Posted by
Stephen on Wednesday, January 24, 2007 9:23:05 PM
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed a non-binding resolution today, which said in part:
Expresses the sense of Congress that:
(1) it is not in the U.S. national interest to deepen its military involvement in Iraq, particularly by escalating the U.S. military presence in Iraq;
(2) the primary objective of U.S. strategy in Iraq should be to have the Iraqi political leaders make the political compromises necessary to end the violence in Iraq;
(3) greater regional and international support would assist the Iraqis in achieving a political solution and trational reconciliation;
(4) main elements of U.S. forces in Iraq should transition to helping ensure Iraq's territorial integrity, conduct counterterrorism activities, reduce regional interference in Iraq's internal affairs, and accelerate raining of Iraqi troops;
(5) the United States should transfer, under an appropriately expedited timeline, responsibility for internal security and halting sectarian violence in Iraq to the government of Iraq and Iraqi security forces; and
(6) the United States should engage nations in the Middle East to develop a regional, internationally-sponsored peace and reconciliation process for Iraq.
While the netroots will undoubtably cheer this result, there is no doubt that Al Qaeda is equally pleased. What message does this send to the terrorists spreading fear and chaos in Iraq? Worse still, what message does it send to our troops about to deploy?
It was sponsered by:
Sen Cardin [MD]
Sen Clinton [NY]
Sen Durbin [IL]
Sen Hagel [NE]
Sen Lautenberg [NJ]
Sen Levinl [MI
Sen Mikulski [MD]
Sen Murray [WA]
Sen Reed [RI]
Sen Rockefeller [WV]
Sen Snowe [ME]
Sen Stabenow [MI]
Sen Wyden [OR]
If you are repulsed by this undercutting of the troops efforts, then read the following pledge:
"If the United States Senate passes a resolution, non-binding or otherwise, that criticizes the commitment of additional troops to Iraq that General Petraeus has asked for and that the president has pledged, and if the Senate does so after the testimony of General Petraeus on January 23 that such a resolution will be an encouragement to the enemy, I will not contribute to any Republican senator who voted for the resolution. Further, if any Republican senator who votes for such a resolution is a candidate for re-election in 2008, I will not contribute to the National Republican Senatorial Committee unless the Chairman of that Committee, Senator Ensign, commits in writing that none of the funds of the NRSC will go to support the re-election of any senator supporting the non-binding resolution."If you agree, you can go
here (hat tip:
Hugh Hewitt)to sign the online petition to tell the Republican party that a party that will not fight the war to win, that will waffle in the slighest political breeze, and will not fully show a united front to our enemies abroad, will not receive your financial support.