Warner & Levin agree on 'surge' resolution. Cutting funds specifically out.

BREAKING--Senator Dodd to oppose the Warner-Levin legislation

Over the last several weeks Senator Dodd has spoken about Captain Brian Freeman, a courageous West Point Graduate who he met in Baghdad last December and who lost his life in Karbala on January 20.

Senator Dodd cannot in good conscience continue to go along with a failed policy that will lead to the loss of more Brian Freemans.

His position on the war in Iraq is very straightforward – Senator Dodd is strongly opposed to sending additional troops to referee a civil war that can’t be won militarily.

He strongly believes we need phased redeployment of US combat forces from urban areas to border areas, other countries in the region and to Afghanistan where they could stop the resurgence of the Taliban.

The legislation on which Senators Warner and Levin compromised last evening is essentially an endorsement of the status quo.

It is flawed in very fundamental ways:

* First, It doesn’t oppose a surge in our forces per se – it simply states that the 21,000 is too high a number.
* Second, it doesn’t contemplate the phased redeployment from Iraq, quite the contrary, it says that the legislation “should not be interpreted as precipitating any immediate reduction in, or withdrawal of, the present level of forces.”
* Third, it refuses to endorse one of the most critical element of the Baker Hamilton plan – namely engaging all of Iraq’s neighbors in a region effort to bring peace and stability to Iraq.

That is why Senator Dodd intends to vote against this bill when it comes to a vote on the Senate floor unless it is significantly changed. He believes that now is the time for meaningful action on Iraq.