Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I rise today to talk about Representative John Murtha's statement on Iraq. John Murtha is right. We need an exit strategy from Iraq. The Administration should have had one before the war.

As I and other members of Congress consistently requested before Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) began, it was imperative for the Administration to have a plan for both entering and, now more importantly, for exiting Iraq. We are two-years into OIF with no clear end in sight. There is no excuse for not having one now.

We must provide the Iraqi people with the tools necessary to stand on their own. Only the Iraqi people can rebuild Iraq. Only the Iraqi people can defend Iraq. We cannot do it for them. We cannot want it more than they want it. What we must do is provide them with the means to accomplish this, but what we are unable to do is to give them the will.

Whether we leave Iraq tomorrow, or in six months, or longer, the President needs to tell the American people when and how we will be able to withdraw our troops. We cannot afford to lose more Americans in Iraq.

John Murtha is a great patriotic American. His service in the military and in the U. S. Congress cannot be measured. Those who disparage him tarnish only themselves.

Everyone who knows John Murtha knows that he believes in his heart and soul in the American military and he will do everything he can to help them. He should be listened to for what he has done, for who he is, and because he is right.