Our nation is at a crossroads in Iraq.  The recently released National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Iraq confirmed the concern of most Americans that the violence in that country is a result of the battles between religious groups, sects and tribes.  Furthermore, the NIE pointed out that "outside actors", such as Iran and Syria are "not likely to be a major driver of violence or the prospects for stability".  Both of these points contradict the Administration's most stalwart claim that the major source of violence in Iraq is from Al Qaeda.    

President Bush admitted last month that there have been mistakes made in Iraq and his reasoning behind his declaration of war is constantly being amended.  What the President has not addressed, is the strain that the Iraq War is having on our military and the men and women that serve in our armed forces.

The thousands of American fatalities, the tens of thousands of wounded American service members, and the hundreds of billions of American tax dollars spent on the war in Iraq serve as painful endorsements of the analysis of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group's report and the NIE on Iraq, both of which indicated that the "situation in Iraq is grave and deteriorating."  Many of our nation's soldiers have served multiple tours in war-torn Iraq and their selfless service must be taken into account when considering our national security strategies.  

Our nation's future strategy in Iraq should carefully consider not only the sacrifice of those whom have been wounded or killed in action, but also the perils future commitments of troops to the region present to those continuing to serve in uniform.

Last month, the President announced that he would be deploying an additional twenty one thousand American troops to Iraq.  Now, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is estimating that these combat troops do not include the 28,000 combat support troops needed for a deployment of that size.  The CBO estimates the actual troop size the President has outlined would be as high as 48,000 soldiers at an additional cost of $20 to $27 billion per year.  This proposal not only puts further strain on our overextended military but it also poses a national security threat because it reduces resources needed to defend the homeland.  The head of the National Guard Bureau told Congress last year that at least two-thirds of his state-side units are not combat ready.  Most recently, the General Accounting Office, the investigatory arm of Congress, released a report expressing concern over whether the Guard is equipped to effectively respond to a large scale natural disaster or a terrorist attack.  Living in hurricane-prone Florida, this specific point is of utmost consequence to our communities.

The fact that there is disagreement at some of the highest levels of the military as to whether we need to increase the number of troops in Iraq is also disturbing to me.

This past July President Bush stated: "General Casey will make the decisions as to how, as to, as to how many troops we have there.  He'll decide how best to achieve victory and the troop levels necessary to do so." As the top commander in Iraq, General Casey did not endorse an increase in troop levels and was subsequently replaced by President Bush who nominated General Petraeus for the position.  General Petraeus supports the President's plan to send more troops to Iraq.

General Casey, back from Iraq and nominated by the President to be the Army Chief of Staff, has not changed his analysis.  At his February 1^st Senate confirmation hearing, General Casey once again disagreed with the President, stating that he had asked for less than half the number of troops that President Bush now wants.

General Casey doesn't stand alone.  General John Abizaid, the retiring head of the command that oversees Middle East policy for the military said that he and other leaders agreed that "more American forces prevent the Iraqis from doing more, from taking more responsibility for their own future."  Essentially he is saying that additional American troops in Iraq will not provide the Iraqi forces or Iraqi government the incentive or reason to stand on their own. 

The President has failed to convince many current and former military commanders of the need for additional troops and I believe he has failed to convince the American public.  We must have a full debate on a war that is stretching the capacity of the military and has exceeded the limits of the original authorization given to the President by Congress.

I support the Democratic Leadership in Congress which has called for the following strategy in Iraq:

• Shift greater responsibility to the Iraqis for their security and transition the principal mission of our forces from combat to training, logistics, force protection, and counter terrorism operations; 
• Begin the phased redeployment of our forces in the next four to six months; and
• Implement an aggressive diplomatic strategy, both within the region and beyond, which reflects the continuing obligation of the international community to help stabilize Iraq and which assists the Iraqis in achieving a sustainable political settlement, including by amending their constitution.

Your questions, thoughts, and concerns are important to me.  Please feel free to contact my offices in Broward at 954-437-3936, in Miami-Dade at 305-936-5724, in Washington, D.C. at 202-225-7931.