WASHINGTON – Congressman Bart Stupak (D-MI) commented today on news from the Bush Administration that the Iraqi government had accepted a timetable and benchmarks for progress in Iraq.   Stupak said that while any signs of accountability by the Iraq government are welcome, a timetable is long overdue.

“Today’s developments are welcome news because, to date, this Administration’s ‘Stay the Course’ policy has been an abject failure that has sacrificed thousands of American lives, wounded thousands of other Americans and has cost our country billions of dollars,” Stupak said.  “Due to the Administration’s strategic blunders in Iraq, the insurgency has been strengthened, making it more dangerous for our brave men and women who are fighting this war.”

“Since late last year, I have been calling on the Administration to develop an accountability plan for Iraq with a timetable and with measurable goals for turning responsibility for Iraq’s security over to Iraqis,” Stupak continued.  “The announcement that the Administration finally took the step of convincing the Iraqi government to accept a timetable for tackling some of these difficult decisions represents limited progress, but an accountability plan for Iraq is long, long overdue.”

Stupak went on to argue against granting amnesty to terrorists who attack U.S. troops, saying that an amnesty plan should not be included as part of the new timetable.

“While the details of this plan have not been made entirely clear, I am concerned about any proposal that would grant amnesty to those who attack U.S. troops or American citizens,” Stupak said.  “Since this past summer, media reports have indicated that the Administration may be quietly negotiating a plan that would grant amnesty to insurgents who have attacked and killed American troops and citizens.  An amnesty proposal would dishonor those who sacrificed their lives and would abandon those who are still fighting this war.  The Administration must reject any amnesty proposal.” 

In December of last year, following the Iraqi elections, Stupak called on the Administration to establish an Iraq Accountability Plan with concrete benchmarks.  This summer, Stupak wrote the Iraqi Ambassador to the United States and twice wrote the Administration, calling for a specific timetable and plan that would enable Iraqis to stand up so U.S. troops could stand down.