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FEINGOLD: “OUR NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY IS ADRIFT”
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Russ Feingold today, in the fifth in a series of speeches he has given on our nation’s national security and the Administration’s flawed policy in Iraq, spoke from the Senate floor on the threat that radical jihadist-based terrorism poses to our nation. Feingold voted against going to war in Iraq in October 2002. In June, he introduced a resolution, the first of its kind in the Senate, that calls for the President to clarify the military mission in Iraq, lay out a plan and timeframe for accomplishing that mission, and publicly articulate a plan to withdraw American troops from Iraq as their mission is completed. In August, Feingold again jumpstarted the discussion about Iraq by becoming the first member of the U.S. Senate to propose a target date to finish the military mission in Iraq – December 31, 2006. Earlier this week, a bipartisan group of 40 Senators endorsed Feingold’s call for a flexible timetable for achieving our military mission in Iraq and redeploying U.S. troops. “A clear, targeted strategy to strengthen our national security is not an option but a necessity in the face of the growing threats posed by jihadist terrorist networks,” Feingold said. “The President is spending a lot of time talking about success in Iraq. Unfortunately, he fails to recognize that success in Iraq will not be achieved by a massive and indefinite U.S. military presence. He fails to understand the limited role the U.S. military can play in Iraq’s long-term political and economic reconstruction efforts. And he fundamentally fails to understand that success in Iraq, as important as it is, is secondary to success in our larger campaign against global terrorists. Iraq, simply put, is not the be-all and end-all of our national security.” Today’s remarks by Feingold are available here: December 13, 2005 -"The Need for a New National Security Strategy" Read Senator Feingold's past speeches on the military mission in Iraq: October 25, 2005- "Why a Timeframe for the U.S. Military Mission in Iraq Will Improve Our National Security" September 29, 2005 - "How the President's Policy is Weakening America" August 23, 2005 - Senator Feingold speaks at the Town Hall Los Angeles Association July 27, 2005 - "The Lack of a Coherent Policy in Iraq" Feingold has also debunked several myths the Administration and others have put forth about U.S. policy in Iraq. That is available here. “While this Administration talks and thinks about Iraq, our enemies are growing stronger around the globe,” Feingold said. “Those enemies are disparate, diffuse, and relentless. They operate in ungoverned spaces, on the Internet, in cities, mountains and jungles. Left unchecked, they will continue to plot against the U.S. Our national security policy is adrift, but we have the power to change it, to correct our course. We must tackle these challenges, and build a security strategy that protects our nation from the most dangerous threat it faces.”
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