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Patty Wetterling on War & Peace |
A: I've said that from today until the last American boot has left Iraqi soil, we must spend every dollar necessary to arm, support, and protect our troops. However, the time has come to bring our troops home. I have real concerns about the dollars spent, and the lack of accountability shown by the Administration. Unfortunately the Administration has not provided us with any kind of plan or accountability.
Parts of Iraq are already teetering on the brink of chaos, and the indefinite presence of American troops in Iraq guarantees only more tension, not stability. Only a political solution, created and agreed to by the Iraqis themselves, can lead that country to any kind of lasting stability. With Saddam Hussein removed from power, an Iraqi government now in place, and an Iraqi Constitution approved by the Iraqi people, it is time to return our focus to making America stronger and safer.
A: I would not presume to tell the Pentagon how to do its job, only what its job should be. President Bush waited 5 months from the time he signed the resolution approving the use of force before actually using it. And physically getting the troops over there took even less time than that. My proposal gives him almost 3 times that long to do the reverse. When asked how long we could be over there, Donald Rumsfeld said it could be 10 years or more. That's an unbelievably long time, and it's even more unbelievable that we don't have a real answer to that question. Regarding long term stability, only a political solution, created and agreed to by the Iraqis themselves, can lead that country to any kind of lasting stability.