July 10, 2007

Reid: As Civil War Rages Six Months After Bush Annouces Surge, Democrats Again Push Strategy To Bring Our Troops Home

Washington, D.C.—Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada made the following statement today in response to President Bush’s remarks on the progress of the war in Iraq:

“In the six months since President Bush announced his surge, nearly 600 brave Americans have been killed while trying to provide Iraq’s political leaders with the breathing space needed to unite their country.  But Iraq’s leaders have been frozen in a dangerous stalemate and have met virtually none of the critical political and economic benchmarks they set for themselves.  Meanwhile, American taxpayers are being asked for more than $10 billion per month to finance the war and support an Iraqi government that shows little interest in helping itself.  In short, the President’s strategy and the surge in particular have delivered few of the promised results.   

“Unfortunately, we are learning that President Bush is unwilling to offer a strategy other than more of the same – plunging our brave military forces even deeper into a civil war in hopes that Iraqis will eventually act.  That path is not sustainable.  Democrats believe we need a new strategy, one that forces the President to change the mission and bring our troops home responsibly.  We hope Republicans will join us to deliver the real change of course in Iraq that the American people and our troops deserve.”

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Escalation Simply Failing

Today, the six-month anniversary of the President announcing the escalation, it is clearer than ever that this stay-the-course strategy is failing.  Violence has increased inside and outside of Baghdad, Iraqi forces have yet to stand up, and the Iraqi government is making no real progress.  It is time Senate Republicans put our nation’s security and the American people’s desires over a stubborn President, and vote for redeployment.  

Despite Escalation, Violence is Increasing

Sectarian Violence in Baghdad is Increasing. “Nearly five months into a security strategy that involves thousands of additional U.S. and Iraqi troops patrolling Baghdad, the number of unidentified bodies found on the streets of the capital was 41 percent higher in June than in January, according to unofficial Health Ministry statistics.” [Washington Post, 7/5/07]

Pentagon Reports that Violence is Increasing Outside of Baghdad.  “And it [the Pentagon Quarterly Report] described in more detail than officials had until now how security conditions in other parts of the country had worsened when American and Iraqi forces shifted in large numbers into the capital.” [New York Times, 6/14/07]

Pentagon Says Suicide Attacks More Than Doubled During Escalation.  “Suicide attacks more than doubled across Iraq -- from 26 in January to 58 in April -- said the report, which covers the three months from mid-February to mid-May.”  [Washington Post, 6/14/07]

During Escalation, U.S. Troops Faced Deadliest Two Month Period Since Invasion. “In April and May, 230 U.S. troops were killed, making it the war’s deadliest two month period.” [USA Today, 6/27/07]

Sectarian Cleansing of Baghdad Neighborhoods Continues.  “Christian leaders say 500 families left Dora in April and May…  The flight of Dora's Christians is an example of how the initial phase of the U.S. security crackdown here has failed to establish security and stop the sectarian "cleansing" of Baghdad's neighborhoods. The U.S. military conducted a major clearing operation in Dora last fall, then largely pulled out, turning security over to Iraqi forces. Sunni Arab militants with ties to the group Al Qaeda in Iraq quickly reestablished themselves and late last year began harassing Christians.” [Los Angeles Times, 6/27/07]

Despite Escalation, Iraqi Government Failing to Make Progress

Iraq Unlikely to Meet Any Benchmarks Set By President Bush. “The Iraqi government is unlikely to meet any of the political and security goals or timelines President Bush set for it in January when he announced a major shift in U.S. policy, according to senior administration officials closely involved in the matter.” [Washington Post, 7/8/07]

Iraqi Government Barely Functioning.  “At least 12 ministers from the 38-member cabinet are no longer attending cabinet meetings. There has been little progress on benchmark legislation, including oil revenue-sharing and a law to set a date for provincial elections. Seventy-four members of Parliament are boycotting the 275-member body, which, when combined with the members who rarely attend anyway, means that Parliament often lacks a quorum and cannot do any official business.” [New York Times, 6/6/07]

• Shiites Beset by Infighting - Maliki’s Cabinet is “Teetering on the Edge.” “Iraq's government is teetering on the edge. Maliki's Cabinet is filled with officials who are deeply estranged from one another and more loyal to their parties than to the government as a whole. Some are jostling to unseat the prime minister. Few, if any, have accepted the basic premise of a government whose power is shared among each of Iraq's warring sects and ethnic groups.” [Las Angeles Times, 6/6/07]   

Despite Escalation, Iraqi Security Forces Still Unable to Stand Up

Iraqi Forces Still Unable to Hold Areas Cleared by U.S. Troops.  “Iraq faced more troubles on the military and political fronts on Sunday: some American commanders expressed doubts about the ability of Iraqi troops to hold the gains made in areas north of the capital last week, and two Sunni Arab blocs boycotted a Parliament session, demanding the reinstatement of the speaker. …The American commander in Baquba, Brig. Gen. Mick Bednarek, and his counterpart south of Baghdad, Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, pointed to a variety of problems with the Iraqi forces, including a shortage of trained troops and a lack of basic supplies like ammunition, radios and trucks.  ‘They're not quite up to the job yet,’ General Bednarek said in an interview with The Associated Press in Baquba.”  [New York Times, 6/25/07]

Iraqi police corrupt, fueling sectarian violence. “Iraq's 135,000-strong police force continues to be plagued with problems, U.S. commanders say. Up to 70% of Iraqi police leaders have been replaced because they had ties to sectarian violence, Petraeus says. About 5,000 police deserted the force in the 18 months before January, Lt. Gen. Martin Dempsey said at a Pentagon news conference Wednesday. Another 7,000 or 8,000 police officers are unaccounted for. "I have great concerns about the police," Lynch says. "There are large areas in (central Iraq) where there are no police. And in areas where we do have police, we have corrupt police.” [USA Today, 6/14/07]

Meanwhile, Al-Qaeda Regaining Sanctuary in Afghanistan and Pakistan

As Iraq becomes a breeding ground for terrorism, the Bush Administration has become distracted from fighting al-Qaeda along the Afghanistan/Pakistan border where Osama bin Laden is believed to be hiding. It’s time to refocus our nation’s efforts on a strategy to effectively fight terrorism.

Taliban Regrouping, Increasing Attacks, and in Control of Large Parts of Afghanistan. “Five years after the Taliban's ouster, the militia is again a serious adversary, seizing control of swaths of the south, despite the presence of more NATO, U.S. and Afghan troops. …In eastern Afghanistan, attacks were up 83 percent during the first half of the year compared with the same period of 2006, according to the U.S. units who operate there.” [AP, 7/1/07]

National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell Says Al Qaeda Leadership in Afghanistan/Pakistan is Much More Likely to Guide Next Attack on the U.S. than Terrorists in Iraq.

• Senator Jack Reed: Well, the question would be: If you had to establish a probability of a successful attack being organized and directed against the United States, would it emanate from Pakistan, with this newly revised Al Qaida leadership, or would it come out of Iraq?
• National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell: My belief is the attack most likely would be planned and come out of the leadership in Pakistan. [Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing, 2/27/07]

Iraq War Czar Lt. General Lute Admits Al-Qaeda Has Sanctuary on Afghanistan-Pakistan Border.  “I don’t think there’s any question that the relative sanctuary for, especially, Taliban senior leadership in Pakistan, today, in the border regions of Pakistan, is a major factor in the ability of the Taliban to be resurgent and probably quite active military this spring in Afghanistan.  There’s no question that that sanctuary exists and that it’s a major asset for the Taliban.” [Senate Armed Services Committee, 3/1/07]

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