|
12/14/2005
HARKIN: TOMORROW’S ELECTION MUST SIGNAL TURNING POINT BETWEEN AMERICA AND IRAQ
Washington, DC – On the eve of Iraq’s parliamentary elections, Senator
Tom Harkin (D-IA) joined forty senators today to call on Bush to make
2006 a year of transition in Iraq. Harkin marked the important
milestone of these elections and praised our brave men and women in
uniform who are making this election possible. In the letter, the
senators called on the president to show the leadership that will to
make these elections a turning point that will make America safer and
allow our troops to begin to come home.
The senators wrote that the four months following these elections will
be critical in order to forge the necessary political consensus that
will allow the political factions in Iraq to finalize the constitution
and create a stable government. In making 2006 a successful transition
the senators reminded the president that his “leadership will also be
needed to ensure that we leverage the influence of the international
community and Iraq’s neighbors to push for a sustainable political
compromise, and that we stand up sufficient numbers of capable Iraqi
security forces so that our troops can begin standing down.” Without
the president’s leadership and the delivery of a clear message to the
Iraqi people that now is the time to take the training wheels off of
their government, a successful transition will not be possible.
The senators also continued their call for the president to lay out a
detailed strategy for success in Iraq that makes clear the way forward
in Iraq. They wrote that “while we appreciate your recent speeches on
this issue, we regret that the American people have still not been
presented with a plan that identifies the remaining political,
economic, and military benchmarks that must be met and a reasonable
schedule to achieve them.” They urged the president to use today’s
speech to provide that detailed plan that the American people and our
troops deserve.
The full text of the letter is pasted below.
December 14, 2005
The President
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
All Americans recognize the historic nature of the elections for a
permanent, democratic government in Iraq on Thursday. We salute our
courageous men and women in uniform, who are serving proudly in Iraq
under enormously difficult circumstances, and whose dedication and
sacrifice are making these elections possible.
Like you, we hope the elections will proceed peacefully and the Iraqi
people will succeed in electing a legitimate government that is capable
of uniting the Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish people. We know that
successful elections can play an important part in defeating the
insurgency and hastening the day when Iraqis can govern themselves
without outside assistance.
We also know that the work of the Iraqi people to build the kind of
Iraq we would all like to see does not end with these elections. It is
vital that the Iraqis move more quickly toward inclusive political
solutions. The four month period after the Iraqi elections, when the
new government will attempt to finalize a Constitution, is perhaps the
most critical time for the Iraqis and our troops. That is why 79
members of the Senate, including 41 Republicans, voted last month for
an amendment that said, “calendar year 2006 should be a period of
significant transition to full Iraqi sovereignty, with Iraqi security
forces taking the lead for the security of a free and sovereign Iraq,
thereby creating the conditions for the phased redeployment of United
States forces from Iraq.” A strong bipartisan majority of the Senate
believes Iraqis must now step forward in the months ahead and take the
lead in defending and governing their own country.
Your leadership will be essential in achieving this objective. As was
stated in the bipartisan amendment that passed the Senate, “the [Bush]
Administration should tell the leaders of all groups and political
parties in Iraq that they need to make the compromises necessary to
achieve the broad-based and sustainable political settlement that is
essential for defeating the insurgency in Iraq within the schedule they
set for themselves.” Your leadership will also be needed to ensure that
we leverage the influence of the international community and Iraq’s
neighbors to push for a sustainable political compromise, and that we
stand up sufficient numbers of capable Iraqi security forces so that
our troops can begin standing down.
Finally, we also believe that you must engage in a frank and honest
dialogue with the American people and our troops about the road ahead
in Iraq. As the bipartisan amendment stated, “the [Bush] Administration
needs to explain to Congress and the American people its strategy for
the successful completion of the mission in Iraq.” While we appreciate
your recent speeches on this issue, we regret that the American people
have still not been presented with a plan that identifies the remaining
political, economic, and military benchmarks that must be met and a
reasonable schedule to achieve them. We hope you will use Wednesday’s
speech to finally provide a detailed explanation of your strategy for
the successful completion of the mission in Iraq.
The window of time to get things right in Iraq may be rapidly closing.
The successful completion of our mission is possible only through the
hard work of the Iraqi people and the effective leadership of your
Administration. We stand ready to work with the Iraqi people and your
Administration in the days ahead.
Sincerely,
Senator Daniel Akaka
Senator Max Baucus
Senator Evan Bayh
Senator Joe Biden
Senator Jeff Bingaman
Senator Barbara Boxer
Senator Robert Byrd
Senator Maria Cantwell
Senator Tom Carper
Senator Hillary Clinton
Senator Jon Corzine
Senator Mark Dayton
Senator Chris Dodd
Senator Byron Dorgan
Senator Dick Durbin
Senator Russ Feingold
Senator Diane Feinstein
Senator Tom Harkin
Senator Daniel Inouye
Senator Jim Jeffords
Senator Tim Johnson
Senator Ted Kennedy
Senator John Kerry
Senator Herb Kohl
Senator Mary Landrieu
Senator Frank Lautenberg
Senator Patrick Leahy
Senator Carl Levin
Senator Blanche Lincoln
Senator Barbara Mikulski
Senator Patty Murray
Senator Barack Obama
Senator Mark Pryor
Senator Jack Reed
Senator Harry Reid
Senator John Rockefeller
Senator Ken Salazar
Senator Paul Sarbanes
Senator Chuck Schumer
Senator Debbie Stabenow
Senator Ron Wyden
|
