Washington 2006 Senate Debate: on War & Peace

Bruce Guthrie: Iraq is in civil war; bring the troops home

McGAVICK: We have got to win the war against radical Islamic terrorism. To suddenly withdraw from Iraq would give our enemy heart, and would give them a staging ground for terrorism against us.

GUTHRIE: Currently in Iraq we have a civil war. The Sunnis and the Shiites are battling each other in a blood feud. Saddam’s dictatorship prevented that before. The only thing we can do to prevent that civil war from continuing is to set up a repressive regime that’s almost as bad as the one we took out. The Iraqis want to control their own country. Our brave soldiers are doing their best, but we need to bring them home as quickly as is consistent with their safety.

CANTWELL: We do need to change the course in Iraq. To say that we’re going to stay there as long as it takes, or even indicate that we’re going to have permanent bases, is the wrong message to the Iraqi government.

Maria Cantwell: Change the course in Iraq; we can’t stay indefinitely

McGAVICK: We have got to win the war against radical Islamic terrorism. To suddenly withdraw from Iraq would give our enemy heart & would give them a staging ground for terrorism against us.

GUTHRIE: Currently we have a civil war. Our brave soldiers are doing their best, but we need to bring them home as quickly as is consistent with their safety.

CANTWELL: We do need to change the course in Iraq. To say that we’re going to stay there as long as it takes, or have permanent bases, is the wrong message. We do need a plan, which includes these things:

1. We need the rest of the international community to step up political support for the new Iraqi government.
2. We need to send to the Iraqi people the message that we’re not going to stay there indefinitely. They have to take charge of their security.
3. We need to set a Dayton Accord summit to resolve issues like oil that keep the Shiites & Sunnis battling each other.

Mike McGavick: Cannot give Iraq to the terrorists or they’ll follow us here

McGAVICK: We have got to win the war against radical Islamic terrorism. Sen. Cantwell voted for the war, and she was a strong supporter of the war. As the election has gone on, we’ve heard more about troop withdrawals. To suddenly withdraw from Iraq would give our enemy heart, and would give them a staging ground for terrorism against us. Now, I’m not satisfied with the progress we’re making. We need a select bipartisan group of Senators to develop alternative ways forward, to prevent creating a vacuum that would give Iraq to terrorists and allow them to follow us here.

GUTHRIE: Currently in Iraq we have a civil war. Our brave soldiers are doing their best, but we need to bring them home as quickly as is consistent with their safety.

CANTWELL: We do need to change the course in Iraq. To say that we’re going to stay there as long as it takes, or even indicate that we’re going to have permanent bases, is the wrong message.