“I believe my neighbors from across the state stand with me on this,” Tester said.
“Not all of us do,” the man shouted.
Tester stopped short of saying he'd support a cut in war funding. Doing so, he said, could undermine U.S. troops in the field and place them in danger. He also favored leaving warships and planes in the region to strike Iraqi al-Qaida camps, should they gain a foothold in the country.
“Like many of you, one of the most difficult things for me is the struggle in my heart,” Tester said. “I lie awake trying to think of ways to give our troops the resources they need to be safe and successful in Iraq - but all the while, trying to bring them home to their families, friends and communities.”
After the speech, Cory Swanson, a veteran who served in Iraq with the 1-163rd Infantry Battalion, credited Tester for speaking on the topic, although he didn't agree entirely with the senator's solution.
“The great mountain we have to climb is what happens in Iraq when we leave,” Swanson said. “With this plan, I think we're leaving it open to a full-scale civil war. I think it has the potential to erupt into a Middle East-wide conflict.”
Swanson, also a Republican activist, admitted there aren't any easy solutions to the current situation in Iraq.
Setting a timetable for withdrawal, Swanson said, would send the wrong message to those who served and died trying to stabilize the country.
“After several years, we can't just say it was a mistake and go home,” he said. “We have to address the issue of what happens when we pull out.”
“I thought it was right on,” said Ray Peck, a former Democratic representative from Havre. “We don't know who the enemy is any more. Our troops don't deserve to be sorting out a civil war. That's their (Iraqis') business, and they can resolve their own destiny just like we do.”
Some anti-war activists supported Tester's call for an Oct. 11 withdrawal, but criticized his stance on continued funding for the war.
“On the one hand, he talked about ending the war and what a sham it was,” said Don McLarty, a member of the Bozeman Peace Seekers. “On the other hand, he fulfilled Bush's request for $100 billion to continue the war and keep our soldiers in harm's way.”
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