Missourians on Capitol Hill Offer Different Opinions on Timetable for Iraq

The question of when the U.S. should expect the Iraqis to take control of their own country is being discussed a great deal, this week, in Washington, D.C. And, two high ranking Missourians on Capitol Hill have differing views of that timetable. It’s clear that Senator Kit Bond and west-central Missouri Congressman Ike Skelton – the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee – agree it would be wrong to pull out of Iraq now, but they have different opinions as to when the Iraqis should take control. Bond says U.S. forces are still needed. Without them, he says, the country would find itself in turmoil. Skelton, on the other hand, insists it’s almost time to hand over the reins of power. He fears if the Iraqis don’t start to take the lead, U.S. forces could be there forever. Skelton says the United States should give serious consideration to redeployment of U.S. troops. He adds the Americans in uniform have done a superb job in Iraq, but says it’s up to the Iraqis to deal with the violence that is causing death and destruction in that country.