LETTER FROM SEN. BOB CASEY
Dear Mr. Masters:
Thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding the war in Iraq. I appreciate hearing from all Pennsylvanians about this important issue.
In the last four years, our Commonwealth has suffered the tragic loss of over 175 men and women, the third highest number of troop deaths of any state in the country. Since joining the Senate in January, I have consistently called upon the President to change our mission in Iraq and commence the redeployment of U.S. troops from Iraq, with a goal of completing that redeployment no later than spring 2008. That position has been reflected in the votes I have cast, the questions I have asked at Foreign Relations Committee hearings, and the speeches I have delivered on the Senate floor.
To gain a better understanding of the on-the-ground reality in Iraq, I traveled in early August to Iraq to meet with senior Iraqi leaders, as well as General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker. However, the most indelible impressions I took away from this trip came from the time I spent with our troops. Our young men and women serving in Iraq are American heroes; their dedication and courage are awe-inspiring. I had the opportunity to meet on two occasions with soldiers from Pennsylvania. Every soldier I spoke to was singularly focused on his or her mission and proud to be serving America. I emphasized to these young heroes that our nation is united when it comes to recognition of, and gratitude for, the sacrifices they make each and every day.
General Petraeus and others have reminded us that a military solution alone is not sufficient in Iraq. The whole purpose of the surge was to provide breathing space for Iraqi political leaders to make the hard choices necessary for political reconciliation. However, that has not happened and, based upon my meetings with senior Iraqi leaders, it is not likely to occur anytime in the near future. Iraqi political leaders continue to refuse to make the tough choices required for national reconciliation.
For that reason, I continue to believe that the President must change course in Iraq and begin a phased redeployment of U.S. combat forces. I am an original co-sponsor of legislation to implement the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group, which would lead to a shift in the U.S. mission to training and equipping Iraqi forces and limited counter-terrorism operations, and a drawdown of U.S. combat forces. I have also introduced separate legislation calling on the President to initiate a diplomatic surge to better involve Iraq’s neighbors, the United Nations, and other key international actors in the effort to broker a lasting political settlement in Iraq.
Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or any other matter of importance to you.
If you have access to the Internet, I encourage you to frequently visit my web site,
http://casey.senate.gov. In the months ahead, I will continue to develop the site in order to allow you to stay up-to-date on my work in Washington. If you wish to e-mail me, you can do so on the web site.
Sincerely,
Bob Casey
United States Senator
1 Comment
Dear Sen. Casey,
Thank you for responding to my recent email concerning the war in Iraq. I appreciate the fact that you took the time out of your busy schedule to address my thoughts on the subject. There were several points in your letter I would like to address.
First, I agree that all Americans should support the brave heros of our armed services. These great people lay there lives on the line every day to protect our freedom. No one should ever show them any kind of disrespect.
Second, I agree that the Iraqi government has fallen way short of its obligation to restore peace and order to Iraq. I also believe that government must be held accountable by President Bush for it’s failures.
Third, I agree whole heartedly with Gen. Petreus’s assessment that an aggressive diplomatic approach to aid in the process must be formulated an executed to solve the problems of Iraq.
Fourth, I do have a friend who is stationed in Iraq. I do hear from her periodically and the message is always the same; our people want to come home but not before the job is done. I guess what I’m saying is ( this may sound a little harsh ) Everyone involved in this process needs to get on the stick. Pressure must be put on the Iraqi government to do their part, there must be a willingness on the President’s part to exert that pressure, Congress needs to stop fighting the President and both sides must work together to achieve the ultimate goal; BRINGING OUR SOLDIERS HOME! That is what we should be focused on, not the petty differences of our political partys.
Once again Senator, I thank you for your response. I can promise you that you will here from me again. I like to remain active in politics and I like to share my opinions with my elected officials as well as my fellow Americans. I do this by posting articles on my own website: http://www.raweditorial.com. I took the liberty of posting your letter and I will post my response as well. Feel free to visit and post your thoughts.
Thank you
Sincerely yours,
Willard W Masters
Managing Editor, raweditorial.com