(Warwick, R.I.) Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI), member of the House Armed Services Committee, offered the following reaction to President George W. Bush’s comments today on the War in Iraq:

“I cannot stress enough that our men and women in uniform have done an impressive job performing increasingly difficult missions in Iraq.  Unfortunately, President Bush has not made their work any easier by repeatedly refusing to adapt to changing conditions on the ground. He has led this nation into a quagmire. Hearing the President say that “we are not winning and we are not losing” means, to me, we are not moving forward or backward – we are stuck with a policy and strategy that does not work and it is costing too many American and Iraqi lives.

“I am opposed to increasing our troop levels. The time for sending more combat troops to Iraq has long come and gone. It is time to make a significant military shift away from combat activities while continuing to train and advise the Iraqi military.  The Iraqi government must understand that we do not plan to be in Iraq indefinitely, and they must step in soon to ensure their own security. I will continue to look to our military leaders, who have questioned the value of increasing troop levels without clear and obtainable objectives, for their guidance on necessary troop levels.

“Furthermore, sending more combat troops now will do nothing to address the underlying problems in Iraq, which are largely political in nature.  We should be shifting our troops away from battling the insurgency in favor of increased training of Iraqi forces, reducing our footprint and visibility to make Iraqis understand that we have no intention of staying indefinitely, and stressing the need for an international commitment to addressing the underlying problems that are fueling the discontent, while promoting economic development initiatives that give Iraqis jobs and services.

“As the Iraq Study Commission stated weeks ago, the situation in Iraq is “grave and deteriorating”. I could not agree more. The Bush Administration has created this mess and the time has come to change course. I have long argued that we need a stronger diplomatic effort with Iraq and the rest of the region. It is in everyone’s best interest to work together to address ongoing problems in Iraq and the region so we can bring our brave servicemembers safely home.”

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