CRAPO: IRAQ PLAN MUST HAVE MEASURED RESULTS

Washington, DC â?? After listening to the Presidentâ??s speech tonight outlining his plans for the war in Iraq, Idaho Senator Mike Crapo says any change regarding strategy in the war should focus on two elements. Crapo says the first priority should be the security of and strong support for members of the U.S. military. Secondly, there must be an increased commitment by Iraqâ??s government to take over security operations as soon as possible. Crapo said he has concerns about increasing troop levels and appreciated the Presidentâ??s remarks this evening. He will carefully review the proposal put forth by the President as well as the analysis of it by experts who will be brought before Congress for hearings in the coming days.â??A successful plan for Iraq must be comprehensive and have measurable results,â?? Crapo said. â??Congress is now slated to hold multiple hearings to review all the components of the plan proposed by President Bush tonight. In the meantime, we should keep in our thoughts those serving our nation in uniform and working to provide security and economic stability in Iraq.â??Crapo doesnâ??t want the role of the U.S. military to simply be standing between warring factions in Iraq. â??All decisions relating to Iraq must be made with the security of our nation and the protection of the men and women of our armed services as the highest priorities,â?? he continued. â??We should not put our men and women in battle conditions under rules of engagement that limit their ability to win and put them in greater danger. It is important that our military role in Iraq be reduced as soon as feasibly possible. However, our own national security requires that this be done in a way that best ensures stability in Iraq. A failure to do so would only increase the threats to the security of the people of United States and the Middle East region.â??Crapo added that the safety of Iraqi citizens and the support of the democratically-elected government in Iraq are also of concern. â??As reconstruction efforts continue in Iraq, we must make certain to meet the humanitarian needs of the civilians who are in that country,â?? Crapo noted. â??The lives of the Iraqi people are in constant disruption as their homes are damaged and even destroyed. I look forward to the future when the Iraqi people will be able to live, worship, and work in peace. The security of America as well as that of other free people throughout the world will be significantly enhanced by these objectives,â?? he concluded.