Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) expressed opposition today to supplemental funding for the Iraq war. Waters was supported by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) as well as the Progressive Democrats of America, who all stressed opposition to the supplemental funding and said they would not support it.

Waters and others stressed the fact that Congress needs to send a strong message to the President and the American people that they are serious about getting our troops out of Iraq and will not approve any legislation which gives one more dime to the Iraq war unless it is for the redeployment of American troops.

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Colonel Mohammad Asef, Battalion Commander, Training Khandak, 203rd Corps, Afghan National Army, describes his experiences working with American forces. Speaking through a translator, Asef praises the American military and its help in training Afghan troops. (0:38)

 

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Congressman Dana Rohrabacher discusses what to do with Iraqi refugees at House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on “No Direction Home: An NGO Perspective on Iraqi Refuges and IDP’s (internally displaced persons).” (1:06)

 

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The House Foreign Affairs Committee, Middle East and South Asia Subcommittee, and the International Organizations, Human Rights and Oversight Subcommittee held a joint hearing entitled, “No Direction Home: An NGO Perspective on Iraqi Refugees and IDP’s (internally displaced persons).” The hearing examined whether or not the United States should accept Iraqi refugees into our nation, or if we would instead be better off making IDP’s stay in Iraq to help with the nation’s rebuilding efforts.

The members of Congress responded in ways that often conflicted with one another at the hearing. Some congressmen, such as Chairman Gary Ackerman (D-NY), called the President’s response to relocating displaced Iraqi’s “pathetic,” saying that the United States should accept Iraqis searching for homes. Other members of Congress, like Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), felt that the Iraqi government should begin to take accountability for rebuilding their country, which should start with the people “above the bloodshed,” like the refugees.

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The Iraq Campaign 2008 held an event today in front of the White House in which a fifty foot long replica banner of the “Mission Accomplished” sign, that was aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln five years ago today, was on display. Protesters were present on this five year anniversary on the revealing of the sign to demonstrate that the mission is not yet indeed accomplished. Plenty of media were on hand to witness a protester against the protest, whom was immediately drowned out by the overwhelmingly outnumbering crowd in support of the protest.

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The attack on Karzai was launched from this building

The Afghan National Police seal off a street where a firefight is occurring

Houses surrounding Kabul

Afghan National Police after the firefight

For more photos from Richard’s time in Afghanistan go to our Flickr Page!

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Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell gave a quick availability after a ceremony with the Secretary of Defense laying a wreath on a memorial for Mexican WWII veterans. Despite the desire from Pentagon public affairs that emphasis be placed on the trip to Mexico, the subject stayed squarely on the Middle East.

Morell said that everyone from the Secretary of Defense to the Chairman if the Joint Chiefs of Staff has acknowledged what a problem Iranian involvement in Iraq is and is determined to deal with it inside Iraq.

Morrell said that he is not aware of ramping up or revision of war plans for Iran. The focus of U.S. efforts is that Iranian arms and training of terrorists by Iran be dealt with within the confines of Iraq, Morrell said. He warned against the perception of an uptick in Iranian actions in Iraq, though he said, “We are seeing evidence that it continues.”

He also said that since the Basra incursion the Iraqi military has made great strides since the fighting a few weeks ago. One example of progress was the development of a concerned local citizens group called “sons of Basra,” paid by the Iraqi government to protect their neighborhoods.

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Former Senator Max Cleland (D-Ga.) and House Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) held a conference call to address plans to end the war in Iraq and ideas to ensure veterans receive health care, higher education, and job training when they return to the U.S.

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Speaking at a Pentagon press briefing Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen says that Iran has increased sponsoring terrorism, killing coalition forces, and interfering in Iraq. He says that tensions continue to rise and that Iran is “ratcheting up” it’s involvement of terrorism. Mullen says that military options should not be off the table. (1:14)

 

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This afternoon the Senate Armed Services Committee gave strong recommendations to Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen after interrogating them through questioning. Senator Carl Levin, perhaps the most diligent and pressing in his questions, was profoundly concerned about the amount of money being spent and that will be spent on Iraq in the future. It was the view of multiple senators that Iraq needs to be paying for far more and that they are using the US as a crutch.

“The Iraqi forces will shoulder more of the burden as we reduce our forces over time,” says Gates. He continued to discuss Iraq’s economic and legislative successes as of recent. But he goes on to say, “just as there is real progress to report, there are also substantial reasons to be cautious.”

There is also a deep concern about the large drug industry in Afghanistan and that the large amounts of money being transferred from drug trade may be going toward weaponry purchases which end up being used against US and coalition forces.

As senators continued to ask pressing questions, Gates and Mullen had most answers, but at times they were rather different that what the senators would have preferred to hear. It’s evident that the senators are looking for a different direction than where the war is going.

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