Boehner: ‘Iraq is Improving,’ Insurgents Only in a ‘Handful of Places’
Boehner: ‘Iraq is Improving,’ Insurgents Only in a ‘Handful of Places’
Today on ABC’s This Week, House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) shared his latest rosy assessment of conditions in Iraq. Watch it:
As George Stephanopoulos mentions, a new government report actually paints a “somber portrait of Iraqi discord†and undermines Boehner’s spin. But Stephanopoulos allowed Boehner to incorrectly assert that the report found that “12 of the 18 [Iraqi] provinces are safe.” The report actually shows that only three provinces are stable. All other provinces are still considered in critical, serious or moderate danger.
Additionally, Baghdad has, on average, eight hours of elecriticy a day, compared with the 16-24 hours it had before the U.S. invasion in 2003. Potable water availability, sewage system coverage, and water treatment capacity are also down from pre-war levels.
Like Boehner, we’d love to hear some good news from Iraq. But we’re not willing to make it up.
Transcript:
BOEHNER: Beyond a few hot spots, the situation in Iraq is improving. More kids in Iraqi schools than any time in their history. Their electricity grid is up and running. Their water plant. Their economy is growing. It’s in a handful of places that are still under attack by the insurgents.
STEPHANOPOULOS: You say that, except the front page of The New York Times says a “U.S. Study Paints Somber Portrait of Iraqi Discord” and they show that according to U.S. government reports six of the 18 provinces are in serious or critical condition. That’s not just a handful.
BOEHNER: That means 12 of the 18 provinces are safe, the economy is growing. We are improving our situation there. But back to the point.
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Since things are so great in Iraq, with just a few ‘hot spots’ why don’t we just declare a victory and pull out?
April 9th, 2006 at 11:10 amHow can he describe 1/3rd of the country as “a few hot spots”.
April 9th, 2006 at 11:15 amThats’ not what I have heard…. Americans are making a mess of everything but noone dares talk about it.Blackhawksare doing strange things in Iraq with our own people and leaving Iraqi Nationals at the different bases. Who are the insurgents? Maybe……something akin to Central America’s Death Squads.. questions need to be thrown at Washington and see how much sticks to the walls………..
April 9th, 2006 at 11:16 amIf reality doesn’t agree with your opinion or view of the world, just make stuff up….
April 9th, 2006 at 11:17 amYou can SAY whatever you want, as we all know. But that doesn’t mean that what you are saying is truthful. And all the wishing in the world will not make it so. Mr. Bo-ner, given his past activities, has ZERO credibility. NEXT!!
April 9th, 2006 at 11:24 amoh, good, another republican liar in a position of power in congress
that’ll really help us to right the ship, eh?
plus, i wonder how long he will last before he gets linked to some criminal/illegal activities?
April 9th, 2006 at 11:29 amThe tan goes all the way through to his brain. He’s more then half baked.
April 9th, 2006 at 11:36 amIs it possible to miss Tom DeLay so soon?
April 9th, 2006 at 11:37 amAll decent Americans must demand that Boehner resigns immediately from the Congress! He has become a gross liar and a Bush butt kisser! Look at the bags under his eyes in the pic > the man is a complete loser who is probably taking prozac or some other drug! Shame on him!
April 9th, 2006 at 11:39 amOh, if he says so… (then it must be pure bullshit.)
April 9th, 2006 at 11:51 amGOOD. LET THE REPUBLICANS KEEP WRAPPING THEMSELVES AROUND THE DISASTER IN IRAQ. THEN THEY’LL ALL GO DOWN TOGETHER.
April 9th, 2006 at 12:14 pmHe is correct. The insurgants are just a little East,West,North,South of Bahgdad.
April 9th, 2006 at 12:30 pmRight, a handful of places. LIke East, north, south and west of Baghdad. Surely that only counts as 4 places right?
April 9th, 2006 at 12:38 pmWhy won’t the GOP look at the BA’s own report? No bias there, it’s from neo-con’s!Boehenr’s pulling this out of Dick Cheney’s playbook, with all this “insurgents are on the run” garbage. Just go ahead and say they’re in thier last throes like the Veep.
http://www.lcoliberal.blogspot.com
April 9th, 2006 at 12:38 pmSunday Talk Buzz: Right Now on LCL
Obviously Bohnier has not read the study quoted by the NYT;
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/09/world/middleeast/09report.html?th&emc=th
An internal staff report by the United States Embassy and the military command in Baghdad provides a sobering province-by-province snapshot of Iraq’s political, economic and security situation, rating the overall stability of 6 of the 18 provinces “serious” and one “critical.” The report is a counterpoint to some recent upbeat public statements by top American politicians and military officials.
The report, 10 pages of briefing points titled “Provincial Stability Assessment,” underscores the shift in the nature of the Iraq war three years after the toppling of Saddam Hussein. Warnings of sectarian and ethnic frictions are raised in many regions, even in those provinces generally described as nonviolent by American officials.
There are alerts about the growing power of Iranian-backed religious Shiite parties, several of which the United States helped put into power, and rival militias in the south. The authors also point to the Arab-Kurdish fault line in the north as a major concern, with the two ethnicities vying for power in Mosul, where violence is rampant, and Kirkuk, whose oil fields are critical for jump-starting economic growth in Iraq.
The patterns of discord mapped by the report confirm that ethnic and religious schisms have become entrenched across much of the country, even as monthly American fatalities have fallen. Those indications, taken with recent reports of mass migrations from mixed Sunni-Shiite areas, show that Iraq is undergoing a de facto partitioning along ethnic and sectarian lines, with clashes — sometimes political, sometimes violent — taking place in those mixed areas where different groups meet.
The report, the first of its kind, was written over a six-week period by a joint civilian and military group in Baghdad that wanted to provide a baseline assessment for conditions that new reconstruction teams would face as they were deployed to the provinces, said Daniel Speckhard, an American ambassador in Baghdad who oversees reconstruction efforts.
The writers included officials from the American Embassy’s political branch, reconstruction agencies and the American military command in Baghdad, Mr. Speckhard said. The authors also received information from State Department officers in the provinces, he said.
April 9th, 2006 at 12:46 pmboner sez…….”It’s in a handful of places that are still under attack by the insurgents.” Cosidering the “handfulls” of cash that boner took from Abramoff, I could see where he gets his “handfull” of insurgents isn’t that big of a deal
April 9th, 2006 at 12:47 pmGreat photo of the creep….. there is a very strong resemblance to an icky Dr.Suess cartoon character, can you guess who?
April 9th, 2006 at 12:49 pmHints: the hooded eyes and the weird double twists of his lips………
our nuclear weapons will be aimed correctly. 10 megaton devices. we need to drop 74 of them. thhe fallout will be equal to 17 chernobyls , but i think its still o.k..
once iran is burned up above the ground, we can drill INTO the ground and take what is ours. the OIL. rename the straight of hormuz “freedom straight”. other western and asian economies will collapse, while we drive suvs and enjoy low gas prices.
if russia and china dont like it , they can talk to a few WMD.
April 9th, 2006 at 12:57 pmand George brings out the “gotcha” on Boehner! The areas that are safe are the desert where no one lives.
April 9th, 2006 at 1:00 pmThe report of residents of Baghdad having an average of eight hours of electricity may actually be overly generous. I cannot remember where but I had read that Iraqis are averaging about four hours of power a day compared to about twelve under Saddam Hussein.
April 9th, 2006 at 1:19 pmBoehner has about 6 months to make a name for himself before the Democrats take over and he is no longer the majority. Unfortunately the name he is making for himself is not flattering; he is corrupt (passing out checks to fellow representatives on the House floor) a defender of his party even as they are revealed as incompetent, unethical and vindictive, and worst of all, he paints an unreal, misleading picture of Iraq, pusing back even further, the day when our troops can get out of there. It used to be four provinces in Iraq that were “hot” now I hear there are six — when looking at the country those provinces comprise about 2/3 of the nation.
April 9th, 2006 at 1:32 pmpushing back
April 9th, 2006 at 1:33 pmI saw Boehner’s coments. He reminded me of the Student Officer in “Animal House”. When all hell is breaking loose around him, he stod there yelling “all is well.” The character is then trampled by a rampaging mob.Don’t they realize nobody is buying their lies anymore.
April 9th, 2006 at 2:02 pmI saw Boehner’s coments. He reminded me of the Student Officer in “Animal House”. When all hell is breaking loose around him, he stod there yelling “all is well.” The character is then trampled by a rampaging mob.Don’t they realize nobody is buying their lies anymore.
April 9th, 2006 at 2:02 pmI think that GS softballed Boehner this morning.
April 9th, 2006 at 2:57 pmBoehner doesn’t want to incur Georgie or Dickie’s wrath, in case dems don’t get the majority in Nov. To state other than the ‘party line’, can be a politcal death sentence. I’m sure Boehner has higher aspirations, mostly financial.
April 9th, 2006 at 3:36 pmSo how does Boner explain the new Iraqi Provincial Security Assessment?
April 9th, 2006 at 4:56 pmEh. I see someone else already hit the PSA story.
April 9th, 2006 at 4:58 pmAmanda notes, “Like Boehner, we’d love to hear some good news from Iraq.”
******REALLLLY?????? For some reason, Amanda, I find it hard to believe that “good news” in Iraq would fit into your ideology of your argument. Please refresh my memory, when is the last time TP mentioned any “good news” from Iraq?
April 9th, 2006 at 5:16 pmI suspect will will be seeing House Majority Leader John Boehner making a trip to Iraq, walking outside the green zone soon then.
April 9th, 2006 at 5:25 pmwhen is the last time TP mentioned any “good news†from Iraq?
Comment by mighty aphrodite — April 9, 2006 @ 5:16 pm
Jill Carroll’s liberation was genuine good news… what a short memory span you have…
April 9th, 2006 at 5:51 pmSorry Gregor. That was yet more bad news for MA. She was hoping for a good old-fashioned martyr.
April 9th, 2006 at 6:11 pmBoner!
April 9th, 2006 at 7:42 pmAllow me to clarify and explain, here.
http://forgottenprophets.blogspot.com/2006/04/lion-falters.html
And as for you,
http://forgottenprophets.blogspot.com/2006/03/psychological-study.html
Condolences on your continuing defeats,
J
April 9th, 2006 at 9:59 pmBoner the bonehead and the incredible liars bathe in the blood of our soldiers and then stuff their filthy pockets with the money of our grandchildren.
April 10th, 2006 at 9:55 amLike Boehner, we’d love to hear some good news from Iraq. But we’re not willing to make it up.
Posted by Amanda
Nonsense. You don’t bother with the good news at all and it’s not because you don’t know where to find it.
Knock yourself out Amanda.
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/
April 10th, 2006 at 12:06 pm#29 attack the messenger, rather than adressing the issue. I could just as easily ask, when was the last time YOU reported any good news from Iraq? Has it occured to you one possible explanation that there is no good news in Iraq? Have you been there lately?
April 10th, 2006 at 12:18 pmBoehner is absolutely correct. All the violence in Iraq is confined to the few populated places. There are countless square miles of uninhabited desert that are completely free of “terrorist” activities and that important bit of good news is constantly ignored by the damned Liberal Media.
April 10th, 2006 at 2:12 pmBoehner reminds me of the Grinch’s evil twin…
…with a serious cocaine habit…
…somebody tell that al Cracker TRAITOR to…
…get some sleep, already…
April 10th, 2006 at 4:46 pm…and make sure that Bushite crack who*e ABBY #38…
…gets some too…
April 10th, 2006 at 4:48 pmONCE AND FOR ALL!!!
…if ALL the religious and sectarian factions in Iraq make kissy face and nice…
…and Iraq becomes a Bushite DEMOCRACY of the first order…
…is it worth over $500 billion (American taxpayer) dollars, and the hundreds of thousands of lives lost and ruined?
April 10th, 2006 at 4:54 pmI agree. “Deadeye” Cheney is nor hte only dimwit that has all his Televisions turned on to Fox Infotainment.Boner is not, what you would call, any sort of illuminati or academic. He says what he is told to say because he is a trained OutHouse Poodle.
April 11th, 2006 at 1:21 am# 41 big papa:The answer is NO.
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February 12th, 2007 at 12:41 pm