Peterson eleases Statement On Bush's Plan For Iraq

Peterson releases statement on Bush's plan for Iraq

Congressman John E. Peterson, R-Pleasantville, issued the following statement this evening shortly after President Bush addressed the nation on the future of Iraq.

"The American people have rightly demanded of our president a candid, straightforward prognosis concerning our worsening situation in Iraq, and I believe tonight he finally delivered it. He made clear the nature and goal of our engagement there, recognized that certain metrics and benchmarks will have to be set and met, and, most important, rearticulated the principle that our commitment in Iraq must not be - now or ever - an open-ended, ever-changing affair.

"In offering that analysis, the president also acknowledged that ultimate victory in the region cannot be reached simply by having American soldiers remain there. The Iraqi people have to covet a free and democratic country for themselves and their children more than we want it for them. And to prove their mettle, they have to be willing to take the lead on achieving social and political milestones that will help bring definition and legitimacy to their elected government, and stability and safety to their daily lives.

"No level of troop surge, on its own, will deliver that outcome to the Iraqi people. But in sending additional units of support, we can create a situation in which basic levels of security are provided in parts of the country where the political process has in some cases been delayed - in others, outright hijacked - by those who consider themselves enemies of the West and active combatants in an ideological war driven by hatred and fear. We can also help advance the training and preparation of the Iraqi security forces, which will be called upon to fill the breach as soon as our work there is complete. This, I believe, is absolutely imperative if we're to have any expectation of victory.

"Pennsylvanians in general, and folks in the central and northwest part of the state in particular, have been asked to make extraordinary sacrifices so that Iraqis can someday live in a free and independent nation. An increase in troop strength does not constitute a new strategy in and of itself, but I'm hopeful that it does represent a new tactical approach that will help contribute to the project's ultimate success - a project that needs to be focused on denying al Qaeda safe haven, training Iraqi troops, and doing what's necessary to leave the region more stable and secure by the time we come home."

http://www.house.gov/list/press/pa05_peterson/0111bush.html