Petraeus Take 2: Is America Safer Because of Iraq War?

[lafleurplumeria]

The big picture looks insane! They tell us that 4000 deaths are worth the war. Then,one person dies of N1H1 and they want a law that says we have to get flu shots. This seems so obviously unbalanced that it makes me think we are all high on LSD or something and can't see the obvious. Is this why everyone is saying: WAKE UP! Is there something in our water that's making us all stupid? Ron Paul says flu vaccine kills more people than the flu. He says there is mercury in each dose. JUST SAY NO!!!

[beebeemoocow1]

If we didnt move into Iraq, then we would have been attacked again.. death could not have been avoided..

[Randroide]

@beebeemoocow1 According to your "logic" you should be invading and occuping also Somalia, North Korea, Iran, Venezuela and maybe even Saudi Arabia and China.

[HottyAsakura]

rolf u guys are all wrong. look at this way now there are not right answer. HE said yes bacause now Al Q change focus on us to IRAQ. And No because Al Q still suicide bomb our troops everyday

[SpartanMan80]

Senator Warner's question can be answered with one word: YES.

[Truthseeker37]

Yes or no? It's pretty simple question.  He doesn't answer the safety question, he changes the question and gives a different answer.

[MaximumAfterburner]

He cannot say what is exactly on his mind, because his command position means that his comments can have political ramifications. He has to be given credit for not lying.

[N3V3RM1ND25]

lol

You can clearly tell that Petraeus is just beating around the bush. While he won't admit it, deep down, he knows the Iraq War isn't making America any safer and that we shouldn't even be over there in the first place.

He obviously cannot say that, though, as that would basically diminish everything he and the brave men and women of the military have accomplish.

[fox23vang]

omg! its a simple yes explain and/or no explain.

[Dungias88]

Second, those critics have forgotten the lessons of Afghanistan: if America ceases to pay attention to dangerous part of the world, it will pay the costs in terms of life. Eventually, a new war in Iraq will happen. It will be the third one. It is time to finish the job.

[Dungias88]

Americans are always doing the same mistakes again and gain. All the expertise on counter insurgency gained in Vietnam was lost. And now, as a general is succeeding in making the army to relearn past lessons, Democrats are making huge efforts to undermine this new trend.

[Dungias88]

In Iraq, you're not dying in vain. Your dying while fighting your ennemy. And this ennemy is not only your ennemy IN Iraq. He is your strategic and global ennemy.

Just give Petraeus some more time. Do this for Americans still alive, and for those who died for something they hope won't be useless

[declimens1]

Gen Petraeus is the best general America and Iraq could have to deal with insurgency. But as in any insurgency, the domestic government (al Maliki's) must take his responsibilities and further national reconciliation. If the American Congress, and American people cannot understand the very basic fact that today's security is global, and that an Iraq turned into a safe haven for Al Qaeda, and/or a proxy ally of Iran, the US must prepare for another round of terrorist attacks.

[monabang]

Since the turn of the century, War is an instrument used to create chaos for the benefit of profit. It is the plan of Rothschild-controlled central bankers along with J.P. Morgan to create a totalitarian system to protect their illegal private monopoly of the world's credit.

[monabang]

They print government currency (By the private corporation known as "The Federal Reserve Act"[H. R. 7837]enacted December 23, 1913 which was created deceptively and enacted when the government was on holiday) for the price of the paper and then lend it to the government at high interest.

[4idior]

In the year 2525, if man is still alive, if woman can survive, we will still be in Iraq. I think the problem is religious differences. Notice how you have Sunni Iraqiis and Shitte Iraqis?, and not just plain-old non-denominational Iraqis? I'm no expert on Iraq. If I'm incorrect in thinking that religious differences is the poblem, let me know. Well, even if it's not religious differences, Iraqiis have some sort of attitude problem. Nobody in the U.S. does suicide bombing. No civil wars here ...

[campbelj83]

General Petraeus's job is to command the coaliton forces serving in Iraq and help move foward from the present situation keep in mind the war was already 4 years old we he took command he is playing the cards he has been dealt. The purpose of this hearing is to brief the Armed services committee on the current situation on the ground, not to answer politcal questions that are up for debate. Senator Warner needs to re-direct that question to the CIA, DOD or the State Department.

[TruthForYouToo]

That's a reasonable request, but others in the Bush administration either will not appear before the Congress, or when they do, they obviously obfuscate and lie. I believe Petraeus believes what he says, and he is reasonably honest, but in the final analysis, his Commander is George W. Bush, the biggest liar in the history of the Presidency, and Petraeus must do Bush's bidding or he will be fired like many other military leaders before him.

[ArizonaMtKingsnake]

this General is NOT to blame for the unreal mess Pres got us into mess based on pure lies. The General is simply trying to do what he can to atleast be able to acheive something in this lie of a war . Pres Bush is using this man as a sheild it was Bush and ONLY Bush who got us into this mess

[jebjonson]

we have never paid back all our dept no county insn't in dept if you keep the money flowing it's fine. you pay back some people while taking out a loan with the others. every country in the word is in dept. and the u.s makes 5 trillion a year.

[calderonefrain]

I have one penny on my pocket! I have more money than the us goverment has to finance the war on iraq! people wake up don't let them trash aour country borrowing money from china and japan, we will never be avle to pay back more than 9 trillion dollars!!! its almost what the us produces in a entire year all finances combined about 12.5 trillion, we can;t afford this war who is not getting this word!!!!

[jebjonson]

how do they figure that there hasn't been one terorist atack and we've stoped a couple attempted ones

[FeelFreeToArgue]

Well, since Petreus is clearly unable to answer this question, despite having several months to ponder and study, we'll just let the National Intelligence Estimate answer stand in for him. Both the 2006 and 2007 NIEs have concluded that we are less safe.

[mbelma6329]

The Dems need to get on their knees and praise this guy. They think he is some sort of card-carrying member of the Bush admin. The Democrats and RINO's can suck donkey balls.

How dare they interrogate an American hero like he's fuckin' Geore Galloway or someone out of the Gambino crime family. Idiots

[eckyboyo]

So you dont think he should answer to the people of the US?

[mbelma6329]

Answer for what? What has he done wrong? All the Dummycrats want to do is badger him and make him look like the bad guy in this situation.

He doesn't need to answer to anyone but the President and the Joint Chiefs. Do you really think members of Congress represent you, me, and our interests? All they care about is power and assurance they will have another term in office.

We're talking

[jebjonson]

uh sombody's racist and only a really small part of america is jewish. we just really don't feel like killing people baced on religon at least i don't. and you're from greece whats with the russia thing. and there not back they still suck.

[fcktheallies]

he knew what kind pieces of shit you wouls decome and slaughtered only the six million of you.damn,he would have eliminated all you fucking jews.FUCK TORE FUCK DAVID AND HIS STAR OR BETTER STUCK IT IN HIS GAY HUGE ASS.FUCK ISRAEL KILL EM ALL THEY ARE NOT EVEN HUMANS.DOGS DESERVE MUCH MORE THAN THESE PATHETIC PIECES OF SHIT.HAVE YOU EVER WASHED YOUR ASS FROM SOAP MADE OF JEWS OHHH THE BEST.....!!!!!!!

[safzuan]

agree 1000%

[mbelma6329]

Holy shit man what the fuck is wrong with you? You need your fucking head checked, you violent, anti-semitic prick!

[fcktheallies]

you are the most ridiculous people on earth you are a country of pathetic people who kill for oil and power.you all deserve to die and the day won't take long.RUSSIA is back sissies,they will stick your missles in your huge gay assholes. if you dare say something to russia.pussies sissies fuck you all. you are next victims.you deserve the worst deaths.and it is so close.we will be very happy to see you and the other ridiculous gays from israel to die hard as you deserve. hitler did so well.

[USAgoddamit]

Damn fcktheallies, tell us how you really feel. Stupid Ass

[safzuan]

PEACE!! agree 1000% :)

[jebjonson]

why do democrats not even think of the genocide that will occure if we pull out of Iraq now. I do deeply respect the men and women serving in iraq but are you such pussies you won't save 100'000s of human lives. every soldier is over there volentarily. There is no draft the weren't forced into the military and they should have known what was expected of them when they joined.

we have lost the least amount of troops in any war we have fought. over the longest time we've fought a war. 7 years

[FeelFreeToArgue]

Ever thought of finding out what the Iraqis think? Even Sunnis, who know the streets will run red with their blood when the Americans leave, still favor immediate withdrawal. Why? Because at this point, what the Iraqis want more than anything else is control of their country. Democracy, if it means anything, means the right to kick us out whether or not we think its a good idea.

[givebirthathome]

The war made America less safe, but its not Petraeus fault we are in the war. Bush can fire generals, they aren't Supreme Court Justices. If I was Petraeus, I'd try to keep my job and defend the army and the country by carrying out a stupid policy in the least damaging way.

The real traitors are people like Murdoch who published misleading pro-war articles on Iraq, and now continue the US-last propaganda against Iran. The NYT should have been more-thought-less-cheerleading as well.

[WashMitt]

Petraeus will go down in American history as a bigger traitor than Benedict Arnold.

[dylanw26]

His response seemed a little canned, didn't it?

[Richardgwm]

McCain promises 100 years in Iraq.

McCain has promised to keep America in Iraq for 100 years.

McCain promises 100 years in Iraq.

[Napalm66]

off the cuff point = promises

OK brah!

[Klacksparken]

Believe you're as wrong as you can get, he said he could stay in the country 100 years if that's what it takes to get them on their own feet. But it's going to be longer if people like you keep fighting it and not trying to help the operation finish.

[Eugene2Savoy]

Warner called in early 2007 the president to bring the troops home until christmas. He know's what's going on in Iraq as a former secretary of the navy, while the gvt is fucking this country over so badly that our great-grandchildren will still be paying for it.Now is this crowd of senators getting nervous after approval of the 3.'billion military surge in 2007 and another tsd casualties.

[Wendy62]

Warner's question is a good one, but he's asking the wrong person. Petraeus doesn't decide if we're going to fight, he just leads the fighting.

[MajNorberg]

A day in a Life:

watch?v=gZez_k4vAzU

[challange2urbalance]

"This Crowd" is the United States Congress, elected by "We The People" (Re:Eugene2Savoy)

and with all due respect to General Petraeus -the utmost respect to the men and women who serve this country - the question that needs to be answered is "What are the conditions precisely and specifically that must be met whereby you, General Petraeus, will make the reccomendation to your commander in chief, our pathetic president - George W. Bush, to begin the process of bringing our troops home? Hmmm?

[Eugene2Savoy]

That's corect, Petreaus is selling a granny as a virgin teen to the congress and got the 4'th star in his career on his shoulders from these bunch of idiots, called congress-crowd. This is a real professional general and a patriot.

[Rob7194]

I just saw this on tv at 6

[Eugene2Savoy]

Nothing does make America safer then getting out of this fuckin' Iraq, not because of the benefits of the Iraqi's, but of the benefits of the american tax-payers.

[RoachAsylum]

uh...this is a general not a policy maker. His job is not to question or analyze policy. jeez

[quietearthMT]

Well he wasn't "prepared" for that question at all.....

[dogstar7]

Is there any medals in the Armed Service inventory that Gen. Petraeus hasn't pinned to his goddamn chest? Bloody tin soldier!

[ArizonaMtKingsnake]

Everyone should "serve" in the military as "proudly" as Dick Cheney that will bring this lie of an illegal invasion to an end

[Eugene2Savoy]

Petraeus was given a military mission, not the mission to explain to this crowd the  middle-east strategy of the presidents administration. What a laughable question.

[Visfen]

Well wasn't the terrorist assessment dissolved after 2003 (when it showed an increase of violence in Iraq by 300% that year). Who can they ask, if not him?

[ArizonaMtKingsnake]

We have acheived success in Iraq as their gvmt is as useless and corrupt as do nothing as "ours" .

[nanquan491]

LOL look at Sen. John Warner's FACE when Gen. Petraeus was answering... :D He's looking at him as if thinking "what the fuck is this guy talking about?!"... I think his age has impeded his ability to understand any answer other than yes/no.

It's like *DUHHH... but has it made us safer? DOH*

It's just like many of the far-left wing liberals visiting this channel. I hope the General's answer wasn't too complex for you uneducated dolts? LMAO :D

[driftersmanifesto]

hey, that look on Warner's face? thats called "critical thinking" its what some people do to avoid absorbing arbitrary bullshit from authority figures. you should try it.

[nanquan491]

No, it's called pandering to far left wing partisan loons such as yourself... Also, succumbing to peer pressure rather than common sense. You know that notion of common sense..? I know it's foreign to you.. maybe your mind is not even capable of it anymore, but try it sometime! ;)

[1herjir]

hey its the guys from nuremburg

[hollyhoodjoe123]

At first, he seemed to say that the question needed to be proposed to another person. Then, after begin asked again, he said "yes it was worth it."

This is a bad sign. he had 6 months to prepare for this question and couldn't give a better answer than the one he did.

[wa1D1ng]

It is an extremely hard question to answer under all that media.

Whatever he says he can get stomped by both sides of his answer.

[hollyhoodjoe123]

But he had over 6 months!! over 24 weeks!! thats over 180 days. Thats over 4320 hours!!

You get my point!

[givebirthathome]

That's pretty decent of him, to make it clear that that's not a question he would be in a position to know. Its like asking a housebuilder, "will this house make the family more successful?"

[naaf89]

See that's what gets me about him. He, personally, seems like a decent guy. But when he has to be a puppet for Bush's team, I lose respect for him.

[thegreenskies]

Ever thought that he has his own thoughts.... after all one of the reason people hate bush is because he's stupid right? well how can he be so stupid and have all these..... "pupets?"

[naaf89]

Haha Bush doesn't control anything. But when Bush's team (cabinet) tells Patraeus to make it seem like the war's going fine, he does (as he should).

[mbelma6329]

"Bush's team" implies he is the leader of this so-called team. If this is the case, then he has to have control. Which means that he is smart and manipulative.

1.)So which is it? Is he smart and manipulative or stupid and incompetent?

2.)Or is it even remotely possible that General David Petraeus is a brave decorated General who is reporting on progress in the most definitive battle of our time?

Let me ask you this: 3.)If he told you things were going bad, would you still doubt him?

[hollyhoodjoe123]

This is a stupid analogy.

A house has nothing to do with the success of a family, and never has.

But there was claims that the Iraq war was making us safer, but the general couldn't confirm it.

In fact, that was the entire premise of going to war, that Saddam was a threat and securing the area will not only make the U.S. safer, but also the entire Middle East.

So, its nothing like asking a housebuilder "will this house make the family more successful?"

[naaf89]

It's actually a similie but yeah.

Analogy would be Iraq war:United States as house:family or something like that.

[givebirthathome]

That's pretty decent of him, to make it clear that that's not a question he would be in a position to know. Its like asking a housebuilder, "will this house make the family more successful?"