they see how the iraq war backfired. it accomplished almost none of what it was supposed to, except it did get rid of saddam hussein. but the destabilization of the nation and the country, we have now created in iraq iran's closest alley. they see the frustration in afghanistan, the american people, and we have the concern about the deficit, and people i believe now in the majority understand, yes, we must reduce the deficit. yes, we have to include the military, otherwise we devastate all of the programs that affect the quality of life at home, and given the nature of the world, we can afford to do it. we are significantly overspending. and let me say one last thing. i know this is a little too long. one of the things that gave me hope -- this is the first ad by a democratic president saying you're spending too much of the military. two weeks ago, i teamed up with a tea party republican, mick mulvaney from south carolina, and we offered an amendment in which the house voted by a large majority to reduce the amount of mon

he was the first ambassador to iraq. he was the first director of intelligence under president bush. third, we have christpher hill. he was ambassador to iraq from 2009-2010. he is now at a university for the school of studies. we also have james jeffrey. he served 2010-2010. now that i have ever established, i want to give the panel a chance to look back and get some things on their records that you may not have heard before in the conversations over last couple of days. it is a chance to look ahead and ask how post-war iraq is playing a role from serving as a possible al qaeda is safe haven to set a more positive examples as a working democracy in a sea of conflicted areas. i will kick off with 50 mets talking about the history and how we got into the war -- 15 minutes talking about the history and how we got into the war. the intelligence was cited as one of the reasons for invading. bringing in so few troops .onsulted -- resulte the dismantling of the iraqi army who knew how to build bombs and had nothing to do but at

he spent a lot of time in iran during the iran-iraq war in the 1980s and has been surprised he didn'tlearn farsi. what life is like to be second-class citizens so that tension is fair. i just really think it's too early to tell how iraq fits into larger calculus. >> host: unfortunately afflicted this area crisis committee iraqis are orienting themselves along that the kerry and the fault line more than on the area of versus non-arab fault lines. that's quite interesting. i wanted to catch up on one story more recent. we talked about stories from the 80s and 90s. at the very end of george w. bush's presidency, this curious in the name, or some british naval officers were, you know captured by the higher gcc forces in the calls and taken to tehran and it was such a dramatic moment and wants to memories of the hostage crisis came back. our closest ally working with us and coalition in the gulf. how did that play out in terms of the issues we talk about how did the u.s. military talk about that versus government back in washington. rivera options was that an important player in how the cr

helicopter firing down on innocent civilians on the ground and iraq while this is a huge victory for us on to the ordeal isn't close to being over this is the u.k. there and to arrest the son and the moment he steps foot outside of the embassy and the u.k. has reportedly threatened to raid the embassy to arrest a son and this is sparked outrage among us on just supporters you can see here protesters outside of the at the dorian embassy in london leading to some arrests r t spoke exclusively today to a songes mother christine here's what she had to say as you think of the last twenty four hours since the previous government meeting of the u.s. was. three measures in breach international law that wasn't sure how it was good but i knew that the. that we were on of both working in the. secret fix which was proof. that most things. and i was told. by the that were doing government was willing to look into it and they turned the truth does that now for the very latest on this case r.t. correspondent laura smith is on the ground in london. the reaction from us and his supporters here was une

"why doesn't the iraq government seem to like us? why won't the prime minister give a better treatment to the government officials whose military freed the country from saddam hussein and whose employees are trying to make this country better? why are we giving more than $1 billion next year mostly to the military, which, while its oil income has soared putting the baghdad regime in surplus?" guest: i mean, this is part of my -- i get worried. i sound more and more conservative or isolationist. this is where the understanding that having created in iraq, we are not popular. -- created a democracy in iraq, we are not popular. maliki to hold on to his support cannot be too pro- american. even though we did all that for them. it is this something we have to understand, but we then keep putting money in. less money now. but it's to try to make people understand an effect that money does not by you support. you've got to understand the politics of that country. and in a lot of countries in the middle east, we were not like before. we are n

bush the authority to go to iraq if they had not had a provision to raise taxes? june 6, another column. let's start with cost overruns, you write. does any branch of government get away with having its programs ballooned the way the pentagon does? >> what made you write that? >> i had a long talk with a retired admiral. i had read somewhere that there is a program that is part of developing a new weapons system. we have to make estimates on what the cost would be. he told me that there was obviously a game everybody u nderpriced and you have the problem with contractors who underpriced to win the bid. then you had congress making changes in weapons systems. >> let's go back over that again. how can a contractor underprice something to win a bit and get paid for the cost overrun? -- bid and get paid for the cost overrun? >> they have tried to remedy all of these programs. it is hard to put your finger on who is at fault, particularly with the new weapons. we have -- they have an extraordinarily electronic elements. that business is changing so fast. if you have a s

and maliki spent a lot of time in iran during the iran/iraq war during the '80s. he says you don't know what it's like to be an wrap -- an arab in a persian country. so that tension is there. it's too early to tell how iraq fit into the larger strategic calculus. no, it's interesting. but unfortunately, right now, if we look at the syria crisis the iraqis are orienting themselves along that sectarian fault line more than on the arab versus non-arab fault line. no, that's quite interesting. i wanted to catch up on one story that's more recent. we've talked about the '80s and the '90s, let's do this at the very end of george w. bush's presidency, this curious incident where some british naval officers were, you know, captured by the irgs forces in the gulf and taken to tehran. and it was such a dramatic moment, um, and, you know, lots of memories of the hostage crisis came back for americans. here are the brits, our closest ally, working with us in coalition in the gulf period. how did that play out in terms of the issues that you talk about, how did the u.s. militar

then he was the aide during the invasion of iraq and 2003. so here he was in afghanistan commanding a battalion and was the first time he has a special relationship with the hundred first because he commanded them during the invasion of iraq and in 03 it was his first combat command. so during his last command it just so happened the 101st was in afghanistan deployed together for the first time since 2003. and again, david was one of the three combat leaders we write about and it's clear that he's here and dug was the senior civilian officer to the commander of the 101st in eastern afghanistan and also has a kind of special relationship to petraeus and the surge in iraq in 2007 when he was with the first calvary division. i think if you read the book i think that you'll enjoy that interplay between the dominant character and secondary characters who are coming you know very different and very interesting and very, very tough with a brutal war. writing about them from my vantage point from afar is interesting and inspiring to me to see the kind

the u.s. occupation in iraq in 2003 and 2004. he was the administrator of the coalition provisional authority. the transitional government that we set up in iraq after we invaded. among other things, paul bremer oversaw the disastrous dissolving of the iraqi army and the prisoner abuse scandal at abu ghraib. but now bremer has moved on to something new. water color. yes, painting. mostly landscapes. the folks at foreign policy took time out for a "where are they now" piece in which they highlight some of his latest works. there's one that's even a nude. this one is called nude with maltese colors he painted in 2009. paul bremer making abstract nude water color paintings is actually kind of great, if you think about it. in the sense that way too many people with horrific foreign policy experience fail upwards, right? they keep getting foreign policy jobs. but not paul bremer. had did not fail upward. he is not doing american foreign policy anymore. he is quietly painting vermont landscapes and the occasional tasteful nude. yay! but

source for the iraq budget. secretary. -- it was affected by wars, sanctions, and bad management for decades. as a consequence, oil exports fluctuated. there was a delay in the investment programs for both oil and gas, especially for the guests that was being burned. -- the gas that was being burned. the oil played an important role in the iraq economy. it funded 95% of the iraq federal budget and employed more than 100,000 people. it is the glue that sticks the country. let's talk about some numbers. in 2003, crude oil production reached 1.5 million barrels per day. it rose to 2.2 million barrels per day in 2008. it reached 2.5 million barrels in 200011. a growth of 85%. an average for the first half of these years was 2.7 million barrels per day. the area of the exported oil -- we were exporting around 1 million barrels per day. that has increased to 1.8 million in 2008 despite all the damage basic oil exports happened after the war -- before the war during the sanction. then it was 2.3 million barrels per day

it was all about the iraq war injure. i believed that american security interests were on the line there and i felt if we withdrew in defeat it would have a terrible consequence not only on iraq but american credibility throughout the world so i stuck with it. i remember them saying to me the numbers show this is going be a tough primary campaign you should think about running as an independent and i remember saying i'm a democrat and if the democrats don't want to nominate me that is their choice. i will stay and fight for what i think is right within the democratic party. sure, a lot of old friends went the other way, it hurt. but on the other hand probably the most thrilling satisfying day of my political career was election day in 2006 when the independents, republicans and a few democrats reelected me as senator from connecticut. >> sean: you talk about hyper partisanship that exists out there. i agree with you on almost all national security issues. >> right. >> sean: and it seems that the democratic party has moved

but even for those who survive life is not the same anymore. in iraq we die a hundred times every day we die in various circumstances in the strait gatherings but in crowded places when explosions go off when blind attacks take place mostly by religious groups our profession faces constant danger and death every where death is more than a possibility in this job. since april two thousand and three more than three hundred people working for the media have been killed in iraq most of them where iraqi victims of executions obama attacks from al qaeda and other terrorist groups in minutes but the journalism all over the world is considered the king of the professions. in iraq it's called a disastrous profession or a deadly profession. because wherever journalist goes death is always lurking within. the us and there's an obvious one will it be a one shot on the. internet that are you know that. i'm not. good. for you recchi journalists reporting and surviving are dramatically connected. the shocking thing is that i've seen that the person who. will make thi

many people with the afghan experience is thinking this is not iraq. t in his mind, at the end of the day there were many principles and lessons we could take it's not transferable. we can't take what we did there and do it here. obviously. but i think he never really gained the rapport that christ m had with karzai, and i think the afghan ministers respected him, it certainly wasn't the same level 6 respect he with the iraq i can government. the third question. sorry i should be writing them down. >> some of his weaknesses. >> he is such a driven individual. that can and a strength too. he channels that drive and ams wishes to serve the country. i think his ego is in like with that. it's not egotist call. he put duty on our country and the service to the nation above his family. so i almost considered that a strength and weakness. as a working mother and wife my husband works hard too and it's hard to find balance. but it's pretty clear and holly is pretty clear that she supported him. they have a wonderful marriage and very established children. other

how was it -- did we fight the war in iraq and afghanistan without paying for it? guest: this is, to me, one of the worst things that happened associated with the bush war in iraq, and that is not only the family to pay for a record first war in the american history where there was -- there were tax cuts. they instituted a tax cuts. in that same period, they withdrew the last remaining excise tax that would help pay for the korean war. telephone tax. you know, there were not going to put a tax to pay for the war because congress would not have passed it. host: where were the democrats? guest: the democrats were as afraid as everybody else was . because of the aura that have been created about the threat from saddam hussein. the only people that raised the issue was the congressional black caucus, about going to war. the democrats were worried, the first gulf war, they opposed it and it turned out to be the right thing to do. host: the iraq war started in 2003, larry lindsey said it will not cost $60 billion. it will cost $200 billion here the other was eric shinseki

it was all about the iraq war injure. i believed that american security interests were on the line there and i felt if we withdrew in defeat it would have a terrible consequence not only on iraq but american credibility throughout the world so i stuck with it. i remember them saying to me the numbers show this is going be a tough primary campaign you should think about running as an independent and i remember saying i'm a democrat and if the democrats don't want to nominate me that is their choice. i will stay and fight for what i think is right within the democratic party. sure, a lot of old friends went the other way, it hurt. but on the other hand probably the most thrilling satisfying day of my political career was election day in 2006 when the independents, republicans and a few democrats reelected me as senator from connecticut. >> sean: you talk about hyper partisanship that exists out there. i agree with you on almost all national security issues. >> right. >> sean: and it seems that the democratic party has moved

minister, he was almost as out of favor as he had been popular when he was elected, largely because of the iraqt his name could open doors and pocketbooks around the world -- and has. blair moved from number 10 downing street to this mansion in central london, where john adams once resided as u.s. ambassador. now this place doesn't have enough space to house blair's multiple endeavors and charities. but none seems more important to blair than the tony blair faith foundation. his business ventures and philanthropy range from consulting with developing countries about how to improve systems of government to programs designed to get more young people involved in sports. but blair appears especially energized by what he calls his "counter-attack" against religious radicalism. >> the big issue of our time actually is this, is trying to deal with this extremism based on a perversion of religion and how you get peaceful coexistence between people of different faiths and cultures. >> how do you? >> well, i think by establishing platforms of understanding between people of different faiths and cultures

the war in iraq was the bloodiest call flicked for those reporting from the front line next we talked to a mother wants to know why her son was killed why his only weapon was a camera. i got him on my side. if. i didn't agree. with. the two thousand and three war in iraq was the bloodiest of the last decades almost one million soldiers and civilians were killed and four and a half million iraqis became. a lot of traffic thousands of journalists and media personnel complete live with. a war that was broadcast live or around the block. or complex or even the first time to instantly and insist the put me again. after eighteen days of war u.s. forces into baghdad without encountering any particular resistance more than one hundred journalists and media workers covering the war from the iraqi capital are staying at palestine hotel. but the world had the feeling that the day would be an important day a critical day for the war in iraq. the marines and the u.s. army were so close to the hotel we could almost see their eyes still so hoarse. and media money around the local time i went out on

is always going to be called the iraq war as opposed to the republic of iraq will dependthe future, what happens in iraq, how our policy goes forth with iraq. right now we have a very dicey situation there. sunni arab states want to restore rule and there are the iranians who want to keep it as the only shia and redstate. this is the issue. we jumped into it, so i think we have a responsibility to stay engaged. i think it's up to the diplomats. >> let's get back to we decided to invade. the number of troops, the plan, does the u.s. does not understand how to occupy a place? is it a knowledge we have lost? >> first, on the question of curveball and intelligence failures, it was -- it turned out to be a notorious enough mistakes to cause the revamping of the intelligence community. so i don't think anybody questions that it was a series of mistakes. on the question of, you take the invasion as a given and you have the issue of whether there were enough forces. this is fairly characteristic of the way we get involved in some of these conflicts. two of us are veterans of the

the iraq war logs highlight the real numbers of those killed in iraq, people you would not have even nown about before the logs came out. this guy has done a great service to the world in showing us the true nature of the wars are governments are fighting. >> can you talk about the pressure outside the embassy right now? i have been watching a live stream since late last night outside the ecuadorean embassy, because of the concern the british authorities would raid the embassy and take julian assange out. >> i got to the embassy last at about midnight. there was a police presence they were the static one, and one of uniformed officers. my personal opinion, the police , tried to put political pressure on ecuador and the ecuadorian embassy and wikileaks to try to stop them from making the decision to grant asylum in levels of police and the threats that were given in ecuador are a big laugh. i do not think the british would dare invade the sovereign territory. it would cost too many problems around the world. others around the world would be threatened by it if any group in the country

the george w. bush's administration iraq war spokesman. er three is the person speaking before paul ryan is introduced that night at the convention, jeb bush. so his relevant foreign policy experience is voting for the iraq war. they put his big speech on the night of george w. bush brother's big speech. so who's introducing paul ryan? condoleezza rice. that is how they are rolling out paul ryan. they are rolling him out as if they're rolling him out as paul wolfowitz. they're not going to say beep about our existing war in afghanistan for the whole convention, but they're talking about the iraq war instead. tap... pinch... and zoom... in your car. introducing the all-new cadillac xts with cue. ♪ don't worry. we haven't forgotten, you still like things to push. [ engine revs ] the all-new cadillac xts has arrived, and it's bringing the future forward. >> talking about legitimate rape and forced childbirth, one bright side of todd akin, breathing a soul into abortion politics this week, it pushed out of news cycle about mitt romney's tax ret

the biggest issue, maybe that he voted for the iraq war. to the extent that issues like syria, iran, i do think the president and vice president biden will be able to leverage the fact that they have governed in national security in a way that mitt romney and paul ryan have not. >> breeze surprised by the pit? >> i was. -- >> wereui you surprised by the pick? >> i was. it is a risky choice. >> a rising star in republican ranks. >> i do not think anyone would have been surprised to see him and that as a presidential candidate in 2016 or 2020 or a u.s. senator or governor. but he is 42 another has -- not a household name. he will be a national figure overnight. it does bring back 2008. >> with paul ryan in american samoa mitt romney's running mate, there are a number of potential candidates who did not get the call. -- with paul ryan in as mitt romney's running mate, there are a number of potential candidates to deny get the call. >> i did not start with the expected risch -- with the expectation i would be vice president. i'm glad he did cong

of caretaking the boats to the port on the opposite side of the iran-iraq border. as a british naval commander but in tehran their worst the and -- they were shocked with td with their marines were howled captive. whether they should release them are not. then they realize it is propaganda. this is the way to tweak them and they can even julie release them. it suddenly goes from the equivalent of the junior officer to a senior commander. haunt the iranian side. so it is serious risk taking. it could have led to much wider conflict. if figures enter holt view of the revolutionary guard shoot first and ask questions later. >>host: as we gain understanding about her behavior with the points of entry but for the most part we have to keep trying and look for the opportunities. and perhaps the built and logic of define it -- to finance that is part of the iranians em all. they probe but that is the pattern but we should end with a discussion of the title of the buck. look at the implications of the future every time there is another episode that there is the entity but th

just to set the stage here the last american troops left iraq on december 18th last year and on july 31st, a little more than 7 months later, president obama approved an executive order imposing new sanctions against the iranian energy sector and, at the time he said the treasury department had also imposed sanctions on the islamic bank based in baghdad, because they, quote, facilitated transactions worth millions of dollars on behalf of the iranian banks, that are subject to sanctions for their links to iran's proliferation activities. but the "new york times" is reporting now, that in baghdad, the iraqi government is letting companies operate in spite of these sanctions and they are enforcing penalties on companies who violate them and some folks on the ground, in iraq, are saying the iraqi central bank is still letting this islamic bank, the one president obama singled out a few weeks ago, take part in a cash option used by people connected to the iranians every day to beef up their reserve of u.s. dollars. while a public show down with the president of iraq, nouri al-maliki would

the world. he stood up and supported president bush on iraq. i was a democrat and left the democratic party in 1986 because in party basically abandoned the cause of human rights around the world. joe lieberman never did and i think that is his greatest legacy as a i was having trouble getting out of bed in the morning because my back hurt so bad. the sleep number bed conforms to you. i wake up in the morning with no back pain. i can adjust it if i need to...if my back's a little more sore. and by the time i get up in the morning, i feel great! if you have back pain, toss and turn at night or wake up tired with no energy, the sleep number bed could be your solution. the sleep number bed's secret is it's air chambers which provide ideal support and put you in control of the firmness. and the bed is perfect for couples because each side adjusts independently to their unique sleep number. here's what clinical research has found: 93% of participants experienced back-pain relief. 90% reported reduced aches and pains. 87% fell asleep faster and enjoye

this is well documented in the iraq war log as a matter of fact. manning brought his concerns of the chain of command what might happen to these nonviolent protesters who were detained by the iraqi federal police and his superior told him to shut up and get back to work round up more prisoners for the iraqi authorities and this brought >> reporter: of heart and a change of mind in the young private who believed operation iraqi freedom had something to do with iraqi freedom and his response was to start allegedly leaking things. he is very plain about his motives and the instant message chat logs, the guy who will later turn him into the authorities. he says i want people to see the truth regardless who they are because regardless you cannot make cannot make -- the lease will lead to, quote, of worldwide discussion and reforms. i fail to see what is so objectionable about this spirit and what is so objectionable about the alleged acts that were motivated by this. i wrote a book about this. i am not a reader or a writer of one note protests books. one

helicopter firing down on innocent civilians on the ground in iraq now while this is a huge victory for assad to the ordeal isn't close to being over this as the u.k. threatens to arrest assad to the moment he steps but outside of the embassy the u.k. has reportedly threatened to raid the embassy to arrest a song that has sparked outrage among the songes supporters you can see here protesters outside of the ecuadorian embassy in london leading to some morass r.t. spoke exclusively today to us on his mother christine here's what she had to say. if you sing in the last twenty four hours that the previous government beating of the u.s. was but it doesn't bring measures in breach international law it wasn't sure how it was good but i knew that the. that we were honest both working in the. the correct facts which would prove. that doing most things. and i was also very happy by the fact that the door in government was willing to look into it and there's not a star not turned on that's the truth it's done that. for the very latest on this case r.t. correspondent laura smith is on the ground i

war as to the republic of iraq is going to depend on the future. at happens in iraq, how the policy goes forward, and right now we have a dicey situation today is the object of a great gain among the states that want to remove the sunni war and the iranians that want to keep it as the only shia arab state. this is really the issue. we jumped into rate, so we had a responsibility to stay engaged and i don't think that involved the second lieutenants on the negotiations. so it's kind of up to the diplomats. >> before we get to that, let's get back to we decided to invade the number of troops that chose the plan. does the u.s. just cannot understand how to occupy? is it a knowledge that we lost? >> i would say first of all on the question of curveball intelligence failures it turned out to be a notorious mistake to cause the reform of the intelligence community. we talked about that yesterday. so why don't think anybody questions that that was a serious mistake. on the question of you take the invasion that is given and you have the issue of whether th

the u.n. in afghanistan and iraq will reportedly replace kofi annan as a special envoy to the water on state and stepped aside saying that he was lacking international support let's cross over now to peter all over here and get some details on this man the algerian foreign minister. well it's got to be the job one of the jobs anyway that nobody would want in the world special envoy dealing with the syrian the ongoing syrian crisis but it seems that the next man to take over the role from kofi annan is going to be but he me the seventy eight year old former i'll jury and foreign minister he does have pedigree when it comes to dealing with. seemingly. ongoing in endless crisis he was a key figure in the late one nine hundred eighty s. in bringing peace to the lebanese civil war in recent times he was a u.n. envoy sent to the iraq invasion of afghanistan i beg your pardon in two thousand and one he was also sent to iraq in two thousand and three less success there as those conflicts raged on for many years of course afghanistan still a scene of bitter and ferocious violence at times now it looks li