Team McCain responds to Obama's remarks

Presumptive Republican Presidential Nominee Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign held a press conference call to discuss Presumptive Democratic Presidential Nominee Senator Barack Obama’s remarks in Flint, Michigan. Senior economic policy adviser Doug Holtz-Eakin and Republican National Committee (RNC) Victory 2008 Chair Carly Fiorina respond to questions from callers on issues ranging from free trade to the Iraq war to education policies.(21:52)
Listen

Openness leads to "wisest" decisions for Iraq

Bill Delahunt (D-Mass.), the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, proclaims a need for openness in diplomacy between the U.S. and Iraq at a briefing on "The Future of U.S.-Iraqi Relations: The Perspective of the Iraqi Parliament." He says the U.S. has an obligation to support a viable Iraqi democracy.


Listen

"The sooner we get out of the way...the better," cautions Paul

Representative Ron Paul (R-Texas) expresses his view on an exit from Iraq at a briefing of the Committee on Foreign Affairs on "The Future of U.S.-Iraqi Relations: The Perspective of the Iraqi Parliament." (0:56)
Listen

DOD has "failed the war fighter"

At a Senate Armed Services Committee meeting to discuss the acquisition of major weapons systems by the Department of Defense, Katherine Schinasi of the Government Accountability Office says that the DOD has “failed the war fighter” by delivering capability late and in fewer quantities than planned. She also said that when equipment is delivered, it is not what is needed for current operations. (0:18)
Listen

Conference Call: New polls used to analyze possible Election 2008 outcomes

Ron Faucheux, associate professorial lecturer at George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management, holds a conference call with Lake Research Partners Presiden Celinda Lake and Tarrance Group Vice President Brian Nienaber to discuss the implications of GWU's new Battleground Poll which evaluates national attitudes towards race, the economy, and the Iraq War. The participants use the data to analyze potential outcomes of the 2008 presidential election.
Listen

Murtha calls for end to war torture

When asked about his recommendations for progress in Iraq at a Center for American Progress discussion, Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) said he wanted “no torture” because it caused the U.S. to lose “world support.” (0:25)
Listen

Murtha says U.S. army is "broken" and military readiness has declined

Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) says that while U.S. troops once had the highest rate of readiness, they are no longer able to maintain this standard. He says the U.S. army is “broken,” and ill prepared to manage potential threats from countries like China and Russia. (1:36)
Listen

Murtha says "there is a limit" to U.S. military power

Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) said at a Center for American Progress discussion on Iraq that the Bush Administration did not realize when it began the Iraq War that “there is a limit to military power,” and that the most important thing is to ultimately “win the hearts and minds of the people.” (0:21)
Listen

Murtha says Iraq has distracted U.S. from "bigger picture worldwide"

Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) said at a Center for American Progress discussion on Iraq that the U.S. is so “entangled” in Iraq that it has “become distracted from the bigger picture worldwide.” He says Iraq has led to a multitude of domestic problems for the U.S., and its “worldwide reputation is in the tank.” (0:46)
Listen

PTSD is a "major health issue" for U.S. soldiers and veterans

At a RAND congressional briefing on the "invisible wounds of war," senior social research analyst and lead report author Terri Tanielian says that conditions like PTSD, depression, and TBI are a "major health issue" for U.S. soldiers and veterans. She says that the impact of mild TBI is still largely unknown, and stresses the need for better screening and treatment of those at risk for these conditions. (0:24)
Listen

Obama responds to McCain's "100 years in Iraq" comment

At the annual Associated Press luncheon, Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) responded to allegations that he had misinterpreted Sen. John McCain's (R-AZ) remarks about keeping U.S. troops in Iraq for another 100 years. Obama said that whether troops are there for combat or occupation, it is "wrong" and not affordable. (1:00)
Listen

Crocker: If we pull out, we risk an al-Qaida base in Iraq

Testifying before the House Foreign Relations Committee, Ambassador Ryan Crocker says that if there is a precipitous withdrawal from Iraq one risk is al-Qaida establishing a base in the Middle East. (0:29)
Listen

"We're here because we're here"

During a hearing of the House Foreign Relations Committee Congressman Gary Ackerman (D-NY) criticizes the war, saying it is an endless loop. (0:45)
Listen

More troops, more time, more money

Speaking at a press conference on the cost of the war Congressman Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) says that "every event in Iraq can not be a justification for more troops, more time, more money." (0:20)
Listen

Pelosi: Iraq hasn't paid a thing for reconstruction

At a weekly press conference, Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) and Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) say that the cost of the war in Iraq has reached the trillions and that the Iraqi government hasn't paid anything out of it's oil revenue for reconstruction costs. (0:25)
Listen

“War is Not Simply Working”

This week’s escalation of violence in Iraq and the attacks on the Green Zone, American soldiers, yet again, are caught up in the middle of a civil war. As President George W. Bush and Senator John McCain inform the public about the progress of Iraq, Iraq experts tell all at a conference call today.

The speakers were Iraq War Veteran and Chairman and co-founder of VoteVets.org, Jon Soltz, senior fellow at the Center for Action Fund, Brian Katulis, from Democracy Corps Jim Gerstein and Karin Meredith whose son was killed in Iraq in 2004, while serving his country.

Brian Katulis started off by saying that much of the things happening in Iraq the past year were temporary; however the division between the Shiite groups was and still is very sharp. During the summer, Iraqis experienced a vast amount of violence in the Southern part of the country, where 4 politicians were killed and the violence reached its breaking point in Karbala, where 50 Iraqis were killed. During the fall season, the armed confrontations declined, due to the ceasefire ordered by the Prime Minister Maliki. However, some low level clashes were seen during winter and spring. Katulis continues by saying that this week’s attacks were the worst seen this year.

Jon Soltz on the other hand urges the president to come forward and confess that this war was a mistake and a big failure. He continues by saying that this cover was a “domestic political plan.”

The third speaker, Jim Gerstein, talked about how the public is sure about their stands on the Iraq War and how eager the voters are to move on from the current administration and its war policies. He also mentioned that electing Senator McCain will no way be a change in foreign diplomacy.

Lastly, Karen Meredith talked about her fallen son, and highlighted the fact that noting has changed since 2004 and the clashes between different Shiites groups have become more violent.

Listen

An interview with former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright on her endorsement of Hillary Clinton for president

Secretary of State under President Bill Clinton, Madeleine Albright, speaks about her endorsement of Hillary Clinton for president and the specific challenges in foreign relations that the next president will have to face. (10:36)
Listen

An interview with Pete Hegseth of Vets for Freedom at CPAC

Pete Hegseth speaks about the activities and mission of Vets for Freedom, a coalition of war veterans urging the importance of completing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. (6:44)
Listen

An interview with Kieron Lalor, Republican candidate for U.S. Congress for New York's 19th Congressional District at CPAC

Kieran Lalor is an Iraq war veteran running as a Republican for the U.S. House of Representatives for the 19th  District of New York. He speaks about his experience and his campaign at the Conservative Political Action Conference. (4:48)
Listen