I recently returned from visiting Iraq, where I had the honor of meeting with our troops and visiting with Iraqi officials. I left with a deep admiration for the spirit of our fighting men and women who continue to give their all under very difficult circumstances. I was also impressed by the willingness of many Iraqis to put themselves in harm’s way as they dedicate their lives to the future of their nation. However, I continue to harbor grave concerns over the current situation in Iraq and the President’s strategy for fighting the Iraq conflict.
So far, more than 2,500 Americans have died and 18,000 have been wounded. We owe it to both our honored dead and wounded to ensure that their sacrifices were not in vain and that we successfully accomplish our mission in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, as I have said from the beginning of this conflict, we need a clear understanding of what the mission is, what is needed to accomplish the mission, and the true accounting of the cost of the mission.
It is time for the President to tell Congress, the American public, and most importantly, the families of our fallen heroes and the men and women in the Armed Forces what is his exit plan. Instead, we only get vague assertions such as in the President’s address to the nation a year ago at Fort Bragg in which he said, "...our strategy can be summed up this way: As the Iraqi’s stand up, we will stand down." What this country needs now is a detailed exit strategy that puts the Iraqi government and its people on the path to controlling their own destiny.
It is not clear why we went to war, what we are trying to achieve, and how we will measure success. There are many of us who believe that we went into Iraq for the wrong reason: because the President and his advisers miscalculated or misrepresented the threat: And now that we are there, the President continues to come up with new reasons for staying. Before the war, President Bush said we needed to remove Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction. It turned out there were none. Faced with the absence of weapons of mass destruction, the Administration has argued that our presence in Iraq is necessary to protect the United States from acts of global terrorism and to ensure that Iraq successfully transforms into a stable democracy.
As Brian Jenkins of the RAND Corporation, one of the country’s most noted terrorism experts, has written, "Taking the fight to terrorists abroad - as America did by invading Afghanistan and by continuing efforts against terrorists worldwide - makes sense. But Iraq is a separate and special case, because many of the combatants killed or captured by American and allied forces in Iraq are insurgents created by opposition to the U.S. invasion itself." It is my understanding that terrorist cells have become even more decentralized since the war in Iraq, spreading to many corners of the globe. Islamic extremists in Iraq are reportedly training Taliban and Al-Qaeda fighters. Furthermore, Brigadier General Robert Caslen says that 30 new terrorist groups have been created since 9/11, and "we are not killing them faster than they are being created." Even Defense Secretary Rumsfeld admits that the United States is not winning the battle of ideas over the terrorists.
A week ago, President Bush justified our presence in Iraq by stating that our mission now "is to develop a country that can govern itself, sustain itself, and defend itself, and a country that is an ally in the war on terror. While I support building a strong democracy in Iraq, I am still very concerned that the number of troops stationed there stands in the way of the Iraqi people developing their own nation.
If we remain in Iraq without a clear exit strategy, I believe that the situation there will worsen. Iraq is a country that is becoming more polarized along ethnic and sectarian lines. The December elections for a new National Assembly were dominated by the religious-based political parties.
Furthermore, the Iraqi public’s perception of the economy is becoming increasingly pessimistic. The social situation in Iraq is just as disheartening. As a recent Pentagon report notes, we have spent almost $1 billion in electricity projects and are planning an additional $1.1 billion, but the gap between demand and supply is growing.
The price for not having a clear exit strategy is being borne by the American taxpayer and future generations of Americans who will truly pay the cost of this war. So far, the United States has spent about $40 billion for Iraqi reconstruction and much of that has been wasted. For example, instead of building 142 health centers in Iraq, only 20 clinics have been completed at a cost of $200 million. In addition, former Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz confidently promised the Congress a week after the war had started that "...we’re dealing with a country that can really finance its own reconstruction, and relatively soon." His economic projections were exceptionally faulty. Americans are paying inflated prices for Iraqi reconstruction projects that are only partially complete, instead of Iraqi oil revenues paying for Iraqi reconstruction.
The President’s policy gives the Iraqis veto power over when American troops withdraw. Whether or not our troops remain there, should not be subject to an Iraqi veto. Making the departure of U.S. troops dependent on the Iraqis places the health and welfare of our brave men and women at the mercy of Iraqi decisions.
When I spoke with Iraq’s National Security Adviser, Dr. Mowaffak Rubaie, he shared his view that the removal of foreign troops will legitimize Iraq’s government in the eyes of its people. In my view, a phased withdrawal of American troops will encourage the Iraqi government and military to take responsibility for their future. In addition I support maintaining sufficient security forces to continue training the Iraqi military, sufficient security forces to protect the continued American civilian presence, and sufficient security forces to attack Al-Qaeda terrorist networks. The result will be a strengthened, not weakened, Iraqi government and military.
I agree with the President when he said that "success in Iraq depends upon the Iraqis. If the Iraqis don’t have the will to succeed, they’re not going to succeed. We can have all the will we want, I can have all the confidence in the ability for us to bring people to justice, but if they choose not to... make the hard decisions and to implement a plan, they’re not going to make it."
We must empower the Iraqis to defend and govern themselves. For that reason, phased withdrawal is the only road to success.
Mr. President, some say that asking this Administration to provide a plan detailing the eventual withdraw of our troops from Iraq demonstrates a lack of courage. To me, it takes courage to do what is right for our nation and for Iraq. What is right for our nation is to establish an exit strategy to bring our troops home to their families. What is right for Iraq is to empower them to control their own destiny.
