FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 28, 2005

CONTACT: Brendan Daly/Jennifer Crider 202-226-7616

Pelosi Statement on Bush Speech on Iraq

Washington, D.C. – House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement tonight in response to the President’s speech on the war in Iraq, and his failure to provide the American people with strategy for success:

“The President missed an opportunity tonight for straight talk to the American people.   He would have done more to honor the sacrifices of the brave men and women of the ‘All-American’ Division before whom he spoke had he given all Americans specifics about a strategy for success in Iraq.

“The President’s frequent references to the terrorist attacks of September 11 show the weakness of his arguments.  He is willing to exploit the sacred ground of 9/11, knowing that there is no connection between 9/11 and the war in Iraq.

“As the President noted, it is only one year after the return of sovereignty, but it has been 27 months since the President launched his pre-emptive strike.  Iraq is now what it was not when the war began – a magnet for terrorism – because the President invaded Iraq with no idea of what it would take to secure the country after Baghdad fell.  The insurgency took root in the unstable conditions that have now existed in substantial parts of Iraq for far too long.

“The American people understand what is at stake in Iraq and in the Middle East.  That is why it is so disappointing that the President failed tonight, as he has failed consistently since the war began, to lay out specifics for success, including performance benchmarks.

“Regrettably, the President did not address key questions that must be answered: What will it take to train the Iraqi security forces to a level that will allow them to conduct combat operations without the assistance of our troops?  How will reconstruction be done a priority so that electricity flows regularly, people are put to work, and Iraqis see a future in which they have a stake?  When will diplomacy be employed effectively so that leaders in the region know that we recognize that their assistance is crucial to taking pressure off our troops and to fashioning an inclusive political process in Iraq?

“Our commitment in Iraq does not have to be measured by timetables, but neither can it be open-ended. The President must still do what he did not do tonight: lay out clearly the task that remains for the United States in Iraq and how it is to be accomplished.”

“ Democrats are united in presenting a New Direction for America, one that will make our nation as strong as its people, one that brings opportunity, security, and prosperity to all Americans. ”

Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi