Congressman Pete King

Iraq

The war in Iraq has been difficult. Every loss of American life on the field of battle is tragic and the brave men and women of our armed forces have endured great sacrifice, as have their families. I voted for this war in 2002, however, and continued to support it when it became unpopular because I clearly believed it was in our national interest. We cannot hope to defeat Islamic terrorism until the Middle East is stabilized and that could never be done until Saddam Hussein and his capacity for weapons of mass destruction were removed.

Having been to Iraq on several occasions, I knew - - even during the dark days of 2006 - - that the media were not accurately reporting the progress that had been made. I also believed, however, that it was important to revise our military strategy going forward. That is why in 2007 I supported the “surge” policy of General David Petraeus and voted against the misguided attempt to reduce funding to our troops (H.R. 1591)

The surge strategy of General Petraeus, now being carried out by General Ray Odierno, has worked. Casualties have been greatly reduced, large areas of the country are secure and Iraqi troops are doing more of the fighting. Now we must complete the job.

During my visits to Iraq, I have met with America’s military commanders and with rank and file troops including National Guard and reservists from New York and Long Island. I have been able to see firsthand the extraordinary progress made by our troops in defeating Al Qaeda, putting down the Sunni insurgency and creating meaningful governmental institutions. As President Obama recently stated: “Under tough circumstances the United States military has succeeded beyond any expectation.”

I agree with the President that it is in America’s national interest to have Iraq be “sovereign, stable and self-reliant” because the “future of Iraq is inseparable from the future of the broader Middle East.” To bring this about, President Obama will continue our combat mission in Iraq until August and maintain a force of up to 50,000 troops until the end of 2011. I support the President’s troop plan because it gives America the time it needs to complete the training of Iraqi troops to take over the responsibility of defending their country. This phased, systematic plan is enabling the United States and the Iraqi government to consolidate the enormous gains which have been made. As President Obama has said: “we will complete this transition to Iraqi responsibly, and we will bring our troops home with the honor they have earned.”

And recently we just saw the Iraqi people take another step forward on the way to democracy as they voted in very large numbers in national elections. While challenges certainly lie ahead, and there will have to be a great deal of negotiating among Iraq’s political parties to form a new government, there is no doubt that Iraq continues to make progress as the levels of violence decrease and it becomes more responsible for its own security matters. Iraq has come a long way as a force of stability in the Middle East.