|
|
"A comprehensive, collaborative elections resource."
|
Coleman finds little support on Senate panel
|
|---|
| Parent(s) |
Candidate
|
| Contributor | Eric |
| Last Edited | Eric Jan 26, 2007 07:50pm |
| Logged |
1
[Older]
|
| Category | News |
| Media | Newspaper - Star Tribune, The (Minneapolis - St. Paul) |
| News Date | Saturday, January 27, 2007 01:50:00 AM UTC0:0 |
| Description | WASHINGTON - Two weeks ago, Minnesota Republican Sen. Norm Coleman said he opposed sending more troops to Baghdad but that U.S. forces were making "great headway" fighting insurgents in Anbar Province.
So far, he's finding few takers for his argument. "I've made seven trips into Anbar Province," Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee told Coleman during a hearing Wednesday. "I've yet to find a single solitary military officer, from sergeant to general, who has said that we have made any substantial progress. Every aspect of the president's policy has been a failure."
The committee approved a resolution rebuking President Bush's troop increase in language that was stronger than Coleman favored.
Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said that California has lost the most soldiers in Iraq. "And by the way," she said, "I would say to Senator Coleman, most of them die in Anbar Province."
When Coleman proposed sending more U.S. troops to Anbar but not to Baghdad, the committee voted 17-4 to reject his plan. Before that vote, Coleman suggested removing language from his amendment that said U.S. forces "have had great success" in Anbar, instead saying they "are engaged" in the battle against the terrorist insurgency.
In a call with reporters Thursday, Coleman explained he didn't want his amendment to become a distraction. "I didn't want to get into debate over the language, over whether we're having success or not."
Coleman jumped into the national spotlight on Iraq on Jan. 10, when he gave a speech saying he opposed the president's request to send 21,500 additional troops to Iraq. In defending his plan before the committee, Coleman said he wanted "to draw the distinction between the concern that many of us have about putting American troops in the cross-hairs of sectarian violence, but at the same time not pulling the plug, and recognizing, if our commanders in Anbar say that we're making success, we've got to listen to that." |
| Share |
|
|
2¢
|
|
| Article | Read Full Article |
|
| Date |
Category |
Headline |
Article |
Contributor |
|
|
