Darcy Burner Responds to Petraeus Testimony By Asking, “When Will It End?”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - SEPTEMBER 10, 2007Contact: Sandeep Kaushik, (425) 443-2564
Democrat Darcy Burner Responds to Petraeus Testimony By Asking, “When Will It End?”
Bellevue, WA (September 10) – Washington State 8th Congressional District candidate Darcy Burner issued the following statement in response to today’s congressional testimony from Gen. Petraeus calling for yet another open-ended extension of the disastrous Iraq War:
“I have one question for President Bush, General Petraeus, Congressman Reichert, and our other leaders in Washington, D.C.: when will it end?
“Publicly, yet again, they are asking for six more months. Six months ago they asked for six more months. Six months before that they wanted six more months. We are now learning that Bush administration plans to not even end the surge until August of next year, and will keep some 130,000 troops in Iraq indefinitely. Privately, the Bush administration is telling allies like Congressman Reichert that with their support they expect to keep the war going for another decade.
“That is outrageous and unacceptable. The deaths in Iraq of nine more of our brave men and women in uniform was announced today. We have already squandered $450 billion for this misguided war. So I ask again: when will it end?
“I suspect that is really a trick question, because the American people are realizing that President Bush and Congressman Reichert have no intention to bringing this war to a responsible close. If we let them, President Bush, Congressman Reichert and those who think like they do will keep this war going forever.
“Unfortunately, taking full advantage of a credulous inside-the-Beltway media establishment, they have succeeded for now – yet again – in turning the D.C. debate into how long the surge should continue.
“That is not what ordinary Americans want. For them, it is not about the surge, it is about the war. This is the only real question: do we want to end the war, or do want to continue it for another five or ten years?
“I stand for bringing the war to a responsible close. Congressman Reichert stands for dragging it on and on and on and on even as it tears apart our military, breeds new terrorists and destroys our reputation around the world.
“Yes, ending this war may take some time to complete, because extricating ourselves from Iraq is going to be a complicated operation. We have to do this right, in a way that preserves American interests as much as possible, keeps our troops as safe as possible and gives the Iraqis the best possible chance to create a stable government in our absence. But no more excuses, no more delays -- we need to start now.
“So I join the American people in asking a simple question. And we are going to keep asking it, until we get a straight answer from President Bush and Congressman Reichert.
“When will it end?”
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