I served in the United States Army as a paratrooper in the 101^st and 82^nd Airborne Divisions.  I am proud to be a veteran, and because I served, I have a strong solidarity with the men and women currently serving in our nation’s military.

 

I understand that war is sometimes necessary, but because I know the dangers and costs of sending troops into battle, I believe it should only be a last resort.

 

After September 11^th, I supported fighting the terrorists in Afghanistan who had attacked our country.  However, when President Bush pushed for the war in Iraq, I opposed him.  I was not persuaded that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and did not believe that invading Iraq was necessary to secure our homeland.  So in 2002, after weighing the evidence, consulting Bishop Barnes and giving it much thought I voted against the war.

 

The Administration was in such a hurry to invade Iraq that it sent our military in there without proper training or equipment.  Generals cautioned that the war in Iraq would require substantially more troops than were being deployed, but President Bush ignored them.  In addition, the President did not have a plan for the military’s role after they succeeded in ousting Saddam’s regime or a defined mission for our troops and a timetable for bringing them home.

 

Now almost four years later, despite all the miscalculations, changed explanations and failures that have resulted in many American casualties, the Administration still stubbornly insists on staying the course, ignoring distinguished generals, the bipartisan Iraq Study Group and Congress.  Moreover, the President is acting against the will of the vast majority of the American people. 

 

The public mourns the loss of more than 3,000 American troops in Iraq, including 325 from California and 10 from my district.  More than 23,000 have been disabled or severely wounded.  The troops have performed honorably and sacrificed so much, but conditions on the ground in Iraq have spiraled out of control.  There is a civil war between religious and ethnic rivals.

 

The President now wants to send 21,500 more troops to the most dangerous parts of Iraq.  This is not a strategy for success.  This is a desperate attempt by an Administration who can’t admit they made a mistake! 

 

I oppose this war, and I oppose the President’s plan to send more troops to Iraq.  This was my message when I spoke this week in Congress, and this is why I will vote today for a resolution expressing support for the troops and opposing the President’s strategy.

 

The President should listen to the American people and work with Congress on a plan to start to bring the troops home to their loved ones, where we will thank them for a job well done.