Senate Proceeding on Sep 21st, 2007 :: 0:13:15 to 0:21:08
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0:08:20 to 0:13:15( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: James Inhofe

0:13:03 to 0:13:15( Edit History Discussion )

James Inhofe: has been offered by two people i respect greatly. i don't question their motives about loving our country any more than i do and they are trying to find out what's best for iraq in a very difficult

0:13:15 to 0:13:26( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: situation. we just have an honest disagreement. i think it's been a very healthy debate where we talk about two different ways of reaching the same goal and that's a successful outcome in eye --

0:13:15 to 0:21:08( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Lindsey Graham

0:13:26 to 0:13:38( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: and that's a successful outcome in iraq. make no mistake about it in my view, the reason i oppose this legislation, it is a change in strategy. senator reed talked about similarities between what

0:13:38 to 0:13:46( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: general petraeus and said what this resolution would do. there are some similarities but it is a fundamental change in military strategy. after general petraeus testified, is that rise for us to do that?

0:13:46 to 0:13:59( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: is it wise for the gross basically take operational -- is it wise for the congress to basically take operational control of this war from general petraeus? because that's what this legislation would

0:13:59 to 0:14:10( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: do. it would restructure our forces in a way that he did not recommend t. would be a very -- recommend. it would be a very overt rejection of general petraeus's leadership, his strategy, his vision and his

0:14:10 to 0:14:23( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: recommendations. and i think we need to understand that would be the consequence of passing this resolution. it would be saying respectfully "no" to general petraeus and "yes" to the congress in terms of how

0:14:23 to 0:14:35( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: to run a war, i think and that's not wise. it is a de facto return to the old strategy. for 3 1/2 years, we had a strategy on the ground in ira that did not produce results that were beneficial. i am a

0:14:35 to 0:14:50( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: military lawyer and i have no expertise about how to invade a country or manage a population once the invasion is over, but committee tell you this based on common -- but committee tell you this based

0:14:50 to 0:15:00( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: on schens and the old experience. the first strategy was not working. you were able to move around, it was a bit chaotic but you were able to go down down and do some things you're able to do today.

0:15:00 to 0:15:13( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: but even the third trip, after the fall of baghdad, we were in a security environment, almost in a tank. so it was clear to me training the iraqi troops, having a small military footprint, was not achieving

0:15:13 to 0:15:25( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: the security we needed for reconciliation. and the few dead-enders were the most resilient people in the world. and if the insurgency was in its last throes, it was a deep throe. every time i asked

0:15:25 to 0:15:38( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: people coming back who were running the old strategy and testifying to congress, what's the general number of insurgents? about 5,000 hard-core insurgents. well, it's the most resilient 5,000 in the

0:15:38 to 0:15:49( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: world. they -- they were able certainly to do a lot of havoc. thank goodness that we changed strategy. senator levin and reed and others had been arguing for a very long time to change course and change

0:15:49 to 0:16:00( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: strategy. well, the president heard that call. he sat down with military leaders, he put a new commander in the field and we have in fact changed strategy. what did we do? we went a different way

0:16:00 to 0:16:11( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: instead of withdrawing troops -- different way. instead of withdrawing troops and instead of doing more of the same, we added troops. and i think what sator inhofe said, it's the best thing we've done.

0:16:11 to 0:16:24( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: this additional 30,000 combat troops being interjected into the battlefield has paid off in security gains we've never seen before.| hats off to the surge. to those part of the surge, those who have

0:16:24 to 0:16:35( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: been this iraq for a very long time, i acknowledge and respect and -- your success because the success has been undeniable. the challenges are also undeniable. but without the surge there would have been

0:16:35 to 0:16:47( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: no turn around in anbar. the people in anbar had enough of al qaeda. we can take credit for that. al qaeda overplayed its hand. we had additional combat power in place to take advantage of a population

0:16:47 to 0:17:03( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: that was ready to make a choice, a choice for the good. now, their rejection of al qaeda is not national political reconciliation. it is not embracing democracy. but it is good news because you have

0:17:03 to 0:17:18( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: sunni arabs rejecting the al qaeda agenda. that's great news. now, this resolution not only is a rejection of general petraeus' strategy and his vision for how to be successful, it has in practical effect,

0:17:18 to 0:17:29( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: the rules of engagement you have to draft around implementing this strategy are almost impossible, from my point of view. just to train and fight al qaeda, how do you do that when you have all kind of

0:17:29 to 0:17:43( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: enemies running around in iraq, including iran and sectarian violence? the idea we will change missions and adopt this resolution as the new mission and have such a limited military ability, i think, is

0:17:43 to 0:17:55( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: unwise and, really, is impractical. it is a dangerous precedent for the congress to set, to withdraw from a military commander who has been successful, the power to implement a strategy that is proven

0:17:55 to 0:18:06( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: to be successful of the basic premise of the resolution is, if we change strategy, reject general petraeus and go to the old strategy, which is in essence what we would be doing, it would bring about

0:18:06 to 0:18:18( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: better reconciliation. my fundamental belief is that you will never have political reconciliation until you have better security. and the new strategy, the surge, has brought about better security than

0:18:18 to 0:18:34( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: we've ever had before in iraq even though it's still a very dangerous place. there is no evidence to suggest that reconciliation would be enhanced by rejecting general petraeus and adopting the congress'

0:18:34 to 0:18:45( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: plan for iraq. quite the opposite. i think all the evidence we have before us is that a smaller military footprint, when you're fighting behind walls, empowers the enemy. if we adopted the resolution,

0:18:45 to 0:19:00( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: the security gapes we have achieved, i believe, would be lost, we would abandon people who came forward to help and we woulnot have the military power to seize the momentum gained from the surge and

0:19:00 to 0:19:11( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: we would rollback the momentum gained and put people at risk who have helped us. 12,000 people have joined the police force in anbar in 2007 and in 2006 only 1,000 joined. there is a local reconciliation

0:19:11 to 0:19:21( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: going on. there's a realization by the iraqi people, now's the time to step forward. their politicians are lagging behind the local population. but it will not be long, in my opinion, before baghdad

0:19:21 to 0:19:33( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: understands that they have to reconcile their country through the political process and they will only do that with better security. when you reach across the aisle here in america, you can pay a heavy

0:19:33 to 0:19:46( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: price in terms of your political future. weapon you reach across the aisle in baghdad your family can be killed. better security will breed, i think, more political reconciliation, not less. and

0:19:46 to 0:19:58( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: to abandon this strategy now, to substitute the congresses judgment for general petraeus' is ill-advised scpun warned. quite frankly i think general petraeus and the troops serving under him deserve

0:19:58 to 0:20:14( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: our support and our respect and they have earned the ability to carry on their mission. they have earned, this my opinion, based on success on the battlefield, the right to move forward as they

0:20:14 to 0:20:27( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: deem to be militarily sound. the congress is at 11%; part of the reason we are at 11% is we don't seem to be able to come together and solve hard problems. why do we believe that we have a better

0:20:27 to 0:20:36( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: insight on how to win the war than a battlefield commander who has produced results never known before? i just don't think we do. with that, mr. president, we will end this debate in a respectful manner.

0:20:36 to 0:20:57( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: we have the same goal and that is to bring about political reconciliation and success in iraq. unfortunately, this goes backward at a time we need to go failure. the presiding officer: under the previous

0:20:57 to 0:21:08( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: order, the time between 9:50 a.m. and 10 a.m. will be equally divided between the two leaders or their designees with the majority leader or his designee controlling the final five minutes. mr. graham:

0:21:08 to 0:21:26( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: i have a statement from senator mccain i'd like to introduced into the record. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mr. graham: i have had my say, i don't think senator mcconnell is

0:21:08 to 0:28:45( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Harry Reid