A New Alternative to Escalation and 'Stay The Course'

      The 71-member  Congressional Progressive Caucus, largest  ideological grouping of House Democrats, released a detailed policy statement on the war in Iraq on Wednesday. It is posted below for those who may not have seen it.

Over the last four years, the insurgency in Iraq has strengthened and sectarian violence has increased. Furthermore, the current situation on the ground in Iraq is grave and rapidly deteriorating. The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) has determined accordingly that a predominantly military approach is no longer a viable solution to stabilizing Iraq.

We are committed to bringing all of the US troops and military contractors in Iraq home in a six-month time frame as part of a fully-funded redeployment plan.

More specifically, we oppose sending additional US troops and military contractors to Iraq and favor binding votes to block President Bush's escalation of US military involvement in Iraq.

We believe all appropriations for US military involvement in Iraq must be for the protection of our troops until and during their withdrawal within six months of the date of enactment of this limitation and accelerating the training and equipping of additional Iraqi security forces during that six-month time frame. The President has left the Congress few alternatives other than to use the power of purse spelled out in Article I, Section 9 of the U.S. Constitution to curtail U.S. military operations in Iraq.

Finally, we are opposed to establishing any permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq, support rescinding the President's Iraq war authority, and support greater diplomatic and political engagement in the region, while ensuring that the Iraqi people have control over their own petroleum resources.

The Nation

   This sounds like a very good alternate plan to me and I'll bet to many others also.

    Now, if we can just get President Dickhead and Vice President Buttmunch to admit that there are other alternatives other than ' staying the course ' or a troops escalation. I seriously doubt that will happen. Cheney has to help Halliburton make up some of that money that the government withheld from them.

 

Technorati tags: Escalation, Bush, Stay the Course