My position on Iraq is clear and concise: We must begin withdrawing our troops today.
The vast majority of Iraqi people view us as an occupying force and believe it is acceptable to use violent means against our troops. There is no clear mission for our military. We are putting our troops in harm's way. Our troops should be commended and their families honored for their dedication. The problems facing Iraq are the result of failed political leadership, and in no way reflect the work of our military personnel.
We need to negotiate to maintain a rapid response force in the region to fight the threat of terrorism and to suppress any Al Qaeda activities. With this in mind, we should only re-enter Iraq as a member of a multi-national peace keeping force. We must allow the Iraqi people to resolve their conflicting interests.
We need to engage in ongoing dialogue with all nations in the region, including Syria and Iran. We must stop a foreign policy that discourages international communication and cooperation, and move away from the all or nothing philosophy of "You're either with us or against us."
As our troops are being withdrawn from Iraq, we need to keep focused on an international approach to Afghanistan.
We need to examine our relations with Pakistan, where an anti-American attitude is gaining momentum. This is especially important in light of the fact that Pakistan has a nuclear arsenal.
The invasion of Iraq has deprived us of resources necessary to deal with significant human needs, including health care, education, environmental protection, public safety, and energy independence.
In addition to the most important sacrifices of our military and their families, please see what John Kerry's vote to invade Iraq has cost your community:
