convoy came under attack in Logar Province in Eastern Afghanistan on June 26, 2008. The two soldiers were assigned to B Troop, 2nd Squadron 101st Cavalry, based in Jamestown, Chautauqua County. The soldiers and another member of the task force were killed when their armored Humvee was attacked by an improvised explosive device and small arms fire.
Marine Corps Captain Philip Dykeman, 38, of Brockport, Monroe County, died while supporting combat operations in Iraq's Anbar Province on June 26, 2008. Captain Dykeman was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, which is based at the Marine Corps Base in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. Two other marines were killed in the same incident.
"It is with deep regret that we acknowledge the death of these brave members of the New York Army National Guard and Marine Corps," said Governor Paterson. "On behalf of all New Yorkers, I want to express our sympathy to the families of Sergeant First Class McKay, Specialist Palmateer and Captain Dykeman. Their sacrifice will be honored and valued forever."
A friend asked me last week why the flags at Thruway stops and at state facilities were lowered on Friday. On June 25, Paterson ordered the flags to be flown at half-staff on Friday after three members of the New York Army National Guard were killed.
While this is becoming too common, it is an honorable move by Paterson to fly the flags at half-staff out of respect for those from New York who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.
And of course, our deepest sympathies and respect go out to the families who lost loved ones in combat, whether it was in Afghanistan or Iraq. New Yorkers have paid a huge price in terms of combat fatalities in Afghanistan and Iraq.
May these men and women who served so valiantly rest in peace.
I'm curious. After we've spent close to a trillion dollars in Iraq and lost over 4,000 of our finest men and women, after we've seen tens of thousands of them wounded, many of them grievously and many tens of thousands more who show no scars, but are wounded nonetheless, after 5 plus years of this, where is Randy Kuhl?
Does Randy Kuhl agree with John McCain that bringing our troops home from Iraq is "not too important?"
May these men and women, who served their country honorably and heroically, rest in peace.
Eric James Orlowski, Tamario Demetrice Burkett, Robert Marcus Rodriguez, William Wayne White, Eric Allen Smith, Bernard George Gooden, Gregory Paul Huxley Jr., Riayan Augusto Tejeda, Joseph Acevedo, Rasheed Sahib, David Evans Jr., Raheen Tyson Heighter, Heath A. McMillin, Joseph E. Robsky Jr., Kevin C. Kimmerly, David Travis Friedrich, Michael L. Williams, Rayshawn S. Johnson, Linda C. Jimenez, Jacob S. Fletcher, Irving Medina, George A. Wood, Charles E. Bush Jr., Luis A. Moreno, Thomas D. Robbins, Roger G. Ling, Doron Chan, Timothy Toney, David M. McKeever, Isaac Michael Nieves, Nathan P. Brown, Kevin T. Kolm, Jason L. Dunham, Michael J. Pernaselli, Nathan B. Bruckenthal, James G. West, Shawn A. Lane, Kevin A. Cuming, Luis A. Perez, Ronald Winchester, Ramon Mateo, Michael A. Uvanni, James E. Prevete, Brian K. Schramm, Segun Frederick Akintade, Matthew D. Lynch, Brian K. Baker, Jeffrey Lam, Steven E. Auchman, James C. "J.C." Matteson, Catalin D. Dima, Dimitrios Gavriel, David L. Roustum, Christian P. Engeldrum, Wilfredo F. Urbina, Pablo A. Calderon, David M. Fisher, Henry E. Irizarry, Cari Anne Gasiewicz, Joseph O. Behnke, Victor A. Martinez, Julian S. Melo, Jeff LeBrun, Kenneth G. Vonronn, Nathaniel T. Swindell, Francis C. Obaji, Michael A. Arciola, Christopher M. Pusateri, Azhar Ali, Wai Pyoe Lwin, Matthew A. Koch, Christopher W. Dill, Angelo L. Lozada Jr., Jacob M. Pfister, Kelly M. Cannan, Joseph S. Tremblay, Charles S. Cooper Jr., Michael V. Postal, Terrence K. Crowe, Phillip T. Esposito, Ramona M. Valdez, Manny Hornedo, Efrain Sanchez Jr., James D. McNaughton, Anthony N. Kalladeen, Hernando Rios, Jose L. Ruiz, Regilio E. Nelom, Mark H. Dooley, Casey E. Howe, Tulsa T. Tuliau, Leon G. James II, Seamus M. Davey, Ramon A. Acevedoaponte, Jared J. Kremm, Robert C. Pope II, Dominic J. Sacco, Aram J. Bass, Steven C. Reynolds, Clarence L. Floyd Jr., Lance S. Sage, Marlon A. Bustamante, Sergio A. Mercedes Saez, Nicholas Wilson, Thomas J. Wilwerth, Benjamin C. Schuster, Dwayne Peter R. Lewis, Carlos M. Gonzalez, Timothy J. Moshier, Scott M. Bandhold, Bobby Mendez, Jose Gomez, Elisha R. Parker, Michael L. Licalzi, Steve Vahaviolos, John W. Engeman, Jose M. Velez, Nicholas J. Whyte, Collin T. Mason, Irving Hernandez Jr., Julian A. Ramon, Hai Ming Hsia, Michael Dennis Glover, John James McKenna IV, Howard S. March Jr., James N. Lyons, Mario Nelson, Denise A. Lannaman, Michael K. Oremus, Julian M. Arechaga, Jonathan E. Lootens, Justin R. Garcia, Schuyler B. Haynes, Jeannette T. Dunn, Kenneth W. Haines, Travis C. Krege, Yevgeniy Ryndych, Jason C. Denfrund, Joseph D. Alomar, Shawn Patrick Falter, Nathan P. Fairlie, James J. Regan, Angel R. Ramirez, Lorne E. Henry Jr., Michael D. Rivera, Anthony A. Kaiser, Henry W. Bogrette, Brian E. Ritzberg, Daniel A. Fuentes, Steve Butcher Jr., James E. Lundin, Matthew E. Baylis, Kimel L. Watt, Shawn P. Martin, Alphonso J. Montenegro II, Le Ron A. Wilson, Christopher G. Scherer, Charles E. Bilbrey Jr., Juan M. Alcantara, Reynold Armand, Paulomarko U. Pacificador, Courtney Hollinsworth, Jonathan Rivadeneira, Chirasak Vidhyarkorn, Dwane A. Covert Jr., John D. Linde, Daniel J. Shaw, Steven C. Ganczewski, Isaac T. Cortes, James D. Gudridge, John P. Sigsbee, Justin R. Whiting, Jack T. Sweet, Kevin S. Mowl, Dayne D. Dhanoolal, Jordan C. Haerter
In urging the Department of Defense on Friday to grant special consideration in Raymond's case, Reps. Brian Higgins, Thomas M. Reynolds and Louise M. Slaughter point out that he was honorably discharged four years ago and rated 10 percent disabled by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
"Many of our returning veterans have sustained serious and permanent injuries as a result of their selfless service to this great nation," Higgins, D-Buffalo, said.
The letter, in part, asks that the order activating Raymond, 2 6 , from the Individual Readiness Reserve - an eight-year obligation following active duty - be postponed until at least June 1, when he completes the current semester, or until the end of the upcoming fall semester when he is scheduled to graduate in December.
Raymond attends the university through VA educational benefits he earned during his three years of active duty, which took him to Afghanistan for 10 months in 2003-04. In addition, he receives a $120-a-month VA disability pension for life.
The lawmakers also asked defense officials to consider Raymond's plans to appeal the mobilization order and be exempt from future activations.
Not only has Raymond suffered a loss of hearing and the knee injury, but he also told the Buffalo News that he has had a documented case of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Raymond has been ordered to report on May 18 to Fort Benning, Ga..
"I'm thrilled for the congressional support. It speaks volumes about the Western New York comm unity," said Raymond, reacting to the support, which also includes efforts by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-NY.
Raymond added that he would "go back in a heartbeat" if he thought "that it wasn't going to risk the lives of the soldiers around me or my own personal life."
I don't see how a man who is partially deaf would be a good fit in battle. That is not good for him and it is not good for the troops around him.
Hopefully James can stay and complete college, at the very least, and then head back for another tour. I don't think he should be headed back at all in his condition but we will see how this plays out over time.
I posted earlier about Darius and his support for the Plan. Kryzan recorded this video regarding her support for the plan:
I must say, I don't think NOT signing on to this plan is a bad thing. Signing on is a good thing, but if you have a great grasp of this issue, you're okay. That's what I look for. I was impressed with Dan Maffei and how well he handles the Iraq war issue. Jon Powers has said a lot of what the Responsible Plan says months prior. Powers is in a great position to analyze Iraq, considering he is a veteran of the war.
Iraq's Prime Minister was staring into the abyss today after his operation to crush militia strongholds in Basra stalled, members of his own security forces defected and district after district of his own capital fell to Shia militia gunmen.
With the threat of a civil war looming in the south, Nouri al-Maliki's police chief in Basra narrowly escaped assassination in the crucial port city, while in Baghdad, the spokesman for the Iraqi side of the US military surge was kidnapped by gunmen and his house burnt to the ground.
Saboteurs also blew up one of Iraq's two main oil pipelines from Basra, cutting at least a third of the exports from the city which provides 80 per cent of government revenue, a clear sign that the militias - who siphon significant sums off the oil smuggling trade - would not stop at mere insurrection.
...
In Baghdad, the Mahdi Army took over neighbourhood after neighbourhood, some amid heavy fighting, others without firing a shot.
In New Baghdad, militiamen simply ordered the police to leave their checkpoints: the officers complied en masse and the guerrillas stepped out of the shadows to take over their checkpoints.
In Jihad, a mixed Sunni and Shia area of west Baghdad that had been one of the worst battlefields of Iraq's dirty sectarian war in 2006, Mahdi units moved in and residents started moving out to avoid the lethal crossfire that erupted.
One witness saw Iraqi Shia policemen rip off their uniform shirts and run for shelter with local Sunni neighbourhood patrols, most of them made up of former insurgents wooed by the US military into fighting al-Qaeda.
In Baghdad, thousands of people marched in demonstrations in Shia areas demanding an end to the Basra operation, burning effigies of Mr al-Maliki, whom they branded a new dictator, and carrying coffins with his image on it.
Sorry for the light posting today. I've been in meetings all day.
BAGHDAD - A roadside bomb killed four U.S. soldiers in Baghdad on Sunday, the military said, pushing the overall American death toll in the five-year war to at least 4,000.
The grim milestone came on the same day that rockets and mortars pounded the U.S.-protected Green Zone, underscoring the fragile security situation and the resilience of both Sunni and Shiite extremist groups despite an overall lull in violence.
Five years ago today, the President appeared on our televisions and announced he had given military orders unprecedented in our nation's history. Moments later, we watched as bombs flew over Baghdad as the needless bloodshed began. And every day for five years, innocent blood has continued to spill, and promising lives have been lost because of lies.
And for every day of those five years, Congressional candidate Phil Steck has staunchly opposed and fought against the War in Iraq. I believe nobody in this crowded field of primary candidates is more qualified, more sincere, and able in his pledge to bring this war to an end as your Representative in Congress. Today, Phil Steck released a statement outlining his feelings on the Iraq War, some of which I am compelled to share with my fellow voters.
Read about Phil Steck's five years of opposition to the occupation, and how it compares to other candidates, below the fold.
Democratic candidates Dan Maffei (NY-25), Eric Massa (NY-29) and Jon Powers (NY-26) will hold a press conference beginning at 9 a.m. tomorrow at the Rochester Veterans Outreach Center, 459 South Ave., Rochester NY 14620.
From Massa's e-mailed press release:
Since the war in Iraq began on March 19th, 2003, 3,990 American troops have been killed, tens of thousands have been injured and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have died. While President Bush and Randy Kuhl continue to block health care for working Americans, deny us the truth of our economic situation, and create more hurdles for Veterans requiring services, they have no problem spending $3 trillion on a war of choice against a country that had no involvement in the 9/11 attacks.
"Those of us that wore the uniform honor our men and women who stood with us," said retired Navy Commander Eric Massa. "Today I call on Randy Kuhl to finally stand up to George W. Bush's failed foreign policy. Since he came into office, Mr. Kuhl has gone out of his way to rubber stamp President Bush's each and every demand for Iraq. We are currently spending almost $6,000 per second in Baghdad while thousands of children right here in Western New York cannot receive access to health care. Additionally, our returning Veterans continue to encounter more and more red tape while trying to receive the long-term care they have earned. This is the hypocrisy of incumbency and we must hold our failed leaders accountable."
Massa served in the U.S. Navy and Powers served as a U.S. Army Captain in Iraq. Maffei is very knowledgeable of veterans issues and the Iraq War and he stresses the importance of both.
10 Democratic challengers are today announcing a plan for Congressional action to bring an end to the Iraq War. Among these ten are New Yorkers Steve Harrison (NY-13) and Eric Massa (NY-29). The plan, which calls for no residual troops and a diplomatic "surge", will be announced formally here at the Take Back America conference in DC later today and I'll have streaming video of the event here on TAP.
Some details from the press release:
Ten Democratic Challengers to Issue Plan for Congressional Action to Bring Iraq War to a Responsible Close
Washington, DC (March 17) - A group of top-tier Democratic congressional challengers will launch a major new grassroots effort on Monday around a comprehensive strategy to bring the war in Iraq to responsible close.
Darcy Burner (WA-8), Chellie Pingree (ME-1), Donna Edwards (MD-4), Jared Polis (CO-2), Tom Perriello (VA-5) and Sam Bennett (PA-15) will be in attendance at the unveiling of a detailed strategy document at the Take Back America Conference in Washington, DC. The release of the document will take place at:
Palladian Room
Omni Shoreham Hotel
2500 Calvert St. NW Washington, DC
5:30 pm EST
Other challengers .participating in the effort but unable to attend include Eric Massa (NY-29), Larry Byrnes (FL-14), George Fearing (WA-4), and Steve Harrison (NY-13).
Originating outside the Beltway and based on consultations with retired generals and other national security experts on a path forward to end the war, the challengers' document lays out a series of actions for Congress to take to end United States military involvement in Iraq, strengthen America and improve our standing around the world, restore accountability and checks and balances to our government and work toward energy independence.
"I wholeheartedly endorse this plan as a responsible and forward looking plan for ending the war in Iraq. As Burner and her colleagues correctly note, bringing our troops home is the first, but not the only step that must be taken to ensure a debacle like Iraq never happens again," said Dr. Lawrence Korb, former assistant secretary of defense in the Reagan administration. "This plan addresses the root causes that allowed the Bush Administration to lead this country into this mess, and sets us in the right direction. I applaud their efforts on this ambitious and sound strategy. This is progressive strength on national security in action."
Here's some video of career Naval officer and the next Congressman from New York's 29th District, Eric Massa discussing his support of the plan.
This is a very exciting and important development, one that can introduce a dose of sanity into the debate about what to do about the war that will enter its sixth year this week. These ten challengers are to be heartily commended for taking a bold stand to bring this war to an end. They need and deserve our support. We hope that these ten candidates will soon be joined by more challengers willing to stand with them. Please consider giving some financial support to these candidates, especially the two New Yorkers on the list. It's extremely important that we show them and other candidates that we support their efforts to end this war.
The cost of the war in Iraq is quite a topic. But how about how the costs of the war affect New York?
The National Priorities Project compiled the data regarding every U.S. state and locale and their contribution to the war in Iraq.
Also, 2013 Is Too Late is a website whose message is simple: 2013 is too late to get out of Iraq. That is in response to the top three presidential candidates who refused to guarantee that they would be completely out of Iraq by 2013.
Once again, I'm reminded that I find few things more frightening the prospect of a Giuliani presidency. In an interview with with the New Hampshire Union Leader, Rudy opens his mouth and a whole bunch of spooky spills out.
Rudy Giuliani said yesterday he "never had any doubt" that if he were President four years ago, he would have invaded Iraq. He said he is now "even more certain" that it was the correct national security move.
"I actually believe that Democrats are going to agree with me on that by the time we get to the general election," the Republican former New York City mayor said. Giuliani addressed a wide range of issues in an hour-long meeting with editors of the New Hampshire Union Leader.
Giuliani said that if Saddam Hussein were alive and in power, he would be trying to build a nuclear arsenal to meet a growing nuclear threat from Iran.
"We'd have two -- instead of one -- irresponsible, terrorist-supporting regimes that have enormous amounts of wealth available to them wanting to become nuclear powers in Middle East," he said. Libya would also be "a terrorist-supporting state with nuclear ambitions," he said.
History will show that "it will turn out to have been the correct decision to have removed him," Giuliani said.
As I have said many times before, if you've liked the Bush years, you are gonna love Rudy.
