Tammy Baldwin - Should the U.S. set a timetable to withdraw troops from Iraq?

This strategy must specify our objectives clearly, benchmarks to measure our success, or lack of success, and a realistic timeline for withdrawing out troops.

From Vote-WI.org:

Baldwin: It is absolutely essential that President Bush formulate an exit strategy. This strategy must specify our objectives clearly, benchmarks to measure our success, or lack of success, and a realistic timeline for withdrawing out troops. I know that many argue that a timeline for withdrawal would encourage insurgents to “run out the clock.” I disagree. A timeline would establish deadlines for us and the Iraqis to achieve our objectives. It gives us deadlines with which to hold ourselves accountable. For example, we set a date for elections, and despite the violence, we were successful in holding them on time. In March 2003, before the war began, I wrote to the President with 22 of my colleagues to ask him to specifically define our objectives and to provide an exit strategy. We asked the President a number of questions including: “Under what circumstances will our military occupation of (and financial commitment to) Iraq end? And how will we know when these circumstances are present.” We and the American people never received an answer to these questions. Even today, the Administration is unwilling or unable to answer. This is simply unacceptable.

Posted on 5/3/2008 10:30:42 PM by TMassApproved 5/8/2008 3:13 PM