Rep. Goodlatte visits Iraq

By Bob Stuart

Published: June 30, 2008

Sixth District Congressman Bob Goodlatte sees hopeful signs on his third visit to Iraq, but is not ready to say it’s time for U.S. forces to come home, and can offer no definitive timetable for when total U.S. troop withdrawal will happen.
“We should have a slow and steady withdrawal of our forces while increasing pressure on the Iraqis to take more responsibility,” Goodlatte, R-Va., said during a Monday teleconference from Baghdad.
The Shenandoah Valley congressman was winding up the second day of a visit to Iraq with members of a U.S. Congressional delegation.
Since his arrival in Iraq on Sunday, Goodlatte said he had witnessed greater mobility by Iraqi soldiers and police, increased economic activity in the streets of Baghdad and fewer daily attacks.
“The number of attacks is the lowest in several years,” said Goodlatte, adding that attacks have dropped from around 150 per day to about 30.
Goodlatte said a meeting Monday with U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker and U.S. commander Gen. David Petraeus offered no definite timetable for troop withdrawal.
“The Iraqis, in the opinion of Gen. Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker, are not ready to take control of their country without our assistance,” Goodlatte said.
Goodlatte said he told Petraeus and Crocker “that there is a limited amount of time for the U.S. to fulfill these commitments.”
The congressman said Iraqi troops and national police are playing a more active role.
He said the Iraqi military and police presence in Iraq now numbers more than 560,000.
Iraqi police have conducted significant operations and “some of the police are operating on their own in provinces around the country,” Goodlatte said.
Goodlatte said the Iraqi government is also struggling, but said the message has been sent —  “With freedom comes responsibility.”
There is increased economic activity on the streets of Baghdad, according to Goodlatte.
And he said a more stable Iraq was evidenced by the delegation’s trip to Fallujah on Sunday.
Located 40 miles west of Baghdad, Fallujah has been one of Iraq’s most violence-prone areas since the 2003 start of the war.
“When I was here two years ago there was no thought of a congressional delegation flying to Fallujah to meet with the military. That would have been unheard of at the time,” Goodlatte said.
Goodlatte’s departure from Iraq was delayed Monday because of a dust storm that made travel impossible.
In addition to the dust, the congressman said it is routinely 115 to 120 degrees this time of year in Iraq.
During his visit, Goodlatte has dined with several U.S. troops.
“One of the constants in the three visits has been the incredible dedication and professionalism of our troops, from privates to generals,” Goodlatte said. “It’s a remarkable fighting force of people who have volunteered to put themselves in this situation.”
Meanwhile, Goodlatte’s Democratic opponent in the November election, Sam Rasoul, criticized Congress’ recent approval of additional spending for the war in Iraq and U.S. operations in Afghanistan.
“Additional funding for the war is simply wasteful spending,” Rasoul said in a press release. “Unsound fiscal decisions are causing our country to go further into debt and American taxpayers will feel the burden far into the future. We should place priority on ensuring all Americans have health care and lowering energy costs.”