|
Snowe: Iraqis
Must 'Take Ownership'
By: Bart Jansen
Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine joined
the uneasy chorus Wednesday calling on President
Bush to withdraw from Iraq, though she opposes
any specific timetable. Snowe said Iraqi
elections Dec. 15 will set that country on the
path to political and economic stability. She
also said security must improve in Iraq before
American troops can leave.
"It is therefore incumbent on the president to
establish an exit strategy of definitive
benchmarks that will result in the transition to
Iraqi independence and a phased withdrawal of
U.S. troops, consistent with the Senate
resolution passed just two weeks ago," Snowe
said. "Ultimately, the pathway to success in
Iraq is for the Iraqis to take ownership of
their future."
Snowe's comments echoed a resolution that the
Senate approved Nov. 15 on a 79-19 vote, calling
for a "significant transition" to Iraqi
sovereignty during 2006 and a "phased
redeployment of United States forces from Iraq."
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, a member of the
Armed Services Committee, agreed with Bush that
it would be counterproductive to set a deadline
for withdrawal. But she hoped that the
establishment of a new Iraqi government would
allow the withdrawal of U.S. troops.
"Although I am eager for our troops to return
home as soon as possible, our ability to do so
is contingent on the Iraqi security forces and
Iraqi army taking over responsibility for
securing their country," Collins said.
A key House Democrat, Rep. John Murtha of
Pennsylvania, set off a firestorm two weeks ago
when he said a complete pullout should come "at
the earliest practicable date." House Minority
Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., endorsed his
proposal on Wednesday.
House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., blasted
Democrats.
"This war and the safety of the American people
is simply too important for flip-flopping or
indecision," Hastert said. "We cannot afford to
retreat."
Bush said in a speech at the Naval Academy on
Wednesday that it was wrong to set a deadline.
"The many advocating an artificial timetable for
withdrawing are sincere," Bush said. "But I
believe they're sincerely wrong."
Other Democrats argued that Bush is confusing
the issue by suggesting that a timetable is
central to the debate. The real decisions,
according to Democratic Sens. John Kerry of
Massachusetts and Jack Reed of Rhode Island, are
about how to stabilize Iraq politically after
the Dec. 15 elections so that American troops
can leave.
"This debate is not about an artificial date for
withdrawal," said Kerry, a decorated Vietnam
veteran who lost to Bush in the 2004
presidential campaign. "None of us has ever
suggested that we should run in the face of car
bombers or assassins. We're talking about the
challenge about how to win."
Rep. Tom Allen, D-Maine, said Bush would have
been more candid if he had acknowledged that the
American presence inflames the insurgency and
that withdrawal is necessary. Allen argued that
victory similar to World War II is a "mirage"
and that simply avoiding civil war would be "a
huge success."
"We need a political settlement in Iraq that can
be maintained over time to avoid a civil war,"
Allen said. "But because our presence inflames
the insurgency and keeps it going, we have to do
a staged withdrawal."
Rep. Mike Michaud, D-Maine, praised Bush for
offering a "small step" toward more detailed
plans in Iraq. But he expressed disappointment
that Wednesday's speech consolidated existing
information and didn't offer anything new.
"It does not give a strategy for success,"
Michaud said. "We must have a real and sensible
discussion on the future of Iraq. It should
start with a real plan for success, and a
commitment to protecting our troops better and
getting them home as soon as possible."
Anti-war groups also blasted the speech. Tom
Andrews, a former Maine congressman who is now
national director of a coalition called Win
Without War, said Bush's speech was "a mountain
of false and baseless claims."
"By failing to speak candidly about the reality
in Iraq and present a coherent plan for the
withdrawal of U.S. military forces, the
president's speech will continue the steady
erosion of his credibility with the American
people," Andrews said. "The American public
wants the U.S. military out of Iraq and a clear
and responsible plan to do it."
|
|
| |
|
