Iraq

Senator Sununu believes no American should serve a day longer in Iraq than is absolutely necessary, but an immediate withdrawal of all coalition forces would leave behind an unstable and dangerous environment. Over the past few years, U.S. service-men and women serving in Iraq have performed bravely and exceeded every expectation. Due to their hard work and determination, security has improved significantly, the Iraqi military has taken on greater responsibilities, and the government has enacted vital legislation for debaathification, reconstruction, and sharing power among the different regions. Now, the United States needs to let General Patraeus and his commanders on the ground finish the job. Our military leaders should be given the chance to evaluate the situation, set goals for bringing home the rest of our troops safely, and leave behind a more secure region.

Supports our Men and Women in Uniform – John supported an amendment to provide our brave service-men and women with equal time off for their time deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan. We owe an enormous debt to these courageous individuals, and must provide them with the much needed and deserved rest.

Supports Iraqi Accountability – John supports a bill that requires the Iraqis to match dollar-for-dollar U.S. funds for Iraqi reconstruction. The Iraqi government needs to step forward and show ownership over the reconstruction of their country. He also supported a bill to extend the responsibilities of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction.

Strong Oversight - As a previous member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Sununu led a three-day official Congressional Delegation tour March 17-19, 2007, of Iraq Military Operations in Baghdad, Fallujah, and Ramstein Air Base medical facilities (Germany). During his visit he met with members of the New Hampshire National Guard and spoke to Army officials to gain a first person perspective of the situation in Iraq. This was a follow on to his trip to Iraq in August of 2003.

Supports Bipartisan Policy Recommendations – John joined a group of bipartisan colleagues in submitting a bill to implement the Iraq Study Group Recommendations. These recommendations, borne out of a task-force set forth by the United States Institute of Peace, provide a solid framework to help push the country of Iraq forward, and calls on the Iraqis to meet a number of benchmarks to ensure stability.

Back to Issues