scott ritter re us war on iraq & iran

Podcasts and Transcripts: "Thank you very much for the kind words of introduction. It?s certainly an honor and privilege to be here tonight to talk with you. Look, it?s an honor and a privilege to be here tonight. I wish it was under better circumstances. I wish we were here to talk about how good things are happening in the cause of peace, how congress has reversed course and they?re bringing our boys and girls home, how the Bush administration has woke up suddenly and said, ?you know, this concept of global domination through the unilateral application of military force is not sound policy,? and the Democrats woke up for the first time in a long time and said, ?you know, we facilitated this war in Iraq. We?re as much to blame as George W. Bush.? But that?s not the case. We live in a time where bad things are happening. .. . The fact is, ladies and gentlemen, we live in very sad times, and, if you reflect long and hard on the reality of the issue, as I?m sure everyone in this room does, not just sad times but depressing times. I?m not going to say much here tonight that?s going to give you hope because there?s not much to be hopeful about. We are in a war that shows no inclination of ever ending. Yes, there?s a lot of rhetoric in congress now about ?let?s create new benchmarks that need to be fulfilled in Iraq so that we can have a time table of bringing the troops home.? But, ladies and gentlemen, that?s just political rhetoric because the benchmarks they talk about putting in place are unrealistic. Therefore, there will never be a time line. And let?s keep in mind that this is a congress that voted for the war, Republican and Democrat alike, and they are trapped by that vote to the extent that they cannot meaningfully interfere with the Bush administration?s plans on Iraq, and the plans of the Bush administration regarding Iraq was most recently articulated by Condoleezza Rice, the Secretary of State, when she told the congress of the United States that we will be... read more at http://www.traprockpeace.org/podcasts_transcripts/
hear it all: http://www.mirror1.jagflyhosting.com/traprock/ritter_talk_17nov05.mp3"