Posted on 01/10/2007 5:09:18 PM PST by Obilisk18
WASHINGTON - Kansas Republican Sen. Sam Brownback came out against President Bush's expected call tonight for a surge of 22,000 more troops into Iraq.
"I do not believe that sending more troops to Iraq is the answer," Brownback said while traveling in Iraq. "Iraq requires a political rather than a military solution."
Brownback had previously supported a short-term surge of troops if it could help achieve long-term political stability, which the Bush Administration has said it hopes a troop surge will help achieve.
But Brownback rejected that argument after meeting this week with several Iraqi leaders, including Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, and U.S. military commanders.
"I came away from these meetings convinced that the United States should not increase its involvement until Sunnis and Shi'a are more willing to cooperate with each other instead of shooting at each other," Brownback said.
"The best way to reach a democratic Iraq is to empower the Iraqis to take responsibility for their own nation building," Brownback concluded, saying it is not in U.S. interest to get deeply involved in sectarian strife.
Brownback, a conservative who is running for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, is among a handful of Republican senators to publicly break with Bush on the president's plans to escalate U.S. military involvement.
Brownback has supported the war, but in recent weeks has moved away from the Bush Administration's positions.
He has called for dividing Iraq into three relatively autonomous zones - Kurdish, Shi'a and Sunni - within a federated country. And he also said he generally supported the findings of the Iraq Study Group last month, which Brownback said provided the U.S. the opportunity to "reset the table."
The Bush Administration has rejected calls to split Iraq and was noncommittal toward the Iraq Study Group's recommendations.
Kansas Republican Sen. Sam BROKEBACK (Brownback)
Just once I would like to see a candidate who tells us what he thinks and not what he thinks we want to hear.
He's also up for re-election in 2008.
I supported Brownback years ago when he first ran for the Senate. He appears to have "grown" during his time in Washington.
They're so used to sitting around and bloviating. Stick a fork in Brownback, he's the Senatorial version of Gary Bauer.
2010. Pat Roberts is up for re-election in 2008.
I see no reason to choose Brownback in the primaries over Giuliani or McCain. It is fairly clear he is not going to fight and win a war.
Are you sure. I thought Brownback won the seat when Dole stepped down 1996.
Scratch Brownback from the Presidential campaign - he's an idiot.
What's wrong with that? If we can turn America into a third world country, then these buffoons are assured of automatic re-election. < / sarcasm >
Oh, good line!
Brownback has dropped onto my "Dinglebob" list in the last few weeks; no way I'd consider him as President.
Stop being a thread hijacker.
I have gone on the record on this forum saying that Sam Brownback is a lightweight and not up to the Office of President. He is my Senator. I was roundly criticized for voicing my opinion. I hope that all of those who took the opposite view will enjoy their crow souffle.
So much for Brownback.
Mr. Brownback -- you disappoint...greatly.
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