McCain ‘Surprised’ by Iraq Developments

[sabra]

Source: NY Times

MERIDIAN, Miss. – As he launched a tour here designed to highlight his family’s long tradition of military service, Senator John McCain said Monday that he was surprised by the latest turn of events in America’s current war in Iraq.

Mr. McCain said he had not expected Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki to try to oust Shiite militias from Basra without consulting the Americans, and that he was troubled by some of the demands that were made by the Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr as part of his offer of a ceasefire after the militias held off the American-supported assualt. And he tied some of the current problems to the Bush administration’s old strategy there.

“Maliki decided to take on this operation without consulting the Americans,’’ Mr. McCain said on his campaign bus as it rolled through downtown Meridian, sayoing that the move showed indepenece but that he had expected the military to focus on Mosul.

...

Asked if the Basra campaign had backfired, he said: “Apparently it was Sadr who asked for the ceasefire, declared a ceasefire. It wasn’t Maliki. Very rarely do I see the winning side declare a ceasefire. So we’ll see.’’

Read more: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/31/mccain-surprised-by-iraq-developments/

---

:crazy:

[wtmusic]

1. A winning side declaring ceasefire might indicate

a wish to avoid further bloodshed. "So we'll see." You keep watching, John.

[Teaser]

4. Sadr didn't "declare a ceasefire"

He issued his terms, terms that the Iraqi "gov't" had already agreed to.

They went to him, begging for a ceasefire. Magnamimously, he granted it, with conditions.

Notice that Maliki has turned tail back to Baghdad.

[damntexdem]

12. McCain woke up from his nap, huh?

It's surprising just how surprised he would be were he to actually take a look at Iraq, as opposed to posing for photo ops there. Of course, I understand that he needs all his non-photo-op time for naps; but surely he could glance around a bit while awake and not blinded by camerawork. Or maybe not -- maybe he's as immune to reality as is Dubya.

[saigon68]

21. No he tripped out of his "Drug Induced Stupor"

What an ass clown, he is even denser than the CHIMPANZEE--- his daddy

[Wickerman]

2. I thought the Iraqis were ready to lead?

"he had not expected Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki to try to oust Shiite militias from Basra without consulting the Americans"

Not this shit again...

[sabra]

3. The PM of the sovereign nation of Iraq didn't ask the US permission! How dare he?

:sarcasm:

[BearSquirrel2]

8. More evidence that we should bugger off ...

I think this is more evidence that we just need to get out and let the Iraqis settle up their own scores. The only reason to leave Americans her at this point is to protect the oil contracts.

[Massachusetts]

5. Clueless in Washington

Way to inspire confidence Big Mc.

[MidwestTransplant]

6. There is NO WAY Maliki didn't consult Americans. We backed them up and took over in some areas.

Give me a break. This was supposed to be Bush's demonstration of how well the Iraqi security forces are doing.

[freedomnorth]

14. This part is important

Mr. McCain said he had not expected Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki to try to oust Shiite militias from Basra without consulting the Americans, and that he was troubled by some of the demands that were made by the Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr as part of his offer of a ceasefire after the militias held off the American-supported assault.

[Elspeth]

28. Agree whole-heartedly

More propaganda from an administration that is allergic to telling the truth

[Bragi]

7. Does McCain see it as a "defining moment"? /nt

[ladywnch]

9. McCain is now officially qualified to be President.......he has been "surprised"

by the inevitable and obvious. Bushco has been "surprised" by just about everything that has been staring them in the face so now John is fully qualified for the job.

[pattmarty]

10. DDDDDDuuuuhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Barrett808]

11. Another "nobody could have foreseen" presidency! n/t

[hatrack]

13. Well gee, Senator, he's a head of state, right? And Iraq's a sovereign nation, right?

So he tried to handle an ongoing insurrection by sending in the troops, and you're surprised that he didn't check with us first?

Shit, you really are just as much of a clueless dumbass as I thought!

[Fedja]

15. Sadr's statement with demands:

(Begins with passage from Koran)

"If two parties of believers have started a fight then try reconciliation between them but if one side was insisting on attacking the other then fight the attackers until they obey God's law then do reconciliation according to God's justice."

Starting from the Sharia responsibility and to save precious Iraqi blood, the reputation of the Iraqi people, the unity of land and people and to prepare for the independence and liberation from armies of darkness and to put down the fire of sedition that the occupiers and their followers want to ignite among the Iraqi brethren, we are asking the Beloved Iraqi people to be on the level of responsibility and Sharia awareness of saving blood, Iraq and its stability and independence.

We have decided the following:

1. Cancel the armed manifestation in Basra and all over the governorates.

2. Stopping the illegal and random raids and arrests.

3. Demanding the government to apply the General Amnesty law and release all the prisoners that was not proved to be guilty and especially the prisoners of Sadr movement.

4. We announce our innocence from any one who caries the weapon and target the government and services apparatuses and establishments and parties offices.

5. Cooperating with the government apparatuses in achieving security and condemn criminals according to the legal procedures.

6. We assure that the Sadr movement doesn't have any heavy weapons.

7. Working on returning the displaced people that moved due to security events to their original places.

8. We are asking the government to take care of the Human rights on all of its procedures.

9. Working on achieving the constructional and services projects all over the governorates.

Source: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2008/03/sadrs-statement.html


Ludicrous demands :) Hell, if I wasn't so angry... well it almost looks like he demands the rule of law and a rebuilding of a crushed country.

You wanna bet that won't be on the MSM? As long as it's just "demands" it sounds like he demanded 10 million bucks.

[tama]

26. Problem demands?

I wonder which terms of mr. Sadr's agreement for ceasefire mr. McCain considers problematic. The number 3 about releasing the sadrists that are being detained without due process of law?

But it is indeed a rare sight in Iraq and all the world that someone comes out winner not just militarily but also morally, as the people's movement representing the poor masses of Iraq just did.

Being no wiser nor better informed about the situation in Iraq than the locals, I find myself rather surprisingly (despite religious major differences of opinion) sharing the aspirations of the millions that put their hope in mr. Sadr becoming leader of the nation in near future and ruling justly a peacefull and independent nation.

[Doctor_J]

16. McSame was also surprised by questions about the economy and

public health. Now he's clueless about security and world affairs.

He is truly the heir to *'s disastrous legacy.

[Art_from_Ark]

23. Next thing you know, McLame will be surprised

by supermarket scanners

[Olney Blue]

24. Has anyone told him about the internets yet?

[Bucky]

17. To be fair, if we had another 100 years of this kind of progress, we'd have no Iraq problems

Of course, with a 100 years of more progress like this, we wouldn't have any Iraqis either. When the Americans leave, the Iraqis will learn to deal with each other--violently or otherwise--without calculating American troops into their strategies. Obviously Maliki was expecting the threat of American intervention to force the Sadrists to back down. This violence would never have happened if our troops weren't still over there.

[HughMoran]

18. Time for another hug from daddy

:rofl:

[fascisthunter]

19. And I Bet He's all Busted Up Knowing

that our soldiers are dying for political and economic reasons, all of which do NOTHING for the safety of America or its people.

[laststeamtrain]

20. Guardian version

McCain surprised by attacks in Basra


John McCain, on the first day of a tour intended to tout his security credentials, admitted today that he was caught off guard by the recent violence in Iraq.

McCain, who plans to devote the week to showcasing his family's tradition of military service, told reporters in Mississippi that he had not expected the Iraqi leader, Nuri al-Maliki, to launch an offensive against Shia militias in Basra - especially without informing the Americans.

"I just am surprised that he would take it on himself to go down and take charge of a military offensive," he said. "I had not anticipated that he would do that."

It was an unexpected admission for a candidate who has based his campaign around his military credentials. McCain, now the presumptive Republican nominee, was from the start one of the most enthusiastic supporters of the US invasion of Iraq.

<more>

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/31/johnmccain.uselections2008?gusrc=rss&feed=worldnews

[saigon68]

22. Steve Bell

[samsingh]

25. how can anyone believe this guy knows or understands

anything?

how can someone so out of touch be president? oh, wait, by hijacking and stealing democrasy.

[LynnTheDem]

27. “Maliki decided to take on this operation without consulting the Americans,’’

Thank Gawd George W. bUsh has declared Iraq to be a SOVEREIGN STATE!

Yeah "they" hate us...it's the idiotic hypocrisy, stupid!