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War in Iraq
 
I voted against the resolution authorizing the use of force in Iraq that passed the House on October 10, 2002 by a vote of 296 to 133.  Since then I have consistently urged the President to articulate what the future responsibilities of the U.S. will be in Iraq, how those responsibilities will be shared with others and what his proposed exit strategy is.  The President has failed to do so and I, therefore, have supported establishing a timetable for withdrawal or redeployment of U.S. troops in Iraq.
 
Iraq Mismanagement
I have consistently voiced my concerns about the mismanagement, waste and lack of oversight since the invasion of Iraq.  While virtually no oversight was taking place before the last election and change of House and Senate leadership, Congress has begun to exercise much more aggressive oversight this year on many issues, including the Iraq war. 

Troop Surge – The full text of Mel’s statement during the debate in the House in support of the Resolution opposing the President’s decision to deploy more than 20,000 additional combat troops to Iraq can be accessed here.  The following is an excerpt from Mel’s statement:
“Increasing the number of troops in Iraq does not make ending the War more foreseeable.  It will only escalate the number of troops and the prospects of casualties and will likely only increase the resolve of the enemy, the same thing that increases in troop levels have done in the past.  Past troop increases in Iraq have paraded under different names than “surge”.  But, make no mistake about it, this is not the first time the United States will have increased troop levels.  And each time they have been met with greater violence.
  • From December of 2003 to April of 2004, the troop increase paraded under the name “troop rotation” and resulted in an increase from 122,000 to 137,000 troops.  Yet April of 2004 was the second deadliest month for U.S. forces.
  • From November 2004 to March 2005, the increase paraded under the name “improving counterinsurgency operations after the Fallujah offensive” or “increasing security before the January 2005 constitutional elections” and increased troops to 150,000.  The result was a short term positive impact, but longer term the result was an increase in violence and resistance.
  • Between September and December 2005, troop levels were increased again, taking the number up to 160,000, around the constitutional referendum and parliamentary elections.  The referendum and elections proceeded without major violence, but the increase had little long term impact on sectarian violence.
In most respects, what the President has proposed is business as usual, simply under a different name.  It did not work before and there is little prospect that it will work this time.”