20070105 28 GOP Congressman say send trained Iraqi Units to Baghdad

Rep. Roscoe Bartlett 1 of 28 Republican Members Who Encourage President Bush to Send Trained Iraqi Army Units to Baghdad

Rep. Roscoe Bartlett was one of twenty-eight Republican Members of Congress sent the following letter to President Bush today, encouraging him to move "the 21 Iraqi battalions which are trained and equipped, and which are located in peaceful provinces, into the fight in Baghdad."

January 5, 2007

The Honorable George W. Bush
The White House
Washington, D.C.

Dear Mr. President:

On the eve of your decision regarding an adjusted policy on Iraq, please allow us to, as strongly as possible, make the case for moving the 21 Iraqi battalions which are trained and equipped, and which are located in peaceful provinces, into the fight in Baghdad.

Presently, eight of the 18 Iraq provinces experience less than one attack per day.

Their description follows:

Province - Attacks/day - (Iraqi Battalions)

Maysan <1>(3)

Dhi Qar <1>(3)

Muthanna <1>(3)

An-Najaf <1>(0)

Karbala <1>(3)

Sulamaniyah <1>(3)

Irbil <1>(6)

Dahuk <1>(0)

The key to establishing an adequate security apparatus in any new nation is developing operational capability in military forces. The way to develop mature Iraqi forces is to move all of them into the fight.

This logical move should be non-negotiable. The Iraq Ministry of Defense (MOD) can make this happen by simply issuing the order, as any defense ministry does, to the relevant Battalion or Brigade Commanders. If the direct order is disobeyed, the Iraqi officers who won't go should be replaced with ones who will obey.

Mr. President, this requirement of Iraq sending all its battalions into the fight should not be finessed or deflected by the MOD. It should be an absolute U.S. requirement, made as it is against the backdrop of the enormous U.S. effort which has brought the new Iraq government into existence.

Sincerely,

Duncan Hunter (R-CA); Todd Akin (R-MO); Rodney Alexander (R-LA); Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD); Charles Boustany (R-LA); Dan Burton (R-IN); Steve Buyer (R-IN); Geoff Davis (R-KY); Thelma Drake (R-VA); Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO); Terry Everett (R-AL); Randy Forbes (R-VA); Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE); Trent Franks (R-AZ); Phil Gingrey (R-GA); Sam Graves (R-MO); Wally Herger (R-CA); Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ); Michael McCaul (R-TX); Candice Miller (R-MI); Jim Ramstad (R-MN); Rick Renzi (R-AZ); Dana Rohrbacher (R-CA); Jim Saxton (R-NJ); Bill Shuster (R-PA); Joe Wilson (R-SC); Zack Wamp (R-TN); Bill Young (R-FL)

Cc: The Honorable Robert Gates