one has to acknowledge that the security infrastructure, particularly in baghdad but after all baghdad has had a negative impact on all of these activities. of tryingto build trust, trying to build institutions, getting post-sectarian behaviors that the security environment needs those developments. it is hard for people people to meet in mixed groups. it is hard for people to circulate within their cities and between regions. and, the spikes in violence such as occurr on the day we left iraq, make it hard even for iraqi officials who asserted that they would start to remove these concrete harriers throughout baghdad, they then face powerful distant-- disincentives to dismantling the security infrastructure that divides baghdad and very sad ways. i was also's-- because we spent time in the north as well as in baghdad you feel strongly the economic and even social pow in the country is being redistributed. that the investments, the improved roads, the shopping malls are all in the north and arabs come to the north, because it is a place wher you can move around more easily. there are di

here's our correspond innocent baghdad. >> it went off at 7:30 in the evening local time, when the sunould have gone down, people would be relaxing, shopping in the cool of the evening. in this town about 80 kilometers northeast of baghdad, it went out outside, or just beside, a car parked outside a busy cafe in the heart of a market. obviously aimed at killing as many people as possible. and it's a mainly shiite area. that's been a pattern of a lot of violence, including two bombs in which more than 50 people were killed. and the campaign by the insurgents seems to be directed, as it was three or four years ago, at trying to provoke sunni reaction because basically sunni militants are being blamed for the attacks aimed at shiite areas but so far, they have failed to spark the kind of reaction we got four years ago when you saw the horrendous cycle of sectarian violence that took the country to the brink of civil war for the space of two years. >> nato has announced a major shakeup of its command structure in southern afghanistan. the headquarters will be split into two[zz to reflect t

the kurds want maximum autonomy and baghdad to pay more fothe training and equiing etc.. that is intriguing to me and a little bit and give as i thought. they are now concerned because they are coherent and competent force they were not given priority for training. but now they feel they are being left behind and they want to be -- at least that is the impressn got. i don't know how ephemeral that is but we certainly heard in the krg they would like them to be eligible for the other american programs. >> [inaudible] the iraqi government pays and the other security enterprises without any control and for the same reza baghdad resist doing that is to obtain the control for covering the cost and i think that tension like other aspects of baghdad over the department policy for example will remain during the future of the relationship between the center and that particular region. >> any last questions? why don't we take one or two more than we can wrap up. here and in this gentleman. >> [inaudible] i was going to gback to the issue [inaudible] and my question to you is what r

he has demanded a recount, initially in baghdad.is 2.5 million votes that have to be recounted. all of this has slowed the process towards a dormant formation and increased the debt -- the tensions around it and a lot of the maneuvering has gotten to be much more vitriolic. one of the elements in this process that has been particularly worrisome is the justice accountability commission, which as you may recall, was set up originally to disqualify or remove baathist from government and positions of power. host: end of the baathist are from a hossein's former party? guest: that is right. this body is not transparent. its operations are very murky. it is headed by a former u.s. ally in iraq. they have disqualified a number of candidates after the election. one of the things that is particularly worrisome is the ad hoc nature of applying the rules of the game to this particular post-election government process. host: what is the u.s. particularly concerned about with this vote recount? if the u.s. had their druthers, would they rather w

he has demanded a recount, initially in baghdad.hat is 2.5 million votes that have to be recounted. all of this has slowed the process towards a dormant formation and increased the debt -- the tensions around it and a lot of the maneuvering has gotten to be much more vitriolic. one of the elements in this process that has been particularly worrisome i >> we will leave this to go live to the u.n.. secretary of state hillary clinton is just beginning her remarks. >> a central mission of our foreign policy lies at the core of the mission. i want to begin by reading a section of the message that president obama has sent to the conference. "for four decades the mtp has been the cornerstone of the efforts for preventing nuclear proliferation. today the regime is under pressure. it was made a priority of the united states to strengthen each of the pillars of the treaty as we work to stop the spread of nuclear weapons and pursue the peace and security of a world without them. today the eyes of the world are upon us. over the coming weeks ea

dominique di-natale, excuse me, updates us from baghdad. >> the al-qaeda has capped off the crown of the new leadership, here in iraq, affiliate better known as the islamic state of iraq. appointed amir or chief and also given him a first minister to act as his deputy. the man being named as al-- and awe bu al hasanni, the same last name and doesn't mean they're related, probably from the same tribe however could not be their real names, war lord names to cover up the true identity. however, comes 4 hours after al-qaeda named the minister of war who had pledged very much a bloody campaign against the shia majority here and with recent events, certainly looks hike al-qaeda has been active. the bodies have been piling up. the scene on friday, a small town in north of the country saw the weekend shattered with a car bomb exploded at a soccer game and two suicide attackers ran among the crowds and ignited the bomb belts and hurting more people. and there were also many christians in the region. it wasn't the first time talafar has witnessed carnage in. 2007 more than 120 people were kill

it is about 80 kilometers northeast of baghdad, the car was parked outside a busy cafe, right in the heart of the market. it was obviously aimed at killing as many people as possible. that has been the pattern of a lot of recent violence, including bombs. more than 50 people were killed. it seems to be directed, as it was, several years ago, to promote a reaction. militants that are being blamed for these attacks are a mainly shi'ite aras. -- areas. a few years ago, there was violence that took the country to the brink of civil war. >> the prime minister of thailand says the order has been restored to the capital bank. he made his announcement after weeks of anti-government protest that left more than 50 people dead. in a tv address, he said he would continue to try reconciliation but made -- made no mention of elections, the protesters main demands. >> we have been able to do this with the cooperation of government officials, all volunteers, and the people of thailand. we will continue to move swiftly to restore normalcy, and we recognize that as we move ahead, there are huge challe

. >> when i served in baghdad, my team did not care whether a fellow soldier was straight or gay. why on earth would we tell over 13,500 able-bodied americans that their services are not needed? >> lehrer: and we close with the analysis of mark shields and david brooks. that's all ahead on tonight's newshour. major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> lehrer: b.p. crews labored for a third day in the latest assault on that gushing oil well 50 miles off the louisiana coast. onshore, president obama got to see the damage for himself. ray suarez begins our coverage. >> suarez: it was the president's second trip to the region since the spill began five weeks ago. while he was stepping off air force one in new orleans, out in the gulf, b.p. pumped more drilling fluid, called mud, into the blown wellhead overnight. it sent brown clouds blossoming a

in the town of khalis which is about 80 kilometers northeast of baghdad, it went off outside or just beside, it's a car of course, parked outside a busy cafe right in the heart of a market. so obviously aimed at killing as many people as possible in what is a mainly shiite area. that has been the pattern of a lot of the recent violence including two bombs in khalis itself a couple of months ago in which more than 50 people were killed. the campaign by the unsergeants seems to be directed again, as it was three or four years ago, at trying to provoke a sunni reaction because it's basically sunni militants who are blamed for these attacks aimed at nearly shiite areas so far, they have failed to spark the kind of reaction that we got four years ago when you saw that horrendous cycle of sectarian violence that really took the country to the brink of civil war in the space of about two years. >> jim muir for us. nato has announced a major shake-up of its command structure in southern afghanistan. the headquarters will be split into two to reflect the increase of forces and scale of operat

we were deployed in iraq and the last two months we lived at baghdad international airport and eight lobster. host: we will get some final thoughts. guest: the caller raises interesting issues. what when you consider the total compensation package now for some and the military, particularly someone in the e1 ranks, it compares favorably to what you would get otherwise coming into the job market with a high-school diploma. most people do not realize the value of the health care benefit. people in the military get completely free health care for themselves and their dependents and very low deductibles. when you are retired, you have to pay $460 per year to continue the coverage which is much -- which is much less than the average person pays in the civilian work force. most people pay about $3,500 per year for health insurance and their employer pays the rest. the benefits compare favorably for serving in the military. host: you are still serving as a captain? guest: i am not anymore. i was in the rotc and graduated to the reserves. host: now a senior fellow at the center for strategic

in iraq, a car bomb killed 23 people and wounded more than 50 in a shiite town north of baghdad. the blast shattered part of an open-air market crowded with shoppers. many of the victims were sitting in a cafe in the center of the market. secretary of state hillary clinton arrived in asia today, with a warning to north korea. at her first stop in japan, she said there's "overwhelming" evidence the north torpedoed a south korean warship in march, killing 46 sailors. clinton called for making it clear there will be consequences. she did not say what they might be. president obama has begun the process of finding a new director of national intelligence. aides said today he's spoken with a number of "well qualified" candidates. retired admiral dennis blair resigned the post under pressure, yesterday, after just 16 months. he'd been criticized over the airliner bombing attempt over detroit last christmas and the times square bomb plot in new york. presidential spokesman robert gibbs. >> there is no doubt that we continue to have as a result, and we saw this, that the president identif

dominik is streaming live from baghdad with more on the new leader. hi. >> shannon, it appears that al-qaeda has capped off the crowns of its new leadership here in iraq by announcing a chief of the operation here better known as the atlantic state of iraq, that is what the locals call it here and awarded a deputy minister who will act at his deputy. they have the same last name, it doesn't mean to say they are related and this fact that might not be the real names at all to hide their true identities. they are war lords names. it does come 48 hours after al-qaeda named its minister for war here and that man had pledged there would be rivers of blood and a bloody future ahead for the shia population here in iraq. there has been evidence of that. he said the campaign had actually begun on back on monday we saw 120 people killed in a series of aah dachas attacks the length and breadth of the country and just on friday evening a hideous attack up in the north of the country, a devastating triple suicide bombing on a small community of shia up there. it s

. >> we don't have channels that show baseball games in baghdad at this point. >> red sox. gave a literal transition -- translation for the word. >> and now they know cal ripken and his academy. an organization that is hoping to share the game with everyone. >> we hope to spepped spread the game more and prr and more so that it becomes more popular. >> reporter: in harford county, andrea fujii. wjz eyewitness news the. >>> and the kids will be in the area for 10 days. next week, they'll be in camden yards for a baseball lesson. >> i hope they enjoy their stay. >>> still ahead on eyewitness news tonight. suspect on the run. the extreme length this man goes to to avoid police. >>> daring rescue. crews get three adventurous college students to safety. >>> i'm bob turk. the first warning weather center. more sunshine headed our way. i'll have the exclusive first warning five-day forecast. storebut first, here's today's report from wall street. ,,,,,, ,,,,,, when it comes to constipation relief... miralax is the one. it's the one. the one recommended by more doctors. only mirala

. >> we don't have channels that show baseball games in baghdad at this point. >> he's a fan of the red sox. gave a literal translation for the word. >> now we know cal rip 10, the academy. an organization to share the game was for everyone. >> we hope to spread the game more and more and more so that it becomes more popular. >> in harford county, andrea fujii, wjz eyewitness news. >> the teens will be there next week. they'll get a baseball lesson from ken, griffey -- ken griffey junior. >> let's hope they see them win. >>> police in minnesota say he targeted a young girl delivering newspapers. the happy way the story ends. >>> you can run but you can't hide. the links a carjacker goes to evade police. >>> and how long will our unseasonably warm weather stick around? bob is updating your first warning weather forecast coming up. hi! welcome to progressive.com. come on in, and i'll give you a free quote. quote and compare in about 8 minutes. now, that's progressive. call or click today. >>> we have breaking news in northern baltimore county. we're going to go live to capt mike perry ove

particularly in baghdad, which was blowing sky-high. and to kind of separate the parties.he bill out into the neighborhood in order his troops to stay there. don't come back to your base and coat tomorrow morning. stay among the people. i think it takes enormous. it does take enormous courage to do that. we have to credit that. wasn't the number of troops. it was what they did. that is what the surge was. as i said, a surgeon thinking. >> host: thinking o the neocons, you have this phenomenon of u.s. citizens or policy makers to in many aspects viewed what they were doing as protecting is around. yet one of the themes, sort of surprising, but i have run into the same phenomenon. the israelis who were on the receiving end of this aren't always that enthusiastic or an agreement with the support because it lacks fundamental understanding. i would like to elaborate. >> guest: i will with the story. >> host: stories are the best way to go. asked me to go there and help with the negotiations. >> guest: this was april 2002. the israelis have rolled into the west bank. they had pu

pretty easy to say but we had an amazing adventures and this is how we met her through the journey of baghdad as the bombs had begun to fall and this is what she had to say about the bombs. dear america, november 13th, 2003. dear america, don't ask me questions about what is happening because the situation is bad. thank you america for your help. you have made my life more difficult than it was, worse than it was. we are more scared now. i should ask you a question. what do you do when someone enters your house without your permission? amine interest by force. tell me, what do you do? i would be a lawyer if i told you i couldn't sleep last night because i was so sad. the truth is i couldn't sleep because the americans were bombarding the neighborhood. what shall i say? i have so many words i want to write but i can't. when must we follow what america says, how long must we follow orders? three's america? we have the oldest civilization. we have the leal and the capability to remove ourselves. i respect the american people who are not with this war and want iraq to have peace. i respect the am

speaker, when i served in baghdad, my teams did not care whether a fellow sold year was straight or gay. if they could fire their assault rifle or run a convoy down ambush alley and do their job so everyone would come home safely. with our military fighting two wars, why on earth would we tell over 13,500 abled bodied americans that their services are not needed this policy hurts our national security and has cost the american taxpayer over $1.3 billion already on this unjust policy. our troops deserve a congress that puts their safety and our collective national security over rigid and a close-minded ideology. i urge my colleagues to support this amendment and support the brave men and women willing to take a bullet for our families. i reserve the balance of my time. . the chair: the gentleman reserves. any member seek time in opposition? >> madam chair, i rise in seeking the time in opposition. the chair: for what purpose does the gentleman from missouri arise? mr. mckeon: mad dack chair? the chair: the gentleman from california is recognized for five minutes. mr. mckeon: thank you, m

>> effective but they have divided baghdad, essentially, car bombs it started a civil war in iraq it slided lebanon in the '80s. they are the poor man's air force and very effective. what do we do about cars? can't get rid of them. >> larry: what does this society do, harry? you can live in fear or what? >> basically -- >> larry: ban making it able to see inside a car, right? you can ban tinting? >> that would be one thing. new york city is doing some great things technologically in detection. they have a system called ring of -- i have forgot the exact name, maybe i shouldn't even talk about it but basically it is a detection system that actually can detect license plates, run the license plates in real time and also sniff, sniff for radiological issues and for -- for explosives, for nitrates. and that's been in existence now down in the financial area for some time and i believe the city is now moving the same system up to times square. >> it would appear, bob, they are on the trail of this guy, wouldn't it? >> probably catch him, yeah. because of the fact that the bomb was so crud

violence also included coordinated shootings targeting iraqi security forces at six checkpoints in baghdadime minister gordon brown agreed to step aside this year and let his labor party find a replacement. it is part of a bid to keep his party in power. he said the move would give him time to focus on coalition talks with the liberal democrats, who came in third in the election. in a news conference outside number 10 downing street, brown noted his own failures in the election. >> the reason that we have a hung parliament is that no single party, and no single leader was able to win the full support of the country. as leader of my party, i must accept that that is a judgement on me. i therefore intend to ask the labour party to set in train the processes needed for its own leadership election. >> sreenivasan: brown said he hoped a new leader would be in place by september, when the labor party conference is held. the conservatives, led by david cameron, won the most seats in the election, but not enough for a majority. they made a final offer of their own to the liberal democrats today: a

i have the greatest honor of my life to command the fourth and for division in baghdad for 15 months. there are a few things interesting about that deployment. the last person that anybody spoke to were touched before they deploy it was a uso volunteer. the first person might soldiers met on the ground when they arrived was a uso volunteer with a full canteen set up to take care of each other. the first person they saw when they came home after 15 months of combat, uso. loving from the heart and doing it the right way. in the 31 years i have served, one thing i know about soldiers, the good ones, the ones that stand strong and do with the right way, they know how to use the weapon. they know how to think with a clear head. they always know how to conduct their mission. they always know where to find uso. that is where they find the heart of the soldier. illegitimate love is always there are reaching out saying what more can i do for you? what can we do for the families? a couple young sergeant that we are honored to have your, the soldiers probably pass through san antonio at some tim

media could go to one of the great middle eastern countries, not thinking i'm going to end up in baghdad or kabul or islam a lot in the future. it never entered my mind. and i thought well i will take it one day at a time and see where this leads me. so i applied and got the job. >> host: tell us a little bit about that first job over there. >> guest: i didn't know what to expect. i should have had an idea because here i was going out as a representative of the cia town to the eckert counterterrorism senter so about which -- >> host: would you have said we in the agency knew a lot, a little, not as much as we would have liked to? >> guest: we knew a lot on the issues i was going to cover. i went to cover great terrorism which the leader of the force of to embrey 11 the u.s. government spent more money on the security in athens than in any other capital city in the world including beirut. people didn't have an appreciation at the time for how dangerous athens was for america. >> host: why was that? i read in the book and it's fascinating. >> guest: there were two groups the time telling a

embassy in baghdad where he assisted in coordinating over $18 billion of u.s. appropriated funds for the iraqi reconstruction. major general fields retired from the u.s. marine corps in january of 2004 after 34 years of active military service. his decorations include the distinguished service medal and defense superior service medal. general fields will master of arts degree in management from pepperdine university. he's also a graduate of the army war college, the marine corps command kawlija and marine corps amphibious warfare school. again, welcome. we are honored to have you here and very much appreciate your many years of service. >> thank you, mr. sherman. ranking member rohrabacher, and members of the committee thank you for inviting me to discuss the oversight mission and the issues we have identified that must be addressed to improve the implementation of what is placed to become the largest overseas reconstruction effort in american history. in february this year, the preside submitted a budget request that if approved will add about 20 billion to th

i can go to the middle east countries, not thinking i'm going to end up in baghdad workable or islamabad. it never entered my mind. i thought i will take it one day at the time and see her this leads me so i applied and got the job. >> host: that's terrific. tell us a little bit about that, that first job over there. >> guest: i really didn't know what to expect. i should have at least had an opportunity because you're a was calling out as the representative of the cia counterterrorism center, so i would be working on counterterrorism issues. about which i -- >> host: would you have said we in the agency knew a lot, a little, not as much as we would like to or what? >> guest: we knew a lot on the issue is i was going to cover. i went to cover great terrorism which believe it or not before a september 11th for u.s. government spend more money on the security in athens than it did in any other capital city in the world including the root. people really didn't have an appreciation at the time for how dangerous athens was for americans, official americans. post, and why was that? i read that

scott, why is this trial in norfolk and the other two were over in baghdad? >> sure.. and the other two civilian lawyers requested that the accuser be present at the time of the trial. so those -- the judge ruled that those two trials will be held in iraq. mccabe's lawyer did not ask for that. so they just kept the trial here in norfolk. >> is it your understanding that the fact that these three are on trial after capturing a terrorist has put the seals and other special forces on their heels in similar circumstances because they don't want to end up on trial and have their careers and pensions in jeopardy? >> well, as you know, i'm here in virginia beach and i'm in contact with many folks who are on active duty and it sends a horrible message because they have to worry about actions only objective while they're doing their missions and doing their jobs in iraq and afghanistan and it's a horrible message for our troops as well as our enemies. >> ok. scott taylor, former navy seal who is running for congress in the commonwealth of virginia, we thank you for taking time

became those bumper-sticker slogans like, 'president bush has been coddling tyrants from -- from baghdad to beijing.' and then, of course, when they won and swept into office, there -- there they are s -- with a -- a absolutely wretched relationship with this regime that they have to do business with, because we've got north korea, we've got interests. we've got an agenda of issues to do business on. and it -- i think the relationship became very cynical in that period. c-span: this is way off the subject, but in their book, you s -- talk about mao tse-tung not believing in treating cancer. >> guest: mm. c-span: what's that about? >> guest: mm. i think he thought that he had seen too many incidences where it got treated and the person died anyway. and he -- he would say these things like, 'oh, you know, let him go back to work or get some enjoyment out -- out -- out of the last few months of his life instead of wasting it with these horrible hospital treatments in which he looses his hair or has to go through surgery and -- and is miserable and then he dies anyway.' c-span: did he... >>

from fallujah to marja, from baghdad to kandahar, from home and to anbar -- from helmand to hand our,emen and women. 1074 in operation in during freedom and in afghanistan. if they were the best of us. they were our blood. they were born of carbone, blood of our blood. they were our treasure -- they were bone of our owbone, the bld of our blood. they were our treasure. our sacred obligation, the only obligation that a government has that is true the sacred, or sacred obligation to provide these warriors with everything they need to complete their mission, and everything they need and deserve when they come home, that will not change. [applause] but these new warriors, a special breed, they are warriors, but they're also bright, educated, and committed like those who have gone before. they understand that the example of our kara and must be matched the example of our power must be matched by the power of our example. all of you know our ultimate strength lies in our values. that is what brought everyone of the men and women in this house vote cemetery -- this hallowed cemetery close mo

iraqis from the north must drive more than 200 miles to reach the embassy in baghdad and some of the territory they are forced to cover is treacherous. there is no way to encourage iraqi communication with american diplomats or to handle passport issues. this year, the state department modified its travel warning for iraq, reflecting the relative safety and security in the kurdistan region. we must not forget that the kurdish people of iraq have been partners with the united states for many years. i believe that the establishment of the united states consulate in the kurdistan region of iraq will demonstrate our strong commitment to maintaining and building upon the success and stability that has already been achieved in that part of iraq, thanks in large part to the proud and brave and courageous warriors from our armed services. i also believe that we should open consulates in the majority shia south and the majority sunni arab center of the suntry to expand america's diplomatic reach and presence throughout iraq. madam speaker, the future of the united states-iraqi relations will

speaker, when i servein baghdad, my teams did not care whether a fellow sold year was straight or gay. if they could fire their assault rifle or run a convoy down ambush alley and do their job so everyone would come home safely. with our military fighting two wars, why on earth would we tell over 13,500 abled bodied americans that their services are not needed? this policy hurts our national security and has cost the american taxpayer over $1.3 billion already on this unjust policy. our troops deserve a congress that puts their safety and our collective national security over rigid and a close-minded ideology. i urge my colleagues to support this amendment and support the brave men and women willing to take a bullet for our families. i reserve the balance of my time. . the chair: the gentleman reserves. any member seek time in opposition? >> madam chair, i rise in seeking the time in opposition. the chair: for what purpose does the gentleman from missouri arise? mr. mckeon: mad dack chair? the chair: the gentleman from california is recognized for five minutes. mr. mckeon: thank you,

security check points throughout baghdad hit by gunmen disguised as street cleaners. at a textile factory in the city of hillah, the bombing was timed to -- the bombing was timed at the end of a shift. maximizing the bloodshed and the casualties. and when people rushed to help the wounded, a suicide bomber detonated his explosive in the crowd just adding to the carnage. according to the a.p. account, the wounded in hillah could not -- could be heard cursing their government for its inability to protect them. a few years ago, you'll remember, we were told the insurgency was in its last throes but it is clearly capable of wreaking havoc and doing so with precision and sophisticated planning. the continuing political instability in iraq is contributing to the chaos, as the elections held more than two months ago have yet to be producing a clear winner and a new government. there's real danger, madam speaker, that if sunnis are not given a stake in the new government, we could see the kind of sectarian strife bordering on civil war that exploded in iraq just a few years a

in terms of travel of our seniors leaders, jeff is in baghdad meeting with political leaders and today he met with presidential hatchmy --al hashmy and deputy p.m.s -- prime ministers. likewise, assistant secretary for economic energy and business affairs in brazil today gave the key note address at the society of the americas, council of americas 2010 and this morning. he also met with business leaders including the chamber of commerce and brazilian economic officials. we certainly welcome the report delivered yesterday at nato, submitted by the group of experts led by former secretaryal bright and thank the grood for their valuable -- secretary albright and thank the group for the valuable positions. we look forward to working with the secretary general and ow our lies as the process of developing the new nato strategic concept moves forward. and likewise we certainly welcome the president's signing of the daniel pearl freedom of the press act which enhances the existing reporting requirements in the annual reports on human rights practices here at the state department. we will conti

officials say they found no evidence of fraud after hand counting more than a million ballots in baghdadirregularities after his coalition lost to a sunni-backed coalition. they're getting out reading glasses in cincinnati as the tea party hosts a read the bill marathon. >> sponsor of a group held plan other than a self-insured plan may not establish rules-- >> oh, great stuff. i could listen all day. >> sign me up! >> and 150 volunteers are reading the entire health care law for 72 straight hours out loud. >> like a root canal. >> many congress members claimed to have read the bill in three days and the volunteers want to see if that can really be done. >> authorities are calling it nothing short of a miracle this story, a florida toddler came out with only scratches after a car crash flung the boy over a 18 foot wall and into a nearby back yard. >> i saw something out of corner of this eye and i turned and low and behold here comes a child in for a landing. >> oh, that's like-- >> oh, my gosh! can you imagine? >> i cannot, actually. the driver lost control of the vehicle, and it rolled

[applause] this underscores the fact that we have taken our troops from baghdad to basra. indispensable role in our nional defense. they have proven themselves to be room models for our daughters and our sons, as students, as soldiers, and as leaders to the u.s. armed forces. the faces in the stadium show a simple truth. america's army represent the full breadth of america's experience. you come from every corner of our country, from privilege and from poverty, from cities and small towns. you were here all of the great religions that enched the life of our pple. you include the best ever feed race and ethnicity that with fundamt -- fundamental to our nation. there is one thing that sets you apart. here in these quiet hills, you have come together to prepare for the most difficult test of our time. you signed up knowing your service would send you into harm'way. you did so long after the birth of drums of war were sounding. in y we see the commitment of our country. the timeless virtues have served our nation well. we see your sense of duty, including those who cover earne

. -- to them -- two car >> lotions about 60 miles south of baghdad.hat brings it today's the total to 75, the bloodiest day of the year. the european union has put up $1 trillion today to try to contain the spreading government debt crisis and keep this from tearing the euro apart. at least in the short term the euro soared. fannie mae has again asked the taxpayers for more money. after reporting a first quarter loss of $13 billion, the company which was reckitt -- which was rescued by the government, they say they need additional $8.40 billion at to help cover mounting losses. that would bring their total cost of aid to $80 billion. moody's say they may face an sec investigation over its license application three years ago to be one of the nation's recognized credit rating agencies. but they did their own review of how they raided the risk in 2008 and found they had erred and the way they raided some debt obligations. this is unrelated to the mortgage-backed securities for which the agency is already under fire. those are some of the latest headlines

i think the completion of the recount in baghdad is clearly a positive development insofar as it reaffirmed the original counts, the legitimacy of the election. we obviously -- you all know this department as well as anybody. we plan for everything. the right now, every expectation is that we will meet the 50,000 as of the first of september. >> can he pushed back on the withdrawals? may was supposed to be a big month for withdrawals and is still slow. we can no longer get there from here. >> i think that he has delayed some withdrawals little bit, in part because of the postponement of the election from january to march. but between now and the 31st of august, as far as i am concerned, general odierno has total flexibility in terms of how he manages the drawdown. if he wants to back in the load it, and trends, can make that work, then i have no problem with that at all. -- if transcom cannot make that work. >> he has brought out a significant number of people with him, and he continues to focus on that. like the secretary said, we are very comfortable we can meet that deadline. >> back to

i think the completion of the recount in baghdad is clearly a positive development insofar as it reaffirmedhe original counts, the legitimacy of the election. we obviously -- you all know this department as well as anybody. we plan for everything. the right now, every expectation is that we will meet the 50,000 as of the first of september. >> can he pushed back on the withdrawals? may was supposed to be a big month for withdrawals and is still slow. we can no longer get there from here. >> i think that he has delayed some withdrawals little bit, in part because of the postponement of the election from january to march. but between now and the 31st of august, as far as i am concerned, general odierno has total flexibility in terms of how he manages the drawdown. if he wants to back in the load it, and trends, can make that work, then i have no problem with that at all. -- if transcom cannot make that work. >> he has brought out a significant number of people with him, and he continues to focus on that. like the secretary said, we are very comfortable we can meet that deadline. >> back to ko

speaker, when i served in baghdad, my teams did not care whether a fellow sold year was straight or gay. if they could fire their assault rifle or run a convoy down ambush alley and do their job so everyone would come home safely. with our military fighting two wars, why on earth would we tell over 13,500 abled bodied americans that their services are not needed? this policy hurts our national security and has cost the american taxpayer over $1.3 billion already on this unjust policy. our troops deserve a congress that puts eir safety and our collective national security over rigid and a close-minded ideology. i urge my colleagues to support this amendment and support the brave men and women willing to take a bullet for our families. i reserve the balance of my time. . the chair: the gentleman reserves. any member seek time in opposition? >> madam chair, i rise in seeking the time in opposition. the chair: for what purse does the gentleman from missouri arise? mr. mckeon: mad dack chair? the chair: the gentleman from california is recognized for five minutes. mr. mckeon: thank you, mada

places where they work, and where they live, and allow the fund has been made about the embassy in baghdad. but during my time, the sky rocket fire about one dozen times. and so, in order for us to meet the obligations that have been asked of the civilian personnel costs money and we cannot, in good faith, send people into harm's way without the physical security being taken into account. and we would also argue that we save money. even as we increase the civilian presence, we will save the government $15 billion, because it is a lot more expensive to keep the soldiers in iraq than it is to keep the civilians and transportation. and i believe that you can look at this from trading off the budget, and the savings with that perspective. and you have to put this in the greater context. one mistake that the military believes was made is that we militarized the presence in these difficult, conflict areas. and there are many reasons why this had to be done. but we cannot have a military model of diplomacy and development and expect to be successful in making the case on these other issues. i bel

veterans who made the sacrifice for freedom like major staurt wolfer who was killed by rocket fire in baghdad two years ago. since the congressional medal of honor, jewish americans have been awarded this high honor since it was created. six jewish americans received it during the civil war, two in the indian, two in world war i, two in world war ii and i'm proud to note that florida's 19th district is home of one of the largest war veterans of america. and their dedication to this great country is captured in their mission statement, which reads, we, citizens of the united states of america of the jewish faith, who served in the wars of the united states of america in order that we may be of greater service to our country and one another society ourselves together, to maintain true allegiance to the united states of america, to foster and perpetrate through americanism to defend our constitution, uphold the name of the jew where unjustly assailed. and equal rights and full justice to all men and women. to combat the powers of bigotry and darkness and to preserve the spirit of comradeship to

from fallujah to marja, from baghdad to kandahar, from home and to anbar -- from helmand to hand our,ost 3091 servicemen and women. 1074 in operation in during freedom and in afghanistan. if they were the best of us. they were our blood. they were born of carbone, blood of our blood. they were our treasure -- they were bone of our owbone, the bld of our blood. they were our treasure. our sacred obligation, the only obligation that a government has that is true the sacred, or sacred obligation to provide these warriors with everything they need to complete their mission, and everything they need and deserve when they come home, that will not change. [applause] but these new warriors, a special breed, they are warriors, but they're also bright, educated, and committed like those who have gone before. they understand that the example of our kara and must be mated the example of our power must be matched by the power of our example. all of you know our ultimate stngth lies in our values. that is what brought everyone of the men and women in this house vote cemetery -- this hallowed cemete

in the streets of baghdad, they are in our thoughts and in our prayers. this resolution was introduced by our colleague, the gentlewoman from florida, representative ginny brown-waite, on april 22, 2010. it was referred to the committee on oversight and government reform, which reported the measure by unanimous consent on may 6, 2010. this measure enjoys the support of 60 members of the house. i thank the gentlewoman for introducing the bill, and i thank the ranking member of the committee on oversight and government reform, mr. issa, of course, and his staff for the work in bringing this bill to the floor today. on that note, mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from michigan is recognized. mr. mccotter: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield as much time as she may consume to my dwrished colleague from the state of florida, ms. brown-waite. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from florida is recognized. ms. brown-waite: i thank the gentleman from

last year i was in iraq on mother's day in baghdad on mother's day to thank our troops there. i went, our moms. i met one grandmother on this trip too. after we left afghanistan, we went to see our wounded warriors in germany. what can you say to these young people who have risked their lives? and we saw some in very, very, very critical condition. but their patriotism, their courage, the sacrifices they and their families made for our country heightens the need for us to have a plan that will work in afghanistan, and that is our message to president karzai. thank you. with that, we're pleased to take any questions on this subject. >> the white house is concerned -- [inaudible] also talked about liking the -- [inaudible] did you talk to him about those comments that caused some consternation in the white house, and also do you believe president karzai is -- [inaudible] >> i invite my colleagues for any comments they may have. i believe that those comments by president karzai were probably for domestic consumption, and they're really behind us. we're talking about how we go for

hoosier army specialist on his second tour of duty in iraq named chancer keiseling died of suicide in baghdad. his mother and father went to the air force base anthey received their son. he got a full military honor burial and a1-gun salute. he received all kinds of letters -- the family received all kinds of letters from condolence from the secretary of the department of veterans of affairs and a three-stareneral, but they did not receive any kind of a comment or letter of condolence from the president of the united stes, the commander in chief. i think it's very important that this picy be changed. it's been the policy for a long time that if a person died by suicide in the militarythe commander in chief does not send a letter of condolence to the family. but the family is the one that's really suffering. d right now with meers of the military seing one, two, and maybe even three tours of duty in afghanistan and iraq or around the world, there's tremendous pressure on them, tremendous pressure. and a lot of them succumb to the pressures and commit suicide. now, this is not an isolated case.

>> we are baghdad of prentixx so we are digging through and we will be learning for some time. americans want change. the same change mandate that was a critical part of president obama's election continues to be felt. people are seeing improvement in the economy that they want to continue to see change made. they will let people they think will be changemakers when they come to washington or reward candidates who have been in elected office who have not been afraid to do the heavy lifting to get our economy going. that will be critical. the second piece was one i mentioned. the tea party challenge that is creating a chorus of civil war is one that certainly we have to watch out for. republican candidates have to be as wary about it as we are. those are the lessons from last night. >> how do you feel about this statement will appear at tea party rallies that there is a need to take the country back? >> it is confusing. i guess it will start off by saying in a time of economic anxiety, there will be electoral volatility. people will be angry and confused. the right strategy is t

why should our citizens go against the same armament our soldiers face in baghdad. h'the deaths of our officers changed from 16% murders i believe every citizen has a right to have a gun, but they do not throw away records every 24 hours. those who want to do recreation can actually. i know arlen specter has 100% support from the nra hamas, but i believe we have to have somebody in washington d.c.-in of four families, and the violence has to seize. -- to cease. >> where are you on closing the loophole, and why doesn't >> when the congressman talks about zero hundred% voting record, he is not correct about the facts i believe the way to deal with the problems with guns is with tough sentences for tough criminals, and that is why i proceeded in passing a bill. when i was district attorney in philadelphia, there were sentences extended by the philadelphia judges. when i got to washington, i wanted to bring the federal government into the picture. but they would be taken into the federal court and have a mandatory sentence of 15 years to life, and that is why i have sup