Washington, Mar 19 - Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) released the following statement on the 5^th anniversary of the American invasion of Iraq:

“After five years of American involvement in Iraq—after we’ve lost nearly 4,000 American lives, after tens of thousands of Americans have been injured, and after billions of American tax dollars have been spent—we are no more secure than when we invaded.  Our military is stretched far too thin and Iraq has become a distraction from the war on terror in Afghanistan and across the globe.

“The huge cost of this war is hurting our economy and driving our nation deeper into debt.  Meanwhile, General Petraeus last week acknowledged that Iraqi leaders haven’t made adequate progress toward resolving their political differences. 

“Our troops have done their job, providing security so the Iraqis can bridge their political differences.  It’s time for the Iraqis to do their job, and take responsibility for the stability and security of their own country.

“Americans are ready for a change in Iraq, and continue to demand a new direction in the face of President Bush’s stay-the-course strategy.  We need to redeploy our troops from Iraq and refocus on the myriad of other security and domestic problems facing our country.”