October 12, 2006

Washington, D.C. – In response to reports of plans to retain current troop-levels in Iraq at approximately 140,000 over the next four years, Senator Chris Dodd today voiced his concerns about troop preparedness, the size of the active Army force, and vehicle and equipment needs.  He believes that to maintain U.S. forces in Iraq at current levels is undermining U.S. efforts to stabilize Iraq and to adequately prepare to defend U.S. national security interests elsewhere.  In a letter to Secretary Rumsfeld, Dodd calls on the Administration to fully fund the repair and replacement of combat gear damaged and lost in Iraq and Afghanistan, and to relieve strains on individual soldiers by expanding the overall size of the United States Army.

October 12, 2006

Senator Dodd today delivered remarks entitled, "Understanding the Stakes: The Way Forward in Iraq" at Providence College, in Providence, Rhode Island. Both he and his father, Senator Thomas Dodd, are alumni of Providence College.

“Understanding the Stakes: The Way Forward in Iraq”

June 20, 2006
Mr. DODD. Mr. President, as I begin my remarks, by coincidence, I am following my good friend from Oregon, Gordon Smith. It is purely by coincidence that we are lined up to address our thoughts on this important and most critical issue facing our country. I say to my colleague from Oregon, my opening comments are exactly the Senator's closing comments.

I plead with my colleagues during the remaining hours of this debate to try to stay away from the personal attacks and the mindless use of labels that we are tempted to gravitate to in order to impassion our constituencies. Such approaches do little to contribute to an understanding of the important subject before the Senate.

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here: Hi, I’m heading out to the airport here, just coming out of Jerusalem on the way to Tel Aviv, flying to Cairo, meeting with the foreign minister over there, and some folks from think tanks here, some of the opposition in Egypt, to get a good feel for how Egypt looks at the region and at some of their own internal issues.

Opening Statement by Senator Christopher J. Dodd
Committee on Foreign Relations
US Policy Toward Iraq
October 19, 2005

Mr. Chairman, thank you for scheduling this very important hearing on US policy in Iraq. It comes at a time when the administration should be reassessing the situation in Iraq in the aftermath of Saturday’s constitutional referendum and planning for the handover of real sovereignty to the elected representatives of Iraq after the December elections in less than two months time.