Rodney Frelinghuysen: “calling for the immediate withdrawal or even a phased, detailed plan for withdrawal from Iraq is a recipe for absolute…”

“calling for the immediate withdrawal or even a phased, detailed plan for withdrawal from Iraq is a recipe for absolute disaster. It is the wrong message for our soldiers and marines who are truly doing the work of freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan. Frankly, I am concerned, as we all should be, that such talk will only embolden the terrorists and demoralize our warfighters, those who literally put their lives on the line each and every day. Domestic politics should not trump our promises to the people of Iraq and Afghanistan that we would be loyal to their aspirations for freedom, that we would see them through the difficult steps of constituting new governments and laying the groundwork for free elections. Our only exit strategy from Iraq should be victory. Anything less than that virtually guarantees the next battleground may be closer to home. We need to support our troops, these young troops. We cannot cut their feet out from underneath them. They need our support, and they need it tonight.”