Hearing of the United States Senate Armed Services Committee to Receive Testimony on the Situation in Iraq

Statement

Hearing of the United States Senate Armed Services Committee to Receive Testimony on the Situation in Iraq

KENNEDY QUESTIONS PETRAEUS, CROCKER

(As Prepared for Delivery)

I join in welcoming Ambassador Crocker and General Petraeus to the Senate Armed Services Committee. I know I join with most Americans in expressing appreciation for the courage and dedication of our brave mean and women serving in Iraq under difficult and dangerous circumstances. Our thanks go also to their families for the sacrifices they make each day during the long months of separation.

We'll hear later this week from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Secretary of Defense. Obviously, we can't fully discuss our policy and military action in Iraq without examining its effect on our overall strategic interests in the Middle East, the battle against Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, the strain on our military, and its damage to American prestige around the world.

In listening to your testimony this morning, it seems clear that the Administration describes one Iraq, while we see another.

The President sees an Iraq in which Iraqis want to make political accommodation if only the security environment would allow it.

But most Americans see an Iraq in which the premise of the President's policy has proven hopelessly wrong and will continue to be wrong as long as the commitment of our military remains open-ended. The government is dysfunctional and unwilling to make the kind of compromises that are necessary to end the violence between Sunni and Shiite or between Shiite factions.

The President sees an Iraq where progress in neighborhoods, villages, towns, and cities across Iraq is being made.

But most Americans see an Iraq in which 4 million refugees have been displaced from their homes. Their homes have been destroyed, their neighborhoods ethnically cleansed and overtaken by militias.

The President and Vice President Cheney described an Iraq whose oil would pay for the needs of its people.

But most Americans see an Iraq that is sitting on billions of dollars in oil revenues. Meanwhile, the American taxpayer continues to spend billions to funds Iraq's reconstruction.

The President sees an Iraq in which the Iraqi police and army are making steady progress.

But most Americans see an Iraq in which we've spent $22 billion to train the Iraqi military for 5 long years, only to find that when the troops are needed most - as they were last week in Basra -- more than 1,000 defect in the middle of the battle.

After more than five years in Iraq, the cost of this war in blood and treasure continues to impose an excruciating toll. Our troops have served with honor and distinction. We all agree that a political solution is required to end the violence, but any such solution remains elusive as long as our military remains a crutch for the government.

A year ago, President Bush argued we couldn't begin to withdraw troops from Iraq because there was too much violence. Now, the President argues we can't begin to withdraw troops because violence is down.

It's distorted logic we often see with this President. Whatever the conditions on the ground, the President's arrows always point in the same direction - to an open-ended commitment of our troops.

The American people deserve to know when the arrows will finally point to an exit from Iraq. It's time to put the Iraqis on notice that our troops will not remain forever so they will take the essential steps to resolve their differences.

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