Tom Udall: “I just returned from Iraq on a congressional delegation trip with Senator McCain. And I wanted to report to my…”

“I just returned from Iraq on a congressional delegation trip with Senator McCain. And I wanted to report to my constituents. The first thing that I have concluded in looking at the situation there and in visiting there is that we need a special envoy sent by the President of the United States to move forward with a national unity government. Things on the ground are not going well. Things are deadlocked. There has been no government since 3 months after the election. We have a lame duck government, and we have a crucial international situation going on. The current government is riddled by corruption and inertia. So, Mr. President, we need to send a special envoy. Secondly, I visited the troops in Iraq, some New Mexicans and many others from across the country. And when I think of what they have done since the invasion over 3 years ago, it makes me very proud. Saddam Hussein and his sons are out of commission. We have held three elections, and the Iraqis have adopted a constitution. We have trained over 224,000 troops to the highest levels of training, more than 100,000 police and security personnel. We have spent billions of dollars in reconstruction. The Iraqis have made progress, and I do not know what more we can ask of our troops. But overall this visit solidified my belief that it is time for the Iraqi people to step forward and take control of the situation in their country. Our troops are caught in the middle of religious and ethnic disputes.…”