THE DEMS KNEW ABOUT IRAQ AND SAID SO EARLY ON

(From LexisNexis)

The Boston Globe
August 21, 2003, Thursday ,THIRD EDITION
KNOWING WHEN TO TONE IT DOWN DEMOCRATS TREAD CAREFULLY ON WAR AT TIME OF CRISIS
By Glen Johnson, Globe Staff

"Had the president pursued the war on terrorism prior to initiating military action against Saddam Hussein - as I advocated last year - it is likely that Al Qaeda and other terrorist networks would not have been able to take advantage of the chaos that now exists in Baghdad and other parts of Iraq," [Sen. Bob] Graham said.

"We must immediately and thoroughly review the security situation in Iraq, accelerate the training programs for indigenous Iraqi military and police security forces to protect those already working in Iraq, and we must move quickly to add more international troops in Iraq through an expanded United Nations Security Council mandate," he [Sen. John Kerry] said.


Providence Journal-Bulletin (Rhode Island)
November 29, 2003, Saturday All Editions
Reed, Clinton visit Iraq

On the day after President Bush's surprise Iraq visit, Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed and New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton said yesterday they believe that the United States might need to send more troops to Iraq.

But Clinton and Reed both said the Bush administration underestimated the problems U.S. troops would face, particularly in Iraq.

And Reed said there must be more U.S. forces on the ground in Iraq. He said there is a particular need for military police and civil-affairs officers.

"There is no question in my mind that we need a larger Army," said Reed.

"I think the Pentagon tried to do this with as few troops as possible," said Clinton.