October 6, 2005

Reid: The Rhetoric Doesn't Match The Reality

Washington, DC – Democratic Leader Harry Reid released the following statement today on Bush’s continued failure to talk straight to the American people about the war in Iraq:

“Once again the president had an opportunity to lay out for the American people the facts on the ground in Iraq and his strategy to achieve the military, political and economic success needed in order to bring our troops home. Once again, he failed to do so. Instead, the president continued to falsely assert there is a link between the war in Iraq and the tragedy of September 11th, a link that did not and does not exist.

“The truth is the Administration’s mishandling of the war in Iraq has made us less safe and Iraq risks becoming what it was not before the war: a training ground for terrorists.

“It is clear our window of opportunity is closing in Iraq and the president continues to fail to provide a strategy for success in order to prevent this outcome. My Democratic colleagues and I submitted four specific questions to the president about his strategy for Iraq that the American people demand be answered. Instead of answering those questions, the president offered the same failed approach, stay the course. We cannot continue to stay the course, we must change the course. The American people and our brave men and women in Iraq deserve better.”

THE AMERICAN PEOPLE’S KEY QUESTIONS ON IRAQ

• How many capable Iraqi forces do we need before we can bring our troops home?

• What is the administration doing to forge a political consensus?

• What is the administration doing to make Iraq’s neighbors a part of our strategy?

• What progress is being made on the reconstruction in Iraq and how do we know taxpayers dollars are being spent wisely?

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