The World Speaks...

... does anybody listen? A quick round-up of key quotes on Iraq, from all over the world this past week. Some made headlines, others went mostly unheard.

December 4, USA, Senator John Kerry:

Kerry: Let me--I--first of all, there is so much more that unites Democrats than divides us. And Democrats have much more in common with each other than they do with George Bush's policy right now. Now Joe Lieberman, I believe, also voted for the resolution which said the president needs to make more clear what he's doing and set out benchmarks, and that the policy hasn't been working. We all believe him when you say, 'Stay the course.' That's the president's policy, which hasn't been changing, which is a policy of failure. I don't agree with that. But I think what we need to do is recognize what we all agree on, which is you've got to begin to set benchmarks for accomplishment. You've got to begin to transfer authority to the Iraqis.

And there is no reason, Bob, that young American soldiers need to be going into the homes of Iraqis in the dead of night, terrorizing kids and children, you know, women, breaking sort of the customs of the--of--the historical customs, religious customs. Whether you like it or not--

Schieffer: Yeah.

Kerry: --Iraqis should be doing that.

Denmark: We're Staying The Course In Iraq

HELSINKI -- After a U.S. commander said that Denmark might be able to bring its 230 troops home from Iraq next year, the Danish foreign minister responded in true “stay-the-course” fashion.

“Danish soldiers are in Iraq for a strategic military purpose and will stay there until we are requested to withdraw them by the Iraqi authorities,” Per Stig Moller told the Danish legislature Nov. 28.

Moller said his government is cautiously optimistic about a 2006 withdrawal, but that “our presence entirely depends on the terrorist situation and whether stability and the democratic rule of law can be established.”

Moller was responding to remarks made by U.S. Army Gen. George Casey, the commander of American forces in Iraq, to the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on Nov. 22.

“The probability of Danish troops leaving Iraq and returning to Denmark in 2006, at this point in time, are good,” Casey told the newspaper. “This situation has been made possible because Iraqi security forces are beginning to take the lead in operations against insurgents, [and] with our support, we can let them take over.”

Denmark, which was the only Scandinavian country to throw its full political support behind the American-led invasion, has sent a total of 1,600 troops to Iraq. They have served in the roles of infantry and various specialties, including mechanics, technicians and computer-center personnel, under British command in the southeastern sector of Iraq.

Casey told Moller on Nov. 21 that Danish troops would likely be able to return home in the second half of 2006, as Iraqi forces assume more of the leadership and burden of fighting insurgents.

But Moller sounded less convinced the situation would be improved enough by then.

“The security situation in Iraq remains tense and volatile. We can see this from our intelligence reports,” the minister told lawmakers.

He restated government policy that Danish troops would remain in service in Iraq for as long as Iraqi officials believed the security situation there warranted: “Any request to withdraw must first come from the government of Iraq, with whom we are in dialogue.”

Moller said his Iraqi counterpart told him Nov. 4 that Iraq would continue to need the presence of foreign troops throughout 2006. “Even if a withdrawal happens in 2006, we expect that Denmark could be called on by NATO to lend support to the fledgling Iraqi forces.”

In any case, Moller said, the public discussion of exact withdrawal dates would help the enemy.

“Airing such details and security matters in public would merely serve the cause of the insurgents,” he told the lawmakers.

"The idea that we're going to win this war is an ideal that unfortunately is just plain wrong".

Iraqi Premier Asks Japan To Extend Troop Mission

TOKYO -- Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari called on Japan to extend its controversial military deployment to the war-torn country which is set to expire next week.

Despite growing calls in the United States for a pullout, Japan is all but certain to extend its largely symbolic mission of 600 troops in the relatively safe southern Iraqi city of Samawa into next year.

Japan is reportedly hoping to pull out sometime in 2006 with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi telling Jaafari that Japan could help Iraq more as an economic rather than military partner once security improved.

Jaafari, paying a brief first visit to one of his government’s main financial backers, said Iraqis “appreciate” the Japanese troops, who are on Tokyo’s first mission since World War II to a country at war.

"I know the mission of the Self-Defense Forces will expire on (December) 14th. I deeply hope you extend it,” Jaafari told Koizumi, according to a Japanese official privy to the talks.

"We believe it’s too early for the Self-Defense Forces to exit Iraq,” Jaafari said. “Extending the deployment would be investing in Iraq’s future.”

Koizumi said that the praise would “encourage” the Japanese troops.

"I recognize your high regard for the Japanese troops and your request to extend the mission,” Koizumi told Jaafari. “I will take it into account when we make our decision comprehensively.”

Democracy can be difficult and complicated and even chaotic. It can take years of hard work to build a healthy civil society. Iraqis have to overcome many challenges, including longstanding ethnic and religious tensions, and the legacy of brutal repression. But they're learning that democracy is the only way to build a just and peaceful society, because it's the only system that gives every citizen a voice in determining its future.

Before our mission in Iraq is accomplished, there will be tough days ahead. Victory in Iraq will require continued sacrifice by our men and women in uniform, and the continued determination of our citizens. There will be good days and there will be bad days in this war. I reject the pessimists in Washington who say we can't win this war. Yet every day, we can be confident of the outcome because we know that freedom has got the power to overcome terror and tyranny. We can be confident about the outcome because we know the character and strength of the men and women in the fight. Their courage makes all Americans proud.

This generation of Americans in uniform is every bit as brave and determined as the generation that went to war after the attack on our nation 64 years ago today. Like those who came before, they are defeating a dangerous enemy, bringing freedom to millions, and transforming a troubled part of the world. And like those who came before, they will always have the gratitude of the American people.

Our nation will uphold the cause for which our men and women in uniform are risking their lives. We will continue to hunt down the terrorists wherever they hide. We will help the Iraqi people so they can build a free society in the heart of a troubled region. And by laying the foundations of freedom in Iraq and across the broader Middle East, we will lay the foundation of peace for generations to come.

Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean said Thursday his assertion that the United States cannot win the war in Iraq was reported "a little out of context," saying Democrats believe a new U.S. strategy is needed to succeed there.

Seeking to clarify a statement in a Texas radio interview that Republicans harshly assailed and some Democrats questioned, Dean said, "They kind of cherry-picked that one the same way the president cherry-picked the intelligence going into Iraq."

Joining the U.S.-led military coalition in Iraq has brought real military and diplomatic benefits that help offset the cost in blood and treasure, top officials from three East European allies said in interviews this week.

"We supported the war in Iraq and have our troops there now not because we felt threatened directly by Saddam Hussein," said Polish Defense Minister Radek Sikorski.

"We are there because of our investment in a strong U.S.-Polish relationship. We want to show the United States we will be with them when we are needed," he said. "To that extent, we have done what we hoped to do."

But Ukrainian Defense Minister Anatoliy Hrytsenko said his country's decision to deploy nearly 1,600 troops to Iraq in 2003 helped establish a "sphere of trust" with the Bush administration, even as the government of President Viktor Yushchenko prepares to bring all but a few Ukrainian troops home.

"For us, it has been a successful deployment, and our withdrawal has been fully coordinated with our American, Iraqi and coalition allies," he said. "We are not leaving in the middle of the night, as some others did."

Mr. Hrytsenko said security in the south-central Iraqi region overseen by Ukrainian forces was good, and noted that Ukrainian troops had been able to train a 2,700-strong brigade of Iraqi troops to assume control of the sector.

Ukraine also will leave behind a sizable cache of military equipment for use by the Iraqi security forces. Mr. Yushchenko has announced that a detachment of 50 Ukrainian soldiers will stay on after the larger force withdraws.

"We are leaving the Ukrainian flag in Iraq. We will still be part of the coalition," Mr. Hrytsenko said.

In Georgia, perhaps the most pro-U.S. country in Europe, the Iraq mission has provided excellent real-world training and a means to showcase Georgia's military prowess as it applies for membership in NATO.

"It has been very good for our capabilities and our experience," said Giorgi Baramidze, former defense minister and now Georgia's state minister for Euro-Atlantic integration.

He said Army Gen. George W. Casey, the U.S. military commander in Iraq, told him U.S. Marines came to prefer staging missions with Georgian soldiers "because our troops are so enthusiastic."

Unlike Poland and Ukraine, Georgia's 900 soldiers in Iraq, some stationed with U.S. troops in the violent Sunni Arab heartland, will remain with the U.S.-led mission indefinitely, Mr. Baramidze said.

All three ministers said their Iraq commitments have come with costs. Nineteen Polish troops and 18 Ukrainian troops have been killed in Iraq. Georgia's casualties have been limited to one seriously wounded soldier, who is being treated at Washington's Walter Reed Army Hospital.

Poland's Mr. Sikorski said the Iraq commitment has damaged his country's relations with other powers in the European Union and with some Arab states.
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Mr. Sikorski said that Iraqi civilian casualties in the Polish-run sector were the lowest in the country and said security was improving daily.

"If the rest of Iraq looked like our zone, the country would be in pretty good shape," he said.

The United States needs to reduce its forces in Iraq by "at least 100,000" by the end of 2006, sending a message to the Middle East that Americans are not interested in maintaining a permanent military presence in that country, Sen. John Kerry said Thursday.

He conceded "you're going to have to see where you are. ... I would not do it on a fixed automatic table. It has to be results coordinated."
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But the Massachusetts senator also took aim at his colleagues in Congress.

"Never in the 21 years that I have been in the Congress ... have we seen as dysfunctional an institution as the Congress is today," he said. "Almost every great issue facing our nation is not being genuinely discussed."

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi announced Thursday that his government had authorized extending the SDF deployment to the end of 2006, although the troops could be withdrawn earlier depending on conditions there.

His Australian counterpart, John Howard, said shortly afterwards that Australian forces would in that case remain on too, in line with Japan's decision.

"We'll continue to work with our Japanese friends, we'll continue to provide security," he said.

"It's important that Japan retains a presence in Iraq and we intend to be part of that continuing presence."

"The United States highly values Japan's leadership in reconstruction efforts in Iraq," State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said Thursday.

Representative Gary L. Ackerman, Democrat of New York, offered the fiercest comments from his side, referring to "the president who lied" and "the lying administration." Scolded by other members, he refused to back down. "They misled and lied; I'll say it again," Mr. Ackerman said.

The Republican committee chairman, Henry J. Hyde of Illinois, fired back by reading from The Congressional Record remarks by Mr. Ackerman in October 2002 before he voted in favor of the Congressional resolution authorizing the use of force against Iraq, "We cannot simply hope that U.N. inspections will rout out Saddam Hussein's weapons of terror."
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Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Republican of Florida, declared that some Democrats "do not want us to win in Iraq" for fear that it would give the administration a political victory. When his turn came, Representative Donald M. Payne, Democrat of New Jersey, said he was "shocked" by her accusation.

"That is probably one of the most dastardly statements I ever heard a member of Congress make," he said.

Representative John Murtha, the Pennsylvania Democrat who roiled Washington by calling for a quick troop withdrawal from Iraq, refused Sunday to back away, despite disagreement within his party.

"The majority of people in Iraq are in favor of us getting out now," he said on CBS. "We have become the enemy."

An opinion poll suggests Iraqis are generally optimistic about their lives, in spite of the violence that has plagued Iraq since the US-led invasion.
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The poll by Oxford Research International was commissioned by the BBC, ABC News and other international media organisations, and released ahead of this week's parliamentary elections in Iraq.
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The BBC News website's World Affairs correspondent, Paul Reynolds, says the survey shows a degree of optimism at variance with the usual depiction of the country as one in total chaos.

The findings are more in line with the kind of arguments currently being deployed by US President George W Bush, he says.

However, our correspondent adds that critics will claim that the survey proves little beyond showing how resilient Iraqis are at a local level - and that it reveals enough important exceptions to the rosy assessment, especially in the centre of the country, to indicate serious dissatisfaction.

Interviewers found that 71% of those questioned said things were currently very or quite good in their personal lives, while 29% found their lives very or quite bad.

When asked whether their lives would improve in the coming year, 64% said things would be better and 12% said they expected things to be worse.
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When asked to choose a priority for the new government due to be formed after this week's elections, 57% wanted to focus on restoring public security.

Removing US-led forces from Iraq came second with 10%, while rebuilding the country's infrastructure was third.