11/15/2005
HARKIN DEMANDS PLAN FOR SUCCESS IN IRAQ
Washington, D.C. –Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today cosponsored a
proposal to protect America by outlining a way forward in Iraq. The
proposal makes three key policy statements about Iraq and moves to hold
the Bush administration more accountable for a strategy for success in
Iraq.
The proposal, offered as an amendment to the Defense Authorization bill
on the Senate floor establishes that 2006 must be a year of significant
transition in Iraq to full Iraqi sovereignty, with Iraqis taking more
and more responsibility for their own security. It requires the Bush
administration advise the Iraqi people that U.S. military forces will
not stay indefinitely in Iraq, and that it is their responsibility to
achieve the broad-based and sustainable political environment essential
for defeating the insurgency. Finally, it mandates that the president
submit, on a quarterly basis, a plan for success to Congress and the
American people that specifies the challenges and progress being made
in Iraq with timetables for achieving our goals and estimated dates to
bring our troops home.
“For more than three years, the American people have been told to stay
the course. But ‘stay the course’ is a slogan, not a strategy, and
definitely not a plan for success in Iraq,” Harkin said.
“Americans and Iraqis alike need to know that the United States is not
a permanent occupying force in Iraq. This notion provides the
insurgents with a powerful recruiting tool, and eliminates the pressure
on political leaders in the new Iraqi government to make the
compromises necessary to achieve a broad based and sustainable
political settlement.
“Our troops and their families deserve the respect and gratitude of the
American people for their service and sacrifice. The best way to honor
them is to establish–at long last– a strategy for success and
stability in Iraq.
“This administration needs prodding. By requiring the President to
report regularly on specific goals, I hope to force him to do what he
has failed to do so far – present a comprehensive plan that leads a
stable Iraq and a redeployment of American troops.”
A Summary of the Proposal Follows:
UNITED STATES POLICY ON IRAQ ACT
Getting Answers to the American People on the War in Iraq – Mission NOT
Accomplished
For too long, the Bush administration has failed to lay out a clear
strategy for success in Iraq to the American people. Their rosy
statements about the progress of the war are not matched by the
conditions on the ground. In their few appearances before the Congress,
the Secretaries of Defense and State have failed to answer the most
basic questions about our progress in the war or provide even the
simplest benchmarks by which the American people could measure our
progress. Democrats are offering an amendment to the Defense
Authorization Bill that holds the Administration accountable for its
actions and requires it to present a real plan for success.
–DEMOCRATS OFFER THE FOLLOWING ASSESSMENT ABOUT THE WAR–
Our troops and their families deserve the respect and gratitude of the
American people for their service and sacrifice. The Administration has
said that as the Iraqis stand up, we can stand down. Democrats believe
we should see a significant transition to full Iraqi sovereignty in
2006 so that our troops can begin coming home. We also believe the
Iraqi people must understand that the U.S. military will not stay in
Iraq indefinitely; they must achieve the political stability necessary
to defeat the insurgency.
THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION MUST PROVIDE A PLAN: It is essential that the
Bush administration submit an unclassified strategy for success in Iraq
to the Congress and the American people specifying how and when our
troops can begin coming home.
An Assessment of the Bush Administration’s Actions to Achieve Progress
in Iraq. The Bush administration must provide information on its
efforts to convince Iraq’s communities to make the necessary
compromises for a political settlement; efforts to engage the
international community to help stabilize Iraq; efforts to strengthen
the capacity of Iraq’s government ministries; efforts to accelerate the
delivery of basic services; and efforts to train Iraqi security forces
so those forces can protect Iraq on their own.
An Assessment of the Compromises Made by the Iraqi People to Achieve
the Broad-Based and Sustainable Political Settlement.
An Unclassified Report to Congress and the American People. The Bush
administration has classified most significant information about their
Iraq war plans and kept that information from the Congress. The
President should submit to the Congress and the American people an
unclassified plan for success in Iraq. We deserve to know the
conditions we seek to establish, the challenges we face in achieving
these conditions, and the progress we are making. This report should
also include:
The number of Iraqi battalions that must be able to operate
independently or take the lead in counterinsurgency
operations
— The number of Iraqi special police units that must be able to
operate independently or take the lead in policing
— The number of regular police that must be trained and
equipped
— The ability of Iraq’s Federal ministries and provincial and local
governments to independently sustain, direct and coordinate Iraq’s
security forces
THE BENCHMARKS FOR SUCCESS. The Bush administration must also provide
benchmarks by which their success can be measured. This includes the
criteria by which to measure the progress being made and a schedule for
meeting these conditions.
A PLAN FOR BRINGING OUR TROOPS HOME. As it lays out a clear strategy
with benchmarks, the Bush administration must also provide a campaign
plan with estimated dates for the phased redeployment of our troops
from Iraq as each condition is met, with the understanding that
unexpected contingencies may arise.
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