Dreier Comment on Murtha’s Call for Immediate Troop Withdrawal
"This sends the worst possible signal to our troops."

November 17, 2005

WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman David Dreier (R-San Dimas, CA), Chairman of the House Rules Committee, issued the following statement today in reaction to the call from Congressman John Murtha (D-PA) for immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq:

"I have the utmost respect for Jack Murtha and his service to our country, but I believe his call today for immediate troop withdrawal is absolutely wrong. Frankly, I am baffled by it. The truth is, while our campaign in Iraq has not been without difficulty, it has not been without success either. We have an exit strategy for victory that is two fold: helping to establish a stable Iraqi government and the training and equipping of Iraqi security forces. We are making substantial progress on both fronts.

"The January elections and the constitutional referendum in October have demonstrated incredible levels of political participation amongst the Iraqi people. Another election is less than a month away and it will put in place a new Iraqi government. On the security front, we have more than 200,000 Iraqi security forces in various stages of training. Many are fighting alongside our Marines in Operation Steel Curtain right now. Together, they are rooting out and killing terrorists.

"To abruptly pull out now would send the worst possible signal to the terrorists, other governments in the region, the Iraqi people, and most important - our troops. We are proud of their efforts. We are grateful for their sacrifice. And we have the utmost confidence in their ability to fight and complete this vital mission. This is not a game, and it should not be a political issue. I would hope that my Democratic colleagues would refrain from further dismissing the accomplishments of our troops and start channeling their considerable energy into supporting victory rather than defeat."