Ellison wants troop withdrawal from Iraq

First Muslim rep. urges ‘economic and diplomatic engagement’ in Iraq

NBC Video: Politics

Cash-strapped California issues IOU’s
July 11: The Golden State – which boasts the world’s eighth-largest economy – is unable to pay its bills because its leaders can’t agree on a budget to close a $26 billion deficit. NBC’s George Lewis reports.

Obama’s trip to usher new relations with Africa?

Obama’s Ghana visit high on emotion

Obama: Democracy is a responsibility to be preserved

MLK sign creates controversy

Week Ahead: Sotomayor in the hot seat

Kirk decides not to run?

Burris announces he won't run in 2010

Slideshow

The Week in Political Cartoons
Msnbc.com’s political cartoonists take a look back at the past week.

more photos

updated 8:19 a.m. ET Jan. 10, 2007

WASHINGTON - The first Muslim member of Congress says the solution to Iraq lies in an immediate withdrawal of military forces and focusing instead on political and diplomatic efforts.

“We could describe it as a redeployment or withdrawal, but I think we have run the course in terms of our ability to resolve this conflict militarily,” said Rep. Keith Ellison, a freshman Minnesota Democrat.

“I think we need to have a political and economic and diplomatic engagement, and we need to encourage the forces that are in Iraq to begin to resolve the violence in Iraq,” Ellison said Tuesday during an interview with The Associated Press.

Story continues below ↓

advertisement | your ad here

Ellison argued that President Bush’s expected plan to send 20,000 more troops to Iraq is “way too late, way too little” to make a difference.

“So rather than do something small and ineffective, why not get about the business of what we’re going to have to do eventually, which is to begin to end the occupation?” he said.

Bush is expected to ask Congress for $100 billion in additional funds for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“I want to see (the request) first, I want to actually look at it, but I’m not inclined to continue to support a war or an occupation that he has no plans to get us out of, and which is so costly in terms of dollars and lives of American soldiers — but also Iraqis,” Ellison said.

Asked for a response to Ellison’s comments, the White House referred to Bush press secretary Tony Snow’s remarks to reporters on Tuesday. Snow said that Democrats will have to decide where they stand on two issues: “No. 1, do you want Iraq to succeed, and, if so, what does that mean? And, No. 2, do you believe in supporting the troops as you say, and how do you express that support?”