| Washington, DC – Congressman Bill Shuster joined about two dozen other lawmakers this morning at a policy discussion breakfast with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. Today the House of Representatives will have an open and bipartisan debate on the War on Terror – specifically the battlefield in Iraq.
"I heard conflicting and duplicative reports about how the U.S. military received information about Zarqawi’s location before we took him out," said Shuster, a member of the Armed Services Committee. "Some reports said we got it from Iraqis, some said it was from our intelligence and others said it was from sources close to Zarqawi. At today’s meeting I had the chance to ask Secretary Rumsfeld. The answer is ‘all of the above,’ because our intelligence sources in Iraq and in the broader War on Terror are becoming more and more expansive, which is helping to bring terrorists to justice."
Iraqi Security Forces, a military totaling 264,400 troops today, are taking part in 90 percent of all security operations. Two years ago there were only 184,000 with just a handful actually in the fight. The growth and development of these forces not only proves the commitment of Iraqi’s to their democracy but also brings them closer to providing their own security entirely.
"The more and more progress we see with the Iraqi Security Forces, the more and more we can hand over military operations," said Shuster. "In November of 2005 Iraqi Security Forces performed 61 percent of military operations, but today that number is at 90 percent. That is progress toward our goal in Iraq."
The House will hold debate throughout today and into tomorrow on the War on Terror’s Iraqi battlefield. Congressman Shuster plans to take part and is expected to deliver a floor speech. |
