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[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 616 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 616

    Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States civil-
 military partnership in Iraq, under the current leadership of General 
   Raymond Odierno and Ambassador Christopher Hill, has refined and 
sustained an effective counterinsurgency and counterterrorism strategy 
that has enabled significant improvements in the security, governance, 
   and rule of law throughout Iraq, and that these leaders should be 
 commended for their ingenuity, resourcefulness, courage, commitment, 
                             and sacrifice.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             August 5, 2010

Mr. Burr submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
    Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States civil-
 military partnership in Iraq, under the current leadership of General 
   Raymond Odierno and Ambassador Christopher Hill, has refined and 
sustained an effective counterinsurgency and counterterrorism strategy 
that has enabled significant improvements in the security, governance, 
   and rule of law throughout Iraq, and that these leaders should be 
 commended for their ingenuity, resourcefulness, courage, commitment, 
                             and sacrifice.

Whereas members of the United States Armed Forces will end their combat mission 
        in Iraq on August 31, 2010, and retain a transitional force of up to 
        50,000 troops to train and advise the Iraqi Security Forces, conduct 
        partnered and targeted counterterrorism operations, and protect ongoing 
        United States civilian and military efforts;
Whereas, on August 31, 2010, Operation Iraqi Freedom will end and a transitional 
        mission called Operation New Dawn will begin, and the nature of the 
        United States commitment in Iraq will shift from one led by the military 
        to one that is civilian-led, with the military in a supporting and 
        reinforcing role;
Whereas the transitional force will retain sufficient combat power and continue 
        to support Iraqi Security Forces, and the civilian force will strengthen 
        the partnership between the Governments of the United States and Iraq in 
        fields such as education, the rule of law, trade, and technology;
Whereas the United States is fully committed and will remain committed to the 
        security and stability of Iraq and the Middle East region;
Whereas the ongoing reduction of United States combat and combat support units 
        from Iraq and the conclusion of United States-led, direct support and 
        combat operations provides an opportunity to recognize and honor the 
        important contributions of the United States Armed Forces and the 
        critical civilian agency support that have enabled the Iraqi Security 
        Forces to take the lead in conducting security and stability operations 
        across the 18 provinces of Iraq;
Whereas the surge of United States military units into Iraq in 2007 and 2008 was 
        instrumental in seizing the initiative from insurgent and terrorist 
        elements and providing the space and time for the development of the 
        Iraqi Security Forces and the establishment of governmental, political, 
        and economic capacity at the local level;
Whereas the meticulous and persistent contributions of the United States 
        military and civilian leadership under General David Petraeus and 
        Ambassador Ryan Crocker contributed greatly to the successful build up 
        of the Iraqi Security Forces and the development of stable governance in 
        Iraq;
Whereas, in June 2006, the Iraqi Security Forces numbered approximately 152,000 
        and due to the subsequent deployment and employment of critical United 
        States Military Transition Teams, Border Transition Teams, and Police 
        Transition Teams and the extensive partnering of additional United 
        States military units with Iraqi units, the total Iraqi Security Forces 
        grew from approximately 559,000 in May 2008 to reach approximately 
        665,000 in August of 2010;
Whereas the ongoing security and stability provided by the partnership between 
        the United States Armed Forces and Iraqi Security Forces has allowed 
        United States Provincial Reconstruction Teams, embedded with United 
        States military units and working alongside Iraqis at the local and 
        provincial levels, to have facilitated thousands of reconstruction 
        projects across Iraq that provide necessary access to capital and 
        subject matter expertise for the repair of petroleum production 
        facilities and desalination plants, expansion of electrical generation 
        and telecommunications networks, building of schools, initiation of 
        agricultural projects, spurring of Iraqi-owned businesses, and the 
        attracting of foreign investment to improve the infrastructure of Iraq;
Whereas improved communication and coordination between the Government of Iraq 
        in Baghdad, the Provincial Governors, and local political and tribal 
        leaders has helped foster legitimate political alliances that, while 
        still fragile, have exhibited the resiliency and potential for the 
        resolution of conflicts through civil discourse, rather than violence;
Whereas the security situation in Iraq has improved markedly since 2007, and 
        while it remains uneven and violent attacks by anti-government elements 
        persist, the frequency of these attacks and the resources available to 
        the insurgents and terrorists have declined to such an extent that the 
        Government of Iraq remains capable and secure; and
Whereas these positive developments and trends are evidence of the success of 
        the United States civil-military strategy in Iraq and are essential to 
        the ongoing reduction of United States military forces from the current 
        troop levels of approximately 64,000 to approximately 50,000 combat and 
        combat support troops by September 1, 2010, further signaling a robust 
        and ongoing commitment to advise and assist Iraqi Security Forces, while 
        retaining the ability to respond in direct support of Iraqi Security 
        Forces when necessary and to conduct counterterrorism operations against 
        insurgent and terrorist elements: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
            (1) the counterinsurgency and counterterrorism strategies 
        of the United States initiated in 2006 and sustained from 2007 
        until the present day have successfully enabled the Government 
        of Iraq to reach major milestones in the critical areas of 
        security, governance, and rule of law and have set the 
        conditions for the responsible and gradual reduction of United 
        States combat and combat support units from Iraq and the change 
        of their mission to advising and assisting the Iraqi Security 
        Forces;
            (2) United States Forces-Iraq was instrumental in effecting 
        the recruitment, training, retention, and employment of 
        approximately 700,000 Iraqi Security Forces who have assumed 
        and maintained the lead for security operations within the 18 
        provinces of Iraq; and
            (3) United States commanders, their troops, their civilian 
        partners in the Department of State, the United States Agency 
        for International Development, the Department of the Treasury, 
        the Department of Commerce, the Department of Justice, and the 
        Department of Defense, Federal contractors, and the Provincial 
        Reconstruction Teams should be commended for their ingenuity, 
        resourcefulness, courage, commitment, and sacrifice and their 
        continued dedication and service to the United States.
                                 <all>
```