Letter from Ted Kennedy:

[patricia92243]

The chaos and violence sweeping the Middle East make clear that the region is farther from peace than ever, and that real dangers continue to grow. The longer this Administration fails to lead, the more dangerous the world becomes for all of us.

It's essential for President Bush to lay out a timetable as to how long our troops will be tied down in his misguided war in Iraq, and when they will be withdrawn.

The truth is as painful as it is simple: American troops in Iraq are trapped in an increasingly bloody civil war between Sunni and Shiite sectarian groups, with no end in sight. Even as the massacres increase in intensity and ferocity, the Bush Administration and Republican Congress continue to ignore the needless danger our troops now face.

As I've said all along, this is a fraudulent and unnecessary war -- a reckless decision by a President whose failed leadership has put our nation's brave sons and daughters in peril.

It's obvious from recent right wing "red-meat" legislation in Congress that the only timetable the Bush Administration and his Rubber-Stamp Republican Congress care about is the November election -- and that's not acceptable. It's time for the President to face up to his failed policy and explain his plan for withdrawing American troops from Iraq.

Will you join me in the call for a new direction in Iraq? Please answer with your name:

http://oneamericacommittee.com/r/2365/343626

The situation in Iraq demands an exit strategy, and it's essential for the President to explain to the nation what his exit strategy is.

No one should fall into the Republican trap of saying disengagement is defeat. The truth is the opposite: disengagement is part of the solution in Iraq. Our overwhelming military presence and our open-ended military commitment are part of the problem. They fuel the insurgency, offer a false crutch for the Iraqi government, undermine our respect in the world, and make the war on terrorism harder to win.

Yet President Bush is preparing to spend the month of August traveling throughout the United States, defending the war in cities and towns across the country. Despite what he'll say to handpicked GOP crowds at his "events," two simple facts remain: there were no WMD's in Iraq, and Saddam Hussein was not part of 9/11.

Enough is enough. The American people don't want our troops bogged down endlessly in Iraq, defending the same failed strategy. Help me send a clear message to President Bush: the Iraqi people have elected a democratic government, and it's time for American troops to begin to come home.

Congress as the elected representatives of the people should be forcing this administration to justify its decisions and holding it accountable for them.

But this Rubber-Stamp Republican Congress won't do that. It can't be trusted to keep us safe.

We need better leadership in Congress, and fortunately, the American people can give us that in November.

We need to speak out loudly and clearly today and every day that action is needed now to refocus our priorities on the real threats to America. If the Republican leadership won't hold the White House accountable for its failed leadership, the American people must hold the Republican Party accountable in November. Join me and send that message:


The best hope for the success of the new Iraqi government is for us to begin disengaging from Iraq, and it from us. The Iraqi government must begin to make its own decisions, make the necessary compromises to avoid full-scale civil war, and take responsibility for its own future.

Sincerely,

Ted Kennedy