Sen. Kit Bond is back from a fact-finding (what else is there to find?) trip to Iraq, where he met with intelligence and defense officials as well as U.S. troops.
"Our military is doing a great job in improving security in Iraq, but what is needed is a political solution to complement their efforts," said Bond in a statement.
Bond said General David Patraeus' new plan is showing "signs of progress."
"Violence in al-Qaim, Haditha, Hit, Ramadi and Fallujah has dramatically decreased due to local leaders now siding with Coalition forces in pursuing al Qaeda in Iraq. In Baghdad U.S. and Iraqi Security Forces are clearing and holding some of the most dangerous areas, and sectarian violence has decreased," noted the Senator.
Bond cautioned that while it is still too early to tell the overall success of the new plan, he was pleased with the positive signs he saw in Iraq.
Bond met with Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, the influential leader of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq. He stressed to al-Hakim that Iraqi political leaders must find a political solution to the issues dividing Iraq. In the al-Anbar province, more than ten thousand police have been recruited by Sunni tribal chiefs to work with Coalition forces. Bond stressed that this participation from the Sunnis is an important step in creating a unified Iraq – "government and military -- that includes all of the country’s groups: Sunnis, Kurds, and Shiites."
Bond traveled with Senate and House Intelligence Committee Members Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), and Representative Darrell Issa (R-CA)
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