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The Richardson Plan for Ending the War

I have a one-point plan on the Iraq War -- END IT. 

We must get all of our troops out quickly and safely so that a new political process can begin.

Our military presence in Iraq is prolonging the violence, costing us more than $10 billion a month, and distracting us from the war against Al Qaeda. George Bush's "surge" has suppressed some of the violence, at least temporarily, but it has failed to bring about political reconciliation. Our troops have done everything we've asked them to do -- but they cannot win someone else's civil war. Now it is up to the Iraqis. We need to get our troops out so that a new political process can begin.

My plan will end the war and stabilize Iraq, and the most important step, upon which all others depend, is to remove ALL of our troops quickly.

What we need to do:

• Remove ALL Troops: Only when the Iraqis know we are leaving will they start seeing us as partners, instead of occupiers. A complete withdrawal gives us the leverage we now lack to get the warring factions to compromise, while our presence fuels the insurgency. The Iraqis must take responsibility for their country, and only a complete withdrawal gives them the incentive to kick out al Qaeda and heal their country. Any plan that leaves troops behind will allow the war to drag on, and will cost more American lives.
• Withdraw as Quickly as Possible: We should start redeploying now. The longer we stay, the more people die, the further the situation deteriorates, and the more damage we do both to our military and to our reputation. Only when we are out of this quagmire can we refocus on the real war against Al Qaeda -- the terrorists who attacked us on 9-11, and who are still headquartered along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border -- not in Iraq .
• A Diplomatic Surge: Iraq's crisis is a political crisis. It cannot be solved militarily. We need a surge of diplomacy to bring Iraq's factions together, to engage all of Iraq's neighbors in stabilization, and to put together a coalition of donor nations to aid reconstruction.

How We Do It:

• De-authorize the War and Fund Redeployment: Last November, the American people voted for the Democrats because they expected them to end the war. Congress should do what it was elected to do, by passing a resolution that de-authorizes the war under Article 1 of the Constitution and the War Powers Act. And they should pass funding only to safely redeploy our troops, not to leave them endlessly in the middle of a civil war. Congress can and should act now to end this war.

• Remove ALL the troops from Iraq: We must get our troops out of Iraq as safely as possible no later than 2009. Since the war began, we have rotated up to 240,000 troops into and out of Iraq in as few as 3 months. The logistics and details of a withdrawal must come from our military commanders on the ground. I hope Congress will force President Bush to end this war, but if Congress fails, I will instruct our military leaders to get our troops out as quickly as possible. Steps should include:
  • Identify the units we can phase out quickly. Support units and their large bases should go first and combat units next.
  • Identify the equipment we can leave to the Iraqis and the equipment we must bring home .
  • Move troops and equipment into Kuwait, and to regional bases where we are welcome such as in Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
  • Redeploy troops from these regional bases to Afghanistan and other locations where they can fight actual threats to America. In addition, we should bring as many troops as possible home to start rejoining their families.
• Lead a Regional and Global Diplomacy: The hard political work begins as our troops start to leave.
  • We must use the leverage of our withdrawal to bring the factions to the negotiating table.
  • The United States must lead this effort and involve all of Iraq's neighbors, including Syria and Iran, in a regional conference modeled on the Dayton conference which ended the war in Bosnia. Key objectives of the conference should be assurances of non-interference and the creation of a multilateral, UN-led Muslim peacekeeping force.
  • We must also convene a donor conference of wealthy Arab states to fund Iraqi reconstruction. All of Iraq's neighbors have an interest in preventing Iraq's civil war from spiraling even further out of control, and they should all play a part in stopping the violence.

Updated: 12/17/07