Congressman Ike Skelton said he would support a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq if the legislation keeps some troops behind for training and counter-terrorism.
In an interview in Niangua, Skelton would not put a specific date on troop withdrawal, but said he expects more votes in Congress later this month to push to end the war.
You can watch a portion of my interview with Rep. Skelton HERE.
"We can cut back on the troops, redeploy a number of our troops. We should retain some for the training and protection of the troops," Skelton said.
Skelton said while it is difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel in Iraq, he is guarding against a hasty withdrawal that would produce a "horrible aftermath."
"You just can't walk away from it," Rep. Skelton said.
Skelton said Sen. Richard Lugar's recent speech on the war has helped change the debate. He also said he's pleased to hear Secretary of Defense Robert Gates indicate his goal of "redeploying troops to smaller missions."
Skelton also defended his decision to introduce a bill "to restore habeas corpus for individuals detained by the U.S. at Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba."
"Regardless of where someone is being detained, they ought to have the right of review. That defines Americans. It defines our values," Skelton said. "I want America to be fulled defined as to giving people the right of review. Chances are they would lose that review, but they ought to have the right like everyone else that is touched by American law."
Skelton's bill has 29 co-sponsors.
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