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Judy on IraqJudy's views on U.S. involvement in Iraq.
By all accounts, violence in Iraq has substantially declined since the new U.S. strategy was put in place in early 2007. Former militia and insurgents have begun to work with U.S. troops; Iraqi troops and police continue to take on more responsibility; and people are returning to their neighborhoods and homes. But the Iraqi government has been slow to take advantage of the relative calm to restore services and speed up reconciliation. Without significant progress on these non-military fronts, the violence could return as soon as U.S. troops leave. What is needed now, as we begin to reduce troop levels, is a renewed effort toward meeting political and economic objectives. Significant progress is being made on the local level, but without faster movement on national reconciliation and equitable resource-sharing, the tentative peace could prove fleeting. I cosponsored and supported legislation that will hold the Administration – and the Iraqi government – accountable in achieving clear benchmarks. It requires the President to report to Congress, every 30 days, on the extent to which the Government of Iraq is moving forward on more than a dozen fronts, including troop training, security, rebuilding, reconciliation, international cooperation and enforcing the rule of law. There are so many ways in which we can continue to help this process. From my visits there and meetings with Iraqi women who ran for and were elected to office, I began to understand what an enormous challenge they face in moving from dictatorship to democracy. While Iraqi leaders move forward, we must continue to build friendships with those in the region who view terrorism as the common enemy. Trade, education, economic development and people-to-people contacts always prove the best foundation for friendships. Nowhere is this more important than in this most dangerous region of the world. As I have said before, our troops should not stay in Iraq one day longer than is absolutely necessary.
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