Connecticut’s Shays Calls for Iraq Withdrawal Timetable

Connecticut’s Republican Congressman Christopher Shays is chairman of the House Government Reform subcommittee on national security, emerging threats and international relations. He has been a very strong supporter of US actions in Iraq. He has just called for a timeline for US withdrawal from Iraq. The GOP is starting to split over Iraq, just as mid-term elections approach.

Connecticut is not Bush country. Senator Joe Lieberman found himself beaten in a Democratic primary because he stood too close to the president on Iraq. So, the fact that Mr. Shays, who is in a re-election fight of his own, has called for a timetable shouldn’t be hugely surprising. Instead, he’s getting pounded on locally for being so slow to come to this position. Diane Farrell, the Democratic challenger for the seat Mr. Shays holds, said, “I think it is unfortunate it took him 14 trips and three years to recognize that Iraq has been in a constant state of turmoil since the day that Baghdad fell.”

However, Mr. Shays has focused on a feature of the president’s Iraq policy that this journal has taken to be a main issue. The president says that Americans will stand down as Iraqis stand up in Iraq, and the Iraqis don’t seem interesting in rising. Mr. Shays said, “My view is that it may be that the only way we are able to encourage some political will on the part of Iraqis is to have a timeline for troop withdrawal, a timeline of when the bulk of heavy lifting is in the hands of the Iraqis.”

He did hedge his bet a bit, by adding, “We should be able to tell the American people what kind of timeline we can have to begin to draw down our troops. It may be a timeline the American people don’t want to hear. It may not be something that brings them out quickly.” That is an odd thing to say if one wants to motivate Iraqi politicians. A long time horizon diminishes any sense of urgency.

In addition to shifting his stance somewhat, Mr. Shays has announced three hearings his subcommittee will hold next month, called, “Iraq: Democracy or Civil War.” This isn’t likely to make the president and those who want to “stay the accursed” very happy, but it is a sign of just how serious the situation has become for incumbent Republicans.

© Copyright 2006 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

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