Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Chairman of its subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps, and Narcotics Affairs, today issued the following statement after President-Elect Obama announced several nominations for his national security team:

“I applaud President-Elect Obama’s nomination of an experienced national security team.  Hillary Clinton, James Jones, Robert Gates, Janet Napolitano, Eric Holder, and Susan Rice each have a proven record of pragmatic problem-solving and bipartisan cooperation on a host of complex challenges to U.S. national security. 

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) today made the following statement today on the fifth anniversary of President Bush’s speech aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln beneath the “Mission Accomplished” banner: 

“Five years after the President infamously declared ‘Mission Accomplished,’ we have still failed to accomplish our goals of securing the peace, stifling the terrorist threat, and bringing our troops home to their families.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) responded to the recent announcement by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates of the President's decision to nominate General Petraeus to the position of Commanding Officer, Central Command, replacing the outgoing Admiral Fallon.

"Today's nomination of General Petraeus to head Central Command demonstrates once again this administration's stubborn commitment to its failed strategies in Iraq. Even more disturbingly, I am concerned that this nomination might also signal increased saber-rattling toward Iran. That would stand in stark contrast to the more measured approach to international engagement the previous commander, Admiral Fallon, brought to the post.”

At today’s Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) questioned Ambassador Ryan Crocker and General David Petraeus about what the Administration’s strategy for Iraq will be following the troop surge that began in January 2007. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) today released the following statement on the fifth anniversary of the War in Iraq:

“On the 5^th Anniversary of the War in Iraq, all Americans, regardless of their feelings about this war, can be proud of the brave men and women who have served our country honorably, many of whom have made the ultimate sacrifice.  We owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude, and their service will never be forgotten. 

“In his last State of the Union speech to the nation, President George W. Bush once again demonstrated why the country is in such dire need of a new direction. Having heard his assessment of the state of America today, I am concerned about his unwillingness to provide real assistance to middle class Americans struggling to make ends meet, his continued trampling of the Constitution – our civil liberties – in the name of national security, and his lack of a plan to end the war in Iraq and bring our troops home safely.

Recognizing that 2007, the year of President Bush’s “troop surge,” was reportedly the deadliest year of the war for both U.S. troops and Iraqi civilians, Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) today made the following remarks on the one-year anniversary of the President’s announcement that he would send an additional 30,000 American soldiers into Iraq. 

More Than 12,700 Are Unaccounted For; Black Market Flourishes

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) today called on Defense Secretary Robert Gates to join him in ending the inadequate tracking of U.S.-supplied military equipment in Iraq. In a letter to the Secretary, Sen. Dodd called his attention to a recent report from the Defense Department’s inspector general, which found that American officials have lost track of millions of dollars worth of armaments and equipment intended for the use of the Iraqi security forces. 

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) today continued to show his strong opposition to the war in Iraq by voting against legislation which would provide funding for military operations in Iraq because it did not contain a firm and enforceable deadline for the phased redeployment of combat troops out of Iraq. 

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Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) today went to the Senate floor to speak in support of the Feingold-Reid-Dodd amendment to the Defense Appropriations bill.  The amendment, which Dodd cosponsored, would set firm and enforceable timelines for the phased redeployment of combat troops out of Iraq.