Let the Military Choose Iraq Policy- Not Congress

A post from my congressman, Paul Gillmor, blog. This is why I vote for him.

This week, I joined many of my colleagues in a debate about a resolution being offered to disapprove of the President’s decision to send additional troops to Iraq.

Personally, I am skeptical that the increase of 20,000 additional troops will make the difference and stabilize Baghdad and Iraq. That being said, the question for me is to whom we should listen regarding operational decisions in Iraq. Should we listen to the recommendations of the US military or to the politicians in Washington?

As an Air Force veteran, I think we should accept the recommendations of our military. In that respect as recently as two weeks ago, General Odierno, Commander of Ground Forces in Baghdad said “By bringing more troops in, it provides us the opportunity to work with them (the Iraqis), to provide more time, and defeat this threat, which is both an al Qaeda threat as well as sectarian violence.”

For the past week, the House of Representatives has debated a nonbinding resolution which will do nothing to help our troops or positively change the course of action in Iraq. Our time could have been better spent debating real issues such as how to most effectively win the war that terrorists have waged on us.

What is most important about this resolution is not what it says but what it does not say. Even though the resolution compliments our military men and women, nowhere does it commit to continue providing funds for troops in the field. At a time when some in Washington are talking about cutting off funding for our troops, I think we should commit to providing full funding for our armed forces as long as they are in the field.

I have visited with wounded troops in Germany and have discussed our progress with a relative of mine who served a year in a combat zone in Baghdad. I am incredibly proud of our men and women in the military. They are talented, dedicated, professional and the absolute best in the world. We owe them all a tremendous debt of gratitude. What we do not owe our troops is a rejection of the only plan which has been proposed to achieve success in Iraq because failure in Iraq threatens the security of the United States, the Mideast and other parts of the world.

The resolution the House has been considering has two purposes. First, it rejects the only plan which has been suggested by our military leaders for success in Iraq. Second, it begins this Congress down a path which ends with cutting off funding for our troops and abandoning our foreign policy because of failed Congressional fortitude. I am opposed to this resolution and Congress’ micromanaging of the War on Terror.