|
September 4, 2007 Op-ed on General Petraeus’s Report |
| Print |
|
|
Op-ed on Petraeus Report
By Congressman Paul E. Kanjorski
In reviewing General David Petraeus's testimony on the impact of the military "surge" in Iraq, it is important to put into perspective what his analysis means for moving forward in Iraq. Regardless of American military success, it is up to the Iraqi people to demand peace. It is time to begin the process of withdrawing our troops.
First, let us acknowledge that the American military won the war in Iraq; however, American and Iraqi politicians have been losing the occupation. The purpose of the surge was to provide enough security that the Iraqi people would have the "space" necessary to resolve their internal differences and stabilize their own government. The surge was not intended to be a permanent escalation of American force. However, the Iraqi politicians have squandered this opportunity. An estimated two million Iraqis have fled their country, and another two million are displaced from their homes within Iraq. Instead of feeling pressured to resolve critical issues such as building a reliable police force and army, fairly distributing oil revenues, and removing the stain of corruption from the government, Iraqi leaders have become dependent on the security provided by the American military. It is time for the training wheels to come off.
Second, let us come to an agreement on what - if anything - we owe to the Iraqi people. As Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is fond of saying whenever the United States urges him to take a particular action, Iraq is a sovereign nation. Its leaders, therefore, must assume the responsibilities of governance. Because we created the current instability by removing Saddam Hussein, we bear some responsibility for cleaning up the mess, but our obligation is not infinite. More than 3,700 American service members have lost their lives in Iraq, and more than 27,000 have been injured. The lives of tens of thousands of American families have been permanently disrupted, and we may never know the full costs. In economic terms, we have already spent $450 billion for this war and continue to spend approximately $3 billion every week.
Third, let us stop using words like "victory" and "retreat" to describe the situation in Iraq. We are engaged in an effort to help the Iraqi people build a new form of government that the President believes can be an ally in the Mideast. However admirable that goal may be, we now face very hard decisions about how many more American lives and tax dollars we want to invest in attempting to reach that goal. It is a complex issue with far-reaching implications about the role the United States should play in the world and it deserves more thought than what can be conveyed on a bumper sticker.
Based on the Administration's claim that it had incontrovertible evidence of Saddam Hussein's plan to use weapons of mass destruction against the United States, I voted to authorize the President to go to war in Iraq. I regret that vote. As soon as it became clear that Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction, we no longer had any justification for occupying a sovereign nation. But we cannot continue to argue among ourselves about whether we made a mistake; we are there now. The real issue is what to do next.
It is encouraging to me that the tone of the debate has shifted from "if" we withdraw to "when" and "how" we withdraw. All Americans want to minimize the negative consequences of our withdrawal on the Iraqi people, but it is inevitable that there will be human suffering. Our own country endured a horrendously bloody civil war to resolve issues deferred at its founding. As long as the Iraqis fail to reconcile, our military presence is merely deferring, not resolving, their conflicts.
Finally, let us focus our resources on combating Al-Qaeda, the terrorist organization that attacked our country six years ago on September 11, 2001. As his recently released videotape attests, Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden remains alive, free, and committed to inflicting more damage to the United States. Al-Qaeda remains a threat to the United States, and we must focus our efforts on defeating it and other terrorist organizations which target innocent Americans. Iraq has become a costly diversion and a primary recruiting tool for would-be terrorists around the world.
In November of 2005 I had the opportunity to spend some time with President Bush when he visited the Tobyhanna Army Depot. I urged him to convene a summit with Congressional leaders and spend as long as it takes - days, weeks, or months - to come together with a consensus plan on how to resolve the war. I renew that call, both to the President and to the Congressional leadership. It is my hope that General Petraeus's report can launch a long-overdue conversation.
|
Site Outline