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U.S. Sen. Joe Biden to pitch Iraq exit plan
26.5.2007 |
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Seeks
Bush's support in pullout strategy
May 26, 2007
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. and presidential
hopeful Joe Biden, D-Del., said he has bipartisan
support for his Iraq exit strategy plan and will
push the five-part plan following Memorial Day
weekend.
"I'm going to push it very hard," Biden told the
Herald this week, "forcing everyone to vote for or
against this plan."
The plan, which will come forth in the form of
legislation, calls for the establishment of one Iraq
with three autonomous regions — Shiite, Sunni and
Kurd — and a strong but limited central government
in Baghdad. All regions would share oil revenues.
The plan also calls for an international conference
on the power-sharing agreement, while U.S. troops
are withdrawn "responsibly."
Lastly, the country would commit to reconstruction
assistance, conditioned on the protection of
minority and women's rights and the creation of a
job program to give Iraqi youth an alternative to
the militia and criminal gangs. |
Delaware senator and US presidential candidate Joe
Biden |
Biden said he has the support of fellow presidential
hopeful Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., and Sen. Barbara
Boxer, D-Calif. He hopes to have President Bush's
support as well.
Biden, who is chairman of the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee, said Bush must make the
long-term solution to Iraq the world's problem, not
just the United States' problem. He said the
president must call for a United Nations summit to
get the world's powers and Iraq's neighbors to push
for a political agreement.
"My dad always said, never back a man into a corner
so the only way he can get past you is over your
head," said Biden. "I want to give the president a
way out. We'll see if he's savvy enough to take it."
Also this week, Biden called on the president to
make building and deploying Mine Resistant Ambush
Protected vehicles a national priority.
He said there have been significant "unconscionable"
delays in getting the troops protection from
roadside bombs, which are responsible for 70 percent
of the casualties in Iraq. MRAPS, he said, can
reduce the number of casualties by two-thirds.
"I've been around a long time, and this is
unforgiveable," he said. "This is the number one
moral imperative when we're talking about thousands
of people being injured because we don't have
these."
Biden, who opposes the war, called on every New
Hampshire family with military connections to call
their senators and demand better protection for
their sons and daughters.
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