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Wednesday, August 24, 2005

RI-Sen: Matt Brown Demands Timetable and Plan for Iraq

Posted by Bob Brigham

From Matt Brown, Democrat for US Senate in Rhode Island:

Today I am calling on President Bush to set a timetable to start bringing American troops home from Iraq in six months. I’m asking all of my supporters to sign my petition to President Bush and to send it to their friends and families to sign it. The brave men and women of our Armed Forces have risked everything and done their job with courage and distinction. The President owes it to the American people to get this job done and bring our men and women home to their families.

Full petition after the jump:

“Mr. President, the American people are looking for leadership and strength in this difficult time. Like all Rhode Islanders and all Americans, I’m proud of our troops. They are the finest citizen soldiers in the world. They have left their homes and families, risked everything and done their job with courage and distinction.

“Last week you said withdrawing our troops from Iraq would be “a terrible signal to the enemy” and you again refused to set a timetable for withdrawal. That’s wrong. Continuing in Iraq without a plan, without a timetable for withdrawal is a terrible signal to Americans and our troops. It’s a failure of leadership.

“Mr. President, the United States of America – the strongest country in the world – should not let our decision about when to bring our men and women home be dictated by a group of foreign insurgents. We have set timetables for the Iraqis to establish a new government, draft a constitution and conduct free elections – and now we need to set a timetable to bring our troops home.

“We should start the withdrawal in six months, soon after the Iraqi National Assembly Elections scheduled for December 15. By early next year, our troops will have made it possible for the Iraqis to establish their own government and constitution and to hold free elections. Our troops will have done their job and it will be time to bring them home.

“Let me be clear – withdrawing our troops will not mean abandoning Iraq. Our troops should continue training Iraqi security forces for the next six months and during the gradual withdrawal process. Following the withdrawal, United States military trainers and advisors should provide continued training and technical assistance to Iraqi security forces and the new Iraqi government, as we do in many nations around the world.

“Mr. President, in just the last week, different officials in your administration have suggested very different timelines for withdrawal. The President is the Commander-in-Chief. You need to set the timetable and plan. You owe it to the American people to get this job done and bring our men and women home."

I signed here.

Posted at 01:57 PM in 2006 Elections - Senate, International, Rhode Island | Technorati

Comments

Its official... NC gets its own Paul Hackett!

http://realvalues.blogspot.com/2005/08/its-official-iraq-war-vet-files-to.html

Posted by: realvalues [TypeKey Profile Page] at August 25, 2005 07:28 AM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment

As a fellow Rhode Islander, I've been following this race closely. Matt Brown is an exciting young candidate, and in more ways than one, the new fresh face of the Democratic Party. He is the progressive grassroots candidate in the field aching for his chance to take on the Republican establishment that is bankrolling Chaffee heavily. He needs our support and our $$

Posted by: ElectDems [TypeKey Profile Page] at August 26, 2005 08:42 AM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment