By Jon-Christopher Bua, Sky News political analyst
After a seven-month absence, Alice is back in Wonderland once more on Capitol Hill.
Lewis Carroll would be proud to hear just how loyal to his writings both Ambassador Ryan Crocker and General David Petreaus were in their defence of a failed policy in Iraq.
Senators grilled Ambassador Crocker and General Petraeus on their assessment of what the end-game would be.
In this crucial election year, the three potential Commanders-in-Chief had an unprecedented opportunity to display their leadership as they questioned Mr Crocker and Gen Petreaus on the US - Iraq strategy.
For their part, Mr Crocker and Gen Petreaus were responding to their future boss, the next President of the United States. The answers they gave, however, were like a military version of Carroll’s literary nonsense poem, Jabberwocky.
With the Pennsylvania primaries a little more than week away for the Democrats and John McCain burnishing his military record, these hearings gave the US voters the opportunity to see just how the next President would address the problem of Iraq.
Drawing his political line in the sand, Senator McCain said it would be irresponsible and reckless to set a timetable for withdrawal and that we are there as long as we have to be there.
He believes that withdrawal equals defeat and has tied his political fortunes to "success" in Iraq without a definition.
The Democrats, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, having a distinctly different approach, pondered how they would implement their withdrawal plan when Iraq became their war.
Senator Clinton, challenging Mr McCain’s hardline assertions, said it was irresponsible to continue on a course that would not produce any of the promised successes.
Challenging any progress that the Ambassador and General claimed had been made, Mrs Clinton said that after all of the US blood and treasure, we are basically right back to where we were before the "Surge" began.
By putting these officials on the spot regarding our long-term commitments, she questioned whether the agreements the Bush administration is negotiating with the Iraqi government need to be examined and approved by Congress.
She also challenged them on the idea that the Iraqi Parliament gets to approve these agreements and the US Senate does not get to give their "advice and consent".
Mrs Clinton and many other senators highlighted the economic cost to the US, while Iraq accumulates a $30bn surplus from oil sales and makes little contribution to the war effort.
For his part, Senator Obama tried to pin the Ambassador and General down on their definition of success. He acknowledged the "Surge" did in fact provide breathing room for the Iraqi Government, but added that they failed to take advantage of this opportunity.
Keeping the pressure on, Mr Obama demanded to know among the parade of "horribles" that would occur if we were to leave, exactly what the conditions would have to be to allow the US to consider leaving?
After a day of gruelling testimony and frustration, all three of the presidential candidates seemed to have one thing in common.
They want to get the American people engaged in the discussion about what to do next in a war for which there are no good and simple solutions: to find a way to get back through the Looking Glass.
After watching the documentary Ground Truth, i thought that this should be shown to all the American people and the US Government to show them, and remind the populace, exactly what is happening in Iraq. It was an eye opener for me, especialy the treatment these soldiers received from their own government, i thought the USA was all about freedom of speech. That's a laugh. I thought it was only in the likes of China that you are jailed for voiceing your opinions, even against your owen goverement. I would recommend anyone to watch this documentary Considering this war was based on lies from both UK and USA govemtments, i think they need to look at why they are really there!!! A bit of truth from them would be a refreshing change.
Posted by: Judith (UK) 21 Apr 2008 13:55:03
America and Britain must get out of both Afganistan and Iraq as soon as possible. If the spent billions on educating and helping their own people it would be money well spent. 28million Americans needing food stamps and a country facing a huge depression. They dont need to bring democracy to anywhere .Just look after their own
Posted by: paulkelly34@gmail.com 19 Apr 2008 11:58:22
Who allowed Saddam Hussain to continue Ruling IRAQ fr so long? It was USA. Why then USA became angry bcz now the oil reserves were required by USA fm Iraq. Physical occu-pation was only solution. (this was Iraq in 1985-2000. After invassion how much US & EU has gained. Unemployment inside US & EU, Inflation or control over security problems. What is spent over IRAQ was never estimated. So every person in US & EU should now ask the families who lost in this war their loved ones. Feel the pain of those (Iraqee) who lost lives but agony of the whole situation remains that Human Rights, Security, Just World order, Global Village all these slogans of US & EU monarchs have added more sufferings than blessings in the globe. People all over are loosing trust in this confused war of gaining & blaming innitiated by the WEST.China is now Blamed Zebabway is draged in for diverting attention of a common US & EU citizen from the main issues he is actually suffering in his country. In Pakistan Elections were held in FEB & poor is cornerred to the last limits. False slogans to address his basic needs & inviting Finance Minister to Geneva WB has clear signals for a common man that HE has no priority but slogans. Where as slogans of US & EU are more real than resolve in actuall sense. IRAQ is CHEWING GUM now US & EU have spen more than required both in blood & Matter. It is a right time to give some break to the common man in whole world so that things donot go beyond limits. The Monorchs are clear that Feudal & lords are now exposed. They must no drag poor any more OR they loose in their own country what they posses.
Posted by: Tasneem (Islamabad) 14 Apr 2008 08:10:47
What do people do when a budiness venture fails, they wrap it up. Now is the time to wrap the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Too much money wasted too many lives lost...end result... big mess.
America should stop trying to flog a dead horse and get out of the war zones.
They need to get back to what they are good at, trading with the rest of the world.
Whichever person gets elected they must get it sorted! Job done.
Posted by: Elizabeth Davies Cape Town 12 Apr 2008 15:56:00
What I`ve never understood, is why didn`t Iraqi`s kill each over in droves when Saddam Hussein was there? There was no sectarian violence, warlords, criminal gangs, miltia`s, jihadist`s, islamic fundamentalists, ethnic cleansing, Christians being killed, having their churches demolished, being forced to convert to islam, women being made to wear the hijab,so-called honour killings, and so on. Is it because Saddam Hussein`s iron rule, stopped all of this from happening?
Posted by: John Hyde 11 Apr 2008 14:47:35
Sir
Naturally, when [Two Tribes] go to war, manya dilemna is faced therafter by those whose war it wasnt in the frist place.
tragic indeed as Iraq has been, and with sincere bets wishes to all troops and civilians caught up in this saga, Iraq has to stand on its own two feet and thats the end of it.
Now, speaking of oil and the volatile combustion this commodity creates, when [Frankie Goes To Hollywood] the problem that emerges thereafter is the fact that muslim is killing muslim and guess what, in the name of Islam?????? For gods sake, at the end of the day, what has been proven is these so called super muslims that engage within Iraq do not give a damn that you are muslim, otherwise we would have seen a unified stance, and a deisre to recovery.
As for the war, well if Mccain is to prolong his arrogant stance insofar as the fact that withdrawal is defeat, perhaps he too suffered turbulant landings like our Hils.
Sometimes Sir, honour is gained by making the first move, but that would be just too plain simple wont it.
Iraq and its surrounding region have a prime opportuinity to show the world what can be achieved for the better of humanity as it is not our role to adjudge those who will be adjudged by the fires of hell.
Posted by: Khalid 11 Apr 2008 01:34:50