U.S. Senator Ken Salazar

Member: Agriculture, Energy, Veterans' Affairs, Ethics and Aging Committees

 

2300 15th Street, Suite 450 Denver, CO 80202 | 702 Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C. 20510

 

 

For Immediate Release

June 19, 2006

CONTACT:    Cody Wertz – Comm. Director

                        303-455-7600

Andrew Nannis  – Press Secretary

                        202-224-5852


 Sen. Salazar Co-Sponsors Legislation on US Policy in Iraq

WASHINGTON, D.C. – United States Senator Ken Salazar today co-sponsored legislation that calls for progress in making a transition to full Iraqi sovereignty, and for Iraqis to take greater responsibility for their own security and future.

“I want our efforts in Iraq to succeed,” Senator Salazar said. “This amendment urges the President to develop a clear plan and vision for transition that recognizes Iraq is ultimately responsible for providing its own security.”

Last year, by a vote of 79-16, the Senate overwhelmingly approved legislation that declared 2006 should be a year of transition in Iraq. The Amendment to the Department of Defense Authorization bill that Senator Salazar co-sponsored today builds on that legislation and outlines the following steps for advancing the chances of success in Iraq:

  • The President should begin the phased redeployment of U.S. forces this year. This would entail the beginning of a transition to a more limited mission of continued training of Iraqi forces, protection of U.S. assets and personnel, and targeted counter-terrorism activities.
  • By the end of 2006, the President should submit a plan to Congress for continuing the phased redeployment of U.S. forces.
  • The Iraqis should take concrete steps to promote political stability in Iraq.
  • The government of Iraq should disarm militias and insist on integrity in the Iraqi security forces.
  • The President should convene an international summit on Iraq to increase financial burden sharing in efforts to stabilize the country.
  • The U.S. should continue heavy diplomatic engagement in Iraq for the foreseeable future.
  • The President should assess the impact that our operations in Iraq are having on the overall U.S. campaign against terrorism worldwide.

“I’m not interested in partisan rhetoric. I’m interested in defeating the terrorists and making this country safer,” said Senator Salazar. “That means getting the whole global fight against terrorism right, which entails putting Iraq in context and executing the transition that the President has spoken about – standing down as the Iraqis stand up.”

The amendment does not address the speed or pace of redeployment. It does not establish a specific timetable for redeployment and it does not call for a precipitous withdrawal of U.S. Forces from Iraq. It urges that concrete steps to transition to an Iraqi-led stabilization effort begin this year as a way of moving from an open-ended commitment and Iraqi dependency.

 

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