U.S.
Senator Member: Agriculture, Energy, Veterans' Affairs, Ethics and Aging Committees |
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For Immediate
Release June 19, 2006 |
CONTACT: Cody Wertz – Comm. Director 303-455-7600 Andrew Nannis – Press Secretary 202-224-5852 |
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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:
“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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