[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 11989]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           WITHDRAW FROM IRAQ

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BARNEY FRANK

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 8, 2005

  Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, one the ablest Members of 
the current Congress, Jim McGovern, has joined with one of the ablest 
Members in the history of the Congress, George McGovern to address the 
troubling issue of Iraq, and they make an eloquent case--with which I 
completely agree--that ``the United States must now begin an orderly 
withdrawal of our forces from this mistaken foreign venture.''
  Mr. Speaker, it is our custom in introducing relevant material of 
this sort into this Record to put some gloss on the material entered. 
In this case, I feel absolutely no need to do this, because the 
authors--former Senator George McGovern and Congressman Jim McGovern--
do a superb job of explaining why we should pull out of Iraq. I will 
note that I join them not only in their basic argument, but in their 
note that as ``earlier opponents of the U.S. invasion of Iraq . . . we 
hoped that our concerns would be proven wrong.'' None of us take any 
joy in the fact that this has worked out so much worse than the 
Administration had predicted, but we must draw the consequences from 
this mistake and not continue with a seriously flawed policy which 
drains us financially, costs the lives of our military, and makes the 
situation in the Middle East worse rather than better in so many ways.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that the essay by George McGovern and Jim McGovern 
from the Monday, June 6 Boston Globe be printed here.

                 [From the Boston Globe, June 6, 2005]

                           Withdraw From Iraq

                 (By George McGovern and Jim McGovern)

       We were early opponents of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. 
     Nonetheless, once American forces were committed, we hoped 
     that our concerns would be proven wrong. That has not been 
     the case.
       The United States must now begin an orderly withdrawal of 
     our forces from this mistaken foreign venture.
       The justification for the war was based on false or 
     falsified information. What had been initially characterized 
     by the Bush administration as an uncomplicated military 
     operation has turned into a violent quagmire. Our leaders 
     underestimated not only the insurgency, but also the deep-
     rooted ethnic divisions in Iraqi society.
       There are no clear answers from the administration or the 
     Congress on how long our forces will need to stay in Iraq, 
     what the anticipated costs in human life and treasure will 
     be, or even what would constitute success.
       Instead, many of our policymakers seem resigned to an open-
     ended occupation. Former Defense Undersecretary Paul 
     Wolfowitz has told Congress that we will be there for at 
     least another 10 years. It is common to hear even some who 
     voted against the war say, ``now that we're there, we have no 
     choice but to stay.''
       We very much disagree. Calls to maintain the status quo 
     echo the same rationale used to keep us in Vietnam. To those 
     who contend that we would weaken our credibility if we 
     withdraw, we believe that the Nation's standing would greatly 
     improve if we demonstrate the judgment to terminate an unwise 
     course.
       Our continuing presence in Iraq feeds the insurgency and 
     gives the insurgents a certain legitimacy in the eyes of much 
     of the world. We know from our own history that armies of 
     occupation are seldom welcome.
       There have been elections in Iraq, and yet it remains 
     unclear whether the different political, ethnic, and 
     religious factions want to work together.
       One thing, however, is clear: Washington cannot determine 
     Iraq's destiny. It doesn't matter how many times Condoleezza 
     Rice or Donald Rumsfeld visit. It doesn't matter how many 
     soldiers we deploy. The myriad factions in Iraq themselves 
     must display the political will to demand a system of 
     government that respects the diversity that exists in their 
     country.
       There are no easy answers in Iraq. But we are convinced 
     that the United States should now set a dramatically 
     different course--one that anticipates U.S. military 
     withdrawal sooner rather than later. We should begin the 
     discussions now as to how we can bring our troops home.
       The United States should accelerate and pay for the 
     training of Iraqi security forces with the help of Egypt, 
     Jordan, and other Arab allies. We can begin drawing down 
     American forces to coincide with the number of trained Iraqi 
     forces. By that measure, we should bring 30,000 of our troops 
     home now.
       President Bush should consult with the current Iraqi 
     government and other Arab nations about the necessity for an 
     Arab-led security force to complement the Iraqis in the short 
     term. Again, the United States should finance this effort.
       We should also work with the United Nations to solicit 
     ideas and assistance from the international community on how 
     we can best disengage.
       There are no guarantees that militarily withdrawing from 
     Iraq would contribute to stability or would not result in 
     chaos. On the other hand, we do know that under our 
     occupation the violence will continue. We also know that our 
     occupation is one of the chief reasons for hatred of the 
     United States, not only in the Arab world but elsewhere.
       Wars are easy to get into, but hard as hell to get out of. 
     After two years in Iraq and the loss of more than 1,600 
     American soldiers, it is simply not enough to embrace the 
     status quo.
       We are not suggesting a ``cut-and-run'' strategy. The 
     United States must continue to finance security, training, 
     and reconstruction.
       But the combination of stubbornness and saving face is not 
     an adequate rationale for continuing this war. This is not a 
     liberal or conservative issue. It is time for lawmakers in 
     Washington--and for concerned citizens across the Nation--to 
     demand that this sad chapter in our history come to an end 
     and not be repeated in some other hapless country.
       The path of endless war will bankrupt our treasury, devour 
     our soldiers, and degrade the moral and spiritual values of 
     the Nation. It is past time to change course.

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