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Robert Fitzgerald on War & Peace |
KENNEDY: We need to understand how detrimental it would be to our security if we did not succeed in Iraq. That's why I'm very concerned when I hear Ms. Klobuchar say the answer is diplomacy, and that we ought to negotiate. With who? How are you going to negotiate with al Qaeda? How are you going to negotiate with Iranian-sponsored terrorists?
FITZGERALD: John McCain called for more troops a year-and-a-half ago, and I agreed with him at that time. An opportunity presented itself to quell the violence in Iraq. In the pigheadedness of this administration, they did not heed that call, and that opportunity has since passed. This conflict cannot be solved with military action. The conflict needs the withdrawal of our troops immediately.
KLOBUCHAR: I believe it's time to transition to Iraqi authority and let this government run its own country. The way you do this is not by adding more troops. It's by beginning to bring our troops home, or to redeploy them.
KENNEDY: We need to listen to the commanders in the field. If they say we need more troops, than I want to make sure they have more troops. We ought not to be listening to Washington politicians. We ought to be listening to what the commanders in the field say is important for victory. I have visited Iraq three times, and I called for the Iraq Study Group [for that purpose].
FITZGERALD: I have not had the opportunity to have a taxpayer-funded junket to Iraq, but I have had the opportunity to talk to military families who have said that this is falling solely on their shoulders. This war is being fought with other people's children, and is being fought with other people's children's money. We have borrowed every single dollar that we have sued to fight this war to the tune of $330 billion so far. That's immoral and irresponsible government.