We WERE succeeding

Iyad Allawi, appearing last year before the U.S. Congress:

ALLAWI: Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, members of Congress, distinguished guests, it's my distinct honor and great privilege to speak to you today on behalf of Iraq's interim government and its people.

It's my honor to come to Congress and to thank this nation and its people for making our cause your cause, our struggle your struggle.

Before I turn to my government's plan for Iraq, I have three important messages for you today.

First, we are succeeding in Iraq.

(APPLAUSE)

It's a tough struggle with setbacks, but we are succeeding.

I have seen some of the images that are being shown here on television. They are disturbing. They focus on the tragedies, such as the brutal and barbaric murder of two American hostages this week.

A year later, that success seems more elusive.

BAGDAHD, Iraq, Nov. 27 (UPI) -- Former Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi says human rights abuses by the Baghdad government are as bad now as they were under Saddam Hussein.

But the country's president rejected the allegations as "nonsense."

Militias are operating within the Shia-led government, torturing and killing in secret bunkers, Allawi told Britain's Observer newspaper earlier.

His comments come two weeks after 170 detainees were found at an interior ministry center. Some were allegedly suffering from abuse and starvation.

Allawi said the militias had infiltrated the police and warned that their influence could spread throughout the government.

Allawi was Iraq's first interim prime minister but failed to win January's election. He has since formed a coalition to contest next month's parliamentary elections, the BBC reported.

Soooo...everything was going gangbusters (literally) when he was PM. Now, not so much. Odd.

But then, perspectives change daily. Wait. Did I say change? Nah. For those who only recently said we must be resolute and stay the course are now saying we should resolutely declare that the Iraqis got everything under control and stay the course in downsizing our presence there. His resoluteness, Joe Lieberman (D. Fantasyland), says,

"The country is now in reach of going from Saddam Hussein to self-government and, I‘d add, self-protection," the Connecticut Democrat said in a conference call with reporters. "That would be a remarkable transformation ... I saw real progress there."

"If Iraqi forces continue to gain the confidence the American military sees there now ... We will be able to draw down our forces," he said.

"About two-thirds of the country is in really pretty good shape," he said, noting most attacks are in the so-called "Sunni Triangle" region. "Overall, I came back encouraged."

Lieberman said he hopes President Bush ‘s speech Tuesday night will give a clearer picture to the American public of the progress being made in the war.

As one of Joementum's constituents, I say, "Cough...bull...cough...shit."