Dear Ms _______________:
Thank you for letting me know of your thoughts regarding our war efforts in Iraq. I appreciate hearing from you and would like to respond to your concerns.
News of continued violence in Iraq can be discouraging, but it is important to remember what we have achieved in a short period of time. Saddam Hussein is out of power and has been brought to justice. More than 3,920 reconstruction projects have been awarded that are meant to provide the people of Iraq with enhanced security, a more reliable electrical infrastructure, and new health clinics and hospitals. However, much work remains to be done in these important sectors to ensure that the citizens of Iraq are able to experience a stable quality of life on a daily basis.
As you may know, I recently joined former Senator Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) on a congressional delegation to the Middle East, including a visit to Baghdad, Iraq. While in Iraq, I had the opportunity to meet with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and other Iraqi officials. Former Senator Frist and I also spent significant time with members of our armed forces and received multiple briefings from military personnel and government officials. Through these briefings and subsequent visits with our servicemen and women from Florida who are on the ground in Iraq, I have become much better apprised of the situation and challenges facing our troops in that region of the world.
America's enemies want nothing more than to see the U.S. Armed Forces fail or withdraw prematurely from the region. Iraq remains a crucial front in the Global War on Terror. It is vital to our national security and international credibility that we ensure success in this effort.
As you know, the Iraq Study Group recently released their report which includes 79 recommendations that, in their view, will help improve our chances for success in Iraq. I was pleased that the President supported the creation of the Iraq Study Group to review current policy in Iraq. This is just one of several recent studies on the Iraq war that our Commander-in-Chief consulted as he determined what would be the best strategy for success in Iraq. In President Bush's address to the nation regarding our new way forward in Iraq, he clearly outlined the path that our forces will now follow to bring security to Baghdad and help the elected Iraqi government secure their country. I support our President's strategy and believe that it has a reasonable chance to achieve the success we very much need in Iraq. The consequences of even a perceived failure in that part of the world would be catastrophic to the United States.
During his recent testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Dr. Robert Gates, a former member of the Iraq Study Group and current Secretary of Defense, clearly articulated that setting an exact timetable for U.S. withdrawal would only serve our enemies best interests as they would wait till U.S. forces left before throwing the country and the entire region into chaos.
The successful completion of this current war will not be easy and should not be a partisan issue. It is the Iraqis who must step up to secure their own country. American forces can and should assist them, but any lack of commitment on their part will not be tolerated by the American people as long as our troops are in harms way. Much sacrifice will be required of our men and women in uniform for some time to come, and those who fight for you and me deserve nothing less than the full support of the American people and their elected leaders.
It is vital that Congress examine the president’s plan, and I hope that we can pull together – Republicans and Democrats to solve the most intractable and serious problem we face today. This is too important for politics. Please know that I will continue to closely monitor the evolving situation in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere in the ongoing War on Terror. Further, I will continue to work with my colleagues and with the Administration to see that our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines receive every tool they need and every benefit we can afford during this time of war.
Again, thank you very much for sharing your concerns. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any additional comments or questions. For more information on issues and activities important to Florida, please sign up for my weekly newsletter at http://martinez.senate.gov.
Sincerely,
Mel Martinez
United States Senator
