More Statements about the UN Headquarters Attack in Iraq:

Kerry rips Bush for Iraq chaos
by Noelle Straub, Boston Herald

WASHINGTON - Sen. John F. Kerry and several other Democratic presidential hopefuls slammed the Bush administration for failing to plan for postwar Iraq, throwing the country into chaos that led to yesterday's deadly truck bombing.

"Today's deadly attack also underscores the need for the administration to quickly reassess the situation in Iraq,'' Kerry said.

"It is becoming increasingly clear each day that the administration misread the situation on the ground in Iraq and lacks an adequate plan to win the peace and protect our troops.''

The Massachusetts senator called on the White House to review the security situation, accelerate training for Iraqi police forces and seek a U.N. mandate to add more international troops.

Bush critics used the bombing to step up criticism that Iraq is quickly emerging as a quagmire in which peace can't be obtained....


But the criticism wasn't limited to the campaign trail.

U.S. Rep. Martin Meehan (D-Lowell), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said the potential for "massive chaos'' will continue to increase until stability is restored in Iraq.

"I do believe the administration was quick to rush to war and slow with a comprehensive reconstruction plan,'' he said. "It's clear they have miscalculated in their reconstruction plan.''

Meehan said the administration needs a broader coalition in Iraq, including the United Nations and NATO, to reduce the burden on the U.S. military and fight the perception of the United States as an occupying force.

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), who has been one of the most vocal critics of war with Iraq, also called for the United States to increase international involvement in postwar Iraq.

Jim Walsh, a research fellow at the Belfer Center for Science & International Affairs at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, said some Democrats have said all along a military victory against Iraq was almost guaranteed but the postwar planning would be much more difficult.

"It was never about whether we could win the war, it was about whether we could win the peace and at what cost,'' Walsh said. "Unfortunately, the cost seems to be increasing.''

He said increased attacks in Iraq could hurt Bush's popularity at home.
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From the Washington Times:

Kerry, Graham fault Bush in deadly Baghdad bombing

Yesterday's suicide bombing in Baghdad left some Democrats calling for re-evaluating the U.S. role in Iraq and blaming the Bush administration for lacking foresight and losing control of the situation in Iraq.

"It is becoming increasingly clear each day that the administration misread the situation on the ground in Iraq and lacks an adequate plan to win the peace and protect our troops," said Sen. John Kerry, Massachusetts Democrat and presidential candidate, calling on President Bush to invite more troops from other nations to help out.

The bomber killed the top U.N. envoy in Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello, and 19 other persons at the United Nations' Iraq headquarters.
Read more from the Washington Times...