“When I hear testimony from Ambassador Ryan Crocker and Gen. David Petraeus in the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday, I expect to hear one of three things: "Security has improved; we can't leave Iraq," "Security has worsened; we can't leave Iraq," or "Security has stayed the same; we can't leave Iraq." I can only hope that into our sixth year of fighting, Ambassador Crocker and Gen. Petraeus will be able to define under what conditions we can redeploy U.S. troops from Iraq.
“Despite modest gains in security in Iraq -- not withstanding the troubling recent increase in violence -- our military leadership seems no closer to redeploying any number of U.S. troops from Iraq than we were a year ago, according to a recent U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) report.
“This is especially troubling given that key intelligence and military leaders have publicly stated that the next terrorist attack, should it occur, will likely originate from the Osama bin Laden safe haven along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border -- and not from Iraq.
“I reiterate what I said at the first Crocker/Petreaus hearings in September 2007: Without true political reconciliation, sectarian violence in Iraq will continue. The continued lack of political progress in Iraq is troubling and puts a heavy burden on our troops.
“Congress must insist on achievement when it comes to political progress, not just effort. That does not seem too steep an ask for nearly 10 billion U.S. taxpayer dollars a month.
“As the USIP report suggests, security gains in Iraq are largely out of our control. The president's contention that the Iraqi government's military efforts in Basra a few short weeks ago was a "defining moment in the history of a free Iraq" only underscored what we know: The Iraqi military is a still a phantom force on its own and requires full combat support from the United States military. All this after over five years of fighting.
“Our national interests in this region are too great for the United States to retrench from the area. However, I reiterate my call for a change of mission in Iraq, and I continue to call for the following:
-- The United States should complete training and equipping Iraqi military forces to fight a counterinsurgency campaign against the Iraqi-based insurgency.
-- The United States should embed available trainers and special operations personnel with Iraqi military forces to fight al-Qaida in Iraq.
-- The United States should provide personnel to secure Iraq's borders to cut the flow of foreign fighters and weapons into Iraq.
-- The United States should immediately withdraw troops from Iraq not necessary for these missions for redeployment to other areas of need or send them home.
-- The Unites States should invest in a diplomatic surge in the Middle East engaging all countries, including Syria and Iran, and convene an international peace conference to end the civil war in Iraq.
-- The United States should loosen its visa policies for Iraqis seeking to come to the United States.
“We must take these critical steps to sustain our armed services, begin to restore our military readiness, and refocus our efforts on defending our nation from those who would do us harm.”
U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, a Democrat, represents Washington's 2nd Congressional District. He is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and voted against the Iraq war resolution in October 2002.