[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 116 (Thursday, July 19, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1562-E1563]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 RESPONSIBLE REDEPLOYMENT FROM IRAQ ACT

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                               speech of

                           HON. PHIL ENGLISH

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 12, 2007

  Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, in March 2003 the United 
States set out, with the overwhelming support of the American people, 
to remove Saddam Husein from power and establish a stable democracy in 
Iraq that would no longer threaten our nation or its neighbors. 
Coalition forces led by the finest military in the world, quickly 
accomplished the first goal. Unfortunately the conflict did not end at 
that point.
  Future generations of military scholars will use this 
administration's conduct of military, diplomatic and reconstruction 
efforts in Iraq between June 2003 and November 2006 as a case study in 
how not to fight a war. The American people are justifiably 
disillusioned with almost every aspect of the conduct of our operations 
in Iraq for the past four years. The near sole exception to this 
disappointment is the pride which all Americans share in the 
dedication, professionalism and sacrifices of our men and women in 
uniform.
  Time does not permit a full catalogue of errors, nor would a 
demonstration of 20-20 hindsight provide a positive contribution to 
this discussion. It is sufficient to recognize that by March 2006 
forward thinking members of Congress recognized the need for a change 
of direction and asked the United States Institute of Peace to form an 
Iraq Study Group, ISG, to conduct a forward-looking, independent 
assessment of the current and prospective situation on the ground in 
Iraq, its impact on the

[[Page E1563]]

surrounding region, and consequences for U.S. interests.
  On December 6th 2006, the Iraq Study Group presented a report to 
Congress containing 79 specific recommendations in support of three 
broad equally important strategies designed to reinforce each other:
  A change in the primary mission of U.S. forces in Iraq that will 
enable the United States to begin to move its combat forces out of Iraq 
responsibly.
  Prompt action by the Iraqi government to achieve milestones--
particularly on national reconciliation; and
  New and enhanced diplomatic and political efforts in Iraq and the 
region. Significantly, the ISG specifically rejected proposals for a 
precipitous withdrawal of U.S. combat forces or a major sustained 
increase in troop levels.
  Unfortunately; the ISG report recommendations, which I immediately 
endorsed, was equally immediately rejected by both advocates of 
withdrawal and proponents of continued engagement. President Bush 
announced plans to ``surge'' 21,500 combat troops to Iraq and Democrats 
in Congress announced plans to cut off funding for the troops in the 
field unless the President agreed to an almost immediate withdrawal. I 
opposed both of these policies when they were announced, oppose them 
now and will continue to oppose them in the future.

  President Bush and the Democrats in Congress both need to step back 
from their respective ideologically driven positions and focus on 
developing bipartisan legislation, based on recommendations of the Iraq 
Study Group, that will refocus U.S. operation in Iraq on helping the 
Iraqi people reconcile with each other and achieve a level of internal 
security that will make our continued presence unnecessary. We must 
shift the emphasis of U.S. military efforts from conducting combat 
operations to training the Iraqi security forces. We must demand that 
Iraqi government leaders set aside their sectarian differences and 
cooperate in governing their country for the greater good of all its 
citizens. Finally, we must work with governments in the region to 
eliminate the external threats to Iraqi security, particularly the 
foreign terrorists infiltrating from Syria and Iran.
  Both President Bush and the Democrat leadership have paid lip service 
to the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group while steadfastly 
avoiding or actively opposing any effort to actually implement them. In 
early January 2007 President Bush took a single line in the ISG report 
regarding possible support for a SHORT TERM redeployment of U.S. combat 
forces to stabilize Baghdad and used it to justify a long term 
escalation of troop levels by over 20,000 soldiers. I immediately 
joined with several of my colleagues in sending a letter to the 
President expressing our opposition to this policy and shortly 
thereafter voted in favor of a Congressional resolution disapproving 
the surge. At almost the same time, the democrats in Congress seized 
upon another line in the ISG report acknowledging the United States 
should not make an open-ended commitment to keep large numbers of 
American troops deployed in Iraq and used it to justify a series of 
resolutions to cut off funding for the troops in the field. I have 
voted against each and every one of these efforts.
  Neither President Bush nor the democrats in Congress has ever made 
any serious effort to implement the ISG recommendations. In fact, the 
Democrat leadership in the House has consistently used a series of 
parliamentary maneuvers to prevent the subject from even being 
discussed. On June 6, 2007, I joined 45 of my colleagues as an original 
cosponsor of H.R. 2574, legislation to implement the recommendations of 
the Iraq Study Group. This legislation would establish as United States 
policy:
  A new diplomatic offensive in the region that includes the creation 
of the Iraq International Support Group;
  Giving the highest priority to training, equipping and advising the 
Iraqi military and security forces;
  Assessing the full budgetary and personnel impact of the war in Iraq 
on the U.S. military;
  Accelerating and increasing oil production and accountability 
including equitable distribution of oil revenues in Iraq;
  Implementing and oversight of economic reconstruction programs in 
Iraq with the creation of a new Senior Advisor for Economic 
Reconstruction;
  Ensuring that the President includes the cost of the war in his 
annual budget request; and
  Setting conditions that could lead to redeployment of U.S. combat 
brigades not needed for force protection as early as the first quarter 
of 2008 if diplomatic, infrastructure and security benchmarks are met.
  Last night I joined with Congressman Wolf to ask the Rules Committee 
to make in order an amendment that would substitute the proposals in 
The Iraq Study Group Recommendations Implementation Act for the fatally 
flawed language in H.R. 2956. On the directions of the Democrat 
leadership the Rules committee refused to even allow discussion of 
these proposals by voting 9-4 along party lines to not allow our 
amendment.
  In the absence of cooperation between President Bush and the democrat 
leadership in Congress, our enemies have been emboldened and our allies 
have become discouraged. Sectarian violence continues to plague the 
Iraqi people. Iranian special operations forces are openly training 
insurgent forces, Turkey has massed nearly 140,000 troops on Iraq's 
northern border and Syria continues to serve as a conduit for both 
illicit arms and foreign fighters. Meanwhile the democratically elected 
Iraqi government, in which our leaders took such pride just 18 months 
ago, has degenerated into a state of near paralysis. President Maliki 
becomes increasingly more marginalized with each passing day. The 
various ministries are riddled with corruption, incompetence and tribal 
rivalries. Finally, the Iraqi parliament has become so terrified of 
retribution they refuse to enact, or even vote on, any legislative 
proposal that cannot command the support of 100 percent of all 
sectarian leaders. This is a recipe not for progress but for disaster.
  Under these circumstances, the democrat leaders in Congress bring us 
a partisan political statement masquerading as a not very substantive 
legislative proposal. I for one refuse to participate in their tawdry 
charade and will therefore vote NO on this legislation.

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