A Plan for Iraq
by Sen. Harry Reid

Democrats believe, as do an overwhelming majority of the American people, that President Bush needs to change course in Iraq. We can't stay in Iraq forever. The question becomes whether we'll continue to follow the president's failed strategy or whether we work to change course.

Will the Senate sit silent, or will we bring stability to Iraq and bring our troops home from a protracted civil war?

Democrats have always been unified on these principles.

The mission in Iraq has changed and, therefore, so must U.S. policy change. Troops should not be policing a civil war. The current conflict in Iraq requires a political solution.

Listen to what General Petraeus said today from Iraq: "The war cannot be won militarily. It can only be won politically."

We further believe that Iraq must take responsibility for its own future, and our troops should begin to come home.

That's why, yesterday, I introduced a joint resolution calling for the president to change course and bring stability to Iraq by beginning a phased redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq in 120 days, with the goal of redeploying combat forces from Iraq by the end of March of next year.

A limited number of troops would remain for the purposes of force protection, training and equipping the Iraqi troops, and counterterrorism activities.

Truly changing course in Iraq will require Republican cooperation and support. So far, Republicans have chosen to greenlight the escalation.

Hopefully, Senate Republicans will join the American people in opposing the president's flawed policies in Iraq. They must put doing the right thing above protecting the president.