Updated at 9:20 p.m., Thursday, February 15, 2007
Abercrombie, Hirono speak against troop surge
Associated Press
Rep. Neil Abercrombie spoke out Thursday against President Bush's plan to increase troop strength in Iraq, telling the House that the negative effects of the war on U.S. military preparedness have been drastic.Abercrombie and fellow Hawai'i Democratic Rep. Mazie Hirono both spoke in favor of a nonbinding resolution against increasing troops.
"Extended deployments, premature redeployments and sustained combat under unbelievably harsh conditions have taken a terrible toll on our forces and their equipment," Abercrombie said.
"The results are an overstretched U.S. Army and Marine Corps," he said, "with no fully mission-capable reserve forces, and an urgent need for billions of dollars to repair or replace worn and damaged helicopters, tanks, other armored vehicles, including up-armored Humvees, and other equipment."
Hirono urged Congress to go on record unified against the escalation of the war and in complete support of soldiers and veterans.
"We must be resolute in our efforts to bring an end to this quagmire," she said.
Abercrombie said U.S. forces have borne the brunt of the unpopular war.
"Smugly self-righteous in its belief that U.S. troops would be targeted with nothing more lethal than rose petals, this administration has been complacent in leaving the burden of their war on the men and women of our armed forces; active, reserve and National Guard," he said.
Instead of sending additional troops, Abercrombie called for an end of the war.
"Now, we are engaged in a war of choice; a catastrophe conceived in ideological zeal, cloaked in misinformation and administered with breathtaking incompetence," he said.
"It is an outrage that we have not had a single policy in Iraq worthy of our men and women in uniform. This 'surge' is yet another misstep in this tragic journey to disaster. We need to end it, and end it now."
Hirono also spoke in support of U.S. troops.
"We owe it to all the brave men and women who have already sacrificed so much — over 3,000 of them who made the ultimate sacrifice — to steer our country on a course that will bring our troops home safely, take care of them and their families when they return and end this war," she said.
Hirono raised the issue of the financial cost of the war that increases the national debt.
"The interest on our debt alone is more than we devote to the education of our children, care of our veterans and for the administration of justice, combined," she said.
