Senator Susan Collins has released this statement following her vote today against an Iraq war spending bill that would require the withdrawal of troops as early as July 1, 2007, despite the views of top military leaders that such a timetable would be ill advised.
The following is Senator Collins’ statement:
“I continue to believe that it is a mistake to send more U.S. troops to Baghdad, which is engulfed by sectarian strife. Ultimately, resolving the sectarian violence in Iraq requires a political, not a military, solution in which the Sunni minority is more fully integrated into the power structures and oil revenues are more fairly distributed among Iraq’s citizens. I have repeatedly expressed directly to the President my opposition to his plan to increase the overall number of American troops in Iraq. Despite my opposition, however, the surge of troops is underway at this time.
“I voted against the conference report today because it included a dangerous timeline for withdrawal of U.S. troops. I believe that an immediate and rapid withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq could have a host of negative consequences for Iraq and the surrounding region. Both the Iraqi Study Group and the recent National Intelligence Estimate report warn of the catastrophic consequences of a precipitous withdrawal of our troops from Iraq. The intelligence report states that such a withdrawal would likely result in Al Qaeda using Iraq as a haven to increase planned attacks both within and outside of Iraq, lead to massive civilian casualties and population displacements, cause the disintegration of the Iraqi Security Forces, and invite open intervention by neighboring countries such as Iran. The Iraq Study Group also warned that such a withdrawal would be depicted by Al Qaeda as a major victory.
“My vote against the plan for an immediate and rapid withdrawal in this bill does not mean that I support an open-ended commitment of U.S. troops in Iraq. If the President’s new strategy does not demonstrate significant results by August, then Congress should consider all options including a redefinition of our mission and a gradual but significant withdrawal of our troops next year.”
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