Enough Is Enough
Instead of staying in Iraq and paying, America must redeploy its troops.
By John Murtha
USA Today
June 16, 2006
Iraq is not the center of the global war on terrorism, and nor is it overwhelmed by foreign terrorist groups, as this administration would like Americans to believe.
Iraqis are fighting Iraqis in sectarian violence, and U.S. troops have become the target.
On Thursday, we heard House Republicans argue that the United States cannot change the policy in Iraq. But a change in direction is in the best interest of the United States and Iraq. Saying we must “stay the course” amounts to an open-ended commitment, one that we can not afford in terms of human and financial sacrifice.
The president continues to say we must stay in Iraq. Iraq has formed a government, trained 265,600 Iraq security forces and the Iraqis want to govern themselves. We have more than 20,000 deaths from this war, and yet terrorist attacks rose sharply last year to more than 10,000. By the end of this year, we will have spent $450 billion U.S. taxpayer dollars on this war. Enough is enough. Our nation deserves better.
Instead of sticking with a failed policy, I propose a new policy. Instead of “stay and pay,” which is what this administration continues to argue, I propose that we “redeploy and be ready.” We must redeploy American troops out of the cities to the periphery and create a quick reaction force ready to attack only when the national security of the United States or its allies in the region is at risk.
The American people are not naive. They know a failed policy when they see one. Iraq is a failed policy. It's time to redeploy.
Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania is the top Democrat on the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.
By John Murtha
USA Today
June 16, 2006
Iraq is not the center of the global war on terrorism, and nor is it overwhelmed by foreign terrorist groups, as this administration would like Americans to believe.
Iraqis are fighting Iraqis in sectarian violence, and U.S. troops have become the target.
On Thursday, we heard House Republicans argue that the United States cannot change the policy in Iraq. But a change in direction is in the best interest of the United States and Iraq. Saying we must “stay the course” amounts to an open-ended commitment, one that we can not afford in terms of human and financial sacrifice.
The president continues to say we must stay in Iraq. Iraq has formed a government, trained 265,600 Iraq security forces and the Iraqis want to govern themselves. We have more than 20,000 deaths from this war, and yet terrorist attacks rose sharply last year to more than 10,000. By the end of this year, we will have spent $450 billion U.S. taxpayer dollars on this war. Enough is enough. Our nation deserves better.
Instead of sticking with a failed policy, I propose a new policy. Instead of “stay and pay,” which is what this administration continues to argue, I propose that we “redeploy and be ready.” We must redeploy American troops out of the cities to the periphery and create a quick reaction force ready to attack only when the national security of the United States or its allies in the region is at risk.
The American people are not naive. They know a failed policy when they see one. Iraq is a failed policy. It's time to redeploy.
Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania is the top Democrat on the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.
posted by Hanan Elbadry at 10:39 AM
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