State Department BLOCKS Foreign Relations Committee on Surge update

Jillian

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Sat Jun-16-07 06:41 PM
Original message

State Department BLOCKS Foreign Relations Committee on Surge update

State Dept. Blocks Sen. Biden�s Appeal To Hear Testimony On WH Surge Strategy
Saturday, June 16th, 2007
June 17: After repeated requests for the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, to schedule an appearance before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to discuss progress in Iraq, the State Dept. has refused to make him available or assist the committee in hearing his testimony. Committee Chairman Sen. Joe Biden followed up with an official request by letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Here are portions of that official letter.

�On June 21st the Committee on Foreign Relations had planned to hold a public hearing to evaluate the progress of the President�s surge strategy in Iraq. I asked the State Department to make available to the Committee by video-conference Ambassador Ryan Crocker, the senior official on the ground who can best assess political and economic progress. I also asked for your assistance in securing the testimony of the senior military commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, to help the Committee assess progress on the military track.

�The State Department refused to make Ambassador Crocker available or to assist us in securing the testimony of General Petraeus. Between the time of my first request for these witnesses and the Department�s refusal, each appeared repeatedly on American television and gave interviews to American publications.

�There is no justification for making Ambassador Crocker so widely available to the news media, but not to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which is responsible for overseeing the conduct of our country�s foreign policy. Nowhere is that oversight more important, urgent or necessary than with regard to Iraq.

�Since before the start of the war, I have repeatedly said that no foreign policy can be sustained without the informed consent of the American people.

�Congress has a unique role in informing Americans about our country�s policies and securing their consent, notably by questioning senior officials. Denying this Committee access to those officials is wrong and will only serve to further undermine the credibility of this administration�s conduct of the war.�
http://blog.joebiden.com/?cat=8

Unbelievable! God forbid they would have to report on the surge
:mad:

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Dinger

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Sat Jun-16-07 06:44 PM
Response to Original message

1. Somebody Do Something. This Is Well Beyond, Just Well Beyond (nt0

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Rosa Luxemburg

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Sat Jun-16-07 06:44 PM
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2. everyone write to their Senators

we would like to know how the surge is going (or not going)

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Fridays Child

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Sat Jun-16-07 06:45 PM
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3. And impeachment remains off the table.

:nuke:

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babylonsister

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Sat Jun-16-07 06:47 PM
Response to Original message

4. We are REQUIRED to pay for this occupation no one wanted, and now

they won't even tell us what's going on? :mad: :grr: :nuke:

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Jillian

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Sat Jun-16-07 06:49 PM
Response to Original message

5. And look who is going to be on MTP tomorrow

Sunday, June 17, 2007
Ryan Crocker on Iraq and a roundtable about politics and the war

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3898804/

Now why can he go on MTP, but not before the Foreign Relations Committee??????

Too afraid of Biden, Kerry, Obama, Boxer ????

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annabanana

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Sat Jun-16-07 07:15 PM
Response to Original message

6. YIKES!

Everybody contact MTP and pester Timmeh. . . Maybe he'll get us some answers (haha)

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Salviati

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Sat Jun-16-07 07:43 PM
Response to Reply #6

8. Linky to pester timmeh:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6872152/

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HCE SuiGeneris

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Sat Jun-16-07 07:17 PM
Response to Original message

7. Is it Fascism yet? n/t

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Nikki Stone1

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Sat Jun-16-07 08:55 PM
Response to Original message

9. Where is that list of current Senators?

Someone posted it a couple of weeks ago and it would be really nice here.

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TwilightGardener

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Sat Jun-16-07 10:03 PM
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10. Does anyone remember Condi Rice being grilled by the Senate FRC in January?

It was BROOOOTAL!!! I almost felt bad for her. She was raked over the coals, and ended up looking pretty bad. They don't want this Crocker dude to suffer the same fate. BushCo wants to control the headlines about the surge progress, not Biden, Kerry, Hagel, etc.

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