Lynn A. Westmoreland: “I want to start with a couple of warnings. First, I would suggest anyone on the Republican side shaking hands with the…”

“I want to start with a couple of warnings. First, I would suggest anyone on the Republican side shaking hands with the majority might want to be careful because they have been licking their fingers and sticking them into the political wind. Second, government opinion by polls may lead to short-term success at the ballot box, but in this case it could lead to a catastrophe on a global scale. We in this House best serve the United States, Iraq, and the world community if we establish conditions in Iraq that allow for a somewhat orderly transition to autonomy for Iraqis. A quick withdrawal from Iraq would set off a fuse that would eventually blow up not only Iraq but quite possibly surrounding countries as well. Iraq foreign minister on Monday warned against a quick withdrawal by the United States, saying, 'The dangers could be a civil war dividing the country, regional wars, and the collapse of the state.' ... If we pull out of Iraq, we guarantee that the Tigris and the Euphrates will run red with the blood of innocents.”