Rep. Peter Welch is pointing to a new report assessing the war in Iraq, and urging Republicans in Congress to join the call for ending the war.
This is AP's report on the report:
WASHINGTON (AP) — Iraq’s security forces have made “uneven progress” and
will be unable to take over security on their own in the next 12 to 18 months,
according to an independent assessment.
The study, conducted by a 20-member panel led by retired Gen. James Jones,
found the Iraqi Army shows promise of becoming a viable, independent security
force with time. But the group offers a scathing assessment of Baghdad’s
Ministry of Interior and recommends scrapping Iraq’s national police force,
which it describes as dysfunctional and infiltrated by militias.
The review is one of several studies that Congress directed in May, when it
agreed to fund the war for several more months but demanded that the Bush
administration and independent groups assess U.S. progress in the four-year war.
Welch called on Republicans to do as retiring Sen. John Warner has done. Warner recently called on President Bush to bring home 5,000 troops to show Iraq's government he's serious about speedier reforms:
“This non-partisan investigation confirms what a majority of Americans and
a growing majority of Congress already know: the President's policy in Iraq is a
failure and it is time to bring our troops home."
...
“Since the President refuses to act, Congress must. And the U.S.
House has. While we have passed legislation requiring the responsible
withdrawal of troops from Iraq, our efforts have been blocked by the President
and Congressional Republicans. As we press forward this month committed to
ending this war, it is imperative that reasonable Republicans, like Sen. John
Warner, acknowledge the urgent need to change course.”
- Terri Hallenbeck
