U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, a member of the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs committees, issued the following statement concerning President Bush's address to the nation on Iraq.
The most solemn duty for any elected official – whether the president or a member of Congress – is the protection of our national security. All our military, intelligence and diplomatic policies must be directed toward this goal. To achieve it, I believe we must go back on the offensive against our enemies.
With al Qaeda’s top leaders still at large, the Taliban regrouping in Afghanistan and Iran on the threshold of acquiring nuclear weapons, the United States should immediately begin to redeploy our forces from Iraq and position them where they can most effectively combat international terror.
I am pleased President Bush plans to bring some of our troops home from Iraq. But the president’s proposal does not go far enough. Based on what I learned during several recent hearings on the situation in Iraq, our entire strategy must change.
Our nation has placed an extraordinary responsibility on our dedicated military personnel and their families. We must respect and honor their sacrifices with a renewed commitment to fight terror more effectively.