The Iraq War
The Iraq War
I'm the son of a Foreign Service officer who grew up all over the world. I think that's given me a perspective that's valuable today. America is a beacon for the world, but when we go it alone, we make it very difficult to succeed. It's one of the reasons I felt the President's decision to go to war in Iraq was premature, and a big mistake. Had I been in the Senate, I would have opposed the President's decision.
I support a rapid and responsible withdrawal of our troops from Iraq. We can and should have most, if not all of our troops, redeployed out of Iraq by the end of this year. To do that, we need to make it clear to the Iraqis and to other nations that we are in withdrawal mode. Iraqis must understand that very soon they will assume responsibility for the security, governance and administration of their country. We need to do this for our country and for our troops.
The bravery of our troops, Guard, Reserve, and active duty so many from Rhode Islandhas been extraordinary. But we cannot let their continued presence on the ground become the source of more security problems than they solve. We need to responsibly extricate ourselves from Iraq. And we need to resolve that never again will American troops go to battle without the body armor and protection they deserve. It's not a parent's job to outfit America's soldiers. That's what the President and Congress are supposed to do.
http://www.whitehouseforsenate.com/?page_id=70