Letter: Anti-surge resolution sends wrong message

Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2007 | 7:04 a.m.

In the Iraq war, half-solutions aren't the answer!

Our House of Representatives voted to pass Concurrent Resolution 63. The entire resolution contains about 66 words. I don't recall any member of Congress disagreeing with the first sentence that expressed support for our troops.

It's the second sentence - "Congress disapproves of the decision of President George W. Bush announced on January 10, 2007, to deploy more than 20,000 additional United States combat troops to Iraq" - that brought a bipartisan vote of 246 to 182 for passage.

Lisa Mascaro of the Las Vegas Sun's Washington Bureau writes in a Feb. 17 news report: "Nevada's Democratic Rep. Shelley Berkley 'commended our troops for their bravery' while saying Washington had 'let them down' with a poor strategy for success."

How can Congresswoman Berkley use the "let them down" conjecture on a strategy that hasn't been implemented? Further, isn't it ironic that before the November election the Democrats were complaining that President Bush wanted to "stay the course." With the new strategy, Bush is trying change the course. But now Democrats oppose the actual change.

Concurrent Resolution 63 is a half-solution toward supporting our troops. The latter half of the resolution sends a morale-hurting, enemy-encouraging message implying our Congress doesn't have confidence in what our troops are trying to accomplish. Further, they don't intend to provide any needed reinforcements. Our enemies will be happy the House of Representatives has passed Concurrent Resolution 63.

Elbert W. Lemmon, North Las Vegas