Nancy “The Blade” Pelosi Returns From Iraq

Less than 24 hours after telling Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki “Go forward. We are all with you.”, and with rapidity that would make even Janus blush, U.S. Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, returned home to declare “What is happening in Iraq is chaos.”:

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has just returned from a trip to Iraq and Afghanistan. She sat down with NPR’s Renee Montagne, who asked her for one word to describe the situation in Iraq.

“Chaotic,” Pelosi said. “What is happening in Iraq is chaos.” She went on to say that after nearly four years in Iraq, “We just have to end it.”

While there, she met with various Iraqi and American officials, including the Prime Minister of Iraq, Nouri al-Maliki. She said that in all of her conversations, she was disappointed that there didn’t seem to be a political strategy in Iraq to go along with the military strategy. She said that Maliki told her that the increased number of U.S. troops in Baghdad had to be successful in the next four to six months in securing the Iraqi capital.

“Everyone that we spoke to said that this escalation that the president is engaged in is the one last chance,” she said, adding, “Many did not believe it would be successful.”

I’m sure that Al-Maliki feels quite encouraged by Pelosi’s sentiments. But just in case the Iraqis were not clear on how the Madam Speaker stands behind them, Pelosi brandished her steely blade:

Pelosi also criticized the competence of Iraqi troops. She said that she did not believe the training effort had been serious, as the troops are still not ready. But, she added, after all that American troops have accomplished in Iraq — overthrowing Saddam, providing security for elections and a constitution and a new government — it is now an Iraqi responsibility to protect Iraqis.

“Whatever the adequacy of their troops,” she said, “it’s their responsibility now to get the job done. And the longer we stay the more dangerous the situation, the more deaths to Americans, and the less stable the country.”

To recap, Pelosi goes to Baghdad, assures the Prime Minister that the Democrat’s have his back despite any differences with Republicans, comes home and immediately declares the situation beyond repair, insults the Iraqi troops as inadequate, and declares that it’s time for the U.S. to leave.

But she supports the U.S. troops, right? Maybe it would be better if she didn’t.

[tags] Nancy Pelosi, Nouri Al-Maliki, Iraq, “support the troops” [/tags]