But the Minnesota Republican, in an interview with the ECM Publishers Editorial Board on Monday, said the duration of the war was taking a toll on U.S. military forces and the public at large in the United States.
(Photo by Howard Lestrud, ECM Online)
by Cliff Buchan
News Editor
Forest Lake Times
All options considered, U.S. Senator Norm Coleman said this
week he is willing to be patient with the current troop build-up in the
war in Iraq.
But the Minnesota Republican, in an interview with the ECM Publishers
Editorial Board on Monday, said the duration of the war was taking a
toll on U.S. military forces and the public at large in the United
States.
As active U.S. military forces face multiple deployments in Iraq and National Guard units continue to face call-ups to active duty, Coleman said there was no question of the pressure facing military personnel.
"They are tired," Coleman said.
The Republican said it was clear to him the size of the U.S. Armed Forces has to increase to meet the demand being placed on it today. That will happen with new incentives to encourage enlistment. There will be no military draft, Coleman predicted.
4 options to weigh
Coleman, who visited Iraq in December and plans to go again this spring, said he believes U.S. forces are making headway through the new troop build-up. But for that success to hold, the U.S. will need the support of the Sunni population to work with the Shiite population.
Coleman labeled the current conflict between the Sunni and Shiite groups as a "civil war." If the two groups cannot find common ground, Coleman said he was skeptical of the chances for progress to be sustainable.
"I hope I am wrong," he said.
Coleman listed four potential options for dealing with Iraq.
One involves immediately pulling U.S. forces out of Iraq while a second would set a timetable for troops being out by the end of 2008.
The latter would simply lead to instability in the region, he said, while the first is a "bad option."
A third option would be to give the troops surge time to prove its
effectiveness. Its only hope of success is the agreement of the warring
factions to stop fighting.
"I don't know whether they are done killing each other," Coleman said.
A final option and one that might make sense, he said, is to
order a pull-back of forces from Baghdad to fortified areas away from
the capital. The troops would be removed from the violence in Baghdad,
he said, but still in position to protect the Iraqi oil fields and
guard against border incursions from Iran and Syria.
Coleman said the war is "consistently" the top issue he is hearing from
citizens. A recent visit with two mothers of soldiers with the Army's
82nd Airborne Division reinforced his beliefs in more ways than
one.
The two women were upset with the war but adamant that funding that is
needed to support troops not be cut. Coleman said he will not vote to
cut funding.
Other issues
In other issues addressed on Monday, Coleman:
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