Jon Kyl: “the article points out the fact that the death squad deaths are falling substantially, the militia activity is down…”

“the article points out the fact that the death squad deaths are falling substantially, the militia activity is down substantially. While our commanders there are being cautious about declaring the operation a success, nonetheless, there are many different descriptions of events happening in Iraq that give us a lot of hope. I was there a couple of weeks ago, and our commanders and Iraqis both were cautiously optimistic this would work. The point is, at the very time the new plan is underway and it seems to at least show early signs of success, why would we want to declare it a failure and start the process of withdrawing at the very time these additional troops seem to be making a difference? One of the chairmen of the Baker-Hamilton study commission, former Democratic Congressman Lee Hamilton, was testifying before the Congress about a month ago. He said we should give this plan a chance. We should give it a chance to succeed. That is exactly what we ought to do. We start by rejecting the resolution that is pending because it micromanages the war and sends a horrible signal. We also try to support the troops by adopting as quickly as possible a supplemental appropriations bill that funds this effort without tying the strings of our commanders and without imposing so many other conditions that the President is constrained to veto it. We have to get that funding to our troops as soon as possible.”