FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 03, 2005

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

Pelosi: President Embarked on a War of Choice Without Making Sure Our Troops Were Properly Equipped

Washington, D.C. - House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi spoke on the House floor this morning in favor of a Democratic motion to the Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs Appropriations act.  The motion, offered by Congressman David Obey of Wisconsin, would increase funds for force protection in Iraq.  Below are Pelosi’s remarks:

  “I thank the distinguished gentleman for yielding and for his leadership on this issue.  I am pleased to join my colleague, Mr. Skelton in saluting our troops.  Wherever they are serving, at home or abroad, we owe them a deep debt of gratitude for their courage, their patriotism, and for their sacrifices they are willing to make for our country.  We are very proud of them and when they come home we want to honor their service by giving them what they need as veterans, and those needs will be large.

“Mr. Speaker, I strongly support the motion to instruct offered by Mr. Obey.  We must provide those sent to fight in Iraq with everything they need to serve and to keep them safe so they can return as soon as possible.

“It’s tragic that more than two and one-half years after the invasion of Iraq, that long a time, we are still encountering such appalling needs in the area of force protection.  History will not treat kindly those who embarked on a war of choice without making sure that our troops were properly equipped.  Not enough body armor, not enough jammers for protection against explosive devices, not enough armored vehicles, not enough overhead cover systems – the list goes on and on.

“Once again, Congress must deal with the consequences of the Bush Administration’s bad planning.  We have had to do it before with appropriations bills, and we are doing it today with Mr. Obey’s motion to instruct.

“Congress has a responsibility to find out why so many things about Iraq have gone so terribly wrong.  This Republican cover-up Congress has never lived up to that oversight responsibility to ask the questions.

“One of the essential elements of force protection for example, is good intelligence.  Our nation spends billions each year on intelligence programs and activities, and when they do not produce timely and reliable intelligence we make the American people less safe, and Congress has a duty to find out why.

“The intelligence used as the public justification for the Administration’s decision to go to war in Iraq was wrong, that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destructions was wrong.  I said at the time that the intelligence did not support the threat that the Administration was describing, but nonetheless, the intelligence they were using was wrong.

“Given the enormous consequences of that decision – more than 2000 American soldiers have been killed, more than 15,000 wounded, many of them permanently, more than $250 billion spent, and enormous damage done to the reputation of the United States in the eyes of the world – the cost of lives and limbs, taxpayer dollars, and reputation is enormous.

“Congress has an obligation to identify and correct the problems that led to the production of flawed intelligence.  Our troops are at risk until that is done, and yet, as we address other force protection issues, there is no sense of urgency to undertake a thorough review of what went wrong with the intelligence.  Neither the issue of the quality of the intelligence, nor the equally important issue of whether intelligence was politicized has been investigated by this Congress.  That is why, shortly, I will offer the House a chance to do more for force protection than provide the $50 million in this motion to instruct, as important as that money is.

“Democrats have continually asked for an investigation of pre-war intelligence, and those requests have been repeatedly denied.  The same is true for requests to investigate the other matters related to the war in Iraq – the prisoner abuse scandals, the no-bid Halliburton reconstruction contracts, and the misuse of classified information to discredit Administration critics.  Each of these matters has national security implications that need to be examined, particularly on the issues of going to war and the conduct of war.  Congress has an obligation to make sure that decisions were made properly, that these decisions were based on truth and trust. 

“Until the Congress fully examines issues like whether intelligence was politicized, we have failed in a fundamental way to protect our troops and maintain a level of trust with the American people. 

"I urge the House to support both the Obey motion to instruct, and my subsequent motion on Iraq.”

“ 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