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Senate Prepares for All-Nighter
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ShareJuly 17, 2007 3:51 PM
ABC News' Z. Byron Wolf reports: Senators are preparing for the Senate all-nighter on the Democratic proposal that would begin the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq within 120 days. But first senators voted Tuesday on a non-binding measure put forth by Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas that stated: "A failed state in Iraq would become a safe haven for Islamic radicals, including al Qaeda and Hezbollah, who are determined to attack the United States and United States Allies."
Cornyn's amendment also quoted from the Iraq study group, saying a failed state in Iraq would lead to humanitarian suffering. Just about everybody supported Cornyn's amendment -- both Democrats and Republicans. After all, nobody wants a failed state in Iraq.
However, the non-binding vote may have put Democrats in a difficult position politically. Senate Republicans are now suggesting Democrats have gone on-record admitting the U.S. should not draw down its troops, and that the Democrats are playing politics with the Senate all-nighter.
"What we'll have tonight is a lot of political theater," said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Tex., on the Senate floor. "We'll have a lot of fun having a Senate slumber party for the benefit of MoveOn.Org."
Cornyn said the Democratic proposal would inappropriately change strategy in Iraq, and is futile because the President would veto it.
However, Democrats say Iraq is already teetering on failed-state status, and they stand by their proposal to draw down troops.
Democratic Senator Carl Levin of Michigan, chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee said on the Senate floor that Iraq can't get much worse than it is right now.
Iraq is the number two most failed state in the world right now," Levin said. "That's right now. Iraq is number two right after Sudan. That's the status quo. That's what we're trying to end. It is that open-ended commitment of the U.S. that we're trying to end. To say that we don't want a failed state in Iraq is to say that we don't want the status quo."
July 17, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (1)
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I am currently in Iraq. I have seen improvement after the months I have been here. Unfortunately I have also seen alot of commrades die for nothing. My point being they have died looking for the IEDs and EFPs while clearing routes. What did that have to do with the US Military rebuilding a infrastructure for Iraq?? Where do those two things meet in the middle? A soldier getting killed by Indirect Fire while going to the showers. Does that make sense to anyone? Or going to eat? How does a soldier dying by indirect fire justify the rebuilding of Iraqs infrustructure? If anyone has a sane answer, maybe that should be the question for the canidates, and if they answer it right they should be nominated in '08.
Posted by: soldier boy | Aug 15, 2007 7:59:35 PM
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