Tim Walz releases position paper on Iraq

07/26/2006

http://www.timwalz.org/


Last week Tim Walz formally released a position paper on Iraq.

Walz said, “I’ve been talking about my two-part plan for Iraq for the last year. I’m pleased that my plan is now accessible to everyone and I hope the voters of the 1st District will let me know how they feel about the War in Iraq and the solution I’m proposing.”

Last week after returning from Iraq, Walz opponent Gil Gutknecht did an about face and promptly called for a partial removal of US troops from the region.  Tim Walz is pleased that his opponent is finally willing to discuss the issue, but he believes voters should be alarmed that Gutknecht’s ill-conceived plan will put the American troops left behind in even greater danger than they are today.

“As someone with extensive training in combat techniques, I know that unless we’ve reduced the insurgent violence, removing part but not all of our soldiers is a foolish tactical option.  By redeploying only some of our troops, Congressman Gutknecht leaves those still in Iraq more vulnerable to continuing attacks,” said Walz.

“For the last 18 months I’ve been talking about my two-fold plan for Iraq.  If data shows success in Iraq is impossible, we should pull all our troops out immediately – not just remove a few for political grandstanding.  But if the data shows there is still hope, I believe we help stabilize Iraq by following a plan based on measurable milestones”

Here is what the press is saying:

A congressman’s surprise discovery: Iraq isn’t going so well
http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2006/07/19/iraq2/index.html

Just last month, Rep. Gil Gutknecht, a Republican from Minnesota, was admonishing his colleagues to “give victory a chance” in Iraq. “Members,” he said, “this is not the time to go wobbly.”

Well, maybe that wasn’t. But apparently this is.

Gutknecht is just back from a weekend in Baghdad, and he says that conditions there are “worse than I expected.” His solution? The same one he opposed so vigorously just a month ago: Start bringing home some troops.

Gutknecht says that if conditions don’t improve quickly in Iraq, “Americans are going to start to losing faith in this thing.” If there’s any justice in the world, the Americans who live in Gutknecht’s district have already lost faith in him.

It’s great that he has the courage to admit what his own eyes have seen, even if it comes after years of Republican demagogy and in the midst of a reelection race. But it seems to us that members of Congress owe their constituents a duty of reasonable inquiry all the time, and that’s a duty that Gutknecht has pretty clearly failed to perform until now.

Walz says Iraq trip can lead to valuable debate on war

By Mark Fischenich, Mankato Free Press, 7/19/2006, A1.

Congressional candidate Tim Walz welcomed his opponent’s new assessment of the situation in Iraq even while wondering why Rep. Gil Gutknecht didn’t reach the conclusion earlier.

“I’m glad now that he’s looking at the facts,” said Walz, DFL-Mankato. “Him being a cheerleader and ignoring reality hasn’t been helpful in trying to solve this situation.”

Walz retired as a command sergeant major after a 24 years in the Army National Guard, and he’s been critical of the way the Bush administration has prosecuted the war in Iraq.

One point of disagreement appears to be Gutknecht’s willingness to withdraw American troops soon. Walz said it would be irresponsible to draw down troop levels if the primary motivation is improving the re-election chances of incumbents facing voters in November.

“If we draw them down before we’re prepared to protect the rest of our troops there, that’s incredibly dangerous,” Walz said.

Gutknecht Supports Troop Cutback
By Ed Felker, Rochester Post Bulletin, 7/19/2006

Gutknecht, a six-term Republican from Rochester, has been a consistent backer of the war and of President Bush’s handling of it. Gutknecht voted to give the president war powers before the 2003 invasion, and was among the 256-153 majority that voted June 16 for a House resolution rejecting an arbitrary date for withdrawal from Iraq. 

GOP Lawmakers Edge Away From Optimism on Iraq

By Jonathan Weisman and Anushka Asthana, Washington Post, 7/20/2006; A01
The evolving Republican message on the war contrasts with the strong rhetoric used by House and Senate Republicans recently in opposing a deadline for withdrawal from Iraq. During a debate last month, Gutknecht intoned, “Members, now is not the time to go wobbly.” This week, he conceded “I guess I didn’t understand the situation,” saying that a partial troop withdrawal now would “send a clear message to the Iraqis that the next step is up to you.”

Gutknecht says allies aren’t in control in Iraq
By Ed Felker, Rochester Post Bulletin, 7/19/2006

Gutknecht, a Republican from Rochester, spoke at a Tuesday press conference after returning from a weekend trip to Iraq with other members of the U.S. House. He stressed that he and others in his congressional party asked tough questions of American and Iraqi leaders. He also said reconstruction progress in Baghdad has been spotty, with sporadic electricity and water service, despite billions of dollars paid to contractors. “Baghdad is worse today, from a security standpoint, than it was three years ago,” Gutknecht said.