Shays Returns from Eleventh Trip to Iraq
By Adam Kredo
WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 – Rep. Christopher Shays (R-4), who returned to Washington Tuesday after spending the weekend in Iraq, said he is most concerned about Iraq’s economy.
“It’s costing too much to protect those who are trying to help the folks in Iraq,” Shays said after his 11th trip to Iraq.
But he said that politically and militarily the Iraqis are making headway. “They’re more likely to succeed than fail as long as you don’t rush them,” Shays said in an interview in his office Wednesday.
He also discussed misconceptions commonly associated with Iraq.
“This is a real country.. It’s not just sand and oil,” Shays said. He said Iraq is somewhat distorted by the broadcast media. “Put your hand like a telescope and look at the room,” Shays said as he articulated the camera’s limitations. “It’s never the same – it’s not like you’re looking at a room where everything is frozen.”
Furthermore, Shays said, the mass bombings are truly aimed at the American press. “Wherever the press is, that’s where the bombings take place,” Shays said. “The bombings are for the benefit of Americans – the public – not for the benefit of Iraqis.”
Between meetings with Iraqi officials, Shays said he took time to meet with American troops. He assumed responsibility for 100 pounds of personal hygiene items collected for the troops by students at the Thurgood Marshall Middle School for Social Justice in Bridgeport. The students also sent cards and signed a poster wishing the soldiers in the 101 st Airborne Division a safe return home.
While Shays said the troops were delighted by the students’ gifts, he expressed concern over the length of time forces have spent in Iraq.
“Too many of them have been asked to do a second or third tour,” Shays said. “We have to be careful to not overwork our troops.”
Shays, who was joined by Reps. Ginny Brown-Waite (R-Fla.), John Doolittle (R-Calif.), and Katherine Harris (R-Fla.), said the main goal of the trip was to understand exactly how the war is going as well as how the reconstruction effort is progressing.
“I want to have an honest assessment of how we’re doing, and I want to report back to people,” Shays said in a telephone interview Friday afternoon before leaving for Iraq. “I want to have an impact.”
Shays said he travels to Iraq every two or three months and he evaluates the country’s progress by comparing each trip to the previous one. He said he aims to bring the issues into clear focus by evaluating three main areas – Iraq’s economy, its politics and its security.
After a review, Shays said he is able to create a graph of all progress. For him, this technique provides a clear view of what America must do “different or better” in Iraq, he said.
While the results of his reviews are mainly for Congress and the Bush Administration, Shays said he also looks to give his constituents a clear view of the situation in Iraq
Shays also discussed the recent victory by Hamas in the Palestinian elections.
“I’m surprised that we were surprised” by the election results, Shays said. He attributes his lack of astonishment to an earlier West Bank trip. “I could see what was happening years ago,” Shays said.
At that time, Shays said, he saw Hamas offering charity directly to needy students who had lost their educational grants. During this time, the Palestinian Authority was too busy dealing with political affairs, according to Shays. He said this experience demonstrated how Hamas has won friends.
On his next trip to Iraq, Shays said, he would like to evaluate Iraqi intelligence capabilities. He said Iraq needs good intelligence to win the fight against insurgents.
