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On the Issues: Iraq

Since the outset of the war, I have strongly supported the brave men and women in our military who have made the ultimate sacrifice and risked their lives in Iraq. At the same time, however, it is clear that President Bush and his Administration failed to place American troops in the best position to secure and stabilize this volatile country. The daily barrage of suicide bombings and increased number of American casualties suggest that Iraq is less secure than before the downfall of Saddam Hussein. Additionally, portions of a declassified National Intelligence Estimate from April 2006 cast a disturbing light on the war, characterizing it as "the cause célèbre for jihadists, breeding a deep resentment of U.S. involvement in the Muslim world and cultivating supporters for the global jihadist movement." The United States has become mired in a growing civil war that is, in itself, inciting terrorism. Each month, 100 more American soldiers die, hundreds more are maimed and $6.4 billion is spent -- with no foreseeable resolution to this conflict.

Clearly, the Bush Administrations one-dimensional, "stay the course" policy has not worked in Iraq, seriously impairing our ability to deal with the growing threat from Iran as well as a disintegrating situation in Afghanistan where the Taliban and Al Qaeda have reemerged. By ignoring recommendations from top military strategists to redeploy forces and reconstitute U.S. strategy in Iraq, the President has left our military resources severely depleted, resulting in a “back door draft” for reservists, the National Guard and other troops whose service has been extended far beyond expectation.

There has been a gross lack of accountability within the Bush Administration as it relates to the war, and it has been my strong belief that the President and his Cabinet should be held to task for the unconscionable mistakes made in Iraq. I am, therefore, pleased to report that on November 9, 2006, the Administration finally heeded the call of the American people by accepting Donald Rumsfeld's resignation as Secretary of Defense. Even with a new Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates taking the reins at the Pentagon, I remain deeply skeptical of the Administration’s Iraq policy and the President’s recent announcement which I believe we only further bog down our military resources, placing American troops are greater risk in an increasingly destabilizing region.

While I was pleased that President Bush sought the expertise of the bi-partisan Iraq Study Group (ISG), which provided an independent assessment of the current and prospective situation on the ground in Iraq, I was deeply disappointed that he rejected the recommendations of the ISG and laid the groundwork for a new ‘surge,’ increasing US troop levels in Iraq by 21,000 soldiers. President Bush’s misguided plan ignores the recommendations given to him by his own military commanders on the ground and unrealistically relies on Iraqi Prime Minister Al Maliki and erratic Iraqi soldiers to thwart Sunni insurgents disarm violent Shia militias and resolve intractable political and constitutional issues. As a senior member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, I believe Congress must provide leadership in addressing the quagmire in Iraq -- given the gaping lack of leadership displayed by the Bush Administration. To this end, I sponsored House Joint Resolution 18, introduced by Congressman John Murtha to re-deploy American forces from Iraq at the earliest practical time, and to pursue peace and stability in Iraq through diplomacy. President Bush has lost the trust of the American people and it is unacceptable for this Administration to continue to pursue a misguided policy that is not in the security interest of the nation or our troops serving bravely in Iraq.