Republican Senators oppose more troops in Iraq

January 23, 2007

On Monday John Warner (R), who is also the former navy secretary and chairman of the armed services committee, Susan Collins (R), Norm Coleman (R), and Ben Nelson (D) said that they would introduce a resolution in order to prevent the sending of 21,500 more US troops to Iraq.

Susan Collins (R) said, "We've had four other surges since we first went into Iraq. None of them produced a long-lasting change in the situation on the ground.  So I am very skeptical that this surge would produce the desired outcome."

John Warner (R) said, "The American G.I. was not trained, not sent over there — certainly not by resolution of this institution — to be placed in the middle of a fight between the Sunni and the Shia and the wanton and just incomprehensible killing that’s going on at this time. We don’t lessen importance of that mission, but it should be performed by the Iraqi forces and not the coalition forces."

Ben Nelson (D) said, "It’s important to send a strong message to the White House, and it’s a stronger message when it has significant bipartisan support."