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Andrew Cline has been editorial page editor of the New Hampshire Union Leader since October of 2001. His writing has appeared in more than 100 newspapers and magazines, including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and National Review.Sen. John McCain & Sen. Joe Lieberman: It's inexcusable for Congress not to fund troops in Iraq
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By SEN. JOHN MCCAIN & SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN
Commentary
Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2007
HAVING SPENT much of the past year mired in legislative trench warfare over Iraq, advocates in Congress seeking a mandatory withdrawal of troops are now refusing to pass funding for our forces deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan.
For Congress to fail to provide the funds needed by our soldiers in the field is inexcusable under any circumstances -- but it is especially disappointing right now, coming at the very moment when Gen. David Petraeus and his troops are achieving the kind of progress in Iraq that few would have dared imagine possible just a few months ago.
We recently traveled to Iraq, where we saw and heard firsthand about the remarkable transformation that our brave men and women in uniform have succeeded in bringing about this year.
As every major news outlet now acknowledges, security has improved dramatically across Iraq since Gen. Petraeus took command and began implementing a bold new counterinsurgency strategy -- the so-called "surge." Today, rocket and mortar attacks have dropped to their lowest levels in 21 months. Car bombs and suicide attacks in Baghdad have plummeted 70 percent. Iraqi civilian casualties are sharply down throughout Iraq. And the number of U.S. soldiers killed in action has fallen for five straight months and is now at the lowest level in nearly two years.
Simply put: a year ago, al-Qaida was winning in Iraq. Now we are.
Our soldiers know they have seized the momentum in this fight.
Idealistic and innovative, they rightly recognize what has happened this year under Gen. Petraeus as one of the most extraordinary turnarounds in American military history.
As a result of the hard-won gains our troops have secured, Gen. Petraeus has been able to initiate a drawdown of U.S. forces. The first 5,000 American troops are now on their way out of Iraq, with more likely to follow in the months ahead. However, we should not have an automatic timetable for withdrawing brigades. Gen. Petraeus should decide the size of the force he needs to maintain security and keep our enemies on the run.
The success that Gen. Petraeus and his troops have achieved could provide the foundation for a new bipartisan consensus about Iraq in Washington. All of us, after all, want our troops to succeed in Iraq so that they can begin to come home with honor.
Unfortunately, too many Democrats have thus far been reluctant to welcome the reality of progress -- instead searching for ways to deny or disparage it.
In particular, Democrats have seized on the lackluster performance of the Iraqi government to insist that we should abandon Gen. Petraeus' successful strategy and withdraw far more of our troops, far faster, than he recommends.
This would be a terrible mistake.
There is no question Iraq's national leaders must do more to promote reconciliation and improve governance in the months ahead.
But the fact is, there has been enormous political progress in Iraq at the local and provincial levels thanks to the surge, as Sunni and Shiite leaders have stepped forward to fight against the extremists in their communities.
Building on these gains is going to require deft diplomacy and subtle statecraft from the United States -- not declarations of defeat.
And whatever the failings of the imperfect, fledgling democracy in Baghdad, they do not justify abandoning it to the al-Qaida fanatics and Iranian-backed terrorists who are trying to destroy it.
And make no mistake. Despite the progress we have achieved this year, there is no cause for complacency. Just as we have managed to turn failure into success in 2007, we can likewise turn success back into failure in 2008, if we are not careful.
As Brig. Gen. Joe Fil, the commander of U.S. forces in Baghdad, recently put it, al-Qaida in Iraq is now off balance, but they will come swinging back at us, if we give them the chance.
That is why Congress' failure to fund our troops is so profoundly reckless.
Nine months ago, when Gen. Petraeus took command in Baghdad, people of good conscience could disagree about whether his new counterinsurgency strategy would succeed. After so many mistakes and missteps by the Bush administration in Iraq, many Americans were understandably skeptical about the possibility of success.
Now, however, the evidence is unequivocal. The surge is working.
Rather than holding hostage the funding for our troops in the field and writing off the hard-won gains they are secured, it is time for Democrats and Republicans alike to recognize the extraordinary progress that Gen. Petraeus' strategy has achieved -- and build a new political consensus around it.
Just as we demand Iraqi leaders take advantage of the success of the surge to set aside their sectarian agendas and pursue peace, so too it is time for Congress to stop playing senseless partisan games and instead fund our troops -- who have accomplished so much -- without delay. They deserve nothing less.
Sen. John MCain is a candidate for the Republican nomination for President. Sen. Joe Lieberman is a former presidential candidate who now represents Connecticut as an independent.
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YOUR COMMENTS
Patton said it best: "Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser. Americans play to win all the time. I wouldn't give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed. That's why Americans have never lost, and will never lose a war... because the very thought of losing is hateful to Americans."
Nancy, Harry & Co. have forgotten this... but the American people have not.
- Dan Stevens, Columbus, OH
The article starts with "For Congress to fail to provide the funds needed by our soldiers in the field is inexcusable under any circumstances". So why didn't Senator McCain bother to vote on the omnibus spending bill ?
- John Lindberg, Iowa City, IA
Pres. Roosevelt named Vandenberg Air Force Base after the Republican senator from Michigan because Sen. Vandenberg supported Roosevelt in helping the British prior to 1941. Vandenberg said he would oppose Roosevelt's domestic policies but his opposition stopped at the border. He said we should be united in foreign policy. Too bad Democrats don't think that way now.
- Don Andree, Los Angeles
The recently elected Democratic congressional leadership and their cohort
are so blinded with hate towards President Bush that they prefer to see our country humiliated than acknowledge that the presidents surge has given the U. S. an actual opportunity to win the war against extremist. Their miopic and anti-american interest in their determination to embarass the U. S. will cost them the election in 08 which they had in their grasp. Americans may differ as to Iraq but not in wanting our contry being humiliated.
- Hugo D. Menendez (Fla. Sec. Of Labor (Ret_, Miami, Florida
Great thoughts, Tim! Joe ("do it - elect Kerry - for the children" Lieberman could cross the aisle and put Chucky, Ted and Nancy packing.
- Coach, Issaquah, WA
These are sad times for our country, as our Congress will not put partisan politics aside and come to a consensus and do what's best for the future of our nation and our people. All to the joy of our enemies that yearn to destroy the USA. We are our own worst enemies!
- I. Macias, Jr., San Antonio, TX
McCain for pres, Lieberman for VP. then we'll have an administration that puts America first. To hell with all the peaceniks and defeatocrats.I fought for the USA and i'll be damned if I'm going to sit by and watch Hillary and her gang of liars run this nation into the ground.
- sam cafone, sun city, az
Like our troops, Senators Lieberman and McCain have shown steadfast determination in the face of withering insurgent fire. Only the insurgent fire in America comes from the main stream media who never once made any attempt to report on the war, but chose to report on the politics of the war. And fellow politicians who bailed from supporting the war when it became politically inconvenient basically fragged McCain and Lieberman.
How many instances in history does one need to sight for people realize wars are messy and can turn on a single general like Petraeus?
Due the valiant efforts of our troops over 4 years in Iraq protecting their towns from foreign car bombers and head choppers the Iraqis have figured out the Americans are not the enemy, we are not there to "steal their oil".
Reconciliation is happening--the MSM isn't reporting it.
"The the leading Shiite cleric in Iraq, the Ayatollah Ali Sistani, has just issued a Fatwa banning the killing of Sunni Muslims. These events follow an earlier breakthrough between the Iraqi government and the USA. In summary, Iraq is asking the UN to leave and the US to stay. They have concluded that the lies they heard over the years are just that - lies and that Americans are decent people. It would be nice if our mainstream media and Democrat Party could reach the same conclusion."
- steve, seattle
If Pelosi and Reid think they can drag their feet without paying a very steep price at the ballot box next November, then they are grievously mistaken. I would applaud their attempts at political self-destruction, were it not for the fact that their failure to perform Congress' single essential task of annual appropriations will have severe negative consequences for so many Americans. Not only troops in the field, but also civilian DoD employees who will be laid off just in time for Christmas if Congress doesn't pass an acceptable defense appropriations bill very soon.
If the Democratic caucus wants support from anyone other than hard-left moonbats next year, it needs to light a fire under Pelosi and Reid to get this done. If that fails, perhaps it's time to elect new leadership in the House and Senate.
- Mike W. Long, Arlington, MA
Harry Reid, Nancy Polosi are not funding the troops because of their hatred of the President. Both shoukd be ashamed.
- Debbie Button, Mesa AZ
Let's see, Rick. Even if you accept the absurd and proven inflated figures of the Lancet that still leaves roughly 24.5M people to kill. Perhaps the more reasonable view is that the ethnic violence has always been largely due to a relatively small group of people and we have succeeded in both reducing their numbers and containing their capability to murder. Either this is a result of our efforts or a natural progression. Given that I know of no other case in history where violent extremists have abandoned their ways without either being defeated or having achieved victory, I tend to believe the phenomenon is not coincidental.
- David, Cordova, TN
These two warmongers are full of it. The Iraqies are not going to come together. Violence is down because of the ethnic killing that has been going on for over a year. They have less people to kill, that's all.
- Rick, Seabrook
It's inexcusable for Congress to abdicate it's constitutional authority to declare war, then sign blank check after blank check for every penny the president requests. The congress holds the purse strings. Since they failed so miserably to actually deliberate and declare war in the first place, perhaps our leaders in Congress can put OUR money where they're mouths are and do the right thing; stop funding this disaster.
- Kevin Olson, Nashua NH
Are Members of Congress unaware of why their ratings are so low? General Petraeus is the commander of the international forces in Iraq, and he is achieving success. Americans desire the best outcome for this enterprise, and are furious that certain Members of Congress are obstructionists. To refuse to adequately fund the troops is outrageous. General Petraeus should be given what he requests.
- Dr. Anne Marie V. Quin, Bangor, Maine 04401
I don't know about anyone else but I'm getting a little tired of hearing Joe Lieberman COMPLAIN about what the CONGRESS is or isn't doing under the Democrat Partys' rule. I say, "Shut up Joe. Stop your talking and do some WALKING." He's an Independent. He can cross the aisle any time he wants to and caucus with the Republicans. In doing so he would put THEM in the majority. No Harry Reid, no Schmucky Schumer, and no Hillary Clinton. No Pat Leahy. You get the picture. But that will never happen. Once a Lib always a Lib. And like some member of an abusive cult, he knows what's going on around him but he can't bring himself to leave. If he's not willing to DO anything to FIX the problem then he might as well shut up about it. Like the old saying goes...Put up or shut up.
- Timothy L. Pennell, Naugatuck, Ct.
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