Britain: Iran seizes 15 sailors, marines

[Rodger Tellefson]

I know that the House just voted for an August 21, 2008 pull out from Iraq, but with the Iranian threat I am thinking that maybe it is not such a good thing.

 

[Thomas Rogers]

What does Iran have to do with Iraq?



(Other than they are neighbors and some might view our pulling out of Iraq as a sign of weakness)



If anything, maybe it would give us the manpower we need to fight an enemy that is truly a threat.



TJR

 

[Rodger Tellefson]

Some view that if we pull out of Iraq then Iran will take over that country in Iran's quest of World dominance. Don't get me wrong, I do agree that we never ever should have gone into Iraq in the first place.

 

[EddieS'04]

We pull out now and Iran will take over Iraq. The Islamic ways of the Iranian gov. is worse than the Shah Of Iran or Saddams bathtist party.

I personally think we went into Iraq, to be closer to Iran with our military..

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Fast Eddie says: "I personally think we went into Iraq, to be closer to Iran with our military."



Hhhhm, that would be a strategy, one requiring forethought.



I don't buy it. I haven't seen any real strategery in this war.



TJR

 

[Richard L]

What does Iran have to do with Iraq?

There are numerous claims that Iran is suppyling the insurgents in Iraq with weapons and explosives. Remember that Iran is predomantly Shiite and they are attemping to support they fellow Shiites. Sadam was their enemy an he was a Suni.



Iran is beleived by many to be the one of the biggest instigators of trouble in the middle east.



...Rich

 

[TrainTrac]

I know that the House just voted for an August 21, 2008 pull out from Iraq, but with the Iranian threat I am thinking that maybe it is not such a good thing.

Last time I read my copy of the Constitution, it said that the President was Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, not the House or Senate. And the President has already indicated that he'll veto the bill.



By making the defense spending bill conditional to a set withdrawal date, the idiots in the House are holding back funding to all of DOD. That includes funding to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Bethesda Naval Medical Center, and all of the other DOD medical facilities currently serving wounded troops. This will only make the current situation in those facilities worse.

Bush Vows to Veto Bill to Withdraw U.S. Troops From Iraq by Fall 2008



Friday , March 23, 2007



WASHINGTON —

House Democrats called for a new direction in Iraq on Friday, passing a measure ordering President Bush to withdraw U.S. combat troops from Iraq by September 2008.



Bush vowed to veto the measure if it makes it to his desk.



"A narrow majority in the House of Representatives abdicated its responsibility by passing a war spending bill that has no chance of becoming law and brings us no closer to getting our troops the resources they need to do their job," Bush said from the White House Diplomatic Reception Room while joined by family members of veterans and troops in combat.



Bush called on Congress to fund the troops, saying the current bill contains "too much pork, too many conditions."



"The purpose of the emergency war spending bill I requested was to provide our troops with vital funding. Instead, Democrats in the House, in an act of political theater, voted to substitute their judgment for that of our military commanders on the ground in Iraq."



Democrats won passage by a 218-212 vote on the $124 billion war spending bill, which will fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.



“Today, this Congress faces a historic vote. A vote to truly change the direction of the Iraqi conflict,” said Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., just before the vote.



Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, also called the vote "historic," urging colleagues to vote against the measure.



"Our troops are on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan, doing their duty to protect freedom and to end tyranny," House Minority Leader Boehner said. "They're there watching this debate we're having in the House today and wondering, 'Will Congress do its duty? Will Congress stand up and support he mission that I'm in?' "



The vote puts Congress closer to a showdown with the White House over Bush's Iraq policy.



Bush will veto the bill, White House spokesman Tony Snow told reporters at Friday's briefing.



"Look, the president's going to veto this bill, and he's going to veto it because even though it provides some funding, it also puts handcuffs on generals, colonels, lieutenant colonels, majors, captains, lieutenants, sergeants, corporals, privates, and everybody else," Snow said.



Most Republicans opposed the Democrats' plan, which also included budget requests not related to war spending.



"What we got instead was a poorly assembled wish list of non-emergency spending requests, wrapped in a date-certain declaration of defeat — a confirmation to our enemies that, if they hang on just a bit longer, we'll be out of their way soon," said Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo.



Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., told fellow lawmakers a vote against the bill would be a vote against funding for the troops, health care and military families.



“You’re voting against supporting the troops if you’re voting against the money that goes to the troops,” Murtha said.



Bush urged Congress to approve the bill without a timeline during a meeting Thursday

 

[WXMotorSports DecalsPartsAccs]

Also, the international water they were in borders Iraq and Iran. Iran views it as they were in their borders.

 

[Gerald Pierce]

I was up in that area in early 05, they liked to play chicken with us then..... those little POS boats they have would not have been much of a contest for a Cruiser and would have made great reefs on the bottom.



They have been pushing the issue there for quite some time..... I guess they grew some goobers this time. If HMS Cornwall had gone in there with some attitude to keep the Iranians away from her guys, I doubt very seriously if anything would have been done by Iran. Guess the Iranians won the game of chicken this time.

 

[Ryan Schaecher]

Just goes to show what politics in the military does. 40 years ago, this would have been a declaration of war (seizing the seamen). Much the same as Hamas seizing Isreali soldiers. But now, because we have to deal with a worthless POS organization like the UN who would criticize Britain for defending thier soldiers and have written all kinds of resolutions against the US and Britian, which would have been obeyed and respected... unlike Iraq and Iran, Libya and Syria, Palestein and Darfur....