1,900 Days Later

1,872 Days Later

Meanwhile Vito Fossella is busy supporting the troops by spending his time trying to get out of his DWI and jail time. Thanks Congressman!

1,838 Days Later

Meanwhile for the rest of us whose biggest dilemma is not how to hide your affair from your family, real problems still go unanswered.



via Cleveland Leader;

More than 43,000 U.S. troops found to be medically unfit were sent to Iraq and Afghanistan despite their medical conditions. These figures were based on health assessment forms completed by medical personnel before deployment, the USA Today reported on Thursday.

1831 Days Later

via Boston.com

It will be more than a year before the Army can end the unpopular practice of forcing soldiers to stay in the service beyond their retirement or reenlistment dates, a top official said yesterday.

Lieutenant General James D. Thurman, deputy chief of staff for operations, said he hoped that wartime demand for troops will decline enough by around the fall of next year to end "stop-loss." He said there are more than 12,000 currently serving under the practice - an action that critics have called a backdoor draft.

Mission Accomplished, 5 years later

May 1, 2003 President Bush was flown onto an air craft carrier stationed in San Diego so he could declare "mission accomplished" in Iraq. With that in mind I bring you the words of Vito Fossella celebrating that anniversary in 2004;

Republicans have rallied around the president, insisting the invasion and occupation of Iraq has been largely successful, despite a flare-up of deadly violence in recent weeks.

"On balance, I think things are going well," said Rep. Vito Fossella, R-New York, told CNN's "Crossfire" Wednesday. "We've liberated a country; 25 million or so Iraqis now can look forward to democracy and freedoms that we currently enjoy."

1923 Days Later

via USA Today;

The Army has accelerated its policy of involuntary extensions of duty to bolster its troop levels, despite Defense Secretary Robert Gates' order last year to limit it, Pentagon records show.

snip

Since then, the number of soldiers forced to remain in the Army rose 43% to 12,235 in March. The reliance on stop loss has increased as the military has sent more troops to Iraq and extended tours to 15 months to support an escalation in U.S. forces ordered by President Bush. The increase last month was driven by the need to send more National Guard soldiers to Iraq.

1816 Days Later

via the Washington Post, Combat Stress May Cost U.S. Up to $6 Billion;

About 300,000 U.S. military personnel who have deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or major depression, a mental toll that will cost the nation as much as $6.2 billion over two years, according to a Rand Corp. report released yesterday.

In addition, nearly 20 percent of the 1.64 million veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, or about 320,000 personnel, reported a probable traumatic brain injury (TBI) during deployment, the report notes, although it says their treatment needs have not been determined.

1,809 Days Later

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

1,802 Days Later

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

4,000

via VetVoice;

AFP has noted that 97 percent of U.S. deaths in Iraq have occurred after George W. Bush declared an end to "major combat."

Domenic Recchia issues statement on 5 years of war in Iraq

Recchia for Congress press release;

DOMENIC RECCHIA STATEMENT ON 5 YEARS OF WAR IN IRAQ

Recchia: “The time to end this war has come. We need to make the fifth anniversary of the Iraq war the last anniversary of the Iraq war.”

Councilman Domenic Recchia, Democratic candidate for Congress in New York’s 13th Congressional District, released the following statement regarding the five year anniversary of war with Iraq:

“Five years ago today, President Bush misled the American public and invaded Iraq without an exit strategy. Vito Fossella’s rubberstamp of President Bush’s failed Iraq war policies has cost our country over a trillion dollars and worse, thousands of lives. It is clear that we need a new direction in Iraq and we need leaders who are going to stand up and fight to end this war. Congressman Fossella has voted to give President Bush a blank check for this misguided war time and time again. I will support a responsible redeployment our troops, force the Iraqi government to take responsibility for the security of their own country, and rebuild our military.

Five years later our country is no safer. Nearly 4,000 American soldiers have been killed and tens of thousands wounded. We have not captured Osama bin Laden 2,381 days after the horrific attacks on our city, and we have spent more than a trillion dollars while our domestic priorities have been put aside.

It is time for the Iraqi government and Iraqi soldiers to stand up and fight for their own country – for too long, American soldiers have been tasked with the impossible mission of refereeing a civil war in Iraq. In these times of economic uncertainty, Americans are feeling the crunch from Main Street to Wall Street. Our resources must be focused on investing here at home—in our schools, in our health care system, in our transit system, in new technology and alternative sources of energy, in creating and keeping jobs here at home.

The time to end this war has come. We need to make the fifth anniversary of the Iraq war the last anniversary of the Iraq war.”

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Taxpayers here in NY-13 have already spent $1.8 billion for the Iraq War to date. For the same amount of money, the following could have been provided:

* 329,254 People with Health Care OR
* 3,342,657 Homes with Renewable Electricity OR
* 34,459 Public Safety Officers OR
* 27,191 Music and Arts Teachers OR
* 291,353 Scholarships for University Students OR
* 94 New Elementary Schools OR
* 10,149 Affordable Housing Units OR
* 623,904 Children with Health Care OR
* 203,419 Head Start Places for Children OR
* 20,679 Elementary School Teachers OR
* 26,833 Port Container Inspectors

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.

Protests today to mark 5th anniversary of the Invasion of Iraq

Today, Wednesday March 19th, both in Brooklyn;

NOON
Protest at Congressmember Vito Fossella’s office. Peace Action Bay Ridge will sponsor a protest at Fossella’s Bay Ridge office (8505 4th Ave., at 85th St.) to express his constituents’ opposition to his position as the only Brooklyn Representative to support President Bush’s war policy. Representatives from military families, Brooklyn For Peace, Peace Action Bay Ridge, and Bay Ridge Interfaith Coalition will speak.

5:30pm
Press Conference & Brooklyn Says No to War March and Vigil, co-sponsored by Brooklyn For Peace and MoveOn.
5:30 PM: press conference at Grand Army Plaza, with speakers from Brooklyn for Peace and MoveOn.
6:00: march down Flatbush Avenue to the military recruiting station at 41 Flatbush Ave. (Livingston St.).
7:00: brief program. Iraq war vets and members of military families will speak. The protest will close with a candlelight vigil.

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

Steve Harrison joins Democratic Challenger Caucus on Iraq

I have said both Recchia and Harrison have promised to make Iraq a campaign issue and Steve Harrison has really stepped up by joining the efforts of 10 Democratic challengers signed on to this;



That is quite some company to be part of and I look forward to hearing more and posting the plan as it is unveiled at the Take Back America conference tomorrow. If you want out of Iraq you are going to need some new leadership to do it and Steve Harrison is showing he is capable of that.

update: I changed the title of this post as there is an Out of Iraq Caucus in Congress that this group is not currently part of since they are candidates.

Fossella continues to ignore Iraq

While Steve Harrison and Domenic Recchia have promised to make Iraq a key campaign issue, Vito Fossella is again going to try to ignore it and talk about taxes. While the public is overwhelming opposed to the war many are finding news and discussion hard to come by. via the Washington Post;

Twenty-eight percent of the public is aware that nearly 4,000 U.S. personnel have died in Iraq over the past five years, while nearly half thinks the death tally is 3,000 or fewer and 23 percent think it is higher, according to an opinion survey released yesterday.

The survey, by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, found that public awareness of developments in the Iraq war has dropped precipitously since last summer, as the news media have paid less attention to the conflict. In earlier surveys, about half of those asked about the death tally responded correctly.

Related Pew surveys have found that the number of news stories devoted to the war has sharply declined this year, along with professed public interest. "Coverage of the war has been virtually absent," said Pew survey research director Scott Keeter, totaling about 1 percent of the news hole between Feb. 17 and 23.

Even Fossella's perception about Iraq is off, he doesn't even think it is important to talk about. Want to know Fossella's stance on any Iraq issues? Well you will have a hard time finding answers because not only is Iraq not an "issue" on his issues page on his campaign site but he doesn't even mention Iraq once anywhere;



Here is Steve Harrison's Iraq issue page.

1753 Days Later

The cost of Vito Fossella's War