Rice denies US-led coalition in Iraq is crumbling

[maddezmom]

BERLIN (AFP) - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice denied on Wednesday that the US-led coalition in Iraq is crumbling after Britain announced it would reduce its troop mumbers by 1,600 in the coming months.

"The coalition remains intact and in fact the British still have thousands of soldiers deployed in Iraq, in the south," Rice said after talks with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier ahead of a meeting of the Quartet for Middle East peace.

Rice said the British pullout was occurring according to the coalition plan to gradually hand over responsibility for security to the Iraqis.

"It is the plan that as it is possible to transfer responsibilities to the Iraqis, coalition forces would no longer be needed in those circumstances."

more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070221/wl_afp/britainiraqwithdrawalusrice

Status of coalition forces in Iraq
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070221/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_coalition_glance

[saltpoint]

1. Condoleezza Rice's public assertions of our gleaming triumph in Iraq

are probably taken seriously at the water cooler at FOX News, but noplace else.

She likes to wiggle that gelatinous verisimilitude for the press and the SFRC, but backstage she's a Cold War has-been, a Big Oil gal who sold Brahms down the river for a shot at the Bush power buffet.

[KansDem]

18. She didn't want to end up "murdering Beethoven..."

The Chancellor was nice enough to say that I once had a chance at a great career in concert music. Well, of a sort. I was pretty good, but I realized I wasn't great. And I thought, I'm going to end up teaching 13-year-olds to murder Beethoven, or playing piano bars someplace or playing at Nordstrom?I'm not going to play Carnegie Hall. And I did find a passion, and it happened to be Russia.

White House

But she apparently has no problem with 3,000+ Americans and 600,000+ Iraqis...

[saltpoint]

23. Hi, KansDem. Very natty info-gathering there -- thank you.

Thank you for it in a big way, because it really draws this woman into sharp, clear, pathetic focus.

I swear to you, I think playing piano at Nordstrom's is exactly what she should be doing. Certainly she's way out of her league with foreign policy generally and Middle East matters especially.

[bemildred]

2. Of course not, everything is great.

They were only there as a token of support anyway ...

[Benhurst]

3. What BULLSHIT.

Britain, a nation of over 70 million (haven't looked it up recently) has at least a fifth (actually more, I think) of our population. They have 4,000 troops there now, and are reducing the number to 2,000.

If this were their fair contribution as partners in the gallant Iraq operation, then we should have 20,000 troops there now, and reduce them to 10,000 when our partners in crime start to pull out.

The "Coalition of the Willing" has always been a farce and is becoming even more of one.

Condoleezza (sic) should go back to doing what she does best, hunting for over-priced shoes in New York.

[PsN2Wind]

7. If they were really a partner

in this fiasco, they would be sending those troops to Baghdad or Anbar Province where the real shit is happening rather than home for Christmas. That would provide Dubya a significant percentage of the troops necessary for "the surge".

[Bushies gotta go]

15. My point exactly when I heard UKs decision

How GD stupid are we supposed to be... just a few months ago, Britain was "in it for the long haul". If they aren't "cuttin' and a runnin'", they would be deploying to Baghdad. These assbites can spin shit into garden salad.

[gratuitous]

4. Who are you going to believe?

A living, breathing example of the Peter Principle, or your lying eyes?

[calimary]

8. No kidding. The Coalition of the Wilting. And she didn't even mention

Denmark or Lithuania - also looking seriously at troop withdrawals today. They're wilting on you, contradicta. But then again, would you really expect Miss In-Over-Her-Head to size up the situation correctly, or realistically? Go back to your piano practice, contradicta.

[Amonester]

9. CONdiLIESa is a "State of Denial" on two legs.

And in two $hoe$.

[Doondoo]

5. K&R

[bif]

6. It's actually getting stronger!

Every word they say is a lie. Believe the opposite.

[tabasco]

10. For once she told the truth!

There never was a coalition to crumble.

This was a unilateral US invasion with some paid-off participants. Now that the Treasury is empty, the participants are leaving.

[muryan]

11. denmark is also pulling out its troops soon

british troops are based in the southern area of iraq and that area is relatively calm, no reason for them to stay.

[underpants]

12. Turn out the lights..........

Last one to hear about it again Condi? Just like pre-9/11?

[Up2Late]

13. WELL! If She believes that AND the pResident says this is a sign of Progress...

...then it MUST be true! :sarcasm:
Pleeeeeeeeeeeese! Spare me! She completely delusional if she thinks anyone believes her B.S.

[Barrett808]

14. Juan Cole: "This is a rout, there should be no mistake."

Juan Cole: "This is a rout, there should be no mistake."
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x264480

[EFerrari]

16. Someone please hand this person a fire extinguisher. n/t

[Supersedeas]

17. Declare Victory....no matter what happens....declare any loss a success

[youngdem]

19. She is a pathetic liar

What is most pathetic about this incident is that it could have been managed as they are contending, that the south is now stable enough, and so they will withdraw and redeploy north to Baghdad, then when no one was looking, cycle them out of Baghdad.

They really could have spun this...but this ad hoc argument after the fact is so pathetically contrived and obviously false, they really aren't even trying.

They can't even manage an ongoing failure well, and they have TONS of practice!

[james101]

20. It's just like when BUSH lied

about Rumsfeld before he fired him. Bush said he did it so the troops morale woulden't be hurt. That's why Bush and Rice won't admit they'er about to attack iran. They think it's ok to lie for national security.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

21. As the cat said just after it ran straight into the wall...

"I meant to do that."

:rofl:

[truthisfreedom]

22. I feel so bad for her!

That poor woman, always having to lie for whats-his-name!