Hill article reported positive assessments of Iraq by McCain and Graham -- no mention of massive security in Baghdad market visit
Reporting on a recent visit to Baghdad by Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsey O. Graham (R-SC) and Reps. Mike Pence (R-IN) and Rick Renzi (R-AZ), an April 2 online article from The Hill uncritically quoted McCain's claim during a press conference following the lawmakers' visit to Baghdad's Shorja market that Americans "are not getting the full picture of what is happening here." The article further quoted Graham saying that there are "signs of progress" in Iraq and that "it would be a huge mistake to set a deadline" to withdraw U.S. troops. Although McCain cited his trip to the market as evidence of the improved situation, the article did not report the security measures that made it possible for the members of Congress to stroll through the market, located outside the Green Zone. In fact, McCain and Graham reportedly traveled to the market in armored military vehicles while under heavy guard by more than 100 U.S. troops and five helicopters.
The April 2 Hill article reported, in full:
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said Monday in Baghdad that Americans "are not getting the full picture of what is happening here."
McCain, a presidential contender who is visiting Iraq with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Reps. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) and Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.), argued that Americans are unaware of the drop in the murders, the deployment of more Iraqi troops and other positive developments.
However, McCain cautioned that the road ahead would be difficult.
"But I am not saying, 'Mission accomplished,' 'last throes,' 'dead-enders,' any of that," the senator said. "It's long and it's hard and it's very, very difficult -- a very, very difficult task ahead of us."
The other lawmakers also cited progress in Iraq.
"I think you see four people here who believe, more now than ever it would be a huge mistake to set a deadline," Graham said. "Because it is working. There are signs of progress. We're doing now what we should have done three years ago. And if you set a deadline now, it will undercut everything positive that's going on."
Graham added that Iraqi officials and every soldier to whom he spoke agreed with his assessment.
The Associated Press reported on April 1 that the Republican delegation to the Shorja market "was accompanied by heavily armed U.S. troops" and that "[t]hey traveled in armored military vehicles under heavy guard." Similarly, as the weblog Think Progress noted, on the April 1 edition of NBC's Nightly News, NBC News correspondent Tom Aspell reported McCain's response to a question about his previous statement that he "could walk through" neighborhoods in Baghdad today: "Yeah, I just came from one." Aspell then reported that McCain was heavily guarded during the trip to which he was apparently referring:
ASPELL: In Baghdad today, Senator John McCain said the American people were not getting an accurate view of what's happening here.
McCAIN: They're not getting the full picture of the drop in murders, the establishment of security outposts throughout the city, the situation in Anbar Province, the deployment of additional Iraqi brigades who are performing well.
ASPELL: McCain fielded a question about a statement he'd made last week.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: You said there are areas in Baghdad that you can walk around freely.
McCAIN: Yeah, I just came from one.
ASPELL: He and his delegation had just spent an hour walking around an open-air market. The U.S. military, which provided stills pictures, told NBC News the market was a three-minute drive directly across the Tigris River from the Green Zone and that McCain's delegation was guarded by more than 100 American soldiers with three Black Hawk helicopters and two Apache gunships overhead.
Other articles published after The Hill article have reported that local merchants disagreed with McCain's comments, with one labeling his visit to the market "propaganda." Reuters reported that snipers returned to the market area one day after the delegation's visit.
The only way to tell if the surge "works" is if chaos doesn't ensue once our troops fall back. To say it is working now is BS.
bkboase3653,
You got that right about this entire mess!
Interesting how these so-called compassionate conservatives talk a-lot about how everyone (but them it seems) must be for the troops, yet McCain and Gramm took the time to go into a green zone area (that was attacks less than 30 hours after they left) and puts the lives of not only our troops but also those of innocent Iraqi's for nothing more than a photo-op!
If these clowns (pols and media alike) would do their job, for the pols; get us the heck out of Iraq, the media; report the real damn truth and not the talking points of a lame-duck regime!
At this point, to be a conservative at all must really burn your bridges that these jerks claim to be conservative or is this the direction that conservatism as a whole wants to go??
Even the biggest hawk would have to look at the picture of Flak Jacket Johnny and realize the assessments are bogus. Besides perhaps looking like a tough guy, what does Johnny get out of supporting the "30%" still convinced that this street fight war will marginalize?
I dunno about you, but I always wear a flak jacket at the local Safeway. And I'm sure those were just traffic helicopters. Those armored vehicles aren't all that limber in movement, so the traffic jams are horrendous.
And don't forget the five heavily armed helicopters overhead. As a matter of fact, Jack Cafferty of CNN remarked insurgents would have to be on crack to attack the McCain party.
I like Jack Cafferty, but I hardly ever watch CNN and the others, so too bad... I wish he ran with a more credible crowd, so I could hear more of his commentary.
Sure, the elements of the 'insurgency' would be crazy to have attacked the McCain expedition, but more than that, they'd of had to be psychic or clairvoyant besides...
I'm sure Mr. McCain's visit to the market-place was far more than just unannounced and a surprise (a shock even, to locals), but I bet there were several possible sites to visit, dozens even, and that the particular site visited was only decided on in the hour of the visit...
...and as this item notes, the still pictures taken of a flak-jacket clad Mr. McCain, were taken by Army photographers... because the secrecy of the market trip was not breached to photojournalists.
And so yeah, anybody who would have wanted to disrupt Mr. McCain's visit to the market, would have not only been crazy, but would have had to have been psychic and clairvoyant too.
If you buy the NeoCon logic, we'll be in Iraq forever. Here's why...They insist that if we set a date, the terrorists will just lie low until we're gone. However, if they say that we will leave once the Iraqi army has things under control, why won't the terrorists just lay low until we think that has happened? If they're smart enough to do one, they're smart enough to do the other. Therefore, to be sure, we have to stay there indefinitely.
But, wasn't that the plan all along?
SAVE DEMOCRACY, VOTE FOR A DEMOCRAT!!
Man, I'm convinced! I'm going to pack my bags and open a pool hall right in the middle of Bagdad, I'm going to be rich!
Or dead!
Happy Thoughts;
Dan Grady
hooray for the internet. just a few years ago this story would have disappeared never to be seen again. [i did watch this on nbc news on sunday, and at the end of the show john seigenthaler [?] announced he was leaving the show and the network.] how long are we going to hear about the difficult road ahead but things are slowly getting better? we've been hearing that for years and we have more troops than ever there. damn, that's what i call success. maybe next year, we'll have improved to having 250,000 troops there.
250,000 troops without a draft? I know one soldier who said if he gets called up for another tour after this one ends next month, he's moving to Mexico.
Far as photo ops go, this one was a dud. McCain marching through Baghdad markets in a flak jacket accompanied by a platoon of soldiers as a fleet of helicopters buzz overhead is a bit of a red flag as to the extent of McCain's BS. Watch his numbers plummet faster than Bush's support base.
Randy
If you caught Olbermann tonight, they had some quotes from Iraqis regarding McCain's visit. I almost wrote that they were pretty funny, but they weren't funny at all. 8-O
I'm with the previous poster that said this is perfectly normal.
Everyday I have a briefing with my own personal generals on how to conduct my daily routines. I don't eat, sleep, or even take a piss without them knowing full well in advance.
I have a crew of seven heavily armed guards where ever I go, weither its to the supermarket or the bank. Beyond the tinted armored cars I ride in and the crew of trained snipers that spot potential threats in my vicinity, I am perfectly safe, and I am sure the environment in which I do stroll around is safe enough. Safe enough that I need so much protection.
See, it's safe, s-a-f-e
did anyone notice,that there was no iraqis troops protecting mccain,only american troops,were is this strong iraq army,that this administration has been telling the american people about.
Hi all,
To me, this smacks of official Bush endorsement of McCain, as it must take official approval to stage a visit like this, what with all the personel and equipment. Enough logistics that the army could not have thrown this together at the last minute. I guess that means McCain has signed off with the big oil concerns regarding future US oil policy in the gulf region, ie US and US only drilling, pumping and refining.