BACK FROM AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ, FEINGOLD DISCUSSES TRIP AT LOCAL LISTENING SESSION   April 2, 2005 Lodi, WI - U.S. Senator Russ Feingold today discussed his recent trip to the Middle East and South Asia at his local Listening Session at the West Point Town Hall. During the week-long trip (February 17-24), Feingold traveled to Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, Pakistan, and Tunisia to listen to servicemen and women on the ground, as well as local leaders. "It was a great honor to meet with some of Wisconsin's fine men and women in uniform while I visited the region last month. I cannot describe how much I admire them for their endurance, courage and sacrifice," Feingold said. "Visiting with our soldiers, and talking with local leaders, as well as with heads of state from the countries I visited, underscored the need for the administration to have a clear, realistic plan as we go forward with operations in Iraq." Feingold voted to authorize the use of force against Afghanistan, to attack those who attacked America on September 11, 2001. He voted against going into Iraq because it was a distraction from the real war on terror. However, he voted for the $87 billion supplemental bill in order to ensure that our troops received the protections and resources they need to do their jobs. "The elections that occurred earlier this year were a wonderful testament to the will of the Iraqi people and the power of democratic expression. But they are certainly no silver bullet to bring about stability in Iraq," Feingold said. "The President has had no problem setting timetables in Iraq for both the election and the transfer of sovereignty. If we know how many Iraqi troops we need to train, if we know how much training is required to instill real competence, and if we know how many trainers we have, then we ought to have a sense of how much time it will take for Iraqi forces to assume the responsibilities that our troops are bearing. Coming up with a timetable - a clear strategic plan - that is flexible and linked to clear achievements, not rigid or arbitrary, should in fact be our priority." Feingold’s Columbia County Listening Session in Lodi began at 12:30 PM. It marked Feingold’s 17th session of 2005, and 881st since 1993. This is Feingold’s 13th year of holding these open Listening Sessions in every Wisconsin county, every year.

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