Statement of U.S. Senator Russ Feingold Responding to the President’s Support for a “General Time Horizon” for Iraq July 18, 2008 “The clear majority of Americans support a timetable to end the war in Iraq because they understand that, far from being arbitrary, a timetable is necessary for us to win the war in Afghanistan and against al Qaeda globally. The Iraqi people and Iraqi leaders have been clear in their desire for a timetable, as well. Rejecting this legitimate request and replacing it with vague ‘goals’ may well further destabilize the situation in Iraq and throughout the region. Meanwhile, while our military leaders, including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have been very vocal about the need for more U.S. forces in Afghanistan, the President continues to prioritize Iraq. Just this week, we heard that the deaths of nine U.S. soldiers who were overrun by insurgents while stationed at an outpost in remote Afghanistan was due in part to a lack of troops. The President should do more than just ‘aspire’ to remove our forces from Iraq. For the good of Iraq, for the good of our efforts in Afghanistan and against al Qaeda around the world, the President should fully embrace a timetable to redeploy our troops.”

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