3000 Reasons to Withdraw Troops

3000 REASONS TO WITHDRAW TROOPS

WASHINGTON, D.C.–Madame Speaker, New Year's Eve marked another grave milestone in Iraq, as the United States lost its 3,000th soldier since the war began. Attacks on our troops are increasing as civil war spreads. America lost more troops in Iraq in December than in any other month during the previous two years.
As we honor the fallen, we must remember the daily life and death consequences of President Bush's policies. The time to begin withdrawing our troops from Iraq has long since passed. The longer we have stayed the course, the worse conditions in Iraq have become.

November's elections were a mandate for change in Iraq. As more and more members of the President's own party deem the Administration's policy a failure, an overwhelming majority of Americans are calling on President Bush to draw down our troops from Iraq. It has become resoundingly clear that a military solution is not possible. Our troops were not trained for or sent to Iraq to referee a civil war. An extended American military presence will just continue to fuel the insurgency.

The Republican co-chair of the Iraq Study Group, James Baker, warned that "We no longer can afford to stay the course... and Lee Hamilton, the Democratic co-chair, agreed. "The current approach is not working and the ability of the United States to influence events is diminishing. Our ship of state has hit rough waters. It must now chart a new way forward.... Instead of continuing to stubbornly defend his administration's failed war strategies, the President must now work with Congress and foreign leaders to chart a diplomatic strategy that reduces the violence in Iraq.

The President left the U.S. with no good options, but increasing the number of American servicemen and women in Iraq is an unacceptable course. The new Congress must use its authority to ensure that the calls of the American people do not fall on deaf ears.

It will take many years for the U.S. to move beyond the setbacks we have suffered in Iraq. Our military is overstretched. Our diplomatic authority has been severely diminished. We have shifted our focus away from Afghanistan, and a resurgent Taliban is increasing its attacks on American troops.

For those families whose sons and daughters died in the war, the wounds will never heal. Illinois is one of eight states that lost more than 100 troops in Iraq. From Rock Island to Champaign, from Skokie to Carbondale, more than 100 families have suffered the ultimate loss. It is time to change course.