Chuck Schumer: “you can imagine the surprise, the consternation of so many who woke up this morning and read on the front page of the…”

“you can imagine the surprise, the consternation of so many who woke up this morning and read on the front page of the Washington Post that the Prime Minister of Iraq suggested he would grant amnesty to those who killed, maimed, hurt Americans. This was just appalling. I rise in support of the resolution offered by my colleagues from Florida and New Jersey to, first, condemn those despicable remarks, and, second, to importune our President, President Bush, to make sure the Prime Minister of Iraq retracts those remarks and registers the strong disapproval of this Senate and of our Nation about what happened. To give those who shot at, sometimes killed, often maimed Americans a get-out-of-jail-free card is nothing short of despicable and a slap in the face to all Americans. We have been told we are in Iraq for the noblest of purposes--to bring peace and democracy. When the head of state of that country says it is okay if you shot at American troops, it defies belief, it defies credibility. The bottom line is our President stood with Prime Minister Maliki just a day or two ago and said he looked him in the eye and saw he was a good man. President Bush must have missed something. Clearly, no one can be a good man and state that it would be okay to give amnesty to those who shot at our soldiers. This is something which calls into question the whole endeavor in Iraq.…”