Posted on 02/23/2007 1:34:59 PM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
Washington - U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan returned Thursday from a trip to Iraq, expressing support for the new U.S. strategy and buildup there but warning that "it is our last chance to get this right" before going to "Plan B" and starting to withdraw troops.
"This whole thing is a big gamble, but it's probably the best gamble to take before throwing in the towel and allowing sectarian genocide to take over," said Ryan, who was visiting Iraq for the first time. "I personally give this three to six months to find out."
The Janesville Republican traveled with five House colleagues from both parties, spending two days and a night in Baghdad and making stops in Kuwait, Jordan and Brussels, Belgium, to talk to officials from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union.
Ryan's comments were in some ways emblematic of the post-election mind-set of Republicans in Congress as the American public sours further on the war: a mix of attitudes that range from a desire to support the military effort on the ground, to deep wariness about the prospects for success, to a recognition of the shaky political foundation for U.S. policy.
Ryan said he was encouraged about the new military leadership and recent changes in tactics and strategy, including more latitude for troops to pursue militia groups, better integration between U.S. and Iraqi forces and a plan for security in Baghdad that the Iraqis themselves have bought into.
But Ryan tempered that with concerns about whether the United States has enough forces to carry out the strategy effectively.
" 'Just barely enough' is the word I heard a few times," he said, referring to his conversations with American officers. "I think they're going into this with the minimum acceptable level of troops.
"It strikes me as the right strategy to take. It should have been done three years ago. But it seems to me they don't have enough forces."
'Colossal mistakes'
Ryan also expressed concern that a successful effort in Baghdad might end up simply pushing insurgents and militias into other parts of Iraq.
He said that although he supported President Bush's so-called troop surge, "I'm not saying it's going to work. I'm saying it's worth the effort."
Ryan said he met with U.S. troops, officers and top commanders as well as Iraqi officials, both Sunni and Shiite.
"We made this very clear to them . . . they know our patience is wearing thin. They know we're going to leave. They know this is their last chance," he said of the Iraqis.
"In six months, if it's getting worse, then I don't think the plan will succeed, and we'll start talking seriously about pulling back our forces."
Ryan said the trip also gave him a better appreciation of the "colossal mistakes" that the U.S. made after the invasion of Iraq.
"We've made so many mistakes," Ryan said. "Number one, they sent about half to a third as many troops as were needed at the beginning, so the Tommy Franks-Rumsfeld-Bush master strategy was way off on troop levels."
Franks, the now-retired general, was the architect and commander of the Iraq invasion; Donald H. Rumsfeld was defense secretary from the time of the 2003 invasion until he resigned in November.
Policies under Bremer
Ryan also cited the decisions under former reconstruction head Paul Bremer to disband the Iraqi army and prevent former members of ousted ruler Saddam Hussein's Baath Party from participating in the government.
Those policies and the initial number of troops have been widely second-guessed since the onset of the insurgency and subsequent sectarian warfare between Sunnis and Shiites.
Ryan praised Gen. David Petraeus, the new top U.S. commander in Iraq, as the "right guy finally to do the job." He also said he found troop morale to be high and called the performance of U.S. troops "astonishing."
Ryan said soldiers told him that "I don't want my buddies to have died in vain." He labeled as a "mistake" efforts in Congress to place conditions on funding of new or current troop levels, but he said Congress had a huge role to play in oversight of the effort in Iraq.
"We are going to know within three to six months if this is going to work or not," Ryan said.
"Paul Ryan" Ping!
This is the kinda thing you should tell the President in private. Nothing like giving the terrorists and the Iranians a roadmap.
Sen. Pat Roberts (R) Kansas said the same thing this week. Maybe the president is behind this and is hinting something to the Iraqi people.
Those troops aren't being sent their for Iraq alone. Those troops are going to be needed if we have do somethng about Iran, as well.
Therefore, within 6-9 months, the Iranian issue will be addressed.
see #6
He's usually a little more "Republican." Sadly, I'm getting used to nearly every Republican in this state (and they are an Endangered Species) being a RINO in Republican Clothing. :(
(Jim Sensenbrenner is the exception.)
"Therefore, within 6-9 months, the Iranian issue will be addressed. "
Ah-Ha! You're one step ahead of me. ;)
Further evidence that even the Senators who "support" the WOT don't actually get it. Churchill said "War is mainly a catalogue of blunders." That doesn't mean you can give up. What does Ryan think is going to happen if the surge doesn't work out like he hopes? Does he think we can just pull out and suddenly the war will be over? No. It will in fact escalate and spread. Eventually it will hit our shores in a major way, even worse than 9/11.
"It will in fact escalate and spread. Eventually it will hit our shores in a major way, even worse than 9/11."
Exactly. While I'm ever-vigilant (and in reality, I live in a rural area that holds nothing spectacular for the Terrorists to give a rat's rump about) I'm still thankful for the relative "peace" on our shores for the past six years.
"Taking it to the Enemy" works for me. Always has, always will. :)
You see, I am not just all Britney, Anna Nicole, and Lindsay Lohan. I have a brains to go along with my looks! :-p
Nothing wrong with keeping up on 'Current Society' topics, too! :)
I may have nothing to say, but I keep up on the "gossip." I can never resist rubber-necking at a car wreck, either. ;)
The president is so clever.
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