lil
02-21-2007, 12:17 AM
WASHINGTON - After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Joe Sestak, then an admiral, commanded a carrier battle group in combat near Afghanistan and then in the Persian Gulf in the run-up to the Iraq war.
Now a Democratic member of Congress from Pennsylvania, Sestak has introduced a bill calling for total withdrawal of all U.S. forces from Iraq by the end of 2007, while strengthening the U.S. military presence in the region and in Afghanistan.
Sestak, who defeated 10-term Republican incumbent Curt Weldon of Pennsylvania in November, proposed the total pullout at the beginning of his campaign. Earlier this month he introduced it as a bill that would cut off most funds for military operations in Iraq by Dec. 31.
Here's a Q and A with Rep. Sestak.
Q: If U.S. forces left, would Iraq become embroiled in even worse violence? Would it spill over into a regional war?
A: "I don't think the violence is going to end immediately, but I don't believe it's going to spiral without control endlessly." Mostly Shiite Iran and mostly Sunni Syria don't want to fight one another in a proxy war, he said. Both countries, however, do want to see the United States take losses in Iraq. "Having more troops just makes us bleed more profusely. If we aren't there, their incentives change. They don't want instability in Iraq."
Q: Would a pullout give terrorists a new base? A: "I don't agree with those who say this is the central front on terrorism." Most of the violence is by Iraqis, not foreign fighters, he said. Also, Shiites in both Iraq and Iran oppose Sunni extremists, including al Qaida. "They're after their own interests, but ........
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Now a Democratic member of Congress from Pennsylvania, Sestak has introduced a bill calling for total withdrawal of all U.S. forces from Iraq by the end of 2007, while strengthening the U.S. military presence in the region and in Afghanistan.
Sestak, who defeated 10-term Republican incumbent Curt Weldon of Pennsylvania in November, proposed the total pullout at the beginning of his campaign. Earlier this month he introduced it as a bill that would cut off most funds for military operations in Iraq by Dec. 31.
Here's a Q and A with Rep. Sestak.
Q: If U.S. forces left, would Iraq become embroiled in even worse violence? Would it spill over into a regional war?
A: "I don't think the violence is going to end immediately, but I don't believe it's going to spiral without control endlessly." Mostly Shiite Iran and mostly Sunni Syria don't want to fight one another in a proxy war, he said. Both countries, however, do want to see the United States take losses in Iraq. "Having more troops just makes us bleed more profusely. If we aren't there, their incentives change. They don't want instability in Iraq."
Q: Would a pullout give terrorists a new base? A: "I don't agree with those who say this is the central front on terrorism." Most of the violence is by Iraqis, not foreign fighters, he said. Also, Shiites in both Iraq and Iran oppose Sunni extremists, including al Qaida. "They're after their own interests, but ........
[Only registered and activated users can see links] 2Fnation%2F16741175.htm%3Fsource%3Drss%26channel%3Dkrwashington_nation