Some Democrats denied entry into Iraq

But U.S. authorities denied Connecticut Sen. Christopher Dodd and three other Democrats critical of administration policy permission to enter Iraq, citing logistical problems.

Among a stream of senior administration officials who appeared in public last week to argue that things in Iraq were going reasonably well, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld conceded there were problems as well as successes.

"I know what is going on there and it is a mixed picture," Rumsfeld said in a lecture at the Ronald Reagan (news - web sites) presidential library west of Los Angeles.

Democrats encounter logistical problems..

There better be a fire storm in Congress. This is a blatant political move that infracts on the constitution itself.

I'd like a little more factual information on what the logistical problems were and if they are permanent logistical problems or if our forces simply could not comply with the politician's schedules. The term logistical problems is a broad reaching term that could imply any number of things the first to my mind being that ample military protection wasn't available at the time the politicians wanted to go in. The question I have is was this just bad timing for both the military and the tourist or was there forewarning of a legitimate threat to their safety? Thsi article is very assuming and almost seems to make up its own facts and leads the topic of public opinion without any real basis for its assumption. Until reporters learn that the average educated American can differentiate between a researched piece of news and an opinionated editorial, we'll have to keep jnocking them down.

I don't feel the article was a total loss as it did stimulate me to attempt to clarify the facts of this event and maybe I will a better job than the pundit who penned it.

I'll let you all know if I find anything.

AC, I agree that there is a lack of facts in this matter..for now.

But remember that the rest of the delegation made it without any problem.

Here's another article.

On returning from a trip to Iraq and Afghanistan, a group of Senate Republicans said yesterday that the Bush administration deserves a lot more credit for successful reconstruction efforts in those war-torn nations.

Meanwhile, several Senate Democrats complained that they were denied access to a plane for a inspection tour of their own.

�For whatever reason, Sens. [Chris] Dodd [D-Conn.] and others who requested the opportunity to travel were prohibited from doing so, and I think that requires a better explanation that the one I�ve been given so far,� Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) said.

www.thehill.com...

Jeez...does the incompetency ever end? This is rather blatant in agenda here.... Bad form!

kukla, one can always depend upon your research abilities. I, like senator Dashle think more explaination is in order. Thanks for your follow-up.

If I were to call you an asshole for months and months and then asked you for a ride would you provide it?

Childish? yes.
Somewhat accurate analogy? I think so.

Thanks AC. Most likely this will get chalked up as another Bush misdemeanor. Wouldn't be nice if the dems found their backbone right about now? Lets hope Daschle keeps the heat up.

I think this may be the reason:

Army probes soldier suicides

Alarmed by the number of suicides among soldiers in Iraq (news - web sites), the Army has asked a team of doctors to determine whether the stress of combat and long deployments is contributing to the deaths.

"The number of suicides has caused the Army to be concerned," said Lt. Col. Elspeth Cameron Ritchie, a psychiatrist at the Army's Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md. Ritchie is helping to investigate the suicides in Iraq. "Is there something different going on in Iraq that we really need to pay attention to?" (Related story: Soldier's suicide shocks Pa. town)

In the past seven months, at least 11 soldiers and three Marines have committed suicide in Iraq, military officials say. That is an annual rate of 17 per 100,000. The Navy also is investigating one possible suicide. And about a dozen other Army deaths are under investigation and could include suicides.

The numbers suggest the rate in Iraq is above normal. Last year, the military services reported 8 to 9 suicides per 100,000 people. The Army rate is usually higher, 10 to 13 per 100,000. That mirrors the rate for the same age group in the general population.

news.yahoo.com.../usatoday/20031013/ts_usatoday/11899022&printer=1

[Edited on 15-10-2003 by Colonel]

I think it has more to do with the fact that visiting Republicans will say what the administration wants them to, about the post war Iraq situation, whereas the Democrat visitors will not...hehe....