Senator Boxer: Facing Reality in Iraq

September 12, 2007

On September 11, 2007, General David Petraeus appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to present his assessment of the war in Iraq.  As a member of the Committee, I used my time at the hearing to ask General Petraeus to face realities in Iraq and stop giving Congress and the American people rosy scenarios to justify a long, continuing U.S. military presence in Iraq.  

“This war is the biggest foreign policy mistake ever,” I told General Petraeus.  “It took our eye off defeating the terrorists, led by Osama bin Laden, who killed our people, six years ago today.  The greatest mistake because it has strained our military and our national guard.  And it is the greatest mistake because we have lost so many of our own and so many are wounded.”

I reminded General Petraeus that he had told the Boston Globe in November 2003, “We want to be seen as an army of liberation and not an army of occupation . . . there is a half-life on our role here, you wear out your welcome at some point.  It doesn’t matter how helpful you are.  We aren’t here to stay.”

I also pointed to a new BBC/ABC News Poll showing that 79 percent of Iraqis oppose the presence of U.S. forces in Iraq, and 70 percent of Iraqis believe that the surge has made the security situation worse.

In concluding, I told General Petraeus, “We are sending our troops where they’re not wanted, with no end in sight, into the middle of a civil war, into the middle of the mother of all mistakes.  Please, General, don’t do what you did in 2004 when you painted a rosy scenario.  Consider that others could be right.  Listen to the Iraqi people, the American people, the majority of the Congress.” 

Along with other members of the Foreign Relations Committee, I gave General Petraeus and the Bush Administration the clear message that America’s commitment in Iraq cannot be open-ended and that it is time to start working to bring our troops home. 

Please be assured that I will keep doing all I can to see that we bring this tragic and ill-fated war to an end.

Sincerely,

Barbara Boxer
United States Senator

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