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From July 27 to 30, I led a bipartisan, all-freshman Congressional delegation (commonly referred to as a CODEL) trip to Iraq. There were six of us on the trip, three Republicans and three Democrats: Mary Fallin (R-OK), Dean Heller (R-NV), Peter Roskam (R-IL), Keith Ellison (D-MN), and Tim Mahoney (D-FL).
After casting votes on Friday, July 27, the six of us left from in front of the Rayburn House Office Building and headed to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. When we arrived at Andrews we boarded the plane quickly and were on our way by about 6:30 p.m. We flew from Andrews to Shannon Airport in Ireland for a refueling and then headed to Kuwait. We were accompanied by Department of Defense staff, including two liaisons: LTC Jim Garrison and Major Jeremy Glauber.
Landing in Kuwait, the temperature was 124 degrees. Stepping out of the plane was a shock, like going into a hot sauna. I think this was the hottest temperature I had ever been in. We switched planes and took a military C-130 from Kuwait to Baghdad. C-130s are 1960 vintage aircraft, with four propellers. They are the only military airplanes allowed to land in Baghdad because of their excellent safety records. Inside the C-130 the seats are mesh platforms that sit over bars parallel to your legs as you sit.
When we landed in Baghdad, there were two Blackhawk helicopters waiting with the rotors turning to take us to the Green Zone and the dinner at the Ambassador’s residence with General Petraeus. We had dinner that evening with General Petraeus, who gave us a briefing on the situation in Iraq. After dinner we headed back to the American Embassy. It had ‘cooled down’ to 117 degrees.
The next morning we each taped messages for Armed Forces Television, then boarded helicopters for the trip to the city of Ramadi, in Anbar Province. There we walked through a bustling open air market, with protective gear and Army escorts. We also toured Ramadi City Hall and met with the Mayor.
It is clear there has been success in quelling the insurgent violence in Ramadi – which is why the military chose to showcase it to us. But Ramadi is only one very small piece of a much larger, more complex puzzle. There is no question that sectarian violence is still raging in other parts of the country.
Leaving Ramadi, we headed to the headquarters of the Iraqi Army’s 11th Division, outside the Green Zone. The Iraqi soldiers we saw as we approached appeared competent. The Iraqi general was cordial and he spoke with bluster and bravado about the capabilities of the Iraqi Army.
Another helo ride took us to the Green Zone and a meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih. Salih is a well-educated Kurd with an excellent awareness of the American political process. He made it clear that Iraqis need our support and patience. I told him that I told him that Iraqi leaders must take responsibility for their country.
That evening I had dinner with six soldiers from California. We had a good time and they made it clear they wanted to be home with their families but at the same time are proud of the job they’re doing. I think they appreciated the opportunity to talk.
The next day we left Iraq, headed to Kuwait, and then to Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany. We landed at about 2 a.m. The next morning we went to the Fisher House, a privately funded residence for family of service members who are hospitalized at Ramstein. Then we went to the hospital at Ramstein. It was heart wrenching to visit with wounded soldiers though many of them still seemed in good spirits.
We left Germany on Monday afternoon to head back to Andrews Air Force Base.
Even though we were shown some successes, Iraq is still engaged in a religious civil war. I believe we must keep the pressure on to end the conflict and bring our troops home. The most direct way to do this is through setting a timeline. We need to set a definite start date and a definite strategy to end our military involvement. And in between, we need definite benchmarks.
In doing so we must truly take a bipartisan approach. I believe we must sit down with legislators from all different perspectives and come to an agreement on how to move forward. That is the only way to end this war in a responsible way. There is, however, one area on which I am not willing to compromise and that is the need to maintain a timeline in some form.
In addition, we must increase the diplomatic pressure. Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey all have a significant interest in resolving this conflict. An expanding conflict, or a continued civil war in Iraq, will lead to region-wide instability.
I offer the highest praise for our soldiers who are sacrificing so very much for our nation and wish them and their families the best.
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