On July 10, 2007 in Des Moines, Iowa, Sen. Hillary Clinton delivered a lengthy, landmark speech in which she laid out a detailed plan for the deployment of U.S. troops from Iraq, and to bring stability to Iraq and the region.
This plan is a major departure from Sen. Clinton's past stances on the Iraq War, when she refused to commit to draw U.S. troops out of Iraq.
No Permanent Occupation of Iraq
In her speech, she unequivocally proclaimed, "The most important part of my plan is the first step: to end our military engagement in Iraq's civil war and immediately start bringing our troops home as quickly and carefully as possible.
No permanent occupation of the country. NO more neighborhood patrols. No more being caught in the middle of a war whose side we do not even now we should be on."
Despite her soaring rhetoric, I don't find her "withdraw from Iraq" comments the most compelling... or believable... part of her speech. Hillary Clinton will never be mistaken for an anti-war activist. And when she claims "no permanent occupation," I wonder how she defines permanent occupation.
However, her plan for a "new intensive diplomatic initiative" is both intelligent and pragmatic, and frankly, quite extraordinary compared to the present U.S. impotence and hopelessness under the Bush administration. (See page 2 of this article.)
Promised Sen. Clinton in her Iowa speech, "... in my first days in office, I'll begin work to convene a regional stabilization group composed of key allies, other global powers, and all of the states bordering Iraq. The mission of this group will be to deelop and implement a strategy to create a stable Iraq."
The following is a quick-reading summary of Sen. Hillary Clinton's thoughtful and nuanced plan to end the Iraq War, and to bring stability to Iraq and the surrounding region.
The full text of Sen. Clinton's speech can be read HERE.
(Also see Hillary Clinton in 2008 Info Center, which includes her speeches on embryonic stem cell research, rebuilding New Orleans, and privacy rights for U.S. citizens.)
SUMMARY OF HILLARY CLINTON'S PLAN TO END THE IRAQ WAR
(Source: Hillary for President website)
If President Bush does not end the war, when Hillary Clinton is President, she will. Her three-step plan would bring our troops home, work to bring stability to the region, and replace military force with a new diplomatic initiative to engage countries around the world in securing Iraq's future. Hillary has been fighting every day in the Senate to force the President to change course. And today she described how she would bring the war to an end.
Starting Phased Redeployment within Hillary's First Days in
Office: The most important part of Hillary's plan is the first: to end our military engagement in Iraq's civil war and immediately start bringing our troops home.
As President, one of Hillary's first official actions would be to convene the Joint Chiefs of Staff, her Secretary of Defense, and her National Security Council.
She would direct them to draw up a clear, viable plan to bring our troops home starting with the first 60 days of her Administration.
She would also direct the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to prepare a comprehensive plan to provide the highest quality health care and benefits to every service member -- including every member of the National Guard and Reserves -- and their families.
Securing Stability in Iraq as we Bring our Troops Home.
As President, Hillary would focus American aid efforts during our redeployment on stabilizing Iraq, not propping up the Iraqi government.
She would direct aid to the entities -- whether governmental or non-governmental -- most likely to get it into the hands of the Iraqi people...
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