Mondale: Iraq war is a "great tragedy"

Former Vice President Walter Mondale says the war in Iraq is "one of the great tragedies in history." Mondale made his comments on MPR's Midday program.

"A few months ago there was a report by all 16 intelligence agencies of the U.S. government -- every one of them. They were in agreement that this war was creating more terrorists, not fewer terrorists. So this is a bitter victory if it's a victory," said Mondale. "We have to get practical and reasonable, and that's why so many people in Congress of both political parties are starting to stand up."

Mondale said he's encouraged that Republicans like Sen. John Warner of Virginia are expressing disagreement with the President Bush's plan to send more U.S. troops to Iraq.

"I'm hoping that over the next period, the mainline leadership of the two Senate caucuses -- Democrats and Republicans -- will end up with some kind of consensus resolution that's so strong because of it, that the President can see that sooner or later his hands are going to be tied by law."

Minnesota U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman is joining Warner in backing a resolution against the Bush plan. Mondale says the Iraqi government has not delivered on its promises, and U.S. soldiers are in the middle of a civil war between Sunnis and Shiites.

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