Congressman Stephen F. Lynch, member of the House Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations, said, "I think that Secretary Rumsfeld’s decision to resign was the right one.  We now have this opportunity to change our strategy and tactics on the ground in Iraq.  It would have been impossible to change direction with Mr. Rumsfeld in place.

“Hopefully, former Secretary Baker, Lee Hamilton and the Iraq Study Group’s awaited recommendations will reflect the reality of our situation in Iraq and again, hopefully, the President will listen.

“Based on my five visits to Iraq, we need to require the elected government in Iraq to take more responsibilities in order to facilitate a deliberate and orderly reduction of our troop presence in Iraq.

“I’ll be returning to Iraq shortly, and that’s what I’ll be looking for.”

Congressman Lynch is the author of the Iraq Transition Act (H.R. 5716), legislation that would establish a national bipartisan commission whose specific purpose would be to facilitate an orderly, deliberate, and expeditious transfer of government operations in Iraq from U.S. military control to Iraqi civilian control. 

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