[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 65 (Tuesday, May 17, 2005)]
[House]
[Page H3337]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 CALLING FOR U.S. WITHDRAWAL FROM IRAQ

  (Mr. KUCINICH asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. KUCINICH. Madam Speaker, I would like to read to the Members from 
excerpts from an op-ed that the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie) 
and I published in ``USA Today.''
  ``The military occupation of Iraq will not turn Iraq into a 
democratic nation. Longstanding rivalries will do more to shape that 
country's future. Those forces will not be controlled by American boots 
on the ground no matter how many we put there or how long they remain.
  ``In Iraq there are no front lines, no easy way to tell friend from 
foe, no clear way to measure success. Iraq is a quagmire. It has become 
a recruiting post for Osama bin Laden. Are we to keep fighting 
indefinitely, losing more troops every week, spending billions of 
dollars, and increasing the strain on our Armed Forces, especially the 
Reserve and the National Guard?
  ``Iraq has already added $200 billion to our national debt and costs 
U.S. taxpayers more than $1 billion per month. It jeopardizes the 
strategic interests of the United States. It alienates allies in the 
Muslim world, and it is hindering efforts to create a united global 
front against al Qaeda.
  ``Unlike World War II, where the enemy surrendered and the troops 
came home, there is no such prospect in Iraq. We must define an 
endpoint. We will soon introduce legislation to achieve that goal by 
bringing the occupation of Iraq to a close. The troops have done their 
jobs. It is up to Congress and the President to forge a policy worthy 
of their sacrifices.''

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