The Press-Enterprise - Feinstein Wants Troops Out by End of '07

The Press-Enterprise - Feinstein Wants Troops OUt by End of '07

The Press-Enterprise

Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Tuesday that Iraq's growing sectarian violence cannot be solved militarily and she wants to see U.S. troops withdraw entirely from that country by the end of 2007.

Feinstein, a moderate Democrat who was criticized for joining Republicans in supporting the war four years ago, now says she should have voted no. She said the Bush administration presented intelligence to her and other lawmakers that "was bad and wrong." As a member of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Feinstein said she especially regrets her vote now. She also thinks the Bush administration didn't put enough thought into how to help Iraq establish a functioning democracy and stable government.

"I think it's a government that can't govern," she said. "At best, the country is in civil war. At worst, it's in anarchy."

Feinstein appeared in Riverside for a meeting with The Press-Enterprise's editorial board Tuesday and, later, lunch with community leaders at the Mission Inn. Feinstein, D-Calif., is seeking her third full term Nov. 7 against state Sen. Dennis Mountjoy, R-Monrovia.

Mountjoy, who has run a low-key campaign, did not respond to an e-mail seeking comment. His campaign office voice mail was not accepting messages Tuesday. A Korean War veteran, Mountjoy's Web site says he supports "President Bush's anti-terrorism plans," but doesn't make specific reference to Iraq.

Feinstein's remarks came on the same day a top American military commander said he may call for an increase in troop levels in Baghdad in an effort to take the city back from insurgents and death squads.

Violence in the past few weeks has steadily escalated in Iraq, and Feinstein said there is no military solution to the problem. The U.S. government needs to make plans to withdraw and make a public statement about its plans so Iraqis know when the American military will leave, she said. Additionally, members of the former Baath Party need to be allowed to work in government, she said. By not allowing former Baath Party members to work, the government has forced out a lot of the people skilled to run the country, she said.

President Bush and members of his administration have said they won't set deadlines for withdrawing U.S. forces and have defended their decision to go into Iraq.

Feinstein said she hopes growing public concern about the war and the potential loss of Republican seats in Congress next month will help push Bush to change his position.

"He's got to know how deeply unpopular he is," she said, noting that the United States is also unpopular. "The country I love is so hated abroad."

In a lengthy discussion of several issues, Feinstein said she expects the Democrats to regain control of at least one house of Congress and hopes to effect more change when that happens. She wants Democrats to work with Republicans to get more accomplished in the coming session.

"I believe politics is too polarized," she said. "I think people are fed up with the partisanship."

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