News From… Congressman Dennis Cardoza
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Cardoza, Democrats Outline Principles for Success in |
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Group Urges President to Adopt Principles to Stabilize |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 16, 2005 |
CONTACT: John Bray (202) 225-6131 |
WASHINGTON – Congressman Dennis Cardoza today joined a group of Democrats in sending a letter to President Bush outlining a set of principles for a successful resolution of the mission in The Democratic working group consists of Democratic Members of Congress committed to a successful conclusion of the mission in
“I believe that the December 15 election marked a turning point for the
Signatories included the House Democratic Whip, 11 members of the House Armed Services Committee and the Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee. Signatories: Reps. Steny Hoyer (MD), Ike Skelton (MO), Jane Harman (CA), Adam Smith (WA), Rick Larsen (WA), Betty McCollum (MN), Darlene Hooley (OR), Marty Meehan (MA), David Price (NC), Chris Van Hollen (MD), Joe Crowley (NY), John Larson (CT), Carolyn McCarthy (NY), Mark Udall (CO), Lane Evans (IL), Robert Brady (PA), Steve Israel (NY), James Langevin (RI), Juanita Millender-McDonald (CA), Mike McIntyre (NC), and Jim Cooper (TN), in sending her letter to the President. You can see the text of her principles below: Full Text of Principles: The Honorable George W. Bush
Dear President Bush,
As Democratic Members who are deeply committed to a successful resolution to our mission in Iraq, who want to leave Iraq with a stable government, and bring our troops home as soon as possible, we are writing to describe principles that are an essential part of a plan for success in Iraq.
We owe this plan first and foremost to the brave men and women of our Armed Forces who are serving in
We believe that 2006 is a time of significant opportunity for the
Now the time has come for us to accelerate the transition to full Iraqi sovereignty, and create the conditions for the redeployment of
To this end, we believe that you need to announce that You need to also urge the new Iraqi government elected on December 15, in no uncertain terms, to represent and reach out to all Iraqis and create a sustainable political settlement that is essential for ending the insurgency in The December 15 election in After nearly three years of intimate
Over the next twelve months the
Four principles should guide
First, it is vital that the new Iraqi government be inclusive and non-sectarian. The Iraqi government that is elected on December 15 has a responsibility to serve all Iraqis, include minority parties and treat all with fairness and respect.
The new government must extend full participation and civil liberties to the Sunnis, Kurds, and all minorities in
A serious effort by the new Iraqi government to address Sunni, Kurd and other minority concerns should lead to a reduction in violence.
Second, the Iraqi government must take full responsibility for defeating all domestic security threats.
We must make it clear that the
To the extent that Sunnis and Baathists continue to engage in violence against the government of
To this end, your administration owes the American people an honest accounting of (A) The number of battalions of the Iraqi Armed Forces that must be able to operate independently or to take the lead in counterinsurgency operations and the defense of (B) The number of Iraqi special police units that must be able to operate independently or to take the lead in maintaining law and order and fighting the insurgency. (C) The number of regular police that must be trained and equipped to maintain law and order. (D) The ability of (E) The criteria to be used to evaluate progress toward meeting such conditions. (F) A schedule for meeting such conditions, an assessment of the extent to which such conditions have been met, information regarding variables that could alter that schedule, and the reasons for any subsequent changes to that schedule. Third, the
Currently, the
While the Iraqi government takes increased responsibility for its own domestic security concerns, Our priority should always have been to defeat global jihadists led by Al Qaeda – with
The
Because the
The
Part of an effective transition in our focus in
And fourth,
The highest priority is to stand up robust oil production, which is at present below pre-war levels. Oil revenues will allow
The international community, led by
Reconstruction of Iraqi infrastructure should be turned over to Iraqis and the international community at an accelerated pace. All contracts should be awarded through standardized bidding contests and preference for the awarding of contracts going to Iraqi nationals operating small and medium size businesses.
An Iraq Contact Group should be created to provide oversight and resources to the Iraqi government and sustain international attention on We urge your adoption of theses principles and look forward to your timely response.
Sincerely,
Reps. Steny Hoyer (MD), Ike Skelton (MO), Ellen Tauscher (CA), Jane Harman (CA), Adam Smith (WA), Rick Larsen (WA), Betty McCollum (MN), Darlene Hooley (OR), Marty Meehan (MA), David Price (NC), Chris Van Hollen (MD), Joe Crowley (NY), John Larson (CT), Carolyn McCarthy (NY), Mark Udall (CO), Lane Evans (IL), Robert Brady (PA), Steve Israel (NY), James Langevin (RI), Juanita Millender-McDonald (CA), Mike McIntyre (NC), Jim Cooper (TN), and Dennis Cardoza (CA) ### |
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