Press Releases
Brendan Daly/Nadeam Elshami
202-226-7616
09/07/2007
Pelosi on Reported Administration Plan to Leave All U.S. Forces in Iraq
Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the
following statement today on conflicting news reports about the intentions of
the White House and General David Petraeus to withdraw one brigade next year or
to maintain the current troop level in Iraq. Below her statement is a fact sheet on
“Recent reports – the National Intelligence Estimate, and
the GAO and Jones Commission reports – all document the widespread failure of
the Iraqi government to meet critical political reform benchmarks set by
President Bush himself in January.
“The stay-the-course strategy by General Petraeus and the
President to leave all troops in
“We need a new direction in
* * *
FACT SHEET
September 7, 2007
THE MOMENT OF TRUTH ON
September has been heralded by Republican lawmakers as
the “moment of truth” for the President’s stay-the-course strategy for the war
in
The American people are tired of this kick-the-can
approach and are demanding a new direction in
·
June, July and August 2007 marked the bloodiest
summer so far for
·
·
Since January of this year, we have lost 757 brave
servicemen and women to the war in
·
As of September 7th, 3,748
KEY POINTS FROM RECENT REPORTS
ASSESSING BUSH WAR STRATEGY
All three reports came to same conclusion that
violence pervades
Independent Commission on the
Security Forces of
·
“Iraqi society is being convulsed by
sectarianism that if not swiftly and significantly curtailed could
contribute to a rapid deterioration of
·
“We recommend that careful consideration of the size
of our national footprint in
Government Accountability Office
(GAO) Report:
·
The Iraqi Government failed to meet 15 of 18
political, security, and economic benchmarks established by the President
himself in January.
·
“[W]idespread violence across
National Intelligence Estimate
(NIE) Report:
·
The “level of overall violence, including attacks
on and casualties among civilians remains high” and “
·
“The IC [Intelligence Community] assesses that the
Iraqi Government will become more precarious over the next six to 12 months…”
(pg. 3)
·
“Population displacement resulting from sectarian
violence continues, imposing burdens on provincial governments and some
neighboring states and increasing the danger of destabilizing influences across