Congressman Cannon has a consistent voting record on supporting our troops in Iraq.  He also has been a vocal advocate of adapting forces and tactics to meet the enemy.   

Iraq Votes – Congressman Cannon voted:

-         YES on H J Res 114: To authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against Iraq.

-         YES on H Res 627: Deploring the abuse of persons in United States custody in Iraq, regardless of the circumstances of their detention, urging the Secretary of the Army to bring to swift justice any member of the Armed Forces who has violated the Uniform Code of Military Justice, expressing the deep appreciation of the Nation to the courageous and honorable members of the Armed Forces who have selflessly served, or are currently serving, in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and for other purposes.

-         YES on S 3930: A bill to authorize trial by military commission for terrorists.

-         NO on artificial withdrawal deadlines (HR 1591, HR 2206, HR 2956, & HR 4156)

Congressman Cannon’s Statements on Iraq:

-         “The attack on the honesty and integrity of General David Petraeus by Moveon.org was despicable and deserves the condemnation of Congress, the President, and the American people. Service members have done all that has been asked of them and more. The war in Iraq deserves a vigorous and ongoing debate that is intellectually honest. Moveon.org and their supporters have clearly demonstrated that they are an anathema to intellectual debate and are not a legitimate voice in our national discourse. I welcome the many Democrats who joined us in condemning this group and hope they continue to work to tone down the rhetoric in this vital debate.” (http://chriscannon.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=75396)

-         “The American people are rightfully frustrated with the Maliki government and the slow pace of political progress in Iraq. However, the President clearly understands that retreat, no matter what euphemism it is cloaked in, is not a strategy. The fact is Iraq is the central front in the war against jihadism. For the sake of our children and our way of life, it is a war that we cannot afford to lose. The sooner the Democrat leadership starts listening to General Petraeus instead of kowtowing to moveon.org, the sooner we can bring the troops home cloaked in victory and assured that Al Qaeda knows that Americans will not accept defeat at the hands of extremism.” (http://chriscannon.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=73748)

-         “General Petraeus’ assessment today made clear that we are fighting Al Qaeda, and winning, in Iraq. Ambassador Crocker correctly reminded all of us that ‘freedom’ in Iraq is a recent achievement and to compare institutions of democracy in Iraq to other free nations is unfair and counterproductive. Retreat and disengagement is not in America’s interest, nor is it a legitimate solution. Today’s testimony demonstrated clearly that freedom can win in Iraq if we have the will." (http://chriscannon.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=73568)

Recently, I voted against HR 2740 that would have required all personnel in Iraq, not in the military, to be subject to US law inside Iraq.  The attacks on this vote have come from all corners.  I hope to explain below why I joined my friends John Shadegg (former chair of the RSC), Lynn Westmoreland, Dana Rohrabacher, Intelligence Committee Ranking Republican Pete Hoekstra, and Sam Johnson (Johnson is a veteran of the Korean and Vietnam wars, and was awarded two Silver Stars, two Legions of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, one Bronze Star with Valor, two Purple Hearts, four Air Medals, and three Outstanding Unit Awards.  He also spent 42 months in solitary confinement in the infamous Hanoi Hilton) in voting against this bill.

Some have said that by voting against this bill, we would have given Blackwater and others, "get out of jail free cards."  This is as preposterous as it is uninformed.  Voting for this bill would have been politically expedient, but the facts show it was not only unneeded, but shows the criticism for what it truly is.  Here is the reality BEFORE HR 2740:

· Private security firms are 100% accountable to the Department of State. Every aspect of their work—from performance and hiring to rules of force and conduct—are covered under these contracts.

· All incidents in the field—including anytime weapons are used—are reported to and investigated by State.

· Abroad, private security contractors are accountable to the Regional Security Officer, embassy contracting officers and the U.S. Ambassador.

· Contractors are accountable to the U.S. Attorney General under the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act and, as of last year, are subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

Lastly, most contractors in Iraq are former US Military personnel and/or law enforcement.  They know the oaths they swore were solemn.  ""I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic..." 

The idea that we must apply US Criminal Law to some of the most lawless and dangerous areas of the world is ludicrous.  We saw what happened when one federal prosecutor took the side of a Mexican drug lord instead of US Border Patrol Agents.  Pointing a weapon, pushing someone out of the way, or a host of other US laws would apply to private contractors in Iraq. 

No wonder the trial lawyers pushed this bill so hard.

(Newsweek recently published a very interesting article about the founder of Blackwater USA.  It is worth a read to look behind the rhetoric.)