Jeanne Shaheen Statement On Bush Announcement Concerning Troop Levels In Iraq
Tuesday September 09, 2008
Tuesday September 09, 2008
(Manchester, NH) – Jeanne Shaheen released the following statement today in response to President Bush's announcement that troop levels will be adjusted in Iraq:
"President Bush's announcement today that troop levels in Iraq will be reduced by early next year and that 4,500 troops will be redeployed to Afghanistan is long overdue. The war in Iraq has taken our focus off of pursuing terrorist threats where they are greatest – in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region. Military commanders have long warned that we need additional troops on the ground in Afghanistan to pursue Al-Qaeda, but that our military is currently stretched too thin by our never-ending commitment in Iraq.
Our top national security priority should be defeating Al-Qaeda, but we cannot pursue them with full force until we have leaders in Washington who recognize that it is critical to redeploy our troops from Iraq."
"President Bush's announcement today that troop levels in Iraq will be reduced by early next year and that 4,500 troops will be redeployed to Afghanistan is long overdue. The war in Iraq has taken our focus off of pursuing terrorist threats where they are greatest – in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region. Military commanders have long warned that we need additional troops on the ground in Afghanistan to pursue Al-Qaeda, but that our military is currently stretched too thin by our never-ending commitment in Iraq.
Our top national security priority should be defeating Al-Qaeda, but we cannot pursue them with full force until we have leaders in Washington who recognize that it is critical to redeploy our troops from Iraq."
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