Schakowsky Statement on Fifth Anniversary of War in Iraq

SCHAKOWSKY STATEMENT ON FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF WAR IN IRAQ

Washington, D.C.–U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), founding member of the Out of Iraq Caucus, released the following statement today to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the beginning of the war in Iraq.

"Five years ago today the Bush Administration led the American people into a war with Iraq that should have never been authorized. Instead of going after the terrorists responsible for September 11th, we went to war with a country that had nothing to do with those attacks. We are now less safe than we were before the war and we are more vulnerable to another terrorist attack because we took our eye off Al Qaida.

Nearly 4,000 American troops have been killed, 30,000 troops have been wounded and almost a trillion dollars has been spent since this war began in 2003. The war has made our country less secure, weakened our military and damaged our credibility around the world. The enormous financial cost of the war has driven our nation further into debt, weakened our economy and limited our ability to fund crucial domestic programs.

The war has also taken a devastating toll on the Iraqi people and their country. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have been killed and millions more have fled Iraq since war began. More Iraqis have been killed in the last five years than during the 20 years of Saddam Hussein's brutal dictatorship. Instead of bringing stability to the region, the war in Iraq has created political upheaval, economic instability and widespread violence.

As we enter the sixth year of this war, it is abundantly clear that President Bush has no intention of ending this war before he leaves office. President Bush had no plan when he brought us into this war and he has no plan to get us out. The Bush Administration's mismanagement of this war has contributed to the chaos, ineffective governance and violence that now grips Iraq. President Bush continues to defy the will of the American people and the majority of Congress who want this war to end.

While President Bush and Republicans in Congress continue to insist that we are making "progress... in Iraq, our troops are still being killed and injured in record numbers. Recently, I visited Corporal Albert Bitton's wife and his parents at their home in West Rogers Park, Illinois. Corporal Bitton, who was only 20 years old, was killed when a roadside bomb exploded in Iraq on February 19, 2008. We owe it to families like the Bittons to bring our troops home safely and soon.

The Democratic-led Congress has repeatedly passed legislation to begin withdrawing our troops from Iraq, but President Bush has vetoed each of those efforts. Despite these setbacks, the Democratic majority in Congress will continue to fight to bring our troops home and end this war....