Setting the record straight on Iraq

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Please take just a few minutes to read this important message about where I stand on the war in Iraq. Then, please share your thoughts with me and our larger community by clicking on the links below.

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As you know, I ran for Congress to change the way Washington works and restore honesty, integrity and accountability to our federal government. Now that I am serving you in our nation's capital, fulfilling this promise means engaging in an open and ongoing dialogue with my constituents and supporters about the issues that concern all of us the most.

The war in Iraq is, of course, the most significant issue of our time.

A few weeks ago, I was honored to lead a bipartisan, all-freshman Congressional delegation to Iraq to gain a deeper understanding of the conflict. As I discovered, it's one thing to read about what's going on there. But it's quite another to witness it firsthand and experience it personally. 

I came away from this profound experience tremendously moved by the commitment of our brave men and women in uniform as well as the perseverance of the Iraqi people. Although I was proud to lead this delegation and personally meet with our troops, the trip was brief and limited to the locations picked by the military ahead of time.

For a grounded perspective on the war from those who are on the front lines, I urge you to read this critical first-hand account in the New York Times by a group of infantrymen just returning from serving in the 82nd Airborne Division in Iraq:

New York Times Op-Ed: "The War as We Saw It"

As the poignant and piercing words of these seven soldiers demonstrate, the unfortunate reality in Iraq is that -- while our troops have performed extremely well under very difficult conditions -- the Bush Administration's planning and execution of the war continues to be an abysmal failure.

Our women and men laying their lives on the line in Iraq have done everything we have asked of them. To honor their service, they deserve leaders who respect them enough to ask the tough questions, and -- when something isn't working -- not only acknowledge it, but fundamentally change course.

In September, Congress will be participating in perhaps the most critical discussion of this conflict since it began in 2003. My campaign web site has been receiving increasing amounts of email from concerned citizens curious about my stance on the war. So, as we approach this pivotal debate, I want to clearly and unequivocally express to you where I stand on the question of executing a responsible redeployment from Iraq:

I am firmly in favor of withdrawing troops on a timeline that includes both a definite start date and a definite end date ("date certain") and uses clearly-defined benchmarks. I am not in favor of an "open-ended" timeline for withdrawal, as some members of Congress have proposed recently.

As many foreign policy experts agree, setting a date certain for withdrawal is fundamental to forcing George W. Bush to bring our troops home from Iraq and ensuring the Iraqis step up and defend their own country. That's why -- even as I consider all proposals as a matter of due diligence -- I am standing strong on setting a definite redeployment end date (as an example, I recently voted for the "Responsible Redeployment from Iraq Act" to safely draw down our troops over the course of nine months).

As this national debate begins anew, I am counting on you to stand strong with me as well. The only way that we, together, can bring this unfortunate chapter in our history to a close is if we remain united and steadfast in our collective commitment.

Now that I've had the opportunity to frankly articulate where I stand on the war, I would appreciate it if you took just a few minutes to tell me what you think as well.

Please let me -- and our community -- know your thoughts by posting them here in the comments to this blog post:

http://weblog.jerrymcnerney.org/

If you would rather not post your thoughts publicly, you can send your comments privately to me here:

http://www.jerrymcnerney.org/contact.asp

As always, I am looking forward to hearing your heartfelt concerns for the future of our nation and the world. In the spirit of continuing our open dialogue, I will read your comments and will do my best to respond on our blog.

Thank you for your time and your support.

Comments

[Jeffrey Freed]

I strongly agree with a rapid redeployment with a date certain. However, the way to do this is to cut off any additional funding for the war. Anything else is just grandstanding.

[Pamela de Maigret]

Dear Jerry, Although I am not your constituent (I live in Los Angeles), I did work for your election by coming up to Stocton and knocking on doors to get out the vote. I thought you were right then, and I think you are right now -- particularly about this misguided war. We must get ALL our troops our of Iraq and Afghanistan, and we must close ALL of our bases there. Please keep up the good work! Thank You, Pamela de Maigret

[David Kessler]

Jerry,
I fully agree with your policy on withdrawing our troops from Iraq.
We need a definite drawdown and final date as to when most all troops will we out of there or all troops totally out of there depending on what makes sense to keep the stability.
Iraq leaders need to step up to the plate.

[Ralph Wood]

Great Jerry!
Now get it done BEFORE the crazy bastards attack Iran.
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[John Schaefer]

Your comments are right on, and I appreciate the reference to that excellent op-ed.

It wouldn't hurt us to recognize why it was that the Bush administration attacked Iraq: it was and is their oil. That's why we keep hearing about the oil law, which no patriotic Iraqi of any group could support. I believe that some US interests won't let us leave until Iraq passes a law that gives us control.

I think we're better off with the definite timetable you support, ASAP. We have other options to power our country than their oil.

[Yvonne Steffen]

I applaud your stand on Iraq. We must get OUT OF IRAQ as soon as possible. We had no business there in the first place, and we have only managed to cause thousands upon thousands of Iraqis to be killed and maimed, to destroy their country, and to make their life there untenable. Please vote with Dennis Kucinich, Barbara Lee, and others of this ilk on this matter.

[Helen Rose]

I support your position that the war is lost, our young people in uniform should be returned to home and safety as soon as possible.

[Edwin Herzog]

Dear Jerry,
I have just heard some startling statistics I would like you to consider:
3 million Iraqis have fled their country since the war started;
1 million have been killed as a result of this terrible war that we started against a country that did us no harm;
we have allowed only a little over 700 Iraqis to enter our country, while Syria, a so-called enemy of ours, has let in 1.5 million;
70% of Iraquis want us to leave immediately.

I cannot in good conscience support your position if it does not include an immediate pull out of troops, including the dismantling of American military bases, and a renegotiation of the oil contracts that gives too much to foreign oil companies. (see position about this issue from Iraqi oil workers trade union)
Give back Iraq to the Iraquis, help them rebuild their country that we have destroyed, support the troups by bringing them home.
Yours truly,
Edwin Herzog

[eereeves]

We need to get out of Iraq now, and finish the job we should have been doing in afghanistan, and find and finish bin Laden.

[Eugene Williams]

Getting the troops out of Iraq cannot come soon enough for me. I notice that once we enter a country we hardly ever leave. I do not support a South Korea occupation of Iraq and I do not want to pay for it or have my grandchildren pay for it. It took the British 20 years to get out of Iraq finally realizing the oil was not worth it. I believe the British lost 10,000 troops during the occupation. Losing one more US soldier is one too many.

[Neil Hudson]

Jerry,
I fully support your stance on Iraq. The intent of the Bush boys was to get their oil, so they built the biggest "embassy" in the world, and permanent military bases. But we need to scrap those 'plans' and get out.
How we can help to rebuild the infrastructure that we destroyed is a question only time will answer. But we have a big obligation to the Iraqis to help them rebuild.

[Chuck Walker Sr]

I agree with you wholeheartedly.

All you have to do is look back 30 years when we pulled out of Vietnam.

Congress must act decisively to force the President to bring our troops home.

I've said this to anyone who will listen: All Congress has to do is bring back the draft and we'd be out of Iraq within 6 months.

It's one thing to send faceless, nameless volunteers to fight a war; it's quite another when it's your son (or daughter if Congress included women in the draft).

Keep up the fight there on Capitol Hill.

I'm proud to know that I had a small part in helping you unseat Richard Pombo when everyone said it couldn't be done.

Chuck Walker Sr

p.s. The only reason our government is interested in the middle east is because of the oil reserves. Without its oil the middle east is just one big desert and not worth our time of day.

[Sanford D. Cook, LTC USA (Ret)]

Congress must decide, because the administration is too cowardly to step up to tough decisions.

You cannot decide based on the false argument that we will let down the troops if we don't win. We let them down if we continue to let them die for no national purpose.

We also cannot allow them to die waiting for the Iraqis to decide what they will do. We fail our troops if we do not make the tough decisions ourselves that are necessary to protect them.

The decision must be to bring them home ASAP. Open-ended "time lines" would be a cowardly avoidance of Congressional duty.

Bring them home on a date certain. Nine months is sufficient for a safe withdrawal.

[Marni Koopman]

While I agree with your stance on Iraq and fully support a responsible and timely redeployment of our troops, I disagree with your statement that "The war in Iraq is, of course, the most significant issue of our time."
Climate change is by far the most significant issue of our time and the impacts of climate change to future generations will dwarf this war. I am frustrated that such a misguided foreign policy has distracted our nation and the world from much more important and pressing issues and wasted valuable time and resources.
Please do all you can to bring our troops home safely and redirect the country's attention.
Thanks for your hard work.
Sincerely,
Marni Koopman, Ph.D. Biologist

[Jennifer Zilliac]

The Iraq war is such a complex problem with no good answers. I am not seeing the kind of thoughtful, public discussion that is required to come up with creative solutions. Current proposals are overly politicized. We must have more frank, open discussion before we try to settle on solutions.

[J Benner]

I still have your bumper sticker on my van here in Santa Barbara Co. We can stop the war by impeaching Bush and Cheney. I heard an excellent presentation by Rocky Anderson, Mayor of Salt Lake City. If you have not yet signed on for impeachment, talk to Rocky and get all the information you need to understand why impeachment is necessary.
Thanks!

[Craig Dunkerley]

I believe our troops are caught in the crossfire of a civil war which they cannot and shouldn't be expected to referee. I also believe our troop presence is acting as the principal irritant provoking Suni insurgents, and a huge recruiting tool for Al Quaeda. I think we need much more diplomacy, involving all relevant players in the region, and much less military presence.

[Steve Evangelou]

Congressman McNerney,

I applaud you for your insightful but balanced take on Iraq. We have no good options, but we must set a firm timeline to get our troops out.

In your remarks, you say "The war in Iraq is, of course, the most significant issue of our time." I would argue, however that an even bigger issue, which allowed this unjust war to take place in the first place, is the steady dismantling of our constitutional form of government.

I ask you and all Democratic and Republican members of Congress to reverse what Bush has done by working for the following:

- Restoring checks and balances using all necessary constitutional options, including impeachment.
- Blocking unconstitutional spying on Americans and restoring habeas corpus and all other rights guaranteed by the Constitution.
- Stopping the use of torture and secret prisons and enforcing the Geneva Conventions.
- Reclaiming Congress's constitutional right to declare war.
- Blocking the use of "signing statements" that allow the President to ignore our laws.

Thank you for listening.
Steve Evangelou

[Bruce Tichinin]

Dear Jerry:

Than you for your firm stand. I favor immediate withdrawal of all troops. We have become mired in a civil war that, unfortunately, we touched off under the near- demented "leadership" President Bush. The longer we stay the more we contribute to the senseless killing. The sooner we leave the sooner it will play out and eventually stop.

[Sean Sullivan]

We met at a Congresswoman Lee leadership Breakfast and I volunteered both here in Oakland as well as canvassing in Stockton and Manteca during the race. I was worried to see comments attributed to you praising the surge. I am very happy for the clarification and it reminds me to set up a monthly donation to your reelection campaign.

[Vincent Casalaina]

There are so many things that need to be accomplished in Washington today. There is none so vital as getting us out of the failed occupation of Iraq. Getting us out not only gives us a chance to rebuild our reputation as a country that believes in Freedom it also frees up literally billions of dollars that are vitally needed here at home to rebuild the infrastructure that the Republicans have let rot away for lack of funding.

Please keep up your strong opposition to the war, your strong support for getting us out soon and your support for progressive values across the board.

[C. Mark Rockwell]

I agree, Jerry, that a date certain withdrawl is vital to America and the Iraqis. Beyond the suffering of the people of Iraq, and the loss of Americans in the military, America is suffering huge opportunity loss. What we are prevented from doing is every bit as important as what we are doing. We're not: maintaining our infrastructure (bridges, roads, parks, wildlife areas, refuges, etc.); we're not addressing health care, education, port security, social security; we're not addressing global warming, and we are weakening environmental laws like the clean water act, clean air act, the endangered species act. We are destroying huge parts of Wyoming, Colorado and Montana with gas development. We cannot fund most of the federal programs because we are devoting too much to the war. It is way past time for change. Beyond all this, we have lost our leadership position in the world community. For too long we've had the attitude that everyone is out of step except us.

[Vaughn Anderson]

I agree with your position on ending our invasion and occupation of IRAQ.

What is your position on the invasion and occupation of our country by ILLEGAL ALIENS sneaking across our borders?

[Dianne England]

Dear Congressman,
Thank you for sticking to your guns on the war in Iraq. Keep doing all you can to get us out of this quagmire. War is not the answer to our continuing dependence on oil! I'm behind you all the way.

Dianne England

[Marilyn Altenbach]

Hi Jerry, I'm not one of your constituents, but I supported you financially in your '06 campaign. I can't believe you've only gotten 10 comments on your Iraq position. Why should we keep our troops in harm's way and our resources committed to an occupation that can't have optomistic results? We have many problems in this country and on the global scale. We can't afford to back an occupation that drains our treasury and eliminates our ability to solve other, more pressing, world and United States issues.

Sincerely, Marilyn