WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Nita M. Lowey (D-Westchester/Rockland) issued the following statement today on the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
“Secretary Rumsfeld’s resignation is a clear acknowledgement that the U.S. campaign in Iraq has been a massive failure. I am hopeful that the nomination of Dr. Robert Gates as the new Defense Secretary will signal a new direction for U.S. policy toward Iraq.
”If confirmed by the Senate, Dr. Gates must apply the lessons he has learned as a member of the Iraq Study Group and through a 27-year career in public service to honestly assess the situation in Iraq and set us on a path toward speedy redeployment of our troops.
“My colleagues in Congress and I stand ready to work on a bipartisan Iraq policy to achieve clear diplomatic and military goals and bring our men and women in uniform home as soon as possible.”
