General Petreaus' and Ambassador Crocker's September testimony to Congress included plans for the withdrawal of a few troops from Iraq. But the general and the ambassador also laid out plans for a long-term U.S. military occupation of Iraq, creating a compliant, protected regime in the oil-rich heart of the Middle East. A long-term military occupation of Iraq is a bad solution to a failed war policy.

Our members of Congress should be working towards an end to the war that people in this country of all political parties can unite around. We need to be working toward repairing the damage done by the war and withdrawing to allow the Iraqis to run their own country.

One such proposal has already been put forward and would enact into the law the recommendations of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, including a firm commitment for the withdrawal all U.S. military troops from Iraq, full support for regional diplomatic negotiations with all of Iraq's neighbors, and a commitment to assist in rebuilding a country that U.S. military troops have helped to destroy.

I hope that we can count on our members of Congress to support this bill and a real end to the Iraq war.

Patricia Layden

SeaTac