Hoekstra says Iraq democracy strategy is doomed to fail
Does anyone think democracy will work in Iraq?
FPLB-The U.S. effort to install a democracy in Iraq within three to five years was a flawed strategy with little chance of succeeding, U.S. Rep. Peter Hoekstra said Friday.
The Holland Republican said the Iraq government needs new leadership, but said it’s up to Iraqis to change it.
Hoekstra, the ranking Republican on the House Select Committee on Intelligence, said as the Iraqi government flounders, he’s changed his original support for the Bush administration’s stated goal of molding a democratic Iraq as a means to stabilize the Middle East.
Speaking during a taping of Michigan Public Television’s “Off the Record,” Hoekstra said in a Muslim country dominated by rival tribal factions, western-style democracy is not workable.
“You’ve got a culture where democracy is not part of, ‘Let’s go there,’ ” Hoekstra said. ”It was a stretch.”
He said he met with Sunni tribal chiefs who hold politically sway in Iraq, and concluded, ‘They are not looking for a county commission to tell them what to do.”
Waiting for bb to show up and call him a traitor! LOL!
“effort to install a democracy”
Who’s got the installation manual? Can’t be any more difficult than programming my VCR.
Not a traitor, but definitely a liar…promised in 1992 to serve 6 terms, no more…can you do the math caroline?
Hoekstra also says in the story, “he opposes setting a timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops. He said Congress and President George W. Bush must decide on a unified course of action that will stabilize Iraq, based on new intelligence reports and a much-anticipated September status report by the U.S. top commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus.”
“He said Congress and President George W. Bush must decide on a unified course of action that will stabilize Iraq”
Yeah, and then magical rainbow fairies flew out of his arse and showered Congress with overflowing wisdom and humility.
If he’s spouting off this kind of stuff does it even matter what else he says?
bb,
How many Republicans made those promises in the 90’s and then promptly broke them? The majority. So even the ones who are backing Bush are liars.
caroline,
Nice blanket statement, but as usual, nothing to substantiate the assertion.
I know Mark Sanford made the promise and fulfilled it. He is a rising star within the party as a bureaucracy busting fiscal conservative determined to stop out of control government.
Mark Sanford? LOL! The nations worst Governor! Yeah, I’m not suprised that you would support him. SC is the last in almost everything. A friend of mine who lives in SC was hit by an illegal alien and the police told her that they wouldn’t arrest him because there wasn’t enough money to keep him in jail! Good management I tell you. I do hope you run him. Landslide for dems bay bee!
Amazing…it is now the chief executive’s responsibility to arrest people in a wreck…only you caroline.
Do you have any idea at all about how government works…or just simply want more of it?!
bb,
Wow, you still don’t understand that the Gov. is responsible for budgets? LOL. The point was money. You’re completely clueless.
No caroline, local county/city governments fund public safety…do you use that space between your ears for something else since its is obviously devoid of cerebral matter?
Well, bb, even if you believe that it’s the county’s problem then you still have to accept the fact that the part of the state she lives in is the most fundamentalist and conservative! LOL. Conservatives were running the budget that couldn’t afford to put a lawbreaker in jail!
Caroline,
Sounds a lot like Georgia. Legislature fights to create a budget. Governor signs it. Then, the Governor tells his executive branch to ignore the legislative budget.
Georgia is spending $15 million dollars to promote bass fishing and Lord knows how much money to grown caviar.
But, there aren’t enough State Police accident investigators to process even the fatal accidents on our state roads. Not enough state troopers to actively patrol the state roads. Not enough GBI crime lab techs to work the evidence in criminal cases.
Another case of the GOP “Daddy culture” blindly following daddy down to the titty bar to spend the grocery money.
Good job, Brownie and Sonny.