Prime Minister Olmert Warns Against Hasty U.S. Withdrawal From Iraq

[No Exit]

Prime Minister warns against hasty U.S. withdrawal from Iraq

By Aluf Benn, Haaretz Correspondent

For the first time on Thursday, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert addressed in public the possibility that the United States may withdraw its forces from Iraq following the victory of the Democratic Party in the mid-term congressional elections. Olmert warned against a hasty withdrawal that may undermine the balance of power in the Middle East and endanger the moderate regimes in the region.

"From our point of view every withdrwal needs to be carefully planned,"
Olmert said, "in order not to undermine the very delicate balance of moderate countries and emirates in the Middle East. This is the main consideration, and America will be very careful before it makes a step that will endanger the very delicate balance in this region of the world which is important to the stability of much larger regions of the world."

The Prime Minister believes that U.S. policy will not change in a hurry.
"President George Bush is a hundred percent loyal to his principles, and I do not think there will be any dramatic change as long as he is in power," Olmert said."This does not mean that there will be no new thinking about the timing of the American withdrawal from Iraq, but it is too early to say ," the prime minister added.

(snip)

Commenting on the election results in the United States, Olmert, who is due to depart for a visit to Washington on Saturday, said: "I do not wish to go into American politics. I will only say that Bush is the American President, and one should not write him off just yet. The majority in the Senate is small, 50 to 49, and we should remember that the two best years of Clinton in power took place when the poor man lost the majority in Congress." On Monday Olmert will meet with Bush in the White House. Blocking the Iranian threat will top the agenda. Other topics that will be discussed will be efforts to calm the Palestinian front, finding a diplomatic breakthrough, and the enforcement of the cease-fire in Lebanon.

(snip)
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/786183.html

Memo to Mr. Olmert: What really galls me is the way you and other "world leaders"--Bush/Cheney included--speak of our service members' lives as though they were some commodity in which YOU alone have an interest. And, frankly, Mr. Olmert, I am totally sick of the "ME ME ME ME ME" attitude which you take. It appears that absolutely nothing in American policy or politics is viewed by you in any way other than, "Is that GOOD or BAD for ME?" America does not exist solely to serve you and your aims... or, at least, that's not what we Americans WANT it to have as its primary purpose.

And please inform your media friend Mr. Murdoch that to some of us, NO American casualty is "minute".

[acmavm]

1. '...may undermine the balance of power in the Middle East and endanger the moderate

regimes in the region.'

Right. He means that he's afraid Israel's enablers and protectors may just have to leave the region and its problems to those that live/conduct war there.

[mike_c]

2. not that Israel has any influence on U.S. foreign policy or anything....

Oh wait.

[Norquist Nemesis]

3. Meanwhile, Iraqi Pres Talabani says Dems never told him they would!

http://news.bostonherald.com/international/view.bg?articleid=166518&format=text

Iraqi president says Democrats told him they will not pull out quickly
By Associated Press
Thursday, November 9, 2006 - Updated: 05:23 PM EST

BAGHDAD, Iraq - President Jalal Talabani said Thursday that he had been assured by Democrat congressional leaders during a recent visit to Washington that they had no plans for a quick withdrawal of U.S. forces.

Talabani, a Kurd whose post is ceremonial, said Democrats also backed the idea of placing U.S. troops in bases while putting Iraqis in charge of security in and around cities.

“They all told me that they want the success of Iraq’s democratically elected government and continued support for the Iraqi people to defeat terrorism,” Talabani said about his trip to the United States in late September as many were predicting the Democratic congressional triumph in Tuesday’s midterm elections.

“One of them (a Democrat leader) told me that any early withdrawal will be a catastrophe for the United States and the world,” Talabani, speaking from his northern hometown of Sulaimaniyah, told the Dubai-based Al-Jazeera satellite broadcaster.
----

The only people who are claiming the sky is falling because Democrats are going to pull out immediately are the Republicans.

[no_hypocrisy]

4. If Iraq were to unite its warring factions, then it would be able to

focus its attention on its external "enemies", like Israel. I think that's what they're worried about.

[John Q. Citizen]

5. Perhaps Isreali troops could take over for departing American troops?

[No Exit]

6. Excellent idea!!

[IndianaGreen]

7. Let the IDF die for the neocons in America!

It was this unholy neocon/Zionist alliance that got us into this war anyway, so let the IDF go to Iraq and let our troops come home.

How long will Olmert last in office if he sends the IDF to die in Iraq?

[Cafe Americano]

8. Ignore Olmert

Ignore Olmert and the rest of the right wing Israelis, including the ones that want to ethnically cleanse by kicking out the Israeli Arabs.

Prediction: Israel realizes that it's time is running out to get the US involved with Iran, so they will provoke Iran and draw the US in before they have time to withdraw from Iraq.