[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5499 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5499

 To provide for a timetable for the redeployment of the United States 
 Armed Forces from Iraq and to seek political and diplomatic solutions 
        for the security and stability of the Republic of Iraq.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 26, 2008

 Ms. Tsongas introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Armed 
Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
   each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide for a timetable for the redeployment of the United States 
 Armed Forces from Iraq and to seek political and diplomatic solutions 
        for the security and stability of the Republic of Iraq.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be referred to as the ``Iraq Redeployment Timetable 
and Political Reconciliation Act of 2008''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING SERVICE OF UNITED STATES ARMED 
              FORCES IN IRAQ AND POLITICAL RECONCILIATION IN IRAQ.

    It is the sense of the Congress that--
            (1) the men and women of the United States Armed Forces 
        have served honorably and expertly in Operation Iraqi Freedom;
            (2) political reconciliation in the Republic of Iraq is the 
        key component in providing stability in Iraq;
            (3) political reconciliation cannot occur in the Republic 
        of Iraq without robust diplomatic efforts by the United States 
        and the international community;
            (4) the overwhelming presence of the United States Armed 
        Forces in Iraq has neither encouraged nor precipitated the 
        political, religious, ethnic, and tribal leaders in Iraq to 
        achieve political and diplomatic solutions in providing 
        security and stability for their own nation;
            (5) a defined schedule for redeployment of the United 
        States Armed Forces from Iraq, which is the only real remaining 
        political leverage available to the United States, is the 
        quickest, safest, and most responsible way to bring the Armed 
        Forces home;
            (6) a defined schedule for redeployment requires the people 
        and government of Iraq to take responsibility for their future 
        and will help engage the international community to assist the 
        people and government of Iraq in making political progress; and
            (7) continuous and extended deployments of the United 
        States Armed Forces have compromised United States military 
        readiness around the globe and reduced the ability of the 
        United States to respond to other international commitments, 
        notably Afghanistan.

SEC. 3. TIMETABLE FOR REDEPLOYMENT OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FROM 
              IRAQ.

    (a) Commencement of Redeployment.--Not later than 90 days after the 
date of the enactment of the Act, the Secretary of Defense shall 
commence the redeployment of the units and members of the United States 
Armed Forces deployed in Iraq.
    (b) Purpose of Redeployment.--The redeployment required by this 
section shall be carried out for purposes of--
            (1) ensuring that the national security interests of the 
        United States are protected; and
            (2) improving the military readiness of the United States 
        Armed Forces.
    (c) Completion of Redeployment.--The Secretary of Defense shall 
complete the redeployment of the United States Armed Forces from Iraq 
by the end of the 180-day period beginning on the date on which the 
Secretary of Defense commences the redeployment required by subsection 
(a).
    (d) Redeployment Report.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the 
congressional defense committees a report outlining the necessary 
elements of the required timetable for the redeployment of the United 
States Armed Forces from Iraq. To the maximum extent possible, the 
report shall be submitted in an unclassified format. The report shall 
include--
            (1) a timetable for completion of the redeployment within 
        180 days after commencement;
            (2) an estimate of the number of members of the United 
        States Armed Forces needed to perform the activities described 
        in subsection (f);
            (3) an estimate of the number of sea, air, and ground 
        equipment required to perform the activities described in 
        subsection (f);
            (4) a plan for ensuring the safe and orderly withdrawal of 
        the United States Armed Forces from Iraq;
            (5) an estimate of the cost of providing security for 
        United States citizens remaining in Iraq to conduct diplomatic, 
        economic, and social rehabilitation, including Provincial 
        Reconstruction Teams; and
            (6) the total estimated costs of redeployment.
    (e) Certification of Redeployment.--Upon the completion of the 
redeployment, the Secretary of Defense shall submit a report to the 
congressional defense committees certifying that all United States 
Armed Forces have been redeployed from Iraq.
    (f) Protection of United States Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq.--
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the Secretary of 
Defense may retain members of the United States Armed Forces in Iraq in 
such numbers as the Secretary considers required for protection of the 
United States Embassy compound in Baghdad, Iraq.

SEC. 4. RELATIONS WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF IRAQ.

    (a) Diplomatic Relations.--Concurrently with the redeployment of 
United States Armed Forces pursuant to section 3, the Secretary of 
State shall continue to work with the elected Government of Iraq to 
provide for the security and stability of Iraq and its transition to 
democratic rule through diplomatic means.
    (b) Continuation of Diplomatic, Social, and Economic Rehabilitation 
Activities in Iraq.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit 
or otherwise restrict the use of funds available to any department or 
agency of the United States, other than the Department of Defense, to 
carry out diplomatic, social, and economic rehabilitation activities in 
Iraq.
    (c) Report and Components.--Not later than 30 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, and every 30 days thereafter, the 
President of the United States shall submit to the congressional 
defense committees, the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
Representatives, and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a 
report describing the efforts by the United States to carry out 
diplomatic, social, and economic rehabilitation activities in Iraq. The 
report shall include, at minimum--
            (1) current efforts to effect political dialogue among the 
        political, religious, ethnic, and tribal leaders in Iraq;
            (2) current efforts of international organizations in 
        assisting with political reconciliation in Iraq; and
            (3) initiatives, either planned or ongoing, for assistance 
        by the United States to the Government of Iraq to assist in the 
        areas of governance, rule of law, democracy, and human rights 
        protections.

SEC. 5. MIDDLE EAST SECURITY AND ECONOMIC ORGANIZATION.

    (a) Sense of the Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) security and stability in Iraq and the broader Middle 
        East is vital to all nations of the world;
            (2) diplomatic involvement of the broader international 
        community in the regional security and stability of Iraq and 
        the Middle East region is essential;
            (3) involvement in the Middle East region remains vital to 
        the national security interests of the United States;
            (4) the Middle East region lacks a regional security and 
        economic organization that would allow for increased dialogue 
        among participating nations;
            (5) a regional security and economic organization, modeled 
        on the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, 
        should be created; and
            (6) a regional, multilateral security and economic 
        organization provides the structure necessary to cultivate 
        regional security and to promote economic development and 
        cooperation in the Middle East region.
    (b) Negotiations.--In parallel with the redeployment of United 
States Armed Forces from Iraq pursuant to section 3, the Secretary of 
State shall begin immediate negotiations for the creation of a multi-
lateral security and economic organization for the Middle East region, 
to be known as the ``Middle East Security and Economic Organization''.
    (c) Purpose.--The purpose of the Middle East Security and Economic 
Organization is to cultivate regional security and to promote economic 
development and cooperation in the Middle East region.
    (d) Composition.--At minimum, the Middle East Security and Economic 
Organization should be comprised of nations located in the Persian Gulf 
and broader Middle East region, as well as the broader international 
community. It is the sense of Congress that the composition of the 
Middle East Security and Economic Organization include--
            (1) representative countries from the League of Arab 
        States;
            (2) member states from the North Atlantic Treaty 
        Organization; and
            (3) interested nations holding seats in the UN General 
        Assembly.
    (e) Report.--Within 30 days after commencement of negotiations to 
establish the Middle East Security and Economic Organization, and every 
30 days thereafter until negotiations are complete, the Secretary of 
State shall submit to the congressional defense committees, the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives, and the 
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a report describing the 
progress of negotiations in forming the Middle East Security and 
Economic Organization.

SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) The term ``United States Armed Forces'' has the meaning 
        given the term ``armed forces'' in section 101(a)(4) of title 
        10, United States Code.
            (2) The term ``congressional defense committees'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Armed Services and the 
                Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
                Representatives; and
                    (B) the Committee on Armed Services and the 
                Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.
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