Washblog

By following news reports, it can be determined that, while there is much talk about "reducing troops strength", "withdrawing American forces", or the always popular "cutting and running", since January of this year, American forces in Iraq have INCREASED from approximately 138,000 at the end of 2005 to some 160,000 by the end of June; an increase of some 22,000 troops.

And how is this "Year of Transgression" thing working out for the Iraqis?

According the Website, Iraq Body Count, somewhere between 10 and 12 thousand Iraqi civilians have been killed by action directly related to the occupation of that country thus far in 2006. There is no reliable accounting of the wounded. According to a news report dated May 8, "MORE than 100,000 people have fled their homes in Iraq since late February because of the insurgency and rising sectarian bloodshed, up from 65,000 just over two weeks ago, Iraqi officials said."

What of the billions of American tax dollars (on IOU of course) that have been allocated for Iraqi reconstruction? Well, according to a report by the BBC (finding objective reporting on this from the US Government is a joke), " Electricity generation at best meets half of estimated demand and fell below pre-war levels in early 2006. A 2004 survey found just over half of households had a stable supply of safe drinking water." It should be noted that, while the Iraqis are standing in line for clean water and are only able to run electrical appliances for less than six hours per day, the single largest construction project completed in their country has been the world's largest embassy where US diplomats can reside in air conditioned comfort. It should also be brought into the light of day that, while the Democrats tell us that they are against any permanent military bases in Iraq, the very language that would have prevented that from happening (which was passed overwhelmingly in both the House and the Senate versions) was stripped from the final conference version of the latest funding bill passed by both houses of Congress and only Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) has spoken up about this action.

So what are the prospects for the remainder of this "Year of Transitory Policy"? Just recently in the U.S. Senate, there were votes allowed by the neo-cons on two resolutions put forth by the Democrats about bringing American Forces out of Iraq. One measure (supported by just 13 members of the loyal opposition) called for some specifics from the administration on when we can expect the Iraqis to take full control of their country and we can START bringing troops out of that country. The other measure (supported by more members, including our own Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell) simply asked for a plan - any plan for withdrawal; nothing specific, no timeline, no dates - in keeping with the "Year of..." strategy. Both of these resolutions went down in flames. On the U.S. House side of things, the republican majority (with the help of some 41 Democrats - including Rick Larsen and Adam Smith - who departed from their party's overwhelming position) just passed a non-binding "Sense of the Congress" resolution that essentially codifies the invasion and continuing occupation of Iraq as an integral piece in the so-called "Global War on Terror."

And just how does the prospect of Iraqis "standing up" to take control of their country look? Well, according to and article in the Detroit Free Press, " WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon has stopped releasing its assessment of the number of Iraqi army units deemed capable of battling insurgents without U.S. military help..." The report goes on to say, "The decision to stop making the information public came after reports showed a steady decline in the number of qualified Iraqi units. That number now is classified, said Air Force Lt. Gen. Victor Renuart, director of strategic plans and policy for the Joint Chiefs of Staff." And what was the latest assessment before the numbers went underground? "Last June, the Pentagon said three Iraqi battalions were ready to fight by themselves. By last fall, that number had dropped to one. By February, that number had fallen to zero, meaning there were no Iraqi units capable of taking on the insurgency without help."

So is there any good news to report in this "Year of Transition"? Apparently the Iraqis have all of the pieces of their own government in place now and - here is the ray of hope: Mouwafak al-Rubaie, Iraq's national security adviser, said the number of coalition forces will likely drop below 100,000 by year's end. He also said most coalition forces will leave before mid-2008.

Maybe we should ask Mr. Al-Rubaie to come address our Congress.

Peace,
Chad (The Left) Shue