[Peace-discuss] Fwd: Message from Senator Barack Obama

[Morton K. Brussel]

Make of it what you will… There is hardly a mention of Iraqis in this  
note (except that they must "step up") and the destruction that we  
have wrought on their land.
Etc. --mkb

Begin forwarded message:

> From: senator_obama at obama.senate.gov
> Date: March 6, 2007 4:32:46 PM CST
> To: mkb3 at mac.com
> Subject: Message from Senator Barack Obama
>
> Dear Morton:
>
> Thank you for contacting me in opposition to President Bush’s plan  
> to send more American troops to Iraq.  I appreciate hearing from  
> you and agree that this proposal only threatens to compound the  
> tragic mistakes he has already made over the last four years.
>
> That is why I have introduced the Iraq War De-Escalation Act of  
> 2007 (S.433). This is binding and comprehensive legislation that  
> not only reverses the President's dangerous and ill-conceived  
> escalation, but also begins redeploying troops out of Iraq by May,  
> with the goal to have all combat forces out by the end of March  
> 2008, a date consistent with the Iraq Study Group’s expectations.  
> My bill also places conditions on future economic aid to the  
> government of Iraq and calls for the United States to lead a broad  
> and sustained diplomatic initiative within the region. In my view,  
> this approach has the right blend of carrots and sticks and it sets  
> a new course for U.S. policy in Iraq that can bring a responsible  
> end to the war and bring our troops home.
>
> In 2002, I strongly opposed the invasion of Iraq because I felt it  
> was an ill-conceived venture that would "require a U.S. occupation  
> of undetermined length, at undermined cost, with undetermined  
> consequences." I was concerned that an invasion without strong  
> international support could drain our military, distract us from  
> the war with al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and further destabilize the  
> Middle East.
>
> Sadly, all of those concerns have been borne out.
>
> Today, more than three thousand brave young Americans are dead, and  
> tens of thousands more have been wounded. Rather than welcomed as  
> "liberators," our troops have become targets of the exploding  
> sectarian violence in Iraq. Our military has been strained to the  
> limits, and the cost to American taxpayers has already reached  
> hundreds of billions of dollars.
>
> In escalating this war with a so-called "surge" of troops, the  
> President would be overriding the expressed concerns of generals on  
> the ground, former General and Secretary of State Colin Powell, the  
> bipartisan Iraq Study Group and the American people. Secretary  
> Powell has said that placing more troops in the crossfire of a  
> civil war simply will not work. General John Abizaid, our top  
> commander in the Middle East, said in late 2006, "I believe that  
> more American forces prevent the Iraqis from doing more, from  
> taking more responsibility for their own future." The Joint Chiefs  
> of Staff have expressed concern, saying that a surge in troop  
> levels "could lead to more attacks by al-Qaeda" and "provide more  
> targets for Sunni insurgents." Once again, the President is defying  
> good counsel and common sense.
>
> There is little reason to believe that escalation will achieve our  
> objectives.  There is no military solution to this war. Our troops  
> can help suppress the violence, but they cannot solve its root  
> causes.  Foreign troops cannot force Shia, Sunni, and Kurd to  
> resolve their differences and forge a lasting peace. In fact,  
> adding more troops will only delay the needed political  
> settlement.  President Bush has tried this strategy in the past,  
> but he insists that this time the results will be different.  I see  
> no evidence to back that claim.
>
> I introduced S.433 because the Iraqis must step up. The status quo  
> cannot hold.  I will continue to advocate for this bill in the  
> Senate to bring our troops home safely.
>
> Thank you again for writing, and please stay in touch.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Barack Obama
> United States Senator
>
>
> P.S. Our system does not allow direct response to this email.  
> However, if you would like to contact me again, please use the form  
> on the website: http://obama.senate.gov/contact/
>
> Stay up to date with Barack's work in the Senate and on issues of  
> importance to Illinois. Subscribe to the weekly podcast here:  
> http://obama.senate.gov/podcast/

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