Woolsey, Thompson reject policy
Both North Coast congressional members, Reps. Lynn Woolsey, D-Petaluma, and Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, issued criticisms of Gen. David Petraeus' testimony on Monday.
Woolsey, co-chairwoman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said: "No amount of sugarcoating and spin can change one simple fact: Four years after the president's invasion of Iraq, our troops are caught in the midst of a civil war with no end in sight, and it's up to the U.S. Congress to use the power of the purse to force the president to bring them home."
Thompson, chairman of a House subcommittee on terrorism and intelligence, said: "I believe the American people have lost faith in the Iraqi government and in President Bush's failed strategies. For our own safety and that of the Iraqi people, we need a new direction in Iraq -- one that puts resources into finding a diplomatic strategy for quelling the violence in Iraq and rooting out terrorism both in Iraq and around the globe."
Thompson and Woolsey have introduced bills aimed at removing U.S. troops from Iraq. The measures have been referred to committees.