SAM HANANEL
Associated Press
WASHINGTON – Kansas’ Republican senators were divided Wednesday over President Bush’s call to boost U.S. forces in Iraq, with Sen. Sam Brownback saying more troops are not the answer and Sen. Pat Roberts offering guarded support.
Brownback’s comments were a departure from his past backing for Bush’s Iraq policy and could hurt the president’s efforts to rally GOP lawmakers behind the plan.
“I do not believe that sending more troops to Iraq is the answer,” the Kansas Republican said in a written statement from Baghdad, where he met Tuesday with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and other top officials to discuss U.S. policy in Iraq.
“Iraq requires a political rather than a military solution,” Brownback said.
Bush announced in a televised address his plan to send 21,500 more U.S. troops to Iraq. In a bow to his critics, Bush conceded that it was a mistake not to have sent more forces there earlier.
But Brownback, who is planning a bid for the White House, said he came away from meetings with al-Maliki and other Iraqi leaders “convinced that the United States should not increase its involvement until Sunnis and Shi’a are more willing to cooperate with each other instead of shooting at each other.”
Brownback also warned that the United States “cannot sustain a war effort without broad public support, and we cannot count on such support unless the situation in Iraq improves and American casualties decrease.”
Roberts said his support for Bush’s plan is conditioned upon Iraqi forces stepping up efforts to end the sectarian violence and achieve stability.
“At this point, I believe it is the only realistic choice given the regional instability and danger we face,” Roberts said. “But this support is not without limits if, as this mobilization takes effect, we do not see measurable progress.”
Roberts stressed that military action to quell the violence in Baghdad and Iraq’s western provinces “must be primarily conducted by the Iraqi government and Iraqi forces.”
Brownback is among a handful of GOP lawmakers to reject Bush’s plan. Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman and Maine Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe also oppose an escalation of U.S. forces. Meanwhile, Democrats – who now hold a majority in Congress – are gearing up to challenge Bush over the troop increase.
Another skeptical Republican was Rep. Jerry Moran, of Hays, who said it does not make sense to send in more troops if the Iraqi people aren’t willing to set aside sectarian differences and commit to rebuilding their country.
“The American servicemen and women have done all that has been asked of them and I am concerned that, up to this point, we have not seen the Iraqi government and people demonstrate their willingness to stand on their own,” Moran said.
Democratic Rep. Dennis Moore, of Lenexa, declined to take a formal position on the plan, but warned that any decision would be carefully scrutinized by the Democratic-controlled Congress.
“I am concerned about the implications of a troop escalation and look forward to an open, honest discussion about all options regarding the United States’ presence in Iraq, including full, aggressive congressional oversight of the Administration’s overall Iraq policy,” Moore said.
Republican Rep. Todd Tiahrt, of Goddard, had the most supportive comments, saying he was pleased that Bush’s plan includes moving Iraqi security forces to the front, with U.S. troops serving a support role.
“I am hopeful the president’s overall plan will result in an acceleration of U.S. troops coming home,” Tiahrt said.
Democratic Rep. Nancy Boyda, of Topeka, who was elected last year in part because of her criticism of the Iraq war, declined to take a definitive position but said she has “deep concerns” about the plan.
“I listened to every word of it just hoping he would be able to articulate a policy that would make the Iraqis more responsible,” she said. “It sounds like a lot more of the same and not very much change.”
