More coverage of 'A Responsible Plan'

via Brooklyn Daily Eagle;

On Tuesday Harrison joined other Democratic Congressional candidates across the nation by submitting their own six “Questions for Petreaus” on the Iraq War. It was among questions submitted by the “Responsible Plan Candidates” to General David Petraeus, U.S. Iraq war commander, and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker, who testified before Congress this week.

Harrison submits questions for Gen. Patraeus on Iraq

Today the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held hearings with General Patraeus on progress in Iraq. The Democratic candidates who have endorsed A Responsible Plan have submitted the questions they want Gen. Patraeus to answer. via a Harrison press release;

Responsible Plan Democratic Congressional challengers submit Iraq hearing questions

Steve Harrison (NY-13 Staten Island/Southwest Brooklyn), Darcy Burner (WA-8), Donna Edwards (MD4), Eric Massa (NY-29) and other top tier Congressional challengers

(Washington DC) Democratic Congressional candidate Steve Harrison and a group of other leading Democratic Congressional challengers dubbed the “Responsible Plan Candidates” have compiled a list a questions they would ask if they were already in the House , of General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker, who are testifying this week before congress. These candidates have been given this moniker because for their support of the “Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq” (responsibleplan.com), which calls for Congress to end U.S. military involvement in Iraq, restore government accountability and work toward energy independence.

Harrison is challenging Vito Fossella, New York City’s only Republican House member. Against Fossella in 2006, Harrison received a higher percentage of the vote than any Democrat ever under the Congressional District’s current configuration.

Below are Harrison’s questions.

Questions for Petraeus

1. General do you believe advocating for a withdrawal from Iraq necessarily indicates either a lack of support for our troops, or a lack of patriotism?

2. General, troop withdrawal is a military operation. Given the current conditions in Iraq, in your expert opinion, what would be a reasonable time frame for complete withdrawal assuming the planning started tomorrow?

3.General, Prime Minister Maliki's surprising attack on the Sadr militia last week showed great weakness in the government's ability to provide security as well as weakness in the government's political ability to unite the country. It also showed great lack of judgment in the capabilities of his military. The Iraqi situation shows no signs of near term stability and it does not appear American military presence has facilitated that goal. In the absence of being able to meet that political goal, what other military goals, in your opinion justify American military presence in Iraq?

4. Expanding on the prior question, almost immediately after beginning the attack, the Iraqi troops needed American air support. The Iraqi's seem to have some helicopters and troop transports but no effective fighter aircraft or pilots capable of supplying air cover. The US has been training and equipping Iraqi forces for years now. Can you explain the near total absence of an effective Iraqi air wing?

5. General, the New York Times reports that the long and repeated troop tours in Iraq are having great effect on the mental health of our troops. One in four is considered to be severely depressed or anxious. Please explain how this affects troop effectiveness, explain the solution and explain what the defense department is planning to help those troops who are suffering so severely because of the excessive troop tours.

6. General I have heard that, in reporting troop deaths, only deaths that occur in Iraq from direct combat are counted. I understand that deaths that occur outside Iraq, say in Rein Air Force base in Germany or in a VA in the States are not counted even if the injuries that caused the death occurred in combat in Iraq. I also understand that suicides that appear to relate directly to tours in Iraq, which are very high relative to the general population, are not counted toward the toll. Please tell us if what I hear is accurate and explain the criteria for statistical inclusion. If my information is correct, how many more troop deaths would be attributable to the Iraqi war if such deaths were included?

update: Steve's questions get picked up by OpenLeft.com

update 2: Tom actually covers this in full without any of his typical biased attacks on Steve

Vito Fossella still has no thoughts on Iraq

Take your pick. More of the same failed strategy on Iraq or some new ideas from people who like most of us are tired with solutions coming from DC.

Military leaders are concerned Fossella's war in Iraq is causing some strain on our troops and could create problems for us trying to militarily be involved in theaters elsewhere, via USA Today;

Behind the Pentagon's closed doors, U.S. military leaders told President Bush Wednesday they are worried about the Iraq war's mounting strain on troops and their families. But they indicated they'd go along with a brief halt in pulling out troops this summer.

snip

The chiefs' concern is that U.S. forces are being worn thin, compromising the Pentagon's ability to handle crises elsewhere in the world.

Making matters worse The Washington Independent brings us this bad news, well good for Fossella bad for the average American;

As if to offer denial in the face of disaster -- and commit the U.S. to losing many more soldiers and Marines -- the Bush administration has begun negotiations with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to keep U.S. troops in Iraq for years, even decades, after President George W. Bush leaves office.

On the other side of this denial that we need to stay in Iraq longer and risk the lives of more troops is the Washington Post picking up a story on A Responsible Plan, endorsed by our own Steve Harrison;

More than 40 Democratic House and Senate candidates have endorsed a document stating that "there is no military solution in Iraq" and calling for an end to the war and the removal of all U.S. troops from the country, though not according to any specific timeline.

snip

The plan was crafted without the input or endorsement of the House and Senate Democratic leadership. Burner said "this was not driven inside the Beltway" and complained that "people inside the Beltway don't seem to get how big an issue this is for voters" in the rest of the country.

To date there is still no news about what Vito Fossella's plan for Iraq is or if he has one. The choice is yours.

see also: More on A Responsible Plan

More on "A Responsible Plan"

The out of Iraq plan has been garnering much attention over the past fews days and introducing this Congressional district to the rest of the country. Here is the local round up;

* The Daily Gotham provides video of Steve Harrison on why he has was one of the original 10 to sign onto this plan;



* The Brooklyn Eagle calls Harrison a "strong anti-Iraq war candidate" and continues;

He [Steve Harrison] was among nine Democratic challengers opposing Republican candidates in Washington, D.C. on Monday where Democrats unveiled a “Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq.” Retired generals and national security experts consulted to develop the plan. It calls upon Congress to end the nation’s military involvement in Iraq, restore accountability to the government, and to work towards energy independence.

* Joshing Politics;

Steve Harrison Supports The Responsible Plan. The incumbent in New York's 13th Congressional District does not.

update
Nine more Congressional Candidates and three Senate Candidates have signed onto the plan. There are now 19 Congressional and 3 Senate candidates endorsing this Iraq exit plan. That is some good company.

A Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq

Here is the plan that Steve Harrison has signed onto along with 9 other Democratic challengers across the country. The plan was announced Monday in DC and since then it has garnered the interest of many more challengers across the country lining up to sign on and bring new leadership to DC. From Steve's site;

"The United States invaded Iraq in March 2003. Since then, nearly 4,000 American troops have lost their lives and nearly thirty thousand more have suffered serious injuries , while as many as a million Iraqis may be dead. The financial costs of the war to the U.S. economy will ultimately exceed $3 trillion.

More than a year ago, the American public demanded a new direction in Iraq by electing a new Congress, and the bipartisan Iraq Study Group (the Baker-Hamilton Commission) presented a set of recommendations for just such a new direction. President Bush rejected the majority of those recommendations and proceeded--largely unchecked by Congress--on a course explicitly contrary to them.

Since that time, the current administration and its congressional allies have continued to use shifting rationales for extending our military involvement in Iraq with no end in sight. The American public has been presented with a set of false choices: a semi-permanent military occupation of Iraq versus a precipitous and destabilizing withdrawal. There is a deepening public desire for a new path forward and a cohesive military, diplomatic, and economic strategy that will end the war in Iraq while protecting American interests."

AResponsiblePlan.com