[marden]

Warner Says Next 60 to 90 Days Key for Iraq's Future (Update1)
By Jon Steinman

Oct. 5 (Bloomberg) -- The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee said the U.S. should consider a ``change of course'' in Iraq if the government there can't stabilize the country in the next two to three months.

Senator John Warner's comments, after returning from a one- day visit to Iraq, were the most critical assessments yet from a top congressional Republican about the government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who President George W. Bush has championed as a strong leader. They also may serve notice to the president that even his strongest allies in Congress may be running out of patience.

Warner, a former Navy secretary and longtime Republican leader on defense issues, didn't outline what changes to U.S. strategy should be made and whether that includes withdrawing or redeploying U.S. troops.

``I wouldn't take any option off the table,'' he said during a news conference today at the Capitol.

Bush is attempting to stop a slide in public support for the war by portraying Iraq as the central front in a global struggle against terrorists. With 2,722 U.S. military deaths since the March 2003 invasion, including at least 14 so far this month, polls show a majority of the public opposes the conflict. The war is a top campaign issue for Democrats seeking to overturn the Republican majority in Congress.

A Shift

``When as loyal and respected a senator as John Warner comes forward with criticism, you know the majority has shifted into the opposition,'' said Loren Thompson, director of security studies at the Lexington Institute in Arlington, Virginia.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...U&refer=us

Expect greater violence in Iraq and then greater stability as a result of this.

Having John Warner say this is a big deal.

[dcmacdaddy]

Originally Posted by marden

article snipped

Expect greater violence in Iraq and then greater stability as a result of this.

Having John Warner say this is a big deal.

We've been expecting greater violence, followed by stability, for years now. John Warner is simply the latest to say so. It hasn't happened yet and I doubt it will happen now.

(And yes, just to get it out of the way now, I am an America-hater for disagreeing with Bush's policies on Iraq.)

[marden]

Originally Posted by dcmacdaddy

We've been expecting greater violence, followed by stability, for years now. John Warner is simply the latest to say so. It hasn't happened yet and I doubt it will happen now.

Having Warner say this is a bigger deal than you know.

Originally Posted by dcmacdaddy

(And yes, just to get it out of the way now, I am an America-hater for disagreeing with Bush's policies on Iraq.)

Then stop it.

[Face Ache]

Originally Posted by marden

Having John Warner say this is a big deal.

I first read that as "John Wayne". Now THAT'S who you need.

[Millennium]

So he says there needs to be "a change of course," yet he offers no solutions. The classic cry of "Do More!"

[marden]

Originally Posted by Millennium

So he says there needs to be "a change of course," yet he offers no solutions. The classic cry of "Do More!"

They want the world to slow down so they can catch up to where Bush is.