[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 2159]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           STRATEGY FOR IRAQ

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, last night the President reiterated his 
plans to send more troops to Iraq, despite bipartisan opposition in 
Congress and the opposition of most Americans.
  Iraq is in a civil war. The violence that plagues Iraq is increasing, 
and our troops are caught in the middle of Iraqi sectarian violence. We 
have lost 3,032 of our brave men and women in this war.
  Mr. Speaker and Members, despite the fact that the President talks 
about his surge, or what we know it to be, an expansion, we have to 
remember, these are not new boots on the ground. These tours are being 
extended. These tours are being extended, and some of our men and women 
in the military are being asked to extend their tours two and three 
times. They are also shortening the length of time that these soldiers 
have at home. Many of them, who have been on two tours and expect to go 
home and spend a little time with their families, are being told, no, 
you won't be able to spend the time that you thought you were going to 
be able to spend. You have got to come back after having been home a 
shorter period of time. Even the National Guard. They are now 
eliminating the limitations on how many times they can be called up for 
Active Duty. So these are not new boots on the ground.
  As the Iraq Study Group noted in its report, ``Attacks against U.S. 
coalition and Iraqi security forces are persistent and growing. Total 
attacks in October 2006 averaged 180 per day, up from 70 per day in 
January 2006. Daily attacks against Iraqi security forces in October 
were more than double the level in January. Attacks against civilians 
in October were four times higher than in January. Some 3,000 Iraqi 
civilians are killed every month.''
  The United Nations estimated that more than 34,000 civilians were 
violently killed across Iraq in 2006, with an average of 94 killed 
every day.
  The U.S. Department of Defense claims that the number of Iraqis that 
are trained and equipped is increasing each month. In fact, they claim 
that there are almost 300,000 Iraqis trained.
  However, our troops are in a difficult situation, and they cannot 
trust many of those who serve in Iraq's security forces. For example, 
American troops often complain that Iraqi police and soldiers tip off 
the targets of raids ahead of time. American troops also say that 
Iraqis flee during some of the security operations. It is also reported 
that the Iraqi desertion rate is high among those who serve in Iraqi 
security forces. Sending more U.S. troops to Iraq will only put more of 
them at risk.
  Mr. Speaker, and Members, I am worried. I am worried that our Nation, 
our Commander in Chief is on the path to confrontation with al-Sadr and 
al-Sadr City, and I believe that this is going to be disastrous.
  First of all, I don't trust Maliki, who is friends with al-Sadr. 
Remember when the President of the United States went to Jordan to meet 
with Maliki, he was stopped from going into that meeting by al-Sadr. He 
finally did meet before he left Jordan, but that was an exercise of 
power by al-Sadr. And I don't want this confrontation.
  There are over 50,000 Iraqis in that militia, and I don't want our 
soldiers, with so-called Iraqi soldiers working with them, fighting 
with us, who may desert them, who may tip them off, to confront this 
militia. I want our soldiers out of there before it happens.
  On Saturday, I will be marching with Representative Lynn Woolsey and 
thousands of other Americans who want to end this war and bring our 
troops home. The rally that is going to be held here in Washington, 
D.C., will attract millions, and we will send a clear message to 
President Bush and his administration that we have had enough. It is 
time to bring our troops home, and it is time to use diplomacy to 
stabilize Iraq and the Middle East region.
  Mr. Speaker, and Members, we have Members of Congress who voted to 
support the Commander in Chief. They voted to go into this war. But 
many of them are saying to us today, if they had known then what they 
know now, they never would have taken that vote to send our troops into 
that war.
  Of course, we don't have to say it, but we must remind people over 
and over again, there were no weapons of mass destruction. There was no 
reason for us to go into Iraq. We have destabilized Iraq. We are 
destabilizing the entire Middle East, and we cannot win with this 
strategy that the President has employed.
  And I would simply say to my colleagues, please do everything you can 
to help get us out.

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