““Once again the president had an opportunity to lay out for the American people the facts on the ground in Iraq and his strategy to achieve the military, political and economic success needed in order to bring our troops home.” Sen. Harry Reid says of Bush’s speech today. “[H]e failed to do so. [He] continued to falsely assert there is a link between the war in Iraq and the tragedy of September 11th, a link that did not and does not exist.”
Raw Story reports that “Feingold says Democrats will announce plan for Iraq.” Sen. Feingold also accuses Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice of “literally making things up, saying that Iraq was a hotbed of terrorism before we went there … The recruiting is done because we are there.”
More Harry below, and a letter sent by 40 Democratic senators to Bush:
Minority leader Reid’s statement today continues:
“The truth is the Administration’s mishandling of the war in Iraq has made us less safe and Iraq risks becoming what it was not before the war: a training ground for terrorists.
“It is clear our window of opportunity is closing in Iraq and the president continues to fail to provide a strategy for success in order to prevent this outcome. My Democratic colleagues and I submitted four specific questions to the president about his strategy for Iraq that the American people demand be answered. Instead of answering those questions, the president offered the same failed approach, stay the course. We cannot continue to stay the course, we must change the course. The American people and our brave men and women in Iraq deserve better.”
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE’S KEY QUESTIONS ON IRAQ
- How many capable Iraqi forces do we need before we can bring our troops home?
- What is the administration doing to forge a political consensus?
- What is the administration doing to make Iraq’s neighbors a part of our strategy?
- What progress is being made on the reconstruction in Iraq and how do we know taxpayers dollars are being spent wisely?
NOTE: We are attempting to get a text copy of the October 5, 2005 letter signed by Democratic senators. In the meantime, please use this PDF version of the actual letter — with their original signatures — sent by 40 Democratic senators to Pres. Bush on Oct. 5.
Update [2005-10-6 15:2:47 by susanhu]: We got the link to the text version of the senators’ letter, thanks to RBA.
Anybody think the administration would fail any math test required to graduate from high school?
Our troops are engaged in a struggle in Iraq that could shape the future not only of that nation but the entire region. Despite the fact that our troops have performed heroically for more than 2 ½ years, the situation there remains extremely violent and volatile. There are disturbing reports of increasing sectarian strife, which could lead to a full blown civil war. We are increasingly concerned that Iraq could become what it was not before the war: a haven for radical fundamentalist terrorists determined to attack America and American interests. It is clear our window of opportunity is closing and you need to immediately provide a strategy for success in order to prevent this outcome.
These troubling conditions — and the disconnect between how your Administration describes the situation on the ground in Iraq and what Americans see every day on their televisions — have eroded the American public’s support for the war. In addition, these conditions and contradictions have fueled concerns about whether your Administration has a strategy for success that will preserve our fundamental national security interests and permit us to bring our troops home.
Last week your Administration was afforded several important opportunities to set forth your plan and lay these concerns to rest. The Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Commander of the Central Command, and the Commander of U.S. and Coalition Forces in Iraq all appeared before the Congress to report on the Administration’s progress in Iraq. Prior to their appearances in the House and Senate, in a statement from the White House Rose Garden, you specifically encouraged members of Congress to hear what these officials had to say in order to “get the latest information about our strategy” and “the progress in increasing the size and capability of the Iraqi security forces.”
Unfortunately these officials provided neither the Administration’s strategy for success, nor a record of progress in training and equipping Iraqi forces to take over their own defense. To the contrary, we learned that the Administration has actually lost ground on this score. In June, you said there were “160,000 Iraqi security forces trained and equipped for a variety of missions.” And during your Rose Garden statement last week you stated “100 Iraqi battalions are operating throughout Iraq”. However, last week the Congress and the American people learned that only one Iraqi Army battalion — less than 1,000 soldiers — is sufficiently trained and equipped to fight without U.S. assistance. Additionally, General Casey, testified that the message that our military presence in Iraq is not unlimited has not been communicated forcefully enough to the Iraqis. …
READ ALL, and see the printed list of the 40 Democratic senators who signed the letter to Bush.