Edwards Statement on "Mission Accomplished" Anniversary

[JohnLocke]

Edwards Statement on "Mission Accomplished" Anniversary
John Edwards for President
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
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Chapel Hill, North Carolina – Later today at a town hall meeting in Seattle, Washington, Senator John Edwards will open his remarks with the following statement about the fourth anniversary of President Bush declaring "Mission Accomplished" in Iraq.

"Four years ago, President Bush flew onto the deck of the U.S.S. Lincoln under a 'Mission Accomplished' banner to declare victory in Iraq, but all the photo ops in the world can't hide the truth - his disastrous mismanagement of the war has left our troops in harm's way and made Iraq a breeding ground for terrorists.

"Now, the American people have given Congress a mission to end the war, but it hasn't been accomplished yet. President Bush has said he plans to veto the Iraq funding bill that Congress sent him. When the President vetoes the bill, it is George Bush who is not supporting our troops, and nobody else. Congress needs to stand firm and strong. When Bush vetoes the bill, Congress should send him another bill with a timetable for withdrawal and if he vetoes that one, Congress should send him another and another until we end this war and bring our troops home.

"There is no military solution to the conflict in Iraq - only a political solution. The Iraqi people need to take responsibility for their own country. Under my plan, we would cap funding at 100,000 troops to stop the McCain Doctrine of escalation and force an immediate withdrawal of 40-50,000 troops, followed by a complete withdrawal in 12-18 months. Now is not the time for political calculation, it is the time for political courage. Every person who is against this war needs to speak out, so together we can bring an end to the quagmire that is Iraq."

To learn more about Edwards' plan to end the war in Iraq, please see the fact sheet below.
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http://johnedwards.com/news/headlines/20070501-mission-accomplished/