Davis: DFL and Walz Putting Politics Ahead of our Troops

For Immediate Release
April 16, 2008

(Rochester, MN) - The Minnesota Democratic-Farm-Labor (DFL) released a statement on April 10, presumably with the approval of Congressman Walz, criticizing President Bush for taking the recommendation of General David Petraeus to temporarily halt troop withdrawals in July after the 'surge' troops have been withdrawn. The statement also leveled criticism at Brian Davis, the endorsed Republican Party candidate for the congressional seat held by Walz, for some of his views on this topic."General Petraeus asked the President to give him some time to analyze the situation in July to determine the best way to proceed in light of the safety of U.S. troops and stability in Iraq. What the DFL-Walz release seems to convey is that they would disregard the request of General Petraeus and ignore the safety of our troops on the ground. This is irresponsible and puts politics ahead of our men and women in uniform," said Davis.

"The surge has Al Qaeda on the run, there's consensus on that issue. The DFL-Walz position seems to be that we should let terrorists regain their strategic position in Iraq and squander all that our military has sacrificed so much to gain" added Davis.

As part of a longer-term solution, Davis has called for an eventual popular referendum in Iraq which poses the question whether the citizens of Iraq want the United States military to remain in their country. Some Americans have called the United States presence an 'illegal occupation'. Davis disagrees with this view and believes that a referendum would establish if the presence of the United States military is welcomed, not just by the government, but by the Iraqi people as well. A 'thumbs up' vote would provide further legitimacy for our presence there.

Davis stated, "Many doubted that elections could be held in Iraq in the past. They were clearly wrong. The people of Iraq should hold another election which will help us determine a productive long-term relationship with their country. If Iraqis want American troops to leave, then we should begin redeploying outside of Iraq in a way that is safe for our troops.

On the other hand, if Iraqis wish our military to stay and assist them in further stabilizing their country, then we should also discuss sharing the basing costs by implementing agreements similar to the ones we have with other countries where American military presence is considered mutually beneficial."
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