Rep. Wilson sees no reason to stay in Iraq

U.S. Rep. Charlie Wilson went to Iraq with many concerns.

He came home with even more of them.

Wilson of St. Clairsville, D-6th, returned Monday from a five-day trip to Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Wilson voted in favor of requiring President Bush to begin withdrawing troops in Iraq with most of them home by April 1, 2008. Another vote on funding the war is approaching.

Wilson wanted to see firsthand the U.S. military presence and its impact in those three nations, particularly Iraq.

“It’s a surreal situation,” he said Tuesday.

While traveling in Baghdad, Wilson said there were deep craters in the roads caused by explosives. Also, he said, the number of suicide bombers is on the rise.

“There’s a real sense you have to be on guard in Iraq,” he said.

Wilson went to Iraq to see if there is any progress being made and to see if there’s a reason for a continued presence there of U.S. troops. Wilson couldn’t find a reason to continue to put U.S. soldiers in a dangerous and deadly situation.

Wilson estimates it would take at least 10 years to restore order to Iraq.

“That’s 10 years too long,” he said.

For the complete story, read Wednesday’s Vindicator or vindy.com