Democrats set the stage for a confrontation with Republican President George Bush by strongly opposing the increase of number of troops in Iraq.
NEW YORK: A day after they took control of the US Congress, Democrats on Saturday set the stage for a confrontation with Republican President George W Bush by strongly opposing the increase of number of troops in Iraq.
Reports have said that Bush is planning to announce increasing American forces together with enhanced economic aid to counter growing sectarian violence in the warn-torn country.
Terming surging forces a failed strategy which the White House has already tried, the top Democratic leaders called for phased redeployment of the American forces while shifting their principal mission from combat to training, logistics, force protection and counter-terror. It is time to move American forces out of Iraq.
"More combat troops will only endanger more Americans and stretch our military to the breaking point for no strategic gain," Senate Majority leader Harry Reid and House speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a letter to President Bush.
Analysts say that the Democratic opposition is unlikely to have much effect on increasing the number of troops but if the strategy fails, it could have devastating impact for the Republicans in the Presidential elections due in less than two years time.
Rather than deploy additional forces to Iraq, the two leaders said, "we believe the way forward is to begin the phased redeployment of our forces in the next four to six months, while shifting the principal mission of our forces there from combat to training, logistics, force protection and counter-terror."
A renewed diplomatic strategy, both within the region and beyond, is also required to help the Iraqis agree to a sustainable political settlement.
In short, it is time to begin to move American forces out of Iraq and make the Iraqi political leadership aware that US commitment is not open ended, that we cannot resolve their sectarian problems, and that only they can find the political resolution required to stabilize Iraq, they added.
The American people, they said, demonstrated in the November elections that they do not believe your current Iraq policy will lead to success and that we need a change in the direction for the sake of our troops and the Iraqi people."
Referring to the new Iraq policy he expected to present next week, they told Bush that it presents him with another opportunity to make a long overdue course correction.
"Despite the fact that our troops have been pushed to the breaking point and, in many cases, have already served multiple tours in Iraq, new reports suggest that you believe the solution to the civil war in Iraq is to require additional sacrifices from our troops and are therefore prepared to proceed with a substantial US troop increase."
Stating that the surging forces that Bush has already tried and failed, he said like many current and former military leaders, we believe that trying again would be a serious mistake.
They, like us, believe there is purely no military solution in Iraq. There is only a political solution. Adding more combat troops will only endanger more Americans and stretch our military to the breaking point for no strategic gain.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=spacer}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}