Vermont delegation responds to report

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.:

"The Bush Administration misled the nation into one of the costliest blunders in our history, wrongly connecting Iraq to the attacks of Sept. 11. Ever since then they have attacked anyone who has dared to question their poor judgment, their lack of a coherent strategy and their incompetence.

Six years ago our troops had cornered Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. Then the Bush Administration diverted our military resources to Iraq, and he slipped away. He remains on the loose today, and terrorism has increased worldwide. Meanwhile, the war in Iraq has lasted longer than World War II, squandering hundreds of billions of U.S. tax dollars. The President wants to keep the pedal to the floor in this war, dumping the Iraq mess onto the next president's doorstep.

The inescapable reality remains that the Iraqis are no closer today to any kind of political settlement to end this conflict. No surge of additional military force will change the situation when the Iraqis themselves are not willing to make these hard choices. In the meantime, our presence discourages the Iraqis from taking responsibility for their own future.

With no light at the end of the tunnel after more than five years of war, the answer is not to keep lengthening the tunnel. The answer is to begin bringing our troops home from the middle of Iraq's civil war."

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.:

"In 2003 President Bush misled us into an unnecessary war with Iraq and today, four and a half years later, he is still misleading us.

The goal of the 'surge,' as stated by Mr. Bush on Dec. 9, 2006, as he announced the troop expansion was 'an Iraq that can govern itself, sustain itself and defend itself.' ?ǪYet according to such nonpartisan observers as the Government Accountability Office, that has not happened. ?Ǫ

After the deaths of more than 3,700 American soldiers, the wounding of over 27,000 more, and the expenditure of over $500 billion, it is not acceptable that the Bush administration still has no exit strategy. We are caught in a morass: General Petraeus has said the Iraqi situation would not be resolved "in a year or even two years," and this summer referenced the "at least nine or 10 years" it took Britain to resolve the violence in Northern Ireland. This sort of long-term occupation is totally unacceptable. ?Ǫ

I will continue to demand a timetable for the withdrawal of our troops, a withdrawal which should be completed within the next year. Although we must continue to support the Iraqi government and their military so that they can defend themselves, the time to begin bringing home our American troops is now."

Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt.:

"Iraq is in the middle of a civil war that cannot be resolved by the United States military. The uneven progress reported by General Petraeus is tactical progress in service of what is the President's failed military policy. While our soldiers have bravely and characteristically done the job they have been asked to do, they cannot continue to referee a civil war or bring about the political and economic reforms necessary for stability in Iraq.

"Just last week the nonpartisan GAO reported that the Iraqi government has failed to deliver on nearly every benchmark of success put forth by President Bush. The Iraqi Parliament has not passed needed legislation to promote Sunni-Shiite reconciliation, Iraqi security forces remain dominated by sectarian militias, and reconstruction funds are still sitting idle in Iraqi bank accounts. Only in the Bush administration can a failing grade be considered a success.

"It is long past time to end this war and bring our troops home. Regrettably, the President continues to cling stubbornly to his failed policy and appears intent on running out the clock on his presidency rather than admitting the need for a change in course. Congress must use the power of the purse to force a change of policy and end this war."