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53 °F 5 Day Forecast Monday, October 20, 2003 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | eSouthernOregon | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend October 7, 2003 Walden visits ‘Sunni Triangle’ He plans to check on the status of state troops serving there By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune U.S. Rep. Greg Walden left for Iraq early Monday on a fact-finding mission. The Hood River Republican is among an eight-member House delegation expected to arrive in Baghdad today. He represents the 2nd Congressional District, which includes Jackson and Josephine counties as well as Eastern Oregon. Walden will visit several cities in an area known as the "Sunni Triangle," the region where the majority of attacks against American troops is continuing. "I want to get a better understanding of what our troops, especially those from Oregon, are facing in Iraq and how we in the Congress can make sure they have what they need to do their work and secure their safety," Walden said in a prepared statement. Advertisement In addition to an unknown number of Oregonians now serving in Iraq, more than 600 members of the Oregon Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 262nd Infantry are being mobilized to go there. That unit is based in Cottage Grove, but 125 members of the Guard unit headquartered in Ashland have volunteered to join the 1-262. The citizen soldiers are expected to be deployed this spring. Walden, one of the GOP’s deputy whips in Congress, said the delegation will review reconstruction efforts, the search for weapons of mass destruction and efforts to stop attacks against U.S.-led occupation forces. The delegates will meet with both American and Iraqi officials, including Paul Bremer, the U.S. civilian leader in Iraq; and David Kay, former U.N. chief weapons inspector. "I look forward to the opportunity to directly question Ambassador Bremer, leaders of the Iraq Governing Council and those involved in weapons inspections about their progress and what it will take to finish our work in Iraq," Walden added in the statement. Besides visiting a school, hospital and communication center, the delegation will be taken to some of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's palaces, torture chambers and a mass grave site containing Saddam's victims. Walden will be joined in the bipartisan delegation by Reps. Fred Upton, R-MI.; Mike Castle, R-DE.; Amo Houghton, R-NY; Wayne Gilchrest, R-MD; Ron Kind, D-WI.; Jim Davis, D-FL; and Gregory Meeks, D-NY. The trip comes at a time when polls show public support for the war in Iraq is waning and Congress is debating the merits of a $87 billion bill for Iraq, including some $20 billion for reconstruction. Kay told Congress last week that his survey team had not found nuclear, biological or chemical weapons thus far. But he argued against drawing conclusions, saying he expects to provide a full picture on Iraq’s weapons programs in six to nine months. Critics, including many in Congress, say Kay’s findings do not support most of the Bush administration’s prewar assertions that the United States faced an imminent, serious threat from Saddam because of widespread and advanced Iraqi weapons programs. As of Monday, 320 U.S. service members have died since the beginning of military operations in Iraq, according to the Department of Defense. That includes 182 U.S. soldiers killed since May 1, when President Bush declared that major combat operations in Iraq were over, according to defense reports. Since the start of military operations, 1,411 U.S. service members have been wounded as a result of hostile action, according to U.S. Central Command in Baghdad. Another 332 have been injured in non-hostile incidents. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times