Meehan Proposes Iraq Exit Plan
WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 – U.S. Rep. Martin Meehan is offering a plan to begin removing the majority of American forces in Iraq by the end of the year.
He will talk about his proposal during an appearance on ABC News’s “Nightline” Thursday night, where he will be part of a panel discussing the future of the U.S. military presence in Iraq after the elections in that country Sunday.
On Tuesday, the Lowell Democrat discussed his strategy for withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq in a speech at the Brookings Institution, a nonpartisan Washington think-tank.
“Changing the dynamic in Iraq means handing the security of the Iraqi people back to the
Iraqis and bringing an end to the occupation,” he said.
His plan calls for the withdrawal of almost all American troops in phases over the next 12-18 months.
“Only a small and mobile force would remain by mid-2006, two years after the transfer of sovereignty,” he said in his speech.
A member of the House Armed Services Committee, Meehan visited Iraq and Afghanistan earlier this month and recently published a White Paper outlining his withdrawal plan..
Meehan, in his Brookings speech, said announcing a schedule for decreasing U.S. troop strength in Iraq would encourage the Iraqi people to cooperate with one another in building their government “rather than relying on American troops to make the sacrifices. A withdrawal could be structured.to create incentives for violent factions within Iraq to come to the negotiating table rather than engaging in armed insurrection.”
Meehan added that the military would benefit from a planned schedule for withdrawal.
“I met with many of our soldiers and Marines. Their spirits are high and morale is strong,” he said in his speech. “But they and their families want a reasonable expectation of when this mission will end.”
According to Emily Lenzner, a communications director for “Nightline,” Meehan and other panelists will be participating in a town meeting-style forum to debate whether American troops should stay in Iraq after the election on Sunday.
“When you want to fight for an issue you need to get out and speak about it. I want to keep the pressure on so that policy makers are constantly reassessing..” Meehan said Wednesday during a phone interview. “One of the first things I need to do is win support for my plan from Congress and the American people.”
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