Clark Endorses U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans’ Health, and Iraq Accountability Act

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Washington, D.C. – Retired General and Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Wesley K. Clark today endorsed the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans’ Health, and Iraq Accountability Act and issued the following statement:

“House Democrats have offered a responsible approach that protects our Armed Forces, the troops and their families, and encourages both the Iraqis and the Bush Administration to work more effectively to salvage some success in ending what has been a tragically mistaken and failing mission. This conflict must be resolved politically - military efforts alone are insufficient – and this legislation strongly promotes that political solution. This legislation is the product of the kind of responsible legislative leadership that the American people voted for in 2006, and I wholeheartedly support this bill.”

http://www.dems.gov/index.asp?Type=B_PR&SEC={449BBE79-704A-423C-AF88-6D9DF9D989D8}&DE={9B23297E-BD89-4989-9D9F-EFBBCFB8342A}

U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans’ Health, and Iraq Accountability Act
Overview
• The U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans’ Health, and Iraq Accountability Act will
provide our troops with the equipment they need, require Iraqis to take control of
their own country, help fight the war on terror, and establish a date for withdrawal
from Iraq.

1. Giving Our Troops the Equipment They Need, Taking Care of Our
Veterans
• The bill fully supports our troops and ensures they have the tools and resources
they need to do the job they have been asked to do.

• The legislation prohibits the deployment of troops who are not “fully mission
capable” as defined by the Department of Defense – in other words, troops who
are fully trained, equipped and protected. This a reaffirmation of current
Department of Defense standards.

• The President can only deploy “unprepared troops” if he certifies, in writing, to
Congress, that deploying those troops is in the national interest.

• The bill provides funding so the Veterans Administration can meet the obligations
of a new generation of veterans.

2. It’s Time for Iraqis to Take Control of Iraq
• The bill requires the Iraqi government to meet the key security, political and
economic benchmarks established by the President in his January 10 address.

• The Iraqis failure to meet these benchmarks will mean the beginning of U.S.
withdrawal from Iraq and will restrict economic aid to the Iraqis.

3. Real Benchmarks, Real Consequences, and a Strategy for Withdrawal
• If progress toward meeting key benchmarks is not made by July 1, 2007, a
redeployment of U.S. troops from Iraq begins immediately and must be
completed within 180 days.

• If key benchmarks are not met by October 1, 2007, a redeployment of U.S. troops
from Iraq begins immediately and must be completed within 180 days.

• Regardless of success, Iraqis must own Iraq. A redeployment of U.S. troops must
begin by no later than March 1, 2008, and be completed within 180 days.

• Following redeployment, U.S. troops remaining in Iraq may only be used for
diplomatic protection, counterterrorism operations, and training of Iraqi Security
Forces.

4. Refocusing the War on Terror Against Al-Qaeda and Afghanistan
• Al Qaeda is reconstituting, and the Taliban has grown stronger in Afghanistan.

• The bill significantly increases funding to defeat al Qaeda and terrorists in
Afghanistan.

http://majorityleader.house.gov/docUploads/supplementalonepager.pdf


www.stopiranwar.com

The invasion was tragic from the beginning and an inevitable failure, and it is failing to this day. The only solution is political, not more brute force. Neither Chimpy and the PNACers nor their puppet in Iraq will do the sane thing unless forced.

His words are more widely palatable than mine, but the practical meaning is the same.

(edit typo)