During a week when tensions were mounting between The White House and The Congress on the issue of America's continued presence in Iraq, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) came to the Wilson Center to share his position on the war, to raise critical questions about current policies, and to emphasize our country's need for a new direction.

Introducers: Matt Bennett, Vice President, Third Way; Lee H. Hamilton, President and Director, Woodrow Wilson Center

Speaker: Senator Harry Reid, Senate Majority Leader

What America needs now is bipartisan cooperation in devising a realistic and responsible plan for pulling our troops out of Iraq, said U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid at an April 23 Director's Forum. Referencing the Iraq Study Group report, Reid underscored the importance of engaging American constituents in an honest debate on issues relating to the war, which has been costly both in terms of American casualties and in the way it has affected America's credibility abroad. Ultimately, he called for a new direction in Iraq, echoing several of the proposals that have been reverberating throughout Congress since the mid-term elections last year.

Reid criticized President Bush for his refusal to accept the reality on the ground in Iraq, and for insisting that American military operations are making progress. The President must be functioning in a complete state of denial, Reid declared, for the situation in Iraq is deteriorating and the escalation does not seem to be making a difference. "It has now been three months, and despite the president's happy talk, no progress has been made. The time for patience is long past."

The difficult truths, Reid explained, are that American and Iraqi casualties are increasing, sectarian infighting has not abated, the Iraqi government is failing to meet established benchmarks, militia groups have yet to disband, the distribution of vital resources (clean water and electricity) remains unacceptably inadequate, and 70% of Iraqi children—who should be the seeds of a democratic future—are exhibiting signs of severe trauma, such as nightmares, bed-wetting, and stuttering.

Moreover, he said, the surge in troops has failed to reverse these uncomfortable facts on the ground. Making a comparison with Vietnam, the Senator reminded us that when President Johnson began initiating troop surges, the strategy backfired, and in the end produced nothing but a dramatic increase in American casualties. "We cannot afford to forget the past, nor should our President condemn us to repeat it," said Reid.

He also raised concerns about the cost of the war in Iraq, and how it continues to sap our resources and energy. Our exclusive focus on Iraq, Reid explained, prohibits us from addressing other, perhaps even more important global challenges: the resurgence of al Qaeda in Afghanistan; genocide and instability in parts of Africa; democratic retrenchment in Russia; and anti-Americanism among our Latin American neighbors. "These challenges require American leadership," Reid declared. "As conditions deteriorate in Iraq and our world focus continues to narrow, we must choose a new direction."

He continued by acknowledging, "It is unquestioned that we have long term security interests in seeing Iraq become stabilized, peaceful, and yes, one day a functioning democracy." The Senator remained emphatic, however, that President Bush's current approach will not take us there. "Let me offer you a different course," said Reid, "one that is supported by majorities of the House and the Senate, and I believe reflects the will of our military leaders and the American people."

Reid then delineated his proposal for an exit strategy in Iraq. Step one would involve a major reorientation of our military operations—from policing a civil war to training Iraqi soldiers, better protecting U.S. forces, and conducting targeted counter-insurgency maneuvers. Next would be a phased redeployment of our troops, beginning no later than October 1, 2007, with the intention of having all combat forces removed by April 1, 2008. According to Reid, these measures will put pressure on the Iraqi government to become more cooperative, while dispelling local fears that the U.S. is an occupying force, which so far has only fed the insurgency.

Step three involves the development of "tangible, measurable, and achievable" benchmarks for the Iraqi government, so that it can take a more active and accountable role on security issues and political reconciliation. Step four would propose and help organize a Middle East conference on the question of Iraq, in the hopes of encouraging greater and more long-term regional stability. Finally, step five would offer relief to our overburdened U.S. military, by putting an end to the deployment of non-battle ready forces and improving the military health system.

The Senator reiterated that this five-point plan enjoys bipartisan support. He also described it as a "responsible, strategically-driven redeployment, not a precipitous withdrawal." It would invest in the kind of sustainable political solutions that Iraq desperately needs, as well as provide the diplomatic tools required to avoid further instability.

Senator Reid decried the President's continued reluctance to cooperate with Congress. "As long as the President remains obstinate and his Republican allies stick with him, we will continue to face an uphill climb." He underscored, however, that while "we may not be able to prevent President Bush from vetoing our supplemental bill, we can and will keep trying to change his mind."

To conclude his remarks, Reid turned to the issue of insurgents and their potential recruits—not only in Iraq but in other parts of the world, too:

"We must convince them of the goodness of America and Americans. We must win them over. That is the great challenge of our time. If we fail, this so-called ‘war on terror' will become a multigenerational struggle. If we succeed, we can protect our national security, rebuild our battered and betrayed military, and fight a real war on terrorism that drives the terrorists back into the darkest corners, caves, and crevices of human existence. But to win that war, we must choose a new path in Iraq. The choice is ours. All of ours. And now is our time to make it."