Response #1 - Senator Dick Durbin
The following is the response to my questions that I sent in to my congressional representatives. I’ll comment here that although the response was concerning the current Iraq situation, it failed to address one important aspect. How efficiently are we killing our enemies? I don’t agree with the war in Iraq, as a matter of fact I think it is one of the worst ideas our government has ever had. But my concern is this: How inefficient has our military gotten? Are we using our military to it’s best effect, or is the whole concept of “bigger, badder, and more expensive” robbed us of our ability to wage effective war? That is my concern in this. The only effective way I can think of to fight a guerrilla war, is to make it more expensive for the guerrillas to fight than for us to defend. Please see the response after the jump:
Thank you for contacting me about the war in Iraq. I appreciate hearing from you.
I did not vote for the resolution authorizing this war. I believed that other options were available and that war should be the last option. Far too many of our men and women in uniform have died in this war, including many from our own Illinois communities who serve in the National Guard and Reserves. My deepest sympathies go out to the families and friends of those who have lost their lives in this endeavor, as well as to the many other American soldiers who have suffered life-changing injuries.
This war has exacted a huge toll on our country. With our involvement now in its fifth year, more than 3,000 American soldiers have been killed and more than 22,000 have been wounded. In addition to the loss of life, this war is costing us $2 billion each week. Add to this the escalating sectarian violence, and the unknown number of innocent Iraqi civilians who have perished as a result, and it is clear that the Bush Administration lacks a coherent strategy to stabilize Iraq and achieve victory.
It is time for us to end our open-ended commitment in Iraq, and for American troops to start coming home. That is why I am a cosponsor of S. 433, the Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007, which was introduced by Senator Obama on January 30, 2007, and is currently in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. This bill would prohibit an increase in troop levels without Congressional authorization and would begin redeploying troops this year.
The bill would also intensify the training of Iraqi security forces so that they can more quickly assume control of their own country, and require the Iraqi government to adhere to specific conditions in order to continue to receive economic assistance from the United States. Finally, the bill would emphasize diplomatic initiatives to restore peace in Iraq and prevent a regional conflict in the Middle East. Americans cannot win an Iraqi civil war, and we need to implement a strategy that gives the Iraqis a chance to build a government that stands on its own. Escalation of the war will only increase the costs for our taxpayers and troops, prolong our involvement in Iraq, and send the wrong message to the Iraqis without pressuring them to make the political compromises necessary to bring their country together.
The Senate has now gone on record in support of a timetable for redeploying our troops from Iraq. The supplemental spending bill approved by the Senate would require the President to begin redeploying troops within 120 days of the bill’s enactment and proposes a goal of redeploying most of the troops by March 31, 2008.
From the beginning, the Bush Administration greatly underestimated the difficulties associated with the post-war occupation and reconstruction of Iraq. Despite warnings from both internal and independent experts, Administration officials insisted that U.S. troops would be welcomed as liberators, and they did not plan for the situation we face today.
Even though Congress gave the Administration every dollar it requested, too many soldiers have traveled the dangerous roads of Iraq lacking vital equipment such as protective body armor and modern defensive equipment on helicopters. The failure to properly outfit our military personnel is unconscionable. I have pressed hard for the deployment of the best equipment we can give our forces. I also worked successfully to increase the level of combat pay we provide to our troops and have fought to make up the salary difference for federal employees who take a pay cut when they are mobilized as a member of the National Guard or Reserves, just as many state and local governments and private companies have done for their employees.
Our troops have done everything we have asked of them. We owe it to them to make it clear to Iraq’s political leaders and its people that it is time for the Iraqi people to take responsibility for securing and governing Iraq. The Iraqi government faces a difficult road ahead, and we should continue to help them as they strive to move forward. But by continuing the current open-ended military commitment in Iraq, the Bush Administration is simply prolonging the day when the U.S. soldiers there are able to return home to their families. I will continue to work to bring this war to a close and bring our troops home as soon as possible.
Thank you again for your message. I will continue to keep your concerns in mind as this situation develops further.
Sincerely,
Richard J. Durbin
United States Senator
