WASHINGTON - House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, who represents all of southern Maryland, on Friday responded to the release of the Administration's National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Iraq. The Estimate is a candid, non-political assessment of the situation in Iraq that was prepared by the American intelligence agencies.
Hoyer issued the following statement in which he noted that a political solution to end the war is the only option:
"Today, the Administration released its long overdue National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq. The NIE states what many of us have been saying about the deteriorating situation in Iraq and the reality we confront.
"This report suggests to me once again that while there is absolutely no easy way to stabilize Iraq, it remains clear that a political solution is the only option. In my view, an important vehicle for reaching that solution is a more comprehensive, sustained multilateral effort. Put simply, we need a diplomatic surge, not a military one. We should be engaging Iraq 's neighbors, bilaterally and multilaterally, in our effort to advance peace and security.
"The report also makes clear that the Iraqi leadership must step up and make the difficult changes, without which Iraq will simply continue to descend into chaos."