Midstate lawmakers weigh in on Iraq troop drawdown

Removing the bulk of American forces from Iraq doesn’t necessarily mean the violence in the war-torn nation will cease, Georgia lawmakers in Washington say, but it is the right step to making Iraq stand on its own.

The United States has steadily been decreasing troop levels in Iraq for the past 18 months.

President Barack Obama told the nation Tuesday night it was time to “turn the page” to a new chapter in American involvement in Iraqi affairs and pledged to further reduce the number of troops, now 50,000, in Iraq.

For the remaining American forces to leave, the region will have to remain stable for most of the next year.

Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., said Wednesday that the United States should be cautious. Chambliss said he would support a continued military presence were it needed past the 2011 withdrawal date if violence were to flare up.

“Working together, the Iraqis and the U.S.-led military coalition turned the tide of insurgency and reduced violence in Iraq, allowing for a gradual drawdown of U.S. forces,” Chambliss said in a statement. “However, American involvement in Iraq will not end today. Iraq remains a nation at risk, with forces both in and outside Iraq seeking to undo the significant progress Iraqis have made.”

Chambliss noted the accomplishments of Georgia military units that were deployed to Iraq during the war, citing the U.S. Army’s 3rd Infantry Division and the Georgia National Guard’s 48th Brigade. Both units served multiple tours in the war.

Rep. Jim Marshall, D-Ga., was on an aircraft bound for an “undisclosed location overseas,” Wednesday, said Doug Moore, his media aide, but Marshall spoke to The Telegraph last month about the drawdown as some of the last combat units were leaving.

“I don’t know if this will actually be the end of combat operations. We still have 50,000 troops there. That’s a lot. Their job will be to train, however,” Marshall said

Marshall said a key to pulling out of Iraq was standing by promises that America would stay or increase troops if civil and religious violence sweeps the nation again.

“We can’t just announce the last day of the war and leave,” Marshall said. “There has to be a gradual, orderly drawdown. It appears that the intense fighting -- the surge of 2007 -- worked to deliver stability there.

“Now, the next year or so will show if a peace can hold.”

To contact writer Shelby G. Spires, call 744-4494.