Day: November 30, 2006

Apparently not. Iran supplies Iraqi militias, says ABC News.

Remember the solemn pledge delivered by Democrats leading up to the mid-term elections to implement ALL of the recommendations of the 9/11 commission?

Nevermind.

Democratic leaders have decided for now against implementing the one measure that would affect them most directly: a wholesale reorganization of Congress to improve oversight and funding of the nation’s intelligence agencies. Instead, Democratic leaders may create a panel to look at the issue and produce recommendations, according to congressional aides and lawmakers.

Because plans for implementing the commission’s recommendations are still fluid, Democratic officials would not speak for the record. But aides on the House and Senate appropriations, armed services and intelligence committees confirmed this week that a reorganization of Congress would not be part of the package of homeland-security changes up for passage in the “first 100 hours” of the Democratic Congress.

Members of the bipartisan commission aren’t happy.

“Of all our recommendations, strengthening congressional oversight may be among the most difficult and important,” the panel wrote. “So long as oversight is governed by current congressional rules and resolutions, we believe the American people will not get the security they want and need.”

To be fair, the Republicans didn’t want to enact this recommendation either. But Democrats made a point of pledging to enact all of the recommendations. Their refusal to do so means it’s politics as usual in Washington.

As of today, President Bush says U.S. troops will stay in Iraq unless it’s government asks us to leave.

“I know there’s a lot of speculation that these reports in Washington mean there’s going to be some kind of graceful exit out of Iraq,” Mr. Bush said during a joint news conference in Amman with Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, referring to the final report by the Iraq Study Group that is expected next week. “We’re going to stay in Iraq to get the job done so long as the government wants us there.”

Hmmm…does this mean that if the Iraqi government asked us to leave, as early as tomorrow, we’d go with no questions asked? What about completing the mission? Do we have the same mission as the Iraqis? 

And about the formation of that great new democracy in the middle east? It’s still the goal, but this much is clear. The U.S. won’t keep troops in the country until its brand of democracy is established. That idea has proven itself to be nothing more than a huge political hot potato. For now, it seems that talk is off the table.

The bipartisan Iraq Study Group reached a compromise on Wednesday, and although the report isn’t supposed to be released until next Wednesday, the leakers are in full force. What we know so far:

• the report will call for a gradual pullback of troops
• there will be no timetable for their withdrawal

What’s not clear is the meaning of the term “pullback”.

The report leaves unstated whether the 15 combat brigades that are the bulk of American fighting forces in Iraq would be brought home, or simply pulled back to bases in Iraq or in neighboring countries. (A brigade typically consists of 3,000 to 5,000 troops.) From those bases, they would still be responsible for protecting a substantial number of American troops who would remain in Iraq, including 70,000 or more American trainers, logistics experts and members of a rapid reaction force.

The devil’s in the details, more of which will be revealed in the coming days.