U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M. and a strong supporter of the president’s strategy in Iraq, returned Monday from his fourth trip to the war-torn nation saying “there is reason for cautious optimism,” according to a news release.
“No one is over there saying ‘OK, this is easy now,’ but they are saying there has been improvement in security, the ability to engage in commerce and cooperation between our coalition forces and Iraqi citizens,” Pearce said. “I left Iraq believing the troop surge of the last few months has made a real difference and given ordinary Iraqis hope where there was just despair and mistrust before.”
During the four-day trip, Pearce met with a number of military commanders and also met with two solders from Doña Ana County – Jeffery Williams of Las Cruces and Garciela Loera of Chaparral. He said the most obvious difference from a trip he made earlier this year is “freedom of movement.”
“We toured the market area and walked right down Haifa Street, a major Baghdad thoroughfare, which would have been unthinkable just a few months ago,” Pearce said. “Previously, we would have to travel between Baghdad and Kuwait each day. This was the first time we were allowed to stay in Baghdad overnight.”
“There is traffic on the roads, the markets are staying open later and families are coming back to Baghdad,” he said. “One of the colonels told us, ‘Kids don’t lie. If the kids are out playing and you see them interacting with security forces, then we are starting to see the trust coming back.’”
Pearce took a number of photographs and some video while in Iraq. You can check it out by clicking here.
U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M. and a strong supporter of the president’s strategy in Iraq, returned Monday from his fourth trip to the war-torn nation saying “there is reason for cautious optimism,” according to a news release.