Congresswoman Heather Wilson’s Response to President Bush’s Speech on Iraq
Albuquerque, NM—The following is Congresswoman Heather Wilson’s response to President Bush’s Speech on Iraq:
“I thought
the President’s characterization of success achieved over the past
eight months in Iraq was somewhat overstated. The challenges ahead
to secure America’s vital interests are formidable; the challenges for
the Iraqi people to build their own future are even more so.
“I will
continue to encourage the President and my colleagues in the Congress
to focus on America's vital national interests in Iraq: denying Al
Qaeda safe haven and making sure Iraq does not become a source of
instability in the region. These aims are quite limited.
“General
Petraeus has recommended bringing 5,700 American troops home by
Christmas and another 24,000 by next summer, while gradually
shifting responsibility for taking the lead for security to Iraqi
forces. I believe the course proposed by General Petraeus could be a
turning point for United States involvement in Iraq.
“Senator Reed
of Rhode Island, who offered the Democrat response, was very critical
of the course General Petraeus has proposed and the President has
endorsed while straining to explain what he would propose that really
is different. Both General Petraeus and Senator Reed would bring US
troops home. Senator Reed seems to want to bring troops home faster,
though he was unclear about how much faster and how much risk to
American vital interests that might entail. I'm not sure that is wise,
and I trust the recommendations of our military commanders in the field
on how fast to safely and successfully bring American troops home more
than I trust politicians in Washington.
“Congress will
have an important role to play in funding the troops, including
the timing of scale of force reductions. It's time to focus on the
future and build consensus on what America's vital interests in the
region are and how we can best pursue those interests. I look forward
to working with my colleagues to do so.”
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