2006.05.30: May 30, 2006: Headlines: Figures: COS - Somalia: Politics: Congress: Iraq: Herald Times Reporter: U.S. Rep. Tom Petri, R-Fond du Lac, said Tuesday residents of the 6th Congressional District are hopeful of progress in Iraq
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2006.05.30: May 30, 2006: Headlines: Figures: COS - Somalia: Politics: Congress: Iraq: Herald Times Reporter: U.S. Rep. Tom Petri, R-Fond du Lac, said Tuesday residents of the 6th Congressional District are hopeful of progress in Iraq
U.S. Rep. Tom Petri, R-Fond du Lac, said Tuesday residents of the 6th Congressional District are hopeful of progress in Iraq
Petri’s feedback from Town Hall meetings indicates constituent support for turning over security of the country to Iraqis, “as quickly as possible and reducing our presence. But I think most people recognize, regardless of how and whether it was wise to get into Iraq, now we will have to come up with a program to stabilize the situation.” Congressman Tom Petri of Wisconsin served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Somalia in the 1960's.
U.S. Rep. Tom Petri, R-Fond du Lac, said Tuesday residents of the 6th Congressional District are hopeful of progress in Iraq
Rep. Petri: Iraq remains key concern
Herald Times Reporter
MANITOWOC — U.S. Rep. Tom Petri, R-Fond du Lac, said Tuesday residents of the 6th Congressional District are hopeful of progress in Iraq.
“I think people are quite concerned, and are following Iraq quite closely. They are very much looking for some kind of feeling that we are making progress” in achieving a stable democracy, said Petri. He was in the Lakeshore area to visit Valders Stone and Marble.
Petri’s feedback from Town Hall meetings indicates constituent support for turning over security of the country to Iraqis, “as quickly as possible and reducing our presence. But I think most people recognize, regardless of how and whether it was wise to get into Iraq, now we will have to come up with a program to stabilize the situation.”
However, the Fond du Lac native said many signs point to scant progress, citing the analysis of Anthony Cordesman, a defense policy analyst with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, based in Washington, D.C.
“He is very hard-headed and realistic about the situation over there,” said Petri, who was first elected to the House of Representatives, in a special election in April 1979.
“The objective criteria of progress are not all that good. He says we have blown $35 billion of America money and $30 billion of Iraqi oil, and have very little to show for it,” Petri said.
Petri cited the lack of a military draft as one reason why there have not been mass protests against the Iraq war, considering declining support for President George Bush and American involvement in the region.
“The fact we don’t have a draft means (the Iraq war) is being handled by those who have that responsibility. People are not being coerced to do something they don’t think makes sense,” Petri said.
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Story Source: Herald Times Reporter
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Figures; COS - Somalia; Politics; Congress; Iraq
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