Hoyer: “As Iraq Slides Toward Chaos, the Bush Administration Is Still Firmly in Denial With No Plan for Success”
WASHINGTON – House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today regarding news reports that a classified briefing by the United States Central Command
(USCENTCOM) shows Iraq edging toward chaos:
“The U.S. Central Command’s recent assessment that Iraq is edging toward chaos – with ‘urban areas experiencing ethnic cleansing campaigns’ and ‘violence at [an] all-time high’ – is a devastating indictment of this Administration’s incompetent performance and the Rubber-Stamp Republican Congress, which has refused to ask tough questions and demand answers.
“Today, Iraq is moving in the wrong direction due to this Administration’s gross miscalculations and incompetence. The President and his top civilian advisors ignored the advice of military officials and sent too few troops, and consequently failed to stabilize Iraq after Hussein was removed from power. They summarily fired Iraqi security and police forces, which only fueled the insurgency. They had no effective post-war plan to get infrastructure repaired and rebuilt; failed to properly equip our own troops; and grossly underestimated the cost of the war.
“These failures and others by the Bush Administration have undercut our ability to succeed in Iraq. In fact, I believe this is the most ineffective execution of American foreign policy in my lifetime. Our brave servicemen and women certainly deserve better; the American people deserve better; and the Iraqi people deserve better.
“Democrats believe that we must take our nation in a new direction. And, we believe that it is long past time that the United States Congress conduct meaningful, bipartisan oversight of the Bush Administration rather than serve as a Rubber-Stamp for it.”
Congressman Hoyer is the Federal Representative for the Fifth Congressional District of Maryland. The Fifth District encompasses all of southern Maryland. Members of the United States House of Representatives serve two-year terms. Mr. Hoyer also serves as the Minority Whip. The Minority Whip is a member of the minority party in the U.S. House of Representatives who assists the Minority Leader in coordinating the party caucus in its responses to legislation and other matters.
Mr. Hoyer's website is located at http://www.hoyer.house.gov/. His office can be reached at (202) 225-4131. More biographical info on Mr. Hoyer can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steny_Hoyer.