Berkley Statement on President Bush's
Call for U.S. Troop Surge in Iraq

(Washington, DC -- January 10, 2007) Congresswoman Shelley Berkley (D-NV) today released the following statement in response to President Bush’s call for the deployment of more than 20,000 additional U.S. troops in Iraq:

"President Bush has yet to present the American people with a strategy for the victory in Iraq that he so often talks about. Before one more American soldier is deployed to Iraq, the President needs to put forth a strategy that outlines where we are going, how we will get there, what we can expect to achieve and above all else, the meaning of victory. Sending 20,000 more U.S. troops into combat will not end terror, achieve victory or ensure Iraqi control. Nor will it prevent Iraq’s continued plunge into a violent civil war.”

"I remain firmly opposed to any fixed timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq, and I realize the grave consequences we face in the region if our mission fails. But that does not mean I will give President Bush a blank check for a so-called ‘surge’ that threatens the loss of more American lives, when he has not given us a clear understanding of why such an increase is needed or of the results that this action will produce.”

"I share the concerns of our generals on the ground in Iraq and Pentagon officials who are warning this surge will do nothing to further the cause of victory and may very well have a negative impact on the long term viability of our military forces and on our national security interests.”

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