Press Release - President Bush's Change in Iraq Policy Validates Fitzpatrick's Call for a New Strategy of Success in Iraq
President Bush's Change in Iraq Policy Validates Fitzpatrick's Call for a New Strategy of Success in Iraq
Posted on 25-10-2006
Bristol - Earlier today, President Bush held a press conference in Washington where he called for his administration to "carefully consider any proposal that will help us achieve victory" in Iraq. This statement represents an important change in policy, abandoning the president's long held "stay the course" strategy in favor of new ideas for the United State's role in Iraq.
For the 8th district, the president's statement is an acknowledgement and acceptance of Congressman Fitzpatrick's repeated calls for a new direction and a new strategy for success in Iraq.
"One of the concerns I, and many of my constituents have of the Bush White House is their seeming unwillingness to hear differing opinions on Iraq. I am pleased that the White House has come to my position that there is a need for a new strategy to achieve victory in Iraq."
In November 2005, Fitzpatrick supported a proposal urging the administration to bring in "fresh eyes" to look at Iraq. Those eyes belong to members of the Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan group of foreign policy experts, statesmen and patriots who are tasked with finding new solutions to the situation in Iraq. Former Secretary of State James Baker, a key member of the Iraq Study Group has indicated that their recommendations will be delivered to the President after the election.
Today, President Bush acknowledged that he would listen to the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group.
"There is a significant difference between my plan for Iraq and Pat Murphy's," Fitzpatrick said. "I believe we can achieve victory in Iraq by getting the Iraqi security forces fully trained and into the fight. As that happens, we can withdraw our troops. Pat Murphy, on the other hand, wants an arbitrary, date-certain withdrawal based on domestic politics and not the conditions on the ground. Murphy's plan plays into the hands of our enemies, hurts the morale of the Iraqis, and ignores the conditions they face securing their new democracy. This isn't a plan for victory. This is a plan for defeat."
"I am pleased to see that my hard work in getting President Bush to listen to outside advice is paying off," Fitzpatrick added. "It hasn't been easy to get even this far, but I have shown that my leadership in Congress is getting results."
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