|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Friday, January 28, 2005
NEW CARROLLTON, MD – Congressman Steny H. Hoyer released the following statement today after visiting the out-of-country polling site located at the Ramada Inn in New Carrollton for the Iraqi election. Registered Iraqi Americans are eligible to vote at this polling station starting today through Sunday. Hoyer was given a tour of the polling site by the International Organization of Migration who organized the election outside of Iraq and spoke to some of the Iraqi American citizens who were voting today.
“I want to extend my best wishes to the Iraqi people for a safe and successful election this Sunday. We must also extend our deepest gratitude to our men and women in uniform who are putting their lives on the line to give Iraqis this opportunity to determine their own destiny after decades of terror and tyranny.
“Today, I visited the out-of-country voting station in New Carrollton, Maryland, to witness this historic event and it was exciting to watch Iraqis participate in an initial but significant step on the path to democracy. The people I talked to were hopeful, excited and optimistic about what this means for their country. However, very substantial challenges remain in establishing a viable, stable democracy that is capable of establishing internal order. This has only just begun in Iraq and is in no sense a certainty.
“After this election, it is imperative that we assist the new Iraqi government in taking control of its security and build a free, independent nation. The painfully slow pace of progress to date is the direct result of the Bush Administration’s naïve assumptions in launching this action and what can only be characterized as an utter disregard for realistic, responsible post-war planning. We must not allow the incompetent execution of an ineffective post-war strategy by this Administration undo the brilliance of our military effort there. The stakes are too great, not only for our interests in Iraq but also for our interests in the entire Middle East. I hope that this Administration will finally begin to examine its performance, acknowledge its mistakes and adjust its strategy accordingly.”
# # #
|
|
