US Senator Edward Kennedy has done something that no other American political leader has done since the invasion of Iraq: offer a blueprint for withdrawing American forces. From his speech today:
We have the finest military in the world. But we cannot rely primarily on military action to end politically inspired violence. We can’t defeat the insurgents militarily if we don’t effectively address the political context in which the insurgency flourishes. Our military and the insurgents are fighting for the same thing – the hearts and minds of the people – and that is a battle we are not winning.
The beginning of wisdom in this crisis is to define honest and realistic goals.
First, the goal of our military presence should be to allow the creation of a legitimate, functioning Iraqi government, not to dictate it.
Creating a full-fledged democracy won’t happen overnight. We can and must make progress, but it may take many years for the Iraqis to finish the job. We have to adjust our time horizon. The process cannot begin in earnest until Iraqis have full ownership of that transition. Our continued, overwhelming presence only delays that process.
If we want Iraq to develop a stable, democratic government, America must assist -- not control -- the newly established government.
Unless Iraqis have a genuine sense that their leaders are not our puppets, the election cannot be the turning point the Administration hopes.
To enhance its legitimacy in the eyes of the Iraqi people, the new Iraqi Government should begin to disengage politically from America, and we from them.
The reality is that the Bush Administration is continuing to pull the strings in Iraq, and the Iraqi people know it. We picked the date for the transfer of sovereignty. We supported former CIA operative Iyad Allawi to lead the Interim Government. We wrote the administrative law and the interim constitution that now governs Iraq. We set the date for the election, and President Bush insisted that it take place, even when many Iraqis sought delay.
It is time to recognize that there is only one choice. America must give Iraq back to the Iraqi people.
Click here to read the full speech.
Senator Kennedy’s speech will force a new debate in the United States over the appropriate role of the use of our forces in Iraq. How long does the Bush administration plan for our soldiers to stay? What is our exit strategy? The truth is that the president has no plan. Senator Kennedy has offered one. Let the debate begin and bring the troops home.
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