Ryan: Withdrawal timetable must be put in place soon

A six-member U.S. House group visited Iraq.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Fresh off a visit to Iraq, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan said the United States should start a withdrawal of its troops no later than six months from now.
The number of American troops leaving Iraq should be based on a number of factors, said Ryan, of Niles, a member of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee.
Among the key factors, Ryan said, are the results of the Dec. 15 Iraqi election, the ability to properly train Iraqi military personnel to protect their country, and a reduction in violence in the country, particularly the assassinations of Iraqi political leaders.
Ryan, D-17th, was among a group of six U.S. House members visiting Iraq this week. The group left Sunday for Kuwait, and then went on to Iraq to talk to military officials and troops.
Ryan's group met with injured troops Wednesday in Germany, and they were to return today to the United States. He spoke Wednesday with reporters on a telephone conference while in Germany.
This was Ryan's first trip to Iraq. He said he'd like to go back early next year, but acknowledges he's not sure he would return because it's a "very, very dangerous" place. During his trip, Ryan wasn't shot at but he had to wear a bulletproof vest and helmet, and there was a car bomb threat about a half-mile from where he was at one time. The threat proved to be just that.
Wants timetable
Ryan said a timetable to remove nearly all of the 160,000 U.S. troops in Iraq must be put in place, and he would like to see it start in six months if not sooner. Without a timetable, there is no incentive for the Iraqis to govern and protect themselves, he said.
"Why wouldn't the Iraqi people not want us to stay?" Ryan said. "If we are keeping them safe, why would they want us to leave? We're basically peace-keepers. But we can't stay there forever."
Ryan suggests some troops would remain after most leave Iraq to continue training that country's military.
In a Wednesday speech, President Bush refused to set a timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops. He also said Iraqi troops are increasingly taking the lead in fighting insurgents.
"The president is wrong to not set a date," Ryan said. "We can't stay there forever. The insurgents will be there long after we're gone. Our being there has helped recruit terrorists to Iraq."
Election outcome is key
The Dec. 15 Iraqi election could be the key to a U.S. withdrawal from the country, Ryan said. If politicians who will work toward making Iraq a safe and democratic country are elected, the United States could withdraw troops quicker.
If the "wrong" people are elected, it is still time to set a withdrawal date, Ryan said, because "we have to realize this experiment isn't working and this country isn't ready for" democracy.
Regarding Bush's statement on Iraqi troops' taking the lead, Ryan said if those troops "aren't ready to rock-and-roll in a few months, they won't be able to stop the insurgency. We're so far behind it's hard to catch up."
A former high school football player, Ryan compared the Iraq issue to a football game. Even if a good game plan was in place, "the other team scored four touchdowns in the first quarter," and the United States is "spending the rest of the game playing catch-up," he said.
Cites 'mistakes'
The Bush administration made "critical mistakes" in the early days of the Iraqi invasion, such as not having enough troops in the country to help with the restoration, he said.
"We allowed the insurgency to grow and gain momentum and recruit people," Ryan said.
More than 2,000 U.S. troops have died in Iraq.
Ryan said that he is impressed with how the U.S. troops are carrying out their missions, but that some have been there for more than two years and deserve and want to go home.
skolnick@vindy.com