Washington, D.C. - House Armed Services Committee Chairman Howard P. "Buck" McKeon made the following statement on the deteriorating situation in Iraq as Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki makes an official visit to Washington. The Prime Minister is scheduled to meet with President Obama today.
“The United States has clear and pressing national security interests in supporting a stable Iraq. Since the Obama Administration’s hasty withdrawal in 2011, the gains of the surge have been unraveled. Two former commanders, General Petraeus and General Austin, have warned that Iraq is on the brink. Al-Qaeda in Iraq is growing as a transnational threat; the civil war in Syria is spilling over into Iraq and Iran is maintaining its influence with the Maliki government. And yet, the Administration still does not have a comprehensive policy to address these issues in Iraq – or the region.
“Our vital national security interests are at stake in Iraq and the region. I urge President Obama to work with the Government of Iraq to address its instability and the al-Qaeda threat. The U.S. cannot allow the situation in Iraq to continue to grow simply because this Administration is stubbornly committed to a position that has more to do with past political fights than the current reality in Iraq and the region."
Nov 1, 2013
Press Release