Statement of Senator Carl Levin on President Bush’s Announcement Regarding Troop Levels

WASHINGTON – Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., made the following statement today regarding President Bush’s announcement on troop levels in Iraq and Afghanistan:

“This small reduction in troop levels in Iraq and the continued apparent rejection of any timetable for further reductions is simply a continuation of the Bush Administration’s open-ended commitment in Iraq. It takes the pressure off of the Iraqi leaders to take the political steps essential to ending the conflict.

“Iraqi politicians have failed to take advantage of the reduction in violence to reach a political settlement, which was the stated purposed of the surge. Saying the surge has worked when it hasn’t accomplished its stated purpose sends the wrong message to the Iraqi government.

“In the meantime, the U. S. taxpayers continue to pay for reconstruction projects and economic development projects and even for the salaries of the so-called Sons of Iraq militia – at the same time that the Iraqi government has a surplus of $80 billion in oil revenues that should be used to pay for their own reconstruction and development.”