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The War In Iraq
Like most Americans, I am deeply frustrated by the President's failed policies in Iraq. Despite the heroic efforts of our troops the Bush Administration has placed our soldiers in the middle of a civil war while Iraqi leaders fail to make the political decisions necessary to bring a measure of stability to their country. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I have fought to ensure that our brave men and women in uniform--many of them Coloradans--have the resources they need to do their job. They have performed extraordinarily well under difficult conditions. But it's time to bring them home.
In 2003, I expressed my opposition to the Iraq War Resolution on the floor of the House of Representatives. I also offered my own resolution to slow the rush to war and reaffirm Congressional authority to determine when our country goes to war. I said at the time that invading Iraq could result in social chaos, exponentially more volatile regional strife, and a strategic departure from our war against al Qaeda in Afghanistan. I also warned that the Bush Administration had a military plan to oust Saddam Hussein, but no apparent plan for winning the "peace" that would follow.
Unfortunately most of the concerns I expressed before the war are now playing out on a daily basis in Iraq.
Since 2003, I have been to Iraq twice, and as a Member of the Armed Services Committee, I have argued in favor of legislation (the Udall-Schwarz Resolution in the 109th Congress) and other policy resolutions that make clear that America has no interest in permanent bases in Iraq and that our long-term interests require a change in strategic direction that supports political benchmarks for the Iraqi government – and a phased withdrawal of U.S. combat forces.
While there are no good or easy options left in Iraq, I believe the best course forward is a carefully phased withdrawal of American combat forces, redeployed out of areas where civil war is raging, and with enough flexibility to ensure that elements of al Qaeda are eliminated and humanitarian needs are secured. I also support intensified regional diplomacy in order to focus on a political settlement in Iraq that will dampen the possibility of a wider regional war. This is why I am working very hard with members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to implement the thoughtful recommendations of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group (I am the author of such legislation in the House), which has called for an emphasis on diplomacy and a phased, responsible withdrawal of military forces.
Like most Americans, I believe the Bush administration's current approach is only making a bad situation worse. After five years, it is time for the Iraqis to take responsibility for their own future. We have to try a different approach, but I also believe we should do so, not as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans. And that means finding a bipartisan and veto-proof policy that will forge a new strategy in Iraq.
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