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| Wilson Statement on Iraq Resolution |
November 18, 2005 |
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| Washington, DC - Congresswoman Heather Wilson today voted against a resolution (H. Res. 571), defeated overwhelmingly by a vote of 403 to 3, that called for immediate troop withdrawal from Iraq.
Wilson released the following statement:
"Just last month, the Iraqi people, including large numbers of Sunni Iraqis, voted in a referendum on their Constitution. The Iraqi people are choosing to participate in the political process that can eventually undermine support for the indigenous insurgency in Iraq.
The next step in building Iraq`s political future is elections in December under this new, completely Iraqi Constitution. Broad participation in these elections will continue to build political momentum for a new self-governing Iraq at peace with its neighbors.
While the political process moves forward, the United States and its allies must continue to train Iraqi police and security forces so that week by week, month by month, more neighborhoods, towns and provinces are patrolled and controlled by Iraqis.
We must also continue to conduct military operations against insurgents and foreign fighters in Iraq, particularly al Qaeda in Iraq. There are still difficult days ahead and much work to be done – much of it done by our men and women in the military.
I expect U.S. forces will continue to stay in Iraq through December`s elections at roughly their current level. But as I’ve said, if political and security progress continues on roughly the course we are on, American forces should be able to start being drawn down in significant numbers during the course of next year. These redeployments should be based on conditions in the field. As the Iraqis stand up, we can stand down.
After September 11, 2001, we made a decision to play offense in fighting the war on terror, to track down enemies who would kill Americans and give them no place to hide. Our troops are doing a fantastic job, and terrorists know they have no hope of defeating our troops in the field. They know that the center of gravity in their fight is to undermine the will of the American people.
I would rather have American soldiers hunting down terrorists over there, than have American firefighters and police officers responding to attacks here at home."
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