Boehner's Weekly Column: "Success in Iraq Means a Safer, More Secure America"

Via email:

Last week, al Qaeda documents were uncovered in Iraq revealing new plans to attack Americans at home and abroad. It was a stark reminder of the stakes in Iraq. If we fail, or withdraw our troops prematurely by some arbitrary deadline, we will leave our enemies a ready-made base of operations to hatch their plans and spread their brand of terror throughout the region. This is not an option.

I believe a safer and more secure America - one where families can raise their children without the fear of terrorist attacks - should be our goal. This requires a commitment to dismantling terrorist networks worldwide. Right now, the fight with al Qaeda is in Iraq.

The President recently unveiled a new strategy for success in Iraq , but with the growing perception that progress has stalled, many people are rightly skeptical. I've received dozens of letters from folks here at home who want America to succeed, but wonder whether we're really doing what needs to be done.

The President's new strategy is geared towards stabilizing the Iraqi democracy, denying terrorists a safe haven, and ensuring stability in the region. In order for it to succeed, both the Bush Administration and the Iraqi government must be held accountable for making progress.

House Republicans recently unveiled a set of strategic benchmarks carefully tailored to the President's new strategy. Our proposal includes measuring the Iraqi government's cooperation with the U.S. military on counter-terrorism efforts. The Iraqi government needs to do a better job of purging from its security services those individuals with ties to insurgents and terrorism. And it needs to begin using Iraqi money to equip the Iraqi Army.

We need to ensure the Iraqi government is adopting reforms to promote democracy and the rule of law. And we want to ensure the financial accountability of Iraqi government ministries and operations.

We will also require the Bush Administration to assess the impact withdrawal from Iraq would have on our national security and homeland security interests, and on our allies in the region. And we will measure the steps being taken by the government of the United States to hold the Iraqi government accountable for meeting these benchmarks.

Under our proposal, the Administration will be required to report to Congress every 30 days on progress meeting these benchmarks. And I have asked Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to support the creation of a bipartisan select committee, bringing together key Congressmen with expertise to provide oversight and thoughtful analysis of the progress being made under the President's new strategy. The select committee would monitor progress on the benchmarks and make appropriate recommendations to the House for action.

For more information on the benchmarks and my request to Speaker Pelosi, visit my website - http://johnboehner.house.gov/ - and click on "Strategic Benchmarks for Success in Iraq ."

Let me be clear: I will actively oppose any effort to cut off funding for American troops. Once we commit troops to a mission, we must ensure they have the resources necessary to succeed. But we owe it to our troops and their families to provide the necessary oversight to ensure the new strategy is successful. The benchmarks will help us do that.

The stakes for our country and our military are high. Failure in Iraq will provide our enemies with a safe haven from which to plan their attacks against Americans. Success in Iraq will mean the safer, more secure America we all want for our children and grandchildren.