[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6716]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 DEMOCRATS HOLD THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABLE FOR PROMISES THEY MADE

  (Mr. PAYNE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, over the past year, the Iraqi Government 
has made countless promises to the Bush administration, but they have 
yet to live up to them. Military generals and experts have already 
concluded that there is no military solution to the civil war, and that 
the only way to cut down on violence there is through political and 
diplomatic channels.
  While President Bush addressed the Nation to announce his troop 
escalation plan, he promised America, and I quote, ``America will hold 
the Iraqi Government to the benchmarks it has announced.'' A newly 
released Pentagon report concludes that the Iraqi Government is still 
not living up to the promises it made last year. The Iraqi Prime 
Minister vowed to reform his government, beginning with his cabinet and 
his ministers, but the Pentagon report says that not one of these steps 
has been taken.
  It is time for Congress finally to hold the Iraqi Government 
accountable. If the Prime Minister is not committed to following 
through on his promises he made to our President, then it is only fair 
for us to reevaluate our commitment to them. The day of an open-ended 
war is over.

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