Barbara Lee Testifies on Bill to Prevent Permanent Bases in Iraq
(Washington, DC) – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) testified before the House Foreign Relations Committee today about her legislation, H.Con.Res. 46, which would declare that it is the policy of the United States not to establish permanent military bases in Iraq.
“This is an important policy that needs to codified into law because the perception that the United States intends to permanently occupy Iraq has been key in recruiting insurgents,” said Lee. “As the National Intelligence Estimate last year stated: ‘The Iraq conflict has become the cause celebre for jihadists, breeding a deep resentment of U.S. involvement in the Muslim world and cultivating supporters for the global jihadist movement.’
“We also need to have it codified because there is confusion in the administration regarding our policy. When the President was asked last October who would make the decision staying in Iraq permanently, the President said it was the Iraqis who would make this decision. This is different from the answer that Secretary Gates made when he was asked the same question while testifying before the Senate. Secretary Gates seemed to think that we had final say on whether we were in Iraq permanently,” Lee said.
Lee pointed out that in its report last December the bipartisan Iraq Study Group recommended that: “the President should state that the United States does not seek permanent military bases in Iraq,” and that that last year the House of Representatives passed four separate bills prohibiting the establishment of permanent military bases in Iraq using funds available for fiscal year 2007, including two that the President signed into law—the FY07 defense authorization and FY07 defense appropriations bill.
The Chairman of the committee, Representative Tom Lantos (D-CA) thanked Lee for her testimony.
“Rep. Lee presented legislation that goes to the heart of the debate in this Congress and across the country about Iraq. The Foreign Affairs Committee misses her participation as a member, as she has been in years past, and we were reminded afresh today of how engaged Barbara Lee remains in U.S. foreign policy. We appreciated her testimony,” said Lantos.
###