Leahy Joins Kerry’s Call for 20,000 Troops Home from Iraq by the Holidays [View All]

[kerrygoddess]

Leahy Joins Kerry’s Call for 20,000 Troops Home from Iraq by the Holidays
November 5th, 2005

Senators Step Up Pressure on Bush for a Plan with Specific Benchmarks To Start Bringing Troops Home by 2006

BARRE, VT. — Senator Patrick Leahy joined Senator John Kerry’s call to bring 20,000 troops home from Iraq by the holidays, after successful December elections, at a meeting with the media today in Barre, Vermont. The two Senators who both gave speeches recently about the need to change course in Iraq called on Bush to put forward a specific plan to transfer power to the Iraqis and start bringing the troops home by 2006.

“The American people are eager for a plan on Iraq that makes sense, and our brave troops are eager for leadership that equals the sacrifice they are making for our country. The reality is: George W. Bush doesn’t have a plan for Iraq, and misleading rhetoric about ’staying as long as it takes’ will never add up to a plan,” said Kerry. “To undermine the insurgency, we have to simultaneously pursue both a political settlement and the withdrawal of American combat forces linked to specific, responsible benchmarks. Senator Leahy has long been a voice of conscience on the war, and I am delighted he is joining with me today to turn up the heat on the administration to do what’s right for our country and our troops. After the successful December elections, we can and should bring 20,000 troops home. It’s a critical first step.”

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