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The Republican Policy Committee
Envisioned as the principal forum for the consideration of forward-looking legislative initiatives the Policy Committee is an important means for every member of the Conference to develop sound legislative ideas into meaningful legislation.

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For Immediate Release:
September 4, 2007
 

Rep. McCotter:  Congress’ Iraq Benchmarks Are “Backward”

 
 

WASHINGTON D.C. – Congressman Thaddeus McCotter (MI), Chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee, today released the following statement regarding the Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on the progress of American military forces in Iraq:

“Congress’ benchmarks for the Iraqi Parliament are as backward as the administration’s initial post-war plan.  The true measure of political progress in Iraq is NOT found in its national Parliament; the true measure of political progress in Iraq is occurring in local tribes, towns and provinces where Iraqis are choosing liberty instead of the insurgency.

“Today, General Petraeus’ counter-insurgency strategy is delivering both the eradication of the insurgents and localized reconstruction efforts – i.e., a palpable hope for security and prosperity.  This Iraqi “election for freedom” is not an intrinsically military development.  It is fundamentally a political development complementing and speeding military progress; and hastening the day such individual and local “grassroots” political wins collectively dictate parliamentary progress in Baghdad.

“How?  In Iraq – as in every democracy – each citizen in his or her respective tribe, town and province must inform and consent to federal laws being enacted, implemented, and honored.  When such consent is individually granted in sufficient numbers, Iraq will complete its transformational emancipation from tyranny to liberty. 
 
“Ominously, if we abandon Iraq’s fledgling democracy – or any democracy – under terrorist attack, we will also abandon our and the entire free world’s inherited legacy of and professed commitment to freedom.  If this betrayal liberty and the Iraqis occurs, our enemies will be empowered and we will be ideologically disarmed in the face of the enemy.

“If not liberty, what political principle will a discredited and defeated U.S. promote to turn the Middle East’s oppressed away from Al Qaeda’s extremism?

“Come September 15th then, Americans must focus on the true measure of political progress in General Petraeus’ initial strategic assessment – tribal, local, and provincial support for liberty instead of the insurgency; and we must do so cognizant of this truth:  The only way to ensure liberty for ourselves is to extend liberty to the oppressed.”