Max Baucus: “I rise to express my great admiration of our brave Montana servicemen and women in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere in…”

“I rise to express my great admiration of our brave Montana servicemen and women in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere in the world. These brave men and women have put their lives on hold and on the line. Their families and their communities--our communities--support them. These Montanans and all American soldiers are in our thoughts and prayers. We want them to come home quickly and safely. We need a plan to bring their mission in Iraq to conclusion. And we need the administration to communicate that strategy clearly to the world, and to our brave troops. I am deeply troubled by the allegations of abuse of Iraqi prisoners. I was horrified by the images we have seen over the last week. Our nation, which our men and women are serving with such honor, must lead by example if we want to win the global 'war of ideas'. Although we know the vast majority of our men and women in uniform are serving honorably, these allegations of abuse demonstrate that we are not giving our troops all of the support that they need. These images of prisoner abuse are not at all consistent with the principles I know our men and women in the Armed Forces hold clear. Our men and women went to Iraq to protect this Nation, to make the world a safer place. They have performed admirably under harsh conditions, sometimes with insufficient equipment, because they believe in their mission. I believe in them and I will continue to make sure that they get the support they need.”