July 14, 2007

Iraq Veterans, Military Experts Call for Real Troop Redeployment for the Sake of Our Military

Say Bush's Rosy Spin along with Compromised Congressional Half Measures like the Salazar Bill Would Only Endanger Troops

Iraq veterans and military experts responded harshly today to Bush’s statement on Iraq and the Salazar amendment in Congress. VoteVets.org, the National Security Network, and the Center for American Progress Action Fund, all members of the Americans Against Escalation in Iraq coalition, described the amendment, posed as an Iraq Study Group implementation measure, as a “toothless” bill meant to provide political cover to its proponents that will only further endanger our military. The National Security Network released a fact check report on Petraeus’ interim report on progress toward benchmarks in Iraq, countering Bush’s assertions today about progress in Iraq (link below).

"What we're seeing is the continued deterioration of the situation on the ground, and the president's report attempts to justify a strategy that has clearly failed," said Lawrence Korb, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress Action Fund, "it is now time for redeployment out of Iraq."

"The Bush Administration has failed it's very own self evaluation. Even benchmarks rated as 'satisfactory' only show progress not achievement." said Moira Whelan, communications director for the National Security Network. "Claiming eight are satisfactory is a feeble attempt to evade the reality that the surge is a failure."

"When I served in Iraq in 2003 there was no Al Qaeda in Iraq. Today, around the world, they are stronger than they were 6 years ago because of this President's reckless foreign policy," said Jon Soltz, Chairman of VoteVets.org and a veteran of the war in Iraq, "Our soldiers on the ground need public servants like Senator Hagel, who are going to put our national security above politics or party. We need members of Congress to stand up for our men and women in uniform by passing binding legislation like Reed-Levin, not toothless half measures."

The Center for American Progress Action Fund also issued this statement:

Today, President Bush and his team tried once again to shift the rationale for an open-ended U.S. troop presence in Iraq. Congress and the American people should reject this latest bait and switch and continue to insist on a swift end to the war in Iraq.

When President Bush announced the military escalation in January, one of the main rationales was to increase stability in Iraq in order to give the county's leaders some breathing room to make the political compromises to end Iraq's violent struggles for power. Halfway through 2007, however, it is clear that this plan is not working – the president's own report states "Coalition and Iraqi Forces have sustained increased attacks in Iraq, particularly in Baghdad, Diyala, and Salah ad Din." The overall level of sectarian violence continues to increase throughout the country, and there is no political authority with the ability to bring it under control.

While the security situation is in bad shape, the political situation is also sliding backward as sectarian rivalries have trumped reconciliation and progress. Recently, the main Sunni bloc announced it was boycotting the Cabinet in protest over an arrest warrant issued for a Sunni minister in the government and a top Sunni political leader said he made a mistake by entering Iraq's political process and said that he was joining the resistance. The wheels are coming off Iraq's political transition—and the surge is not delivering its central promises of fostering political reconciliation among Iraq's divided leaders. But now, rather than recognizing reality and making a shift in strategy, President Bush has moved the goalposts yet again.

The middle ground has fallen out from under the political debate in Washington, and it is now clear that time has passed moderate proposals like the Iraq Study Group by. By continuing to train Iraqi troops, American forces are arming all sides in a bloody sectarian conflict. The United States needs to put Iraqis and the countries in the region on notice to motivate them to act more constructively in their own self-interest in order to contain and resolve Iraq's multiple internal conflicts.

Congress should reject the spin and keep focused on the fundamentals. President Bush's strategy for Iraq is not making Americans safer, and the time has long past to make a major shift in strategy. The U.S. military simply cannot settle Iraq's multiple conflicts. Instead of passively waiting for Iraq's leaders to settle their differences, and instead of foolishly allowing our most precious national security resources to be used by different sides in Iraq's internal power struggles, the United States should reclaim control of its security by setting a plan for completing the military mission in Iraq by the end of 2008.

Click here to read the memo on the Iraq Study Group from John Podesta, Lawrence Korb and Brian Katulis. Click here for “Strategic Reset” the Center for American Progress plan for withdrawal from Iraq.

Click here for a fact check on the Initial Benchmark Assessment by the National Security Network.

Americans Against Escalation in Iraq is a major, multi-million dollar national campaign to oppose the President’s escalation of the Iraq war and work for the safe, responsible redeployment of American troops out of Iraq. AAEI’s broad coalition is made up of SEIU, MoveOn.org Political Action, Center for American Progress Action Fund, USAction, Win Without War, Vote Vets, Campaign for America's Future, USSA, Working Assets, Americans United for Change, Campus Progress Action, and American citizens across the country.

About the Center for American Progress Action Fund

The Center for American Progress Action Fund transforms progressive ideas into policy through rapid response communications, legislative action, grassroots organizing and advocacy, and partnerships with other progressive leaders throughout the country and the world. The Action Fund is also the home of the Progress Report and ThinkProgress.