WASHINGTON, DC-U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) today questioned Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice regarding long-term security agreements with Iraq. Following today’s Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Senator Casey released the following statement:
“Last week, Secretary Gates assured the Congress that the strategic framework agreement being negotiated between the United States and Iraq would not include any American security assurances or security commitments to the Iraqi government.
“Today, when Secretary Rice appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I asked her if she agreed with Secretary Gates that the Administration is not considering any form of security assurances to Iraq. Secretary Rice assured me that no such commitments will be extended to Iraq.
“Nonetheless, I remain skeptical. Too often, this Administration’s actions contradict their rhetoric, especially when it comes to Iraq.
“I remain troubled that a Declaration of Principles, signed on November 26, 2007 by President Bush and Prime Minister Maliki, commits our nation to ‘Providing security assurances and commitments to the Republic of Iraq to deter foreign aggression against Iraq that violates its sovereignty and integrity of its territories, waters, or airspace.’
“If the Bush Administration did not intend to extend such ‘security assurances and commitments’, why did our President sign a document saying just that?
“In concert with my colleagues, I intend to continue to exercise vigorous oversight to ensure that President Bush does not lock the United States into a binding and long-term security commitment to Iraq, especially in the absence of express Congressional approval.”
In December, Senator Casey spearheaded a letter, signed by Senators Robert Byrd (D-WV), Ted Kennedy (D-MA), Carl Levin (D-MI), Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Jim Webb (D-VA) to President Bush warning him against rushing the United States into long-term security commitments to Iraq without the full participation and consent of Congress. The letter was in response to a preliminary agreement reached in early December between the U.S. and Iraqi governments on long-term bilateral cooperation on political, security and economic matters, with a final agreement to be concluded by next summer.
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