5
POPSRussia's Ambassador to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin Brands Saakashvili a "Nazi" The ministry cited new operations by Russia, including the re-occupation of a military base in Senaki in the west of the country where explosions were heard by AFP. US officials said Russia had moved short-range SS-21 missile launchers into South Ossetia since fighting there halted last week, and has yet to give any sign of a significant pullback of its troops from Georgia. Instead, there were indications that Russia was adding troops and equipment to its force in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, strengthening its hold over the breakaway Georgian regions, the officials said. Russia denies deploying the SS-21s. The withdrawal will not be implemented "very swiftly", a defence ministry official was quoted as saying Tuesday in the Russian daily Kommersant. "Nobody is planning to withdraw the Russian contingent very swiftly, as there is no such necessity," he said.
7
POPSIraqis wanted timed withdrawal in 2007; Bush refused Sunni, Kurd, Shi'ite joint effort quashed by US. Humiliation still lingers. Iraqi Nat'l Security advisor wrote: "While Iraq is trying to gain independence from the United States," he wrote, "some influential foreign figures" were still "trying to spoon-feed our government and take a very proactive role in many key decisions."
0
POPSGreen ‘Peace Party’ positions against the Iraq and Afghanistan wars compared to pro-occupation Clint
“The occupation of Iraq will continue whether a Democrat or a Republican moves into the White House in January 2009,” said Jason Wallace, Green candidate for Congress in Illinois’ 11th District <http://www.electwallace.us> and a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War <http://ivaw.org/index.php>. IVAW has announced ‘Winter Soldier’ (March 13-16), a four-day event bringing together veterans from across the country to testify about their experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan <http://ivaw.org/wintersoldier>. “The ILWU action planned for May 1 is evidence that working people are impatient with vague promises to end these wars. Will Ms. Clinton or Mr. Obama endorse the ILWU protest and pledge to call home all US military personnel immediately?” “By calling the Iraq War a matter of military preparedness and botched strategy, Democrats are sidestepping the premise of the war,” said Bob Kinsey, Green candidate for the US Senate in Colorado <http://www.kinseyforsenate.org>. “While it’s true that
0
POPSUK PM Brown Talks Troop Withdrawal Over at Political Wire, Taegan Goddard calls this " Another Gift for Obama ," noting that this has happened just "days in advance of Sen. Barack Obama's stop in London." John McCain becomes even more isolated in the world.
3
POPSPolitical Theater al-Maliki Style As the security situation has improved, Iraqis increasingly are calling for the drawdown of American troops, and it probably will be a top issue in the provincial elections. Maliki has tried to balance voters’ preference for the departure of foreign forces with the Bush administration’s opposition to a timeline. In an interview with Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine this week, Maliki seemed to endorse Obama’s troop-withdrawal proposal, drawing the ire of the White House. The prime minister's office later backed away from the interview. But Monday’s statement by Maliki’s spokesman suggested that he's speaking with an audience different from the White House in mind: Iraqi voters.
4
POPSIraqi PM: 'Obama is Right' My question is when -- or even whether -- the media will start comparing the facts in the world to John McCain's rhetoric. Not only is Iraq heading in the exact opposite direction of what he's been advocating, but so has the State Dept's. posture toward Iran . John McCain is being proved wrong before our very eyes and no one seems to be pointing this out.
5
POPSFacts matter The Iraqis most enthusiastic about Obama’s plan surely are al-Qaeda members, Sadrists, Iranian agents and sectarian killers of every stripe. The prospect of an American president suddenly letting up on them has to be the best cause for hope they’ve had in months. Obama’s withdrawal would immediately embolden every malign actor in Iraq, and increase their sway in Iraqi politics. In his oped, Obama sticks to the badly dated contention that Iraqis “have not reached the political accommodation that was the stated purpose of the surge.” In fact, roughly 15 of 18 political benchmarks have been met by the Iraqis — progress Obama threatens to reverse.
4
POPSSo Much For Those Permanent Bases "The direction we are taking is to have a memorandum of understanding either for the departure of the forces or to have a timetable for their withdrawal," a statement from Maliki's office quoted him as telling Arab ambassadors to the United Arab Emirates. "The negotiations are still continuing with the American side, but in any case the basis for the agreement will be respect for the sovereignty of Iraq," he added. As I have mentioned before, most Iraqis view the SOFA with the US as an encroachment on their sovereignty. It was the first time that the Shiite prime minister had specifically demanded a timetable for a US withdrawal, something that President George W. Bush has repeatedly refused to set. Bush and Maliki agreed in principle last November to sign a Status of Forces Agreement in Iraq by the end of July to set the basis for a US troop presence beyond December this year when the UN mandate runs out.
5
POPSObama's Okie Doke Obama voted against a ban on partial birth abortions. Americans support a ban by a margin of 66% to 28%. Obama supports affirmative action in public employment, contracting and university admissions. Americans oppose giving an advantage in these areas on the basis of race by a margin of 82% to 14%. Obama voted against a ban on partial birth abortions. Americans support a ban by a margin of 66% to 28%. Obama opposed the Induced Birth Infant Liability Act while in the Illinois state legislature, to prevent abortion providers from withholding medical care and sustenance from infants born after surviving an abortion attempt. Despite his equivocal statements regarding the recent Supreme Court decision striking down the D.C. gun ban, Obama has never met a gun ban he didn't like. While in the Illinois state legislature, Obama voted against parental notification requirements for abortions for minors. Americans support parental notification laws by a margin of 79% to 17%.
6
POPSIraqi leaders: No gains possible until US troops withdraw "The anarchy and chaos in Iraq is linked to the presence of the occupation, not withdrawal from Iraq," Renounce surge; question whether US public is hearing what Iraqis want; "nothing of this could be made possible until the troops withdraw from Iraq."
3
POPSSecret plan to keep Iraq under US control
Bush wants 50 military bases, control of Iraqi airspace and legal immunity for all American soldiers and contractors America currently has 151,000 troops in Iraq and, even after projected withdrawals next month, troop levels will stand at more than 142,000 – 10 000 more than when the military "surge" began in January 2007. Under the terms of the new treaty, the Americans would retain the long-term use of more than 50 bases in Iraq. American negotiators are also demanding immunity from Iraqi law for US troops and contractors, and a free hand to carry out arrests and conduct military activities in Iraq without consulting the Baghdad government. The precise nature of the American demands has been kept secret until now. The leaks are certain to generate an angry backlash in Iraq. "It is a terrible breach of our sovereignty," said one Iraqi politician, adding that if the security deal was signed it would delegitimise the government in Baghdad which will be seen as an American pawn.
7
POPSGAO: Faulty defense accounting, 3rd year in a row Little accountability, transparency; cites large contractor billings in "miscellaneous" category; we really don't know how our money is being spent, or if contractors are taking us to the cleaners in the GWOT (global war on terror)
0
POPSExcuse me, Mr. Bush, but what? I just read this and all I can think is, "What?" and also, who is filibustering against that treaty with Iraq. I cannot stand him. Though I have to
2
POPS What Obama's Senate Votes Reveal This past September, he joined 27 other Democrats in voting for a bill ordering Bush to begin withdrawing most American forces within 90 days. >>>>>>>>>>>from msnbc.com 'Yes' on Iraq funding cutoff The bill would have cut off funding for the Iraq deployment by June 30, 2008. Just two hours before that vote, Obama missed another Senate vote, this one to denounce a full-page New York Times ad run by the anti-war group Moveon.org mocking the U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus as “General Betray Us.” http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23276453/page/2/ >>>>>>>>>>>>> Last October Obama voted for an act that would have allowed illegal immigrants who become permanent legal residents to qualify for lower in-state tuition rates at state universities. Obama voted against a bill extending the cuts in capital gains and dividends tax rates that Congress enacted in 2003, and against the repeal of the tax on inherited wealth, the es
2
POPS 'End the War in 2009' February 20, 2008 The Nation
General David Petraeus will be testifying in Washington that the conditions are improving in Iraq and that the United States must "stay the course." Petraeus will be acting as a de facto surrogate for McCain in domestic politics. Obama will have to respond to the general's serious claims without retreating from the commitment he has given to early withdrawal.The questions of Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan could intensify as a symbol of America's current policies towards terrorism. McCain has already absorbed both neoconservative doctrines and the neoconservatives themselves in his campaign against "Islamo-fascism" as the greatest threat in American history. They will attack Obama for proposing to pull the plug on Iraq just when the tide is turning. They will question Obama's experience in pushing for diplomacy towards Iran, draw him out on why he favors more troops in Afghanistan and a pre-emptive strike against Pakistan if there is "actionable intelligence."
2
POPSCandidate promises of "greater," Iraq withdrawal
First actual real vote for USA president in two days, in the state of Iowa. Then in about a month most of the other major states will have decided. It hard to know who to vote for, esp. with the high level of deceit, deception and false promises in politics. When Hilary Clinton says and claims she wants to get out of Iraq it appears to mean to reduce troops by 50%. When Obama says he wants to get out of Iraq it sounds like troop reductions to 25%; and no more free lunches for war profiteers. Now, bold Johnny Edwards promises an 88% troop withdrawal, with more name-changers as to what we call these troops (i.e., call them 'trainers,' rather than combat troops; call them counterterrorist forces rather than an occupying arms, etc.) Is this like 'withdrawing,' from sex but still having sex? Or stopping smoking, but just smoke less? Eating on a diet, etc.? guess this is progress in Alice in Wonderland. But we still have to vote for the most reasonable lies we like, I sup
2
Pops
Newest Clips
Latest Comments
Most Pops
Print
Save
Turn on live update