Brady visits with troops in Baghdad
By JIMMY GALVAN Managing Editor

Courtesy photo US CONGRESSMAN KEVIN BRADY visits with Iraqi leadership in Baghdad.

After a face-to-face visit with U.S. troops and military leadership in Iraq, Congressman Kevin Brady is convinced the country is "making progress."

Brady said he didn't want to paint a "rosy picture because Al-Qaeda is still launching high profile attacks

"Iraq is a dangerous place but getting less dangerous every day," Brady said. "We spent most of our time traveling out to bases in helicopters. So I really got a better picture than if I really stayed inside Baghdad.

"I wanted to see where the surge was working and where it wasn't," Brady said of his two-day visit to Baghdad. "I went with an open mind and expected the worst.

"But what I saw on the ground was very interesting," Brady said. "There are segments of Iraq which are rejected Al-Qaeda and are working with U.S. forces to drive them out of their community. We walked in these communities and these shopping areas and it was remarkable progress."

Brady was accompanied to Iraq by fellow Texas Congressmen John Carter and Michael Burgess, Iowa Congressmen Jim Jordan and Steve King and Tennessee Congressman Dave Davis.

According to Brady, U. S. and allied forces now control "almost half of Baghdad."

"Al-Qaeda is certainly rocked back on their heels in Iraq," Brady said.

The congressman from The Woodlands also spent time with the troops who are battling this war daily in heat to gauge their opinion on the fight.

"The soldiers believe this strategy is working," Brady said. "I met with Texas soldiers and I asked them if it was time to pull the plug and bring them home.

"The answer from almost all of them was 'no, we want to come home to our families but we haven't finished this job,'" Brady said. "We can win this war if we stay behind them. That was a very powerful moment."

During his visit in the war-torn country, Brady said he and his group didn't feel the threat of violence except for two occasions.

"While we were there we had to step inside a building for a minute because Iraq had just won a major game in the World Cup soccer play and they were shooting their guns in the air in celebration," Brady said. "We also had one mortar round warning in one zone that we were in and we had to move to the interior of the building while that passed."

Brady said he came away with the realization that the "surge is working and we need to give it more time to allow it to work.

"I think the September assessment will be too early," Brady said. "I think we need to let this strategy work through the end of the year.

"After being on the ground with our troops and visiting with our U.S. commanders and Iraqi leaders, I believe Congress has the right to debate this war but they also have the responsibility to help with it.

"Pulling the plug too early will have disastrous consequences," Brady said. "We need to be smart and give this strategy a chance."