Ritter finds 'glimmer of hope' in surprise Iraq visit

The Rocky

Published December 12, 2007 at 9:54 a.m.
Updated December 12, 2007 at 12:21 p.m.

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Photo by Courtesy photo: Sam Hill

Gov. Bill Ritter poses with Colorado troops during his surprise visit to Iraq this morning. From left to right: Lt. Col. Ken Chavez, a Denver police officer and Commanding Officer of 5th Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group; Col. Steve Ward, USMC; Gov. Ritter; Lt. Col. Joe Rice, U.S. Army.

There is a "glimmer of hope" for the U.S. strategy in Iraq, Gov. Bill Ritter told reporters by conference call from Kuwait this morning.

Ritter is in the middle of a weeklong trip to the Iraq war theater. He left Sunday and did not announce his trip — to the news media or to the troops he was about to visit — because of security concerns.

He said security officials would not allow him to discuss his plans for the next three days in the Middle East before returning to Colorado on Sunday. But he said that, so far, he has received "just a very constant narrative" from officials and troops from Colorado, who make him "confident the current strategy being employed is the right strategy."

"There is some glimmer of hope, as things seem to have improved," he said.

The U.S. military strategy under Gen. David Petraeus is working and the Iraqi Army is being strengthened, he said. However, he said there is still a long road ahead in stabilizing Iraq's political infrastructure.

Ritter, a Democrat, is traveling at the invitation of the U.S. Departments of Defense and State to visit Colorado National Guard troops. South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds and Rhode Island Gov. Donald Carcieri, both Republicans, are on the trip with him.

Some 30 governors have gone on such trips over the last couple of years, Ritter said, adding that he decided to go because he felt it was something important for him to experience as Commander in Chief of the Colorado National Guard.

"I have not had a military background," the former Denver district attorney said. "It is extremely helpful for me to see this on the ground."

The governors flew to Washington Sunday and met over breakfast Monday with U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates. They were then given a classified briefing on the war with Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice.

They flew overseas through the night Monday, landing mid-day Tuesday in Kuwait City. Ritter immediately sat down to lunch there with members of the Colorado National Guard.

"Overall I would say that morale is excellent among the troops I talked to that are Coloradoans," he said.

He flew Tuesday afternoon to Baghdad and was whisked by helicopter to the city's International Zone. There, he was greeted by Colorado Sen. Steve Ward, a Littleton Republican and U.S. Marine Corps colonel serving in Fallujah, and state Rep. Joe Rice, a Littleton Democrat serving as a U.S. Army lieutenant colonel in Baghdad.

Ritter met in Baghdad with Iraq's deputy prime minister. He and the other governors then had dinner with Petraeus. That evening, he said he met with more members of the Colorado National Guard.

After having breakfast with more Colorado troops this morning, Ritter flew by helicopter to Balad, in northern Iraq.

During that short flight, as he sat there in his Kevlar vest and helmet, he said he watched armed spotters on either side of him scanning the ground below for potential enemy fire. The image hit home for him how dangerous the mission has been for soldiers in Iraq.

"I just felt how vulnerable it is to ride in a Blackhawk helicopter like that," he said.

He then flew to Kuwait City, where he spoke with about a dozen Colorado reporters by phone.

So far, Ritter has visited with troops from the 332nd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, which includes about 225 Colorado National Guard members, and the 5th Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group, which also includes Colorado National Guard members.

He said every soldier he spoke with is working seven days a week, 12 hours a day. He said the soldiers welcomed him to Iraq and thanked him for the surprise visit.

Ritter said he is confident he is getting a real impression of the situation in Iraq because the message has been consistent, whether in briefings with top military officials or in conversations with individual Colorado troops.

"Everyone has been quite honest about the need to build a political infrastructure," he said.

This is Ritter's first trip to Iraq.

Gov. Bill Owens visited Iraq on Feb. 24, 2006, in an effort to pump up the troops and see for himself what was happening in the war.

He and Democratic Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry visited soldiers in the Colorado Army National Guard and, along the way, met Fort Carson troops clearly surprised to see the governor in their part of the world.

Ritter is the third Colorado Democrat to travel to Iraq in recent weeks.

Boulder entrepreneur Jared Polis, who is seeking his party's nomination for the 2nd Congressional District election, flew to Jordan and Iraq two weeks ago. He was not part of an official delegation and did not leave the International Zone while in Iraq.

Upon returning home, Polis called the Iraq situation a "basket case." He also criticized the U.S. government for outsourcing the war to foreign mercenaries.

U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-Golden, returned from his own trip to Iraq, Kuwait and Jordan last week. He traveled with a delegation of fellow congressmen, and, like Ritter, met with Petraeus. Perlmutter said that while he still believes the war was a mistake, he sees a window of opportunity now to stabilize the country before withdrawing the troops.

Ritter said he agrees in general with Perlmutter's impressions.

• December 12, 2007

  10:19 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Jim writes:

  Visit by the Guv. was politically good for Ritter and good for Colorado troops' morale. I object to the use of the word "snuck" to descibe Owens' visit. The conotation is obvious. Ritter's visit was about the same except he didn't visit the Ft. Carson troops. Last I heard Ft. Carson was within the Guv's juridiction. BTW I'm a Democrate.

• December 12, 2007

  11:15 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  AC writes:

  "Photo courtesy of Sam Hill?" My first thought was what in Sam Hill is going on here?

• December 12, 2007

  2:32 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Scott writes:

  Let's see, first Ritter states, "confident the current strategy being employed is the right strategy." And then goes on to state, "There is some glimmer of hope, as things seem to have improved,". Oh, now I understand, Ritter is a lawyer by profession, hence he is once again speaking out of both sides of his mouth. First he is "confident" that we are on the right course after talking with the troops, but then he covers is political backside with his "glimmer of hope" comment.

  Now no matter which side picks on him (pro-Iraq invasion or anti-Iraq invasion) his handlers will be able to grab the appropriate quote.

  If it looks like a lawyer, walks like a lawyer and excretes like a lawyer, it must be a scumbag.

  Scott
  I'm also a democrat

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