Department of Offense

House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) today released a new web video highlighting progress in Iraq, and thanking our men and women in uniform for the courage and sacrifice they’ve shown in helping bring about progress there. The video, entitled “Victory is the Only Option,” underscores the success of the surge strategy that was opposed by then-Senators Barack Obama and Joe Biden, Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Reid and other Democrats when it was announced by General David Petraeus and President George W. Bush. While the Obama Administration today is seeking to take credit for “ending the combat mission” in Iraq, the video credits our troops and their families, whose hard work, sacrifice, and unwavering dedication have helped transform Iraq from a once volatile threat to a nascent democracy and a key ally of the United States. Following is the video and script:

SCRIPT: “VICTORY IS THE ONLY OPTION” (2:26)
HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH): “Who doesn’t believe that if we withdraw and leave that chaos in the Middle East, that the terrorists won’t follow us here to the United States? Victory is the only option.”

TEXT: Victory

TEXT: Only Option

TEXT: Only Option?

SENATE MAJORITY LEADER HARRY REID (D-NV): “I believe that this war is lost.”

TEXT: “This war is lost”

THEN-SENATOR JOE BIDEN (D-DE): “This Administration’s policy and the surge are a failure.”

TEXT: Surge is a “failure”

HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): “Democrats are saying to the President this is not the way to go. It has failed over and over.”

TEXT: “It has failed”

THEN-SENATOR BARACK OBAMA (D-IL): “I am not persuaded that 20,000 additional troops in Iraq is going to solve the sectarian violence there. In fact, I think it will do the reverse.”

TEXT: “Do the reverse”

NBC NEWS’ RICHARD ENGEL: “Troops here say they are increasingly frustrated by American criticism of the war. Many take it personally, believing it is also criticism of what they’ve been fighting for.”

U.S. SOLDIER: “One thing I don’t like is when people back home say they support the troops but they don’t support the war. If they’re going to support us, support us all the way.”

ABC NEWS WORLD NEWS TONIGHT ANCHOR CHARLIE GIBSON: “One item from Baghdad today. The news is that there is no news. There were no major acts of violence.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS NEWSCAST: “The transfer marks a dramatic milestone in America’s plan to eventually hand over all 18 Iraqi provinces.”

CBS EVENING NEWS ANCHOR KATIE COURIC: “Numbers do indicate that Iraq became much safer during the surge.”

ABC’S TERRY MORAN: “But the surge of U.S. troops, combined with ordinary Iraqis’ rejection of both al-Qaeda and Shiite extremists, has transformed the country.”

THEN-SENATOR OBAMA: “I think that the surge has succeeded in ways that nobody anticipated.”

TEXT: “Succeeded in ways nobody anticipated”

TEXT: Nobody?

REP. MIKE PENCE (R-IN): “Our brave men and women in uniform need to know that those who send them into battle will stand by them until the battle is won.”

REP. ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN (R-FL): “Let us not just support our troops, let’s support their mission.”

REP. PETER KING (R-NY): “It is time for members of this body to show at least a small percentage of the courage shown every day by our troops in Iraq.”

REP. SAM JOHNSON (R-TX): “We must stick by them, we must support them all the way. And to our troops, we must remain, always faithful.”

TEXT: To our men and women in uniform and their families

TEXT: Thank you.

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