Hearing of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Subject: Iraqi Benchamarks: An Objective Assessment

Statement

HEARING OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SUBJECT: IRAQI BENCHMARKS: AN OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT
CHAIRED BY: REP. TOM LANTOS (D-CA)
WITNESS: DAVID WALKER, COMPTROLLER GENERAL, GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE

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REP. BRAD SHERMAN (D-CA): Thank you.

We will leave Iraq in either one year or in 10 years and it's not clear at which point Iraq would be in better shape. What is clear is that the current policy is harming American national security. The world's sympathy with us on 9/11 has been turned into disdain and hostility. Our army is being broken. What once caused fear in the capitals of our enemies now causes laughter. We are told that we have to worry about humanitarian problems that might arise in Iraq, but the current policy forces us to ignore the humanitarian problems in Congo, Darfur and elsewhere. Terrorists are enjoying sanctuary in Somalia, Yemen and much of Afghanistan and Pakistan because we focus almost exclusively on Iraq, and the nuclear efforts of North Korea and especially Iran go forward without an effective counter policy.

Our policy is probably not helping Iraq. It is certainly hurting our own national security. I yield back.

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