WASHINGTON – In a letter (attached) to the President, Congressman Bart Stupak (D-MI) once again called upon the Bush Administration to develop an Iraqi Accountability Plan that will lay the groundwork for the reduction of U.S. troops in Iraq and for transferring to Iraqis responsibility for securing their own country.

“The Administration failed to think through an exit strategy before invading Iraq,” Stupak said.  “The Iraqi Accountability Plan is meant to ask the hard questions of the Administration now, so that we can begin the process of bringing our troops home.”

In his letter, Stupak noted that since he last wrote the Administration and called for an Iraqi Accountability Plan, the Prime Minister of Iraq addressed a joint session of Congress without providing a sense of how to make Iraqis responsible for their country’s security. 

“Prime Minister al-Maliki disappointed many Members of Congress by failing to lay out any concrete plan for ending the ongoing violence in his country,” Stupak noted.  “His comments on Iraqi-American cooperation, while welcome, seemed to ignore the fact that the U.S. is entangled in an Iraqi civil conflict, one that can only be solved by Iraqis.  The Prime Minister did not mention any timeline for allowing American troops to leave the country, leaving open the possibility that American soldiers will be expected to continue to fight and die in Iraq for years to come.” 

Stupak’s letter also argued that the redeployment of U.S. troops to Baghdad in order to stem the recent flood of violence there appears to be a serious setback in the effort to transfer security responsibility to Iraqis. 

“Increasing Iraqi responsibility for security in Baghdad was supposed to be one of the key elements in the plan to transfer responsibility to the new Iraqi government, and moving more American troops into the city appears to be a step backward,” Stupak wrote.  

Stupak also criticized the Administration for failing to make clear its position on proposals that would grant amnesty to Iraqis who have attacked U.S. troops.

“Prime Minister al-Maliki has stated that some sort of amnesty will be a part of his ‘National Reconciliation Plan.’  This proposed amnesty prompted outrage from Members of Congress and the American public,” Stupak wrote.  “I urge you to take a stand against amnesty, which dishonors the men and women who have died in Iraq and encourages increased attacks against American troops.”

Stupak originally called upon the Administration to establish an Iraqi Accountability Plan in December of 2005, following elections in Iraq.  In June of this year, when the Washington Post reported that the Administration had reached a tacit agreement with Iraqis for a reconciliation plan, Stupak was one of the leading voices of Congressional opposition. 
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(ATTACHMENT)
Below is the text of the letter Congressman Bart Stupak (D-MI) sent to President Bush.

August 2, 2006

President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20502

Dear President Bush:

On June 20th, 2006, I sent you a letter asking you to develop an Iraqi Accountability Plan.  As my letter outlined, I believe it is time to transfer responsibility for the safety and security of Iraq to the new Iraqi government.  I am calling on you to outline a plan to turn Iraq over to its own people. 

Since my last letter, Congress has heard from Iraqi Prime Minister al-Maliki, who disappointed many Members of Congress by failing to lay out any concrete plan for ending the ongoing violence in his country.  His comments on Iraqi-American cooperation, while welcome, seemed to ignore the fact that the U.S. is entangled in an Iraqi civil conflict, one that can only be solved by Iraqis.  The Prime Minister did not make any mention of a timeline for allowing American troops to leave the country, leaving open the possibility that American soldiers will be expected to continue to fight and die in that country for years to come. 

I am also troubled by the recent news that more American troops are scheduled to be shifted into Baghdad.  Increasing Iraqi responsibility for security in Baghdad was supposed to be one of the key elements in the plan to transfer responsibility to the new Iraqi government, and moving more American troops into the city appears to be a step backward. 

Finally, I ask you to explain your administration’s position on the proposed amnesty for Iraqis who have killed American troops.  Prime Minister al-Maliki has stated that some sort of amnesty will be a part of his “National Reconciliation Plan.” This proposed amnesty has prompted outrage from Members of Congress and the American public.  I urge you to take a stand against amnesty, which dishonors the men and women who have died in Iraq and encourages increased attacks against American troops.  

I continue to call on you to develop and implement a clear plan for reducing American forces in Iraq and holding the Iraqis responsible for governing their own country.  I appreciate your time and consideration, and I am looking forward to your response to my letters.

Sincerely,

BART STUPAK
Member of Congress