Rep. Conyers for International Diplomacy over the President’s Failed Iraq Policy

Washington D.C. – Last night, Congressman John Conyers (D-MI), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and Dean of the Congressional Black Caucus, voted in favor of H.R. 4156, the Orderly and Responsible Iraq Redeployment Act. This act passed the House with a vote of 218-203, and will require the start of the redeployment of U.S. forces within 30 days of enactment, with a goal completion of redeployment by December 15, 2008. It will also require a transition in the mission of U.S. forces in Iraq from primarily combat to force protection and diplomatic protection; limited support to Iraqi security forces; and targeted counterterrorism operations. In response to the vote, Mr. Conyers made the following statement:

“Many insist that American troops can not leave Iraq until we have achieved victory; and democracy has been established. History has shown us that civil wars and insurgencies are ended only through rigorous diplomacy, economic development, and national reconciliation between former enemies; not by a troop surge and an endless war. Diplomacy works, and now more then ever is the time to implement the recommendations of the Baker-Hamilton Commission, and call for a regional peace summit in the Middle East.

Let’s bring all parties who are involved in the conflict to the peace table, so they can begin to resolve their differences. If international diplomacy ended the intractable conflicts in Northern Ireland, the Balkans, the conflict between Israel and Egypt, and Rwanda; then international diplomacy can work in Iraq. Once we begin the strategic withdrawal of U.S. troops out of Iraq, and show the Iraqi people we do not wish to occupy their country, then and only then can we begin the real possibility of having an effective international peace conference. Let’s bring our troops home and begin the peace process by having rigorous international diplomacy and the economic development to Iraq.

The war in Iraq cannot be won through the use of military force or another troop surge. The majority of the American people do not support the war in Iraq; a recent study stated that nearly seven in ten Americans oppose the war. Since the war began in 2003, 3,859 brave U.S. troops have died in Iraq. In 2007 the death toll has already reached 860 soldiers who have lost their lives, making it the worst year yet for the American military in Iraq. Currently, 28,400 soldiers have been wounded in Iraq since the war began with 12,750 suffering injuries so serious they were prevented from returning to duty.

President Bush’s failed Iraq policies offer only a 10 year war with no end in sight and an ever growing national debt. There is no progress on political reconciliation between Shiites and Sunnis in the Iraqi government. Just this week, it was reported that the U.S. effort to organize nearly 70,000 local Sunni fighters to solidify security gains in Iraq is facing severe political and logistical challenges as the central government resists in incorporating them into the Iraqi police and army and last month, the Shiite political alliance of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki called the U.S. military to halt the recruitments of Sunnis. It is time we truly support our troops by pulling them out of harm’s way and vigorously pursue diplomacy, economic development, and national reconciliation in Iraq.”

###01-11-2007###

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