Hagel: Begin Iraq withdrawal within 6 months

Scrum · 08-04-2006, 04:54 PM

The United States needs to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq within the next six months, Sen. Chuck Hagel said Thursday, rather than ratcheting up its military commitment now.

With Iraq exploding in sectarian violence and “moving closer and closer to a straight-out civil war,” Hagel said, the Bush administration’s decision to transfer nearly 5,000 additional U.S. troops into Baghdad is “only going to make it worse for us.”

In the end, he said, “feed(ing) more American troop fodder into the fight” could result in “even a worse defeat.”

Iraqis are “going to have to step up” and assume responsibility for defense of their country, Hagel told a telephone news conference from Washington.

Hagel said he believes increasing U.S. troop strength in Iraq by extending military tours while cycling in new troops is a mistake.

“Eventually, we need to start pulling people out of there,” said the Nebraska Republican, who is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

With violence “out of control” and militias in charge, Hagel said, U.S. troops increasingly are “seen as occupiers.”

If Iraqis themselves do not assume control of their country’s fate, he said, the nation may dissolve into a civil war that splits it into three countries.

It’s also possible Iraq may evolve into some kind of Islamic republic, he said.

Asked what the United States could do, Hagel said: “Ask the president. Ask Secretary (of Defense Donald) Rumsfeld. They’re the ones who got us into this.”

Snap.

Is Hagel ramping up for a presidential run or has it taken him this long to read the writing on the wall?

ballz2wallz · 08-04-2006, 05:07 PM

let's see. the iraqi government said a few days ago that they wanted to take control from the US.

how convenient now hagel says we should start a withdrawal.

SpicyMcVoodoo · 08-04-2006, 05:19 PM

Whatever happened to training the Iraqis to take over security from us? How many years have they been training now? What's the problem?

Scrum · 08-04-2006, 05:25 PM

Originally Posted by SpicyMcVoodoo

Whatever happened to training the Iraqis to take over security from us? How many years have they been training now? What's the problem?

I think the problem is the hundreds of dead people per week.

Stylerod · 08-04-2006, 05:36 PM

I'm putting on my Carnac the Magnificent hat so I can see in the future. I see us pulling out of Iraq but maintaining a close presence so that Iran or someone won't invade. I then see the Iraqi police and military using VERY violent means to quel violence and quiet dissent. I then see the media (and people here) blaming us for said violence.

Thorgrim · 08-04-2006, 05:37 PM

GOP owning itself, total h0tness

Stylerod · 08-04-2006, 05:41 PM

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

GOP owning itself, total h0tness

And I thought they were all nothing but "Bush Sackriders". I'm crushed

DosEquis · 08-04-2006, 05:45 PM

Originally Posted by ballz2wallz

let's see. the iraqi government said a few days ago that they wanted to take control from the US.

how convenient now hagel says we should start a withdrawal.

He has been preaching that for quite some time now actually.

Thorgrim · 08-04-2006, 05:53 PM

Originally Posted by Stylerod

And I thought they were all nothing but "Bush Sackriders". I'm crushed

Hagel? I've always respected him, more than McCain

ballz2wallz · 08-04-2006, 06:55 PM

Originally Posted by DosEquis

He has been preaching that for quite some time now actually.

oh...

...so why is this news then?

motivez · 08-04-2006, 10:27 PM

It's probably news because more and more Republicans are distancing themselves from the failed policies of the Bush administration as election time comes.

I like how it was a scant few months ago that the Democrats wanted to cut and run according to every Republican when they wanted to redeploy troops and start taking the training wheels off, but at the same time that rhetoric still exists from the moronic neocon pundits, you have all of these Republicans coming around and seeing what the Democrats saw months ago.