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Congressman Paul Ryan
Although we
have been successful in warding off another terrorist attack for
over six years since September 11, 2001, al-Qaeda and its allies
remain intent on killing innocent people and spreading an
ideology of violence and hatred around the world. We must never
lose sight of this grave threat to our American ideals, and we
must remain vigilant in our defense of freedom and democracy,
even as we face difficult challenges in Iraq, Afghanistan, and
on other fronts in the War on Terrorism.
Moving Toward a New Strategy.
After three successful elections in 2005, and the formation of a
permanent government consisting of Sunnis, Shi’as, and Kurds,
political progress in Iraq stalled following boycotts of the
Iraqi Parliament by Sunnis and Shi’as. At the same time,
violence increased significantly, allowing al-Qaeda terrorists,
Shi’a death squads, and Sunni militias to carve up neighborhoods
in cities and villages across Iraq. Terrorists and insurgents
further disrupted the political process by engaging in daily
attacks against innocent Iraqis and coalition forces throughout
much of 2006 and 2007, testing the commitment of US and
coalition forces.
The pre-Surge period highlighted the fact that there can be no
political progress in Iraq until Iraqis take control of their
country. I believe it is our responsibility and within our
national interest to aid Iraqis in achieving this goal. Our
forces have made significant progress in this area with the
training of the Iraqi Security Forces. As of January 2008, the
number of trained and equipped Iraqi Security Forces has
increased to 441,799. Furthermore, there are 117 Iraqi Ministry
of Defense combat battalions conducting operations at varying
levels of capability, and ten divisions, 34 brigades, and 108
battalions of the Iraqi Army are leading counterinsurgency
operations in their areas of responsibility. It is essential
that Iraqis assume full responsibility for defeating the
insurgency and securing their country. We must continue to
provide training to Iraqis so that they can shoulder the
responsibility of securing of their country, allowing us to
bring our troops home as quickly as possible.
Surge Establishes Concrete Security Gains.
On January 10, 2007, President Bush announced his decision for a
new way forward in Iraq. Stressing the need to secure Baghdad
and its surrounding area, the President increased the number of
U.S. troops in Iraq by approximately 30,000. These troops are
currently imbedded within Iraqi army and police units in Baghdad
and throughout Iraq. Their mission is to help to hold areas
cleared by Iraqi and American forces, ensuring that insurgents
do not move back into cleared areas.
The Surge has already shown dramatic signs of success in making
Iraq’s security, turning the tide against al-Qaeda terrorist
attacks, breaking apart Shi’a death squads, and reducing the
need for local militias. Since June of 2007, attacks across the
country have declined by 60%, falling to levels not seen since
2004. In addition, ethno-sectarian deaths and attacks have
decreased by 90% in Baghdad, and overall civilian deaths have
decreased by 75% since their peak in 2007. These encouraging
signs show that the Surge has allowed Iraqi and coalition forces
make concrete security gains against terrorists and insurgents.
An even more encouraging sign of the Surge’s success can be seen
in the stand Iraqi citizens are taking against the terrorists
and insurgents. Inspired by the Anbar Awakening, local and
tribal leaders in 12 of Iraq’s 18 provinces have entered into
agreements with Iraqi and coalition forces to form Concerned
Local Citizen groups (CLCs). CLCs provide security in their
neighborhoods by establishing checkpoints, conducting patrols,
providing intelligence, and accompanying Iraqi and Coalition
forces on combat missions. As of December 2007, approximately
72,000 CLCs are working with Iraqi and coalition forces on the
ground. Over time, the Government of Iraq hopes to integrate
many of these individuals into the Iraqi police forces.
As Iraqis take control of Baghdad and its surrounding area, U.S.
combat troops have begun drawing down. Post-Surge troop
rotations and adjustments are already underway, and one Army
Combat Brigade (BCT) and one Marine Expeditionary Unit (approx
4,000 troops) have already been redeployed from Iraq without a
scheduled replacement. Provided the Surge success continues,
four more BCTs and two Marine battalions will rotate out of Iraq
at a rate of approximately 2,000 troops per month.
Modest Political Progress.
So far, the Surge has been successful, and I believe it is
providing a real chance for victory in Iraq. This strategy has
helped secure Baghdad, accelerated the turn-over of security
responsibility to Iraqis, and given the Iraqi people a reason to
believe in their government. While I am confident that our
troops will continue to keep the terrorists and insurgents on
the run, my apprehension remains concerning whether the Iraqi
government can deliver on the political promises they have made.
Facing a heavy legislative agenda, Iraqi political leaders must
put aside sectarian interests and begin compromising on several
key legislative initiatives.
Some legislative steps have been made to help alleviate
sectarian grievances. In November 2007, the Iraqi Government
enacted key pension reform law that grants pension payments to
most lower-to-mid level civil service employees whose pensions
had previously been denied as a result of their service with the
Hussein regime. Recognizing the service of the Hussein regime’s
lower level employees, who did not commit any crimes, was a
critical step toward national unification. I hope the Government
of Iraq can build on the legislative momentum provided by this
important sectarian compromise.
Key reforms are also needed to correct the injustices of de-Baathification
law enacted by the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) after
the fall of Saddam. Early on, the CPA assumed that nearly
everyone in the upper echelons of Saddam’s Baath party acted in
compliance with many of the crimes attributed to the regime. De-Baathification
was intended to purge all Saddam loyalists from the new Iraqi
Government, denying them a chance to sabotage the young
democracy. This controversial initiative drove thousands of
Iraqis from their jobs, alienating them from the political
process and causing much of the anger that fuelled early Sunni
insurgencies. In January 2008, the Iraqi Council of
Representatives passed crucial de-Baathification reform
legislation which corrects some of these injustices. The law is
now being considered by the Presidency Council, which will
likely have further input. While the fate of this legislation is
uncertain, the agreement reached by the Iraqi Council of
Representatives reflects important political progress. I hope a
final version of this legislation can be worked out very soon.
Unfortunately, there is little progress to report on three other
key legislative initiatives. A package of four Hydrocarbon
Framework laws are floundering in the Iraqi Council of
Representatives, with significant disagreements on how to pursue
development of Iraq’s domestic oil industry. Proposals
establishing provincial powers and election law are also stuck
in the Council of Representatives, along with a general pardon
law seeking to ally important Sunni demands for limited amnesty
for certain detained insurgents. In these cases, sectarian
differences have prevented real compromises from being forged,
and boycots by certain Sunni political leaders in the Council of
Representatives are hindering these efforts. These critical laws
must be passed in order to achieve national unification and
allow the survival of the young Iraqi democracy.
While I am glad that some achievements have been made on
critical legislative initiatives, the overall progress of the
Iraqi Government leaves much to be desired. The Iraqi Government
must seize the opportunity provided by the increased security of
the Surge and hammer out compromises to the remaining items on
their legislative agenda. If the Iraqi government is able to
accomplish the tasks being asked of them, a safe and democratic
Iraq will provide needed stability to the region.
The Need for Success in Iraq.
As we move forward with the President’s new strategy, we must
bear in mind the consequences of failure in Iraq and its
implications for the American people. It is crucial that we not
withdraw before Iraqi Security Forces, who already control nine
of Iraq’s 18 provinces, are able to capitalize on the Surge’s
security gains and permanently deny al-Qaeda terrorists safe
haven. If we withdraw too quickly, al-Qaeda’s diminished ranks
would rematerialize, taking advantage of Iraq and its oil wealth
to plot and fund new attacks against the citizens of the United
States and free people throughout the world. As a father of
three young children, I realize the importance of ensuring Iraq
does not become the new base for world-wide terrorist
operations.
In addition, if our troops begin withdrawing prematurely, the
deteriorated security situation in Baghdad seen in the pre-Surge
period would likely return and devolve into unrestrained
sectarian genocide. Without fear of reprisal from U.S. forces,
the bloody struggle between Sunni insurgents and Shi’a death
squads would increase dramatically in scope and expand far
beyond Baghdad. Our commitment to the vast majority of Iraqi
citizens, who want nothing more than to live in peace, precludes
a hasty departure of our troops before the Iraqi security forces
are given the best opportunity we can offer in this situation to
take control of their country and prevent the impending
genocide.
Finally, if Iraqi security forces are left suddenly without
support from U.S. forces, Iraq’s neighbors would have an even
greater opportunity to expand their influence in that country.
Iran, whose leadership continues to support the development of
nuclear power and advanced missile technology, would only be
emboldened by their expanded influence in the region. Unchecked
aggression by an Iran inching ever-closer to nuclear weapons
capability could lead to an arms race among nearby Arab nations,
directly threatening the fragile peace that exists throughout
the Middle East and the very existence of Israel. All three of
these nightmare scenarios could be likely outcomes if the Iraqi
government does not succeed in maintaining stability in Iraq. I
believe that we must give the Iraqis this best, last chance to
succeed before conceding victories to our enemies.
Fulfilling our Commitment to our Troops.
The President signed the Fiscal Year 2008 Consolidated
Appropriations Act into law on December 26, 2007. While passage
of this law did provide much needed funding for our troops in
Iraq, House Leadership provided less than half of the funding
requested for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. I was dismayed
by the approach taken by House leadership on this issue. Given
the success of the Surge in providing the security necessary for
political progress in Iraq, I think it is irresponsible for
Members of Congress to hamstring our commanders in the field by
only providing few months worth of war funding at a time. It is
very important that our military receives the funding necessary
to continue building on the security gains already realized by
the Surge, and I will continue to focus my efforts on providing
our troops with the best possible equipment so they are able to
complete their mission safely, effectively, and quickly, and
return to their families as soon as possible.
Additional Information.
For more information on the war on terrorism, please refer to
the following web sites:
U.S. Department
of Defense:
www.defenselink.mil
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Troops - How You Can Help:
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