Steve Chabot's Iraq speech

From Chabot's office:

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Steve Chabot (R-OH), a senior member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, spoke on the House floor today in opposition to the non-binding resolution, House Concurrent Resolution 63.

The text of Chabot's statement follows:

Prepared Remarks by Congressman Steve Chabot

February 16, 2007

"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I first want to express our appreciation to the brave men and women of our armed forces. I have met with our troops in Iraq and in Afghanistan, wounded soldiers at Walter Reed and Bethesda Naval Hospitals, and the families of those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice defending our freedoms. We thank them for their unwavering commitment to our country and believe we owe it to them to have an open and honest debate regarding our next steps in Iraq.

"Mr. Speaker, there is no question that the war in Iraq has been challenging. We are fighting a war against terrorists and radical Islamist militants who are determined to kill as many Americans as possible. They believe that killing American soldiers will drive us out of Iraq and out of the Middle East - allowing radical terrorists free reign and a base to expand their influence around the world.

"These are the same radical Islamist militants who bombed the World Trade Center in 1993 and the Khobar Towers in 1996, the embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998, and the U.S.S. Cole in 2000. We surely can't forget the slaughtering of 3,000 innocent American citizens on our soil. And just last year, a couple arrested in Britain planned to use their six-month old baby as a human bomb to destroy a civilian airliner over the Atlantic Ocean. We must acknowledge that we are dealing with irrational, radical, maniacal monsters who will not respond to diplomatic niceties.

"Mr. Speaker, we all know that the vast majority of Americans do not support an immediate withdrawal from Iraq, just as they do not support a never-ending deployment of U.S. forces there. They want us -- they expect us -- to work together, and with the President, to find a way to win the War on Terror while bringing our troops home as soon as possible.

"We should be past the point of political posturing when it comes to Iraq. Yet this resolution is more of the same -- once again placing politics over policy. Instead of encouraging substantive conversation on our options in Iraq, the Majority has once again shut us out of the process and refused to consider any alternative to their own point of view. That's truly unfortunate because this non-binding resolution does nothing to increase the accountability of the Iraqi government, provide support for our troops, or even propose a 'new course' in Iraq.

"We all agree that this Administration has made mistakes in Iraq. Most harmful, I believe, has been the slow pace of training Iraq troops and security forces to take responsibility for their own country. Early lapses in this area are a principle reason why our troops remain in Iraq today.

"But the Administration has taken action to accelerate this training and better prepare Iraqi forces. So now it is time for the Iraqi government to demonstrate that it has the ability to confront the problems facing their country - both politically and militarily. That is why it is so important that we hold the Iraqi government accountable for what they say they are going to do and require them to take the lead in securing their nation. The Iraqi government and the Iraqi people must recognize that they, not American troops, are responsible for the future of their country.

"With that being said, we must continue to support our troops and commanders on the ground by giving them the resources they need to be successful. It would be a tragic mistake to cut off funding or limit support for our troops fighting against terrorists abroad. We must be very careful about the messages we send to our allies and our enemies - and most importantly, our troops in the field, who have performed with great courage.

"The bi-partisan Iraq Study Group has stated that it could support a shorter redeployment or surge of American combat forces to stabilize Baghdad, or to speed up the training and equipping mission. The commanders on the ground, including General Petraeus say that we can be successful, but they need more troops to get the job done.

"Clearly, the path forward must include military and political strategic benchmarks so that we are in a position to measure the progress and commitment of the Iraqi government. But we must also be willing to give our troops - who have sacrificed so much for our nation - the opportunity and resources to be successful and provide the short-term support needed to achieve increased stability in Iraq.

"There are serious consequences to our national security if we fail in Iraq. Cutting off funding, limiting military options or pushing for immediate withdrawal will only make our future more dangerous. It is time to stop the politics. Stop the games. Stop the finger pointing and do what is best for America. Let's put partisanship aside and discuss concrete plans on how we can defeat radical terrorists and protect our nation from those who mean us great harm."