2nd District Democratic Congressional Candidate
Dave Franker's Statement on Iraq

April 13, 2004

At
a news conference at the University of Iowa's Iowa Memorial Union on
Tuesday, April 13, 2004, I called for the articulation by the
Bush-Cheney administration of a clear plan, in concert with emerging
Iraqi leadership, within the next 10 weeks for Iraq's security, so that
the withdrawal of American troops could begin after June 30, 2004, and
be completed by June 30, 2005.

I called on Bush-Cheney – and Rep. Leach – to embrace seven additional steps:

1.
An establishment of a predominately Arab/Arabic-speaking coalition,
similar to the 1989 coalition of President G.H.W. Bush, to replace
American troops as the security force as a bridge toward Iraqi
self-determination;

2.
A willingness to work with Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani through the U.N. to
assure that elections occur by January, as al-Sistani himself
compromised to allow, after Bush-Cheney turned down elections this June;

3. A respect for the tradition of Sharia – Islamic Law – as a guiding influence in Iraqi society;

4.
A call to return to a bipartisan U.S. foreign policy, including
invitations for participation by former President Clinton and former
Maine Republican Senator Richard Cohen, who also served under Clinton
as Defense Secretary;

5.
A demand that Vice President Cheney sever completely his ties with
Halliburton, including a swift resolution of his Halliburton pension
holdings;

6.
A new international humanitarian initiative to provide immediate relief
for the Iraqi people to commence no later than June 30, 2004;

7.
A 2004-05 federal budget amendment to provide for a University of
Iowa-type establishment of new chairs of Islamic Studies, and Arabic
language studies, at no less than 10 major universities in the United
States.

2nd
district Democratic Congressional candidate Dave Franker's May 6 and
May 10 Statements on Iraq Prisoner Abuse (contrasted with former
Illinois Congressman Donald Rumsfeld staffer Jim Leach, current 2nd
district Iowa Congressman)

Franker Statement of May 6:

The
vast majority — in fact, very nearly all of American service personnel
perform their duties with honor and distinction, sacrificing above and
beyond the call of duty. It is particularly painful, then, when the
totally unacceptable mistreatment of prinsoners of war takes place
under American hands.

I
call on Rep. Jim Leach to join me in condemning without qualification
the mistreatment of prisoners of war. I further call on Mr. Leach to
join me in declaring that accountability can not be just for some
aspects of the federal government and not for others. Mr. Leach was a
staffer for Congressman Donald Rumsfeld and he boasts a 30 year
friendship with him.

It's time for some accountability from the Secretary of Defense. It's time for Mr. Rumsfeld to resign.

I
further call on Mr. Leach to join me in insisting that, in the event
that Mr. Rumsfeld does not immediately resign, President Bush should
dismiss him forthwith.

Franker Statement of May 10:

The
Bush-Cheney Administration's disregard for the Geneva Convention,
articulated already by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld in 2002,
along with its failure to plan for the postwar administration of Iraq,
set the stage for the prisoner abuse situation. This has been a clear
failure of leadership and that failure now puts our troops in Iraq at
increased risk.

On
Thursday, May 6, I called for accountability in the federal government
with my demand that Rumsfeld resign. My call is not, as Rep. Leach said
on Saturday, “political piling on.” Mr. Leach should put aside his 30
plus year friendship with Mr. Rumsfeld, for whom he formerly worked,
and join me in calling for an independent investigation of the prisoner
abuse situation.

Why
was Whitewater, a 10 year-old land deal, worthy of an independent
investigation in Mr. Leach's eyes, but the violation of the Geneva
Convention, an international human rights issue, is not? [see Mr.
Leach's “no” vote on HR 627 Amendment for an independent investigation,
201-218 this past week]

I
also urge Mr. Leach to reject publicly, with me, both Vice President
Dick Cheney's statement that Mr. Rumsfeld is the “finest Secretary of
Defense that we've ever had” and President George Bush's statement that
Rumsfeld is a “great” Secretary of Defense.

So
I again – for the second time in four days – urge Mr. Leach to join me
in demanding the resignation of Mr. Rumsfeld for the human rights
abuses that took place on the watch of his friend, Donald Rumsfeld.

The
“antidote to the mistakes of a few people” is not the homecoming of the
fine men and women of the 234th, as Mr. Leach stated. The antidote is
accountability at the highest levels of the federal government, even if
they are Mr. Leach's friend of three decades, so that our remaining
troops in the field might eventually themselves enjoy a homecoming like
the homecoming that the 234th deservedly enjoyed yesterday. 

Dave Franker
2nd District Democratic Congressional Candidate

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