Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Goodlatte sees progress on Iraq visit
He said that conditions there seem generally safer than they were on his two previous visits.
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roanoke.com/politics
On his third visit to Iraq in five years, U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte said Monday that the country has made "considerable progress" since the United States' invasion in 2003 -- but that much work remains before troops can be withdrawn.
"While progress is being made, the Iraqis are hopeful we'll stay there longer than most Americans hope we'll stay," said Goodlatte, R-Roanoke County, during a phone conference while he waited out a dust storm.
After meeting for more than an hour with Gen. David Petraeus, commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, and Ambassador Ryan Crocker, Goodlatte said that the situation in Iraq is better than his past visits, but still "dangerous and one in which the Iraqis at this point in time still in the general's opinion are not able to take responsibility for maintaining the country without our assistance."
Goodlatte previously visited Iraq in 2003 and 2006.
He noted that the Iraqi military has grown and is sustaining a "far higher level of casualties than U.S. troops, indicating they're standing and fighting."
Goodlatte said conditions in Iraq generally seem safer and noted that he and a congressional delegation that included Reps. Brian Bilbray, R-California, Travis Childers, D-Mississippi, Thelma Drake, R-Norfolk, and Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, was able to get to a Baghdad police station by driving streets that had previously been considered unsafe.
The contingent also visited the Iraqi city of Fallujah, which in 2004 was the site of heavy fighting.
"When I was here two years ago, I never had the slightest thought that a delegation of five members of Congress would be flown out to Fallujah," Goodlatte said. "It was unheard of at that time."
He said that the civilian government appeared to be improving, too, with more electoral participation from various religious sects.
"Having greater cooperation is going to be crucial to the overall success of the new government being able to indeed govern," Goodlatte said.
Meanwhile, Goodlatte's opponent in the 6th District, Democrat Sam Rasoul, issued a news release criticizing Congress for approving additional spending for the war in Iraq.
"Additional funding for the war is simply wasteful spending," Rasoul said in the release.
"We should instead place priority on ensuring all Americans have health care and lowering energy costs," he wrote.
Goodlatte said he hopes to return to the U.S. this week.
