On the Ground in Iraq
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Kerry, Dodd meet with Iraqi PM
BAGHDAD (CNN)—Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki met Sunday with visiting U.S. Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., his office said.
The prime minister briefed the lawmakers on political developments in Iraq and the reconciliation process.
They in turn reiterated the support of both Republicans and Democrats to the political process and stressed the importance of success in Iraq, the prime minister’s office said. (Posted 9:22 a.m.)
“Today was very informative and very helpful in crystallizing some of my thoughts insofar as what we can negotiate … and what needs to be accomplished,” Kerry told The Associated Press by telephone.
During his stop at Camp Warhorse in Diyala, northeast of the capital, Kerry said he also met with local Iraqi officials responsible for one of the most sectarian-charged areas of the country.
Kerry declined to elaborate on how the visit had affected his views on the situation in Iraq because his meetings continue Sunday. He is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki for a firsthand assessment on “what’s possible in the political dynamics.” “I certainly learned more about what the troops can or can’t achieve,” he said.
Kerry, a sharp critic of Bush administration policies in Iraq, said the most important challenge now was to achieve “whatever success is possible.”
Kerry arrived in Iraq after visits to Egypt and Jordan. He also plans to visit Syria for talks with President Bashar Assad and travel to Lebanon, Israel and the West Bank.
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When can we expect to hear more about these meetings? Is John Kerry or Christopher Dodd expected to do a joint interview at some time soon?
I, too, will be very interested to hear what Sen. Kerry has to say about what he found out in Iraq. I am assuming that he is probably out of the country now. His meeting in Syria will be very interesting. I agree with his tone here:
Kerry, a sharp critic of Bush administration policies in Iraq, said the most important challenge now was to achieve “whatever success is possible.”
It is time that our leaders speak frankly about the situation there.
Beachmom,
Frankly, does not have to mean pessimistic by the way. And the media and John Kerry pointed out that ‘Whatever success is possible” doesn’t imply pessimism.
It implies realism.
It implies taking the time to cement a real diplomatic policy. It means taking the time to pull all sides together and work towards a common goal.
Yes, John Kerry and many others have been disappointed in the actions of this President and his administration. But he’s there, in person, and taking a realistic look at the situation, and he’s working to create some diplomatic ties.
These actions should have been going on for years. But in the absence of real leadership, John Kerry and Christopher Dodd are showing the courage it takes to work with all the factions to try to build a stronger unity in Iraq and around the region.
At least he’s taking it forward from the mess Bush has made.
Thanks for the update! The more heated the rhetoric gets here at home, the more anxious I am for JK to weigh in, as he’s one of the few policy makers I trust implicitly when it comes to Iraq.
Counting on you, John!
It’s a great relief to know you’re doing your own assessment and very much looking toward your reasoned perspective.
Thanks, Big John.
Thanks for taking care of business, Senator Kerry.
I know some people are saying that it’s none of your business what’s going on overseas right now, that you should keep yourself here and let the folks in the White House just keep on staying the course without your going to the Middle East.
Well, to heck with that. You’re a Senator, you’re a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and if this ain’t foreign relations then I don’t know what is.
You’re doing your job. You’re doing the peoples’ business over there. It is your business. And that means it’s my business too.
So you just keep right on doing what you’re doing, Senator. And safe home, too. We’ll leave the light on for you.
What Otter said. ;-)
Besides, for many of us, John Kerry fills the role of opposition leader. I expected John to embrace this role after November, 2004 and haven’t been disappointed by his actions. I am grateful he’s the kind of responsible adult who doesn’t squander his intelligence, integrity and ability to think creatively on lesser issues than the giants that face us today.
Tia,
You make some good points. Sometimes there is a fine line between pessimism and realism. I have found Sen. Kerry to always have an underlying optimism about things in general tempered with realism. He will not give up on this, no way, no how.
When I think back to his history with Vietnam, it’s heartening to see he not only never forgot about his fellow veterans, but about the Vietnamese people, too. His work on POW/MIA that brought about a normalization of relations with Vietnam and the prosperity they now enjoy should be noted. I’d love to see Vietnam become a democracy one day, but they need to do it themselves in their own time in their own way. Being economically prosperous is a good requisite for a stable democracy.
There is no doubt in my mind that Senator Kerry who obviously must consider U.S. national security concerns first wants the best possible future for the Iraqi people, too.
Having said all of that, however, the prospects in Iraq are grim. I do not know what is possible there right now. What I do know is that our troops are limited in what they can achieve, and it doesn’t seem right to continue to send them in harm’s way without a real policy in place. Diplomacy is the only way to solve the problems in Iraq, and it may take time (possibly years) to see any improvement there. That’s the way I see it, but hope that something will happen that will cause me to be more optimistic that it will get better for the Iraqi people in the near future.