Udall, Bingaman Report From Iraq

U.S. Rep. Thomas Udall, a Democrat from New Mexico, speaks to reporters in the heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, March 25, 2006. (AP Photo/Jacob Silberberg)

An article in Sunday's Albuquerque Journal by Michael Coleman of the paper's Washington Bureau reported on separate trips to Iraq made last week by New Mexico's Rep. Tom Udall and Senator Jeff Bingaman. Their assessments of the current situation there were less than reassuring. Excerpts:

... Rep. Tom Udall told reporters during a conference call from Baghdad on Saturday that the U.S. military should pull its troops out of Iraq by the end of this year.

Sen. Jeff Bingaman, making his second trip to Iraq since the war began, told The Associated Press on Friday that he saw some progress on this visit, but not nearly as much as he had hoped.

Both Bingaman and Udall voted against the initial Iraqi invasion under President George W. Bush.

Udall said Iraq's failure to organize a legitimate, functioning government has severely hampered the country's economic and democratic progress.

"It's been a letdown for the Iraqi people, and it's made the American people very impatient," Udall said. "You can't make progress with a lame duck government."

The congressman said he hopes the Defense Department will "redeploy" American soldiers from Iraq by year's end, preferably to other locations in the Middle East. He said American troops need to remain in the region­ in places such as Kuwait­ to provide a ready response to other threats.

"We want to let them know we don't want instability in the region," Udall said.

He said President Bush made a tactical mistake last week when he conceded that U.S. troops will likely remain in Iraq at least until the end of his presidency. The president's declaration allows Iraqi leaders and soldiers to dither while Americans do much of the heavy lifting required to secure the country, rebuild its infrastructure and improve its economy, Udall told reporters.

"What incentive does that give them to step forward?" Udall asked. "I don't see that incentive."

... "You see areas where significant movement is being made, but it's not being made to the extent it should be," Udall said, noting that oil production in Iraq is still significantly lower than it was before the U.S. invasion.

After dining with top Iraqi officials from the country's feuding parties Saturday night, Udall said he was encouraged that they seemed intent on reaching agreement on a new government structure.

"None of them told us they are going to be deadlocked and will walk away," Udall said.

Instead, he said the Iraqis pleaded for patience from the U.S. government.

"Iraq hasn't really known democracy for 1,000 years, and this is hard work," said Udall, who will also visit Kuwait and Jordan on this trip before returning to Washington on Monday.