Ted Poe: “Never, never, never believe any war will be smooth and easy, or that anyone who embarks on the strange voyage can…”

“Never, never, never believe any war will be smooth and easy, or that anyone who embarks on the strange voyage can measure the tides and hurricanes that he will encounter. The statesman must realize that once the signal is given, there are unforeseeable and uncontrollable events. Winston Churchill's statement many years from the past indicates the truism of war. It is hard. It is always hard. Next week, General Petraeus will be reporting to this Congress what progress has been made in achieving security and stability in Iraq. No doubt the report will offer mixed results, signs of progress and probably setbacks. In the midst of all of this review, Mr. Speaker, the question is: Now what? Regardless of what anybody thought about going into Iraq, we are there. Right now our military personnel are risking their lives every day in Iraq and Afghanistan to protect our interests at home and abroad. In my opinion, there are far too many people focusing on where we have been and how we got there rather than making decisions about the future and our involvement in Iraq. The way I see it, Mr. Speaker, we just have two options. We can stay in Iraq and keep fighting for the American interest and what we believe is right, or we can turn our back and leave. There is not a third option. To those who think we ought to leave Iraq and bring our troops home, what will happen if we withdraw before the job is done? The answer is chaos and more bloodshed.”