Iraq Commentary

Recently, several retired generals publicly criticized how the war in Iraq has been handled and called for the resignation of Donald Rumsfeld as Secretary of Defense. This has again highlighted the growing concern over how we became involved in this war, the effectiveness, planning and preparation, particularly as it impacted the safety of our troops, and a plan for eventual withdrawal of our troops.

I voted against the resolution authorizing the President to use U.S. forces for a war in Iraq.  I did so in large part because I did not believe we needed to rush to war, that an adequate plan had been formulated for the occupation of that country or that enough work had been done to secure international assistance with this effort.  We are supplying 90% of the financial resources for this mission (costing almost $10 billion per month for Iraq and Afghanistan), 90% of the manpower and suffering 90% of the casualties.

I do not believe we can or should sustain this posture for much longer, and the rest of the world apparently agrees.  The “coalition of the willing” that President Bush speaks of was never comprehensive - totaling 50,000 non-U.S. troops at its height - and is rapidly eroding, now with approximately 20,000 non-U.S. troops.

I also voted against the resolution to immediately withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq because I believe it is unwise to set a precise date for the removal of our forces.  However, we do need a concrete plan for achieving progress in Iraq, with identifiable benchmarks, particularly regarding the training of Iraqi forces.  President Bush's recent speech on the war did not go nearly far enough in outlining the concrete steps that need to be achieved so we can start to bring our soldiers home.  It is not enough to say we will be in Iraq until the job is done.  An exit strategy is necessary to know whether stated goals are being reached.

I have long doubted the Iraqis' ability to defend their own country, and I do not believe they are anywhere near ready to take over the bulk of security duties.  The lofty goals that President Bush continues to hold out are not achievable in the near or intermediate term.  A functioning, secure Democracy in Iraq could take decades to achieve.  The U.S. cannot continue to shoulder this burden alone.

If Iraqi troops are making the strides the President says they are we should be able to begin bringing our troops home in the next year.  Our focus should be on galvanizing support for creating a United Nations or other international force that will support Iraqi security efforts while allowing the bulk of U.S. forces to return home.  This is not about cutting and running, it is about devising the best way to turn a flawed plan into a workable outcome, and it is a debate we must have.