Advance: In address to Senate, Kerry says Iraq now breeding ground for terrorists

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Advanc...r_te_0628.html

Says 'there is still time to get it right;' Suggests empowering militias

The following is an advance copy of Sen. John Kerry's remarks to the Senate provided to RAW STORY on the eve of a speech by President Bush slated tonight to rally Americans on supporting his war in Iraq.

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Mr. President, tonight President Bush will speak to the nation about the situation in Iraq. And I think we all have a sense of what he'll say. He'll talk about the march of democracy and the courage of our troops across the world. He'll speak with pride about Iraqi elections and the end of tyranny, and stress the importance of fighting terror. And that's fine - we all agree with that - but those words alone won't be enough to improve a situation clearly headed in a perilous direction. We need new, strong policy to get it right in Iraq. Today, we have no realistic strategy to reduce the risks to our soldiers and achieve our goals. While our military has done a superb job, our civilian leadership has not, and our soldiers are paying the price every day. We need a realistic plan for success. To do that, we must tear down the wall of arrogance. When the Vice President absurdly claims the "insurgency is in its last throes" he insults the common sense and intelligence of the American people, and diminishes our stature in the world. And how can we expect the Iraqi people to take us seriously and do their part when the White House says the insurgency is fading, yet they live in constant fear, the explosions waking them up at night, reminding Iraqis of the danger inherent in even the short walk to work or school the next morning.

While we shouldn't dwell on mistakes, we need to understand their consequences on our ability to effectively move forward. With allies reading the Downing Street memo, and the American people realizing the rationalization for this war changed midstream, it becomes that much harder to rally the collective strength of the nation and the world to our cause.

We have to acknowledge the past to overcome it, because the truth is the stubbornness of this Administration matters. It hurts our chances for success. It leads to frustrated expectations at home, makes it so much more difficult for the Iraqi people to embrace this cause, and makes it so much easier for sidelined nations to turn their back on a common interest and say: "OK, it's their deal." And the bottom line is that when it comes to war and the safety of American troops, there is no time for excuses. It's time for the Administration to tell the truth about what's happening on the ground and open up to new ideas about how to get the job done. Admitting mistakes is a necessary hurdle and a constructive tool for this Administration if it wants to build the strength necessary to get it right in Iraq. Admitting mistakes paves the way for elected officials and the American people to come together to move forward. Admitting mistakes lays the groundwork for a climate of cooperation that allows allies to add to our own strength. Admitting mistakes eases the concerns of the Iraqi people, and helps us make them understand that there will be no success unless they embrace the burden of their own future.

And that includes acknowledging that Iraq today is something it wasn't before the war: a breeding ground for jihadists. Today there are 16-20,000 insurgents, and the number of jihadists among them is growing. This is a growing challenge, and we need to take immediate steps to address it. Our officer corps reports that every time our troops kill or capture an insurgent, three more step forward to take his place. That is not a compelling strategy for success.

So I hope tonight that we hear something new from the President. I hope the President recognizes that the people demand more than a new communications strategy - they demand real leadership and a strategy for success in this war that gets our troops home. If the President does this, he will begin to restore the confidence of the American people and the respect of the world. In showing real leadership, he will make clear to the Iraqi people that it's time for them to take the lead.

I also hope the American people understand that there still can be a plan for success in Iraq if we move quickly. The mistakes we have made don't change the fact that our military is the most powerful in the world, and that democracy is one of the world's most powerful ideas. The mistakes don't change the fact that the Iraqi people understand through the powerful memory of generations that they have a unique opportunity to shape their own future. If the President gets serious about getting this right and telling the truth, and the Iraqi people get serious about doing their part and bearing the burden, we can have success in Iraq.

So what can the President say tonight to get things right in Iraq, and put us on the road to success? The President can start by immediately declaring that the United States does not seek bases or any permanent military presence in Iraq. Erasing suspicion of indefinite occupation is critical to eroding support for the insurgency.

Getting it right also means using our overwhelming leverage to get the Iraqis to do their part. Our massive military presence is all that stands between the Iraqi people and complete chaos. Our special forces are protecting Iraqi leaders. With this kind of leverage, it's shocking that the Administration allowed six months to go by before including Sunnis in the political process. This was an obvious, crucial prerequisite to success, yet there was no sense of urgency, and minimal pressure applied. It's time for the Administration to use its leverage to insist the Iraqis to do their part, establish a truly inclusive political process, and meet the deadlines for finishing the Constitution and holding new elections in December.

Getting it right also means putting together a real plan for the training of Iraqi troops and following through on it. This should be our top priority. It's the key to getting our troops home and avoiding a humiliating withdrawal. It's time to move beyond fudging the numbers and finally put the training of Iraqi troops on a true six-month wartime footing, which includes ensuring the Iraqi government has the budget necessary to deploy them. It's also time to stop using the in-country training requirement as an excuse for refusing offers made by Egypt, Jordan, France and Germany to do more. Why would we turn down this opportunity to give our troops the relief they deserve?

Getting it right also means drawing up a detailed plan with the clear milestone of transfer of military and police responsibilities to Iraqis after the December elections. The Administration's plan should take into account both political and security objectives, including Iraqi force structure, and be specifically tied to a defined series of tasks and accomplishments. This plan must be more than dates and numbers - it must make clear to the Iraqi government that American patience is limited.

The Iraqi people need to understand that in America, when we see Army recruitment suffering, and families organizing to protect their kids from recruiters, and the divorce rate for military officers skyrocketing, we take it very seriously. I know the Iraqi people already understand that our troops are skilled and brave - now they need to understand that we must see legitimate progress that offers a real chance of American troops beginning to come home.

At the same time, if the Administration really wants to get the Iraqis to bear the burden, they need to move beyond the hollow "stay-as-long-as-it-takes-no-matter-what" talk that provides an endless security blanket - a disincentive for Iraqis to stand up for Iraq - and instead talk forcefully about how to transfer of responsibility.

End Part I