Dec 6, 2006- Congresswoman Kaptur's Statement On the Iraq Study Group Report

The Iraq Study Group has provided a readable, working document that affirmsthe situation in Iraq is "grave and deteriorating," and that"time is running out" for a U.S. success strategy. Indeed, the reportattests that 79 percent of the Iraqi people do not believe the U.S. presencethere is constructive. As I have affirmed many times since the Abu Ghraibprison scandal, the Bush Administration policy has forfeited our moralauthority in Iraq.On the very day the report was released, another 10 U.S.soldiers lost their lives in Iraq.Attacks against U.S.forces now total more than 180 per day, and this figure doubles with eachpassing year. The report also restates our nation's massive financialcommitment, now more than 400 billion dollars, sapping strength from domesticpriorities such as health care, education, and energy independence, all muchneeded here at home.

Unfortunately, the report begins with the sentence "The U.S. has longterm relationships and interests at stake," but then fails to identifythem. Obviously, one of them is oil, and the U.S.again does not commit itself in this report to a strong effort to restore America'senergy independence at home. In addition, the report is very "iffy"on how the oil bounty of Iraqwill be handled in the future. Though it makes suggestions on how to manage it,the prospects of that being accomplished are quite remote. The report makesmany recommendations that apply to Iraq,but not to end America's ownchief strategic vulnerability--its dependence on imported petroleum, includingfrom the Middle East.

Importantly, the report places the Iraqsituation in a regional context, explaining how what is happening in Iraq is operating to harm America's standing throughout the Middle East. It states how tepid international support isfor the U.S. engagement in Iraq, despitethe President's acclamations that there is a "coalition of thewilling." In addition, though the report acknowledges that for the U.S. todraw down forces, Iraqi units must replace them, it then details that though138,000 Army troops and 188,000 police units have some state of"readiness," half of them are not up to the task, with many functionsinfiltrated by the opposition.

The report presents a somewhat confusing picture on the issue of how longthe U.S. might need tomaintain its presence in Iraq.It recommends unit withdrawal by 2008, but then in a different section statesthat "not all U.S.combat brigades" would be needed in the future for force protection--i.e.backup of Iraqi units. In the end, it fails to address the issue of how manycombat units would actually be needed and therefore leaves the door open for anextended U.S.presence.

Admitting the difficulty it will entail, the report recommends restoringbroken diplomatic relations with nations the Administration has publiclyridiculed, such as Syria andIran, as well as factionswithin Iraqand throughout the region with which the Administration has no dialogue, suchas Moqtada al-Sadr and his militia. The report properly identifies theunresolved Israeli-Palestinian conflict as paramount to reaching a regionalpeace settlement-stating clearly that neither Democrats nor Republicans wouldever abandon Israel-and makes strong recommendations about restoring the peaceprocess.

The report also makes at least one statement that I find implausible. Itsays that only 5,000 civilian contractors are operating in Iraq-from hired guns to transportationspecialists-when in fact that number exceeds 100,000 and represents a seriousand worrisome departure from past U.S. military operations. If thatprivate presence morphs into a mercenary force that occupies Iraq as the U.S. military withdraws, this wouldbe a first in American history, and a development I would not welcome.

Finally, I was disappointed to read that at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, which will bethe largest in the world with 1,000 employees, only 33 Americans speak Arabic.This is shocking and dangerous and another indication of the widespreadmismanagement of the U.S.mission in Iraq.