Letter from Democrats to W. on Iraq
14 December 2005 9:11 am by Taylor Marsh
Letter from Democrats to W. on Iraq
\”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.\”
Letter sent to President Bush (source: MSNBC)
Forty Democrats and independent Senator Jeffords sent a letter
to President Bush on Iraq. Joe Lieberman is not among them. Below is the full
text (emphasis added).
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
