text: SECTION 1. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON NEED FOR COMPREHENSIVE DIPLOMATIC 
                OFFENSIVE TO HELP BROKER NATIONAL RECONCILIATION EFFORTS 
                IN IRAQ.
  
      (a) Findings.--The Senate makes the following findings:
              (1) The men and women of the United States Armed Forces 
          have performed with honor and distinction in executing 
          Operation Iraqi Freedom and deserve the gratitude of the 
          American people.
              (2) General David H. Petraeus, Commander of the 
          Multinational Force-Iraq, stated on March 8, 2007, ``There is 
          no military solution to a problem like that in Iraq.''.
              (3) President George W. Bush reiterated on July 12, 2007, 
          that the United States troop surge implemented in 2007 ``seeks 
          to open space for Iraq's political leaders to advance the 
          difficult process of national reconciliation, which is 
          essential to lasting security and stability''.
              (4) Greater involvement and diplomatic engagement by Iraq's 
          neighbors and key international actors can help facilitate the 
          national political reconciliation so essential to sustainable 
          success in Iraq.
              (5) The United States troop surge carried out in 2007 has 
          not, as of yet, been matched by a comparable diplomatic surge 
          designed to ensure that Iraqi national leaders carry through on 
          the process of national reconciliation.
              (6) The final report of the Iraq Study Group, released in 
          December 2006, declared, ``The United States must build a new 
          international consensus for stability in Iraq and the region. 
          In order to foster such consensus, the United States should 
          embark on a robust diplomatic effort to establish an 
          international support structure intended to stabilize Iraq and 
          ease tensions in other countries in the region. This support 
          structure should include every country that has an interest in 
          averting a chaotic Iraq, including all of Iraq's neighbors.''.
              (7) On August 10, 2007, the United Nations Security Council 
          voted unanimously to expand the mandate of its mission in Iraq 
          to assist the national government with political 
          reconciliation, bring together Iraq's neighbors to discuss 
          border security and energy access, and facilitate much needed 
          humanitarian assistance.
              (8) The United States Ambassador to Iraq, the Honorable 
          Ryan C. Crocker, asserted on September 11, 2007, in testimony 
          before the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate, ``With 
          respect, again, to [Iraq's] neighbors and others, that is 
          exactly our intent to have a more intensive, positive, more 
          regulated engagement between Iraq and its neighbors. . . . The 
          United Nations is now positioned to play a more active and 
          involved role.''.
              (9) General Petraeus said on September 11, 2007, in 
          response to a question on the need for greater civilian 
          activity in Iraq, ``I agree with the chairman of the Joint 
          Chiefs of Staff who has said repeatedly that certain elements 
          of our government are at war, DoD, State, AID, but not all of 
          the others. . . . We can use help in those areas. Some of the 
          areas are quite thin, agriculture, health, and some others.''.
              (10) The United States troop surge carried out in 2007 has 
          not, as of yet, been matched by a comparable civilian surge 
          designed to help the Government of Iraq strengthen its 
          capabilities in providing essential government services.
      (b) Sense of the Senate.--It is the sense of the Senate that--
              (1) the United States Government should take the lead in 
          organizing a comprehensive diplomatic offensive, consisting of 
          bilateral, regional, and international initiatives, to assist 
          the Government of Iraq in achieving national reconciliation and 
          successfully meeting key security, political, and economic 
          benchmarks;
              (2) it is in the interest of the United States and the 
          people of Iraq that Iraq is not seen as a uniquely ``American'' 
          problem, but rather as of enduring importance to the security 
          and prosperity of its neighbors, the entire Middle East region, 
          and the broader international community;
              (3) the greater involvement in a constructive fashion of 
          Iraq's neighbors, whether through a regional conference or 
          another mechanism, can help stabilize Iraq and end the outside 
          flows of weapons, explosive materials, foreign fighters, and 
          funding that contribute to the current sectarian warfare in 
          Iraq;
              (4) the President and the Secretary of State should invest 
          their personal time and energy in these diplomatic efforts to 
          ensure that they receive the highest priority within the United 
          States Government and are viewed as a serious effort in the 
          region and elsewhere;
              (5) the President, in order to demonstrate that a regional 
          diplomacy strategy enjoys attention at the highest levels of 
          the United States Government, should appoint a seasoned, high-
          level Presidential envoy to the Middle East region to 
          supplement the efforts of Ambassador Crocker and focus on the 
          establishment of a regional framework to help stabilize Iraq;
              (6) the United States Government should build upon 
          tentative progress achieved by the International Compact for 
          Iraq and the Iraq Neighbors Conference to serve as the basis 
          for a more intensive and sustained effort to construct an 
          effective regional mechanism;
              (7) the President should direct the United States Permanent 
          Representative to the United Nations to use the voice and vote 
          of the United States at the United Nations to seek the 
          appointment of an international mediator in Iraq, under the 
          auspices of the United Nations Security Council, to engage 
          political, religious, ethnic, and tribal leaders in Iraq to 
          foster national reconciliation efforts;
              (8) the United States Government should begin planning for 
          a wide-ranging dialogue on the mandate governing international 
          support for Iraq when the current United Nations mandate 
          authorizing the United States-led coalition expires at the end 
          of 2007;
              (9) the United States Government should more directly press 
          Iraq's neighbors to open fully operating embassies in Baghdad 
          and establish inclusive diplomatic relations with the 
          Government of Iraq to help ensure the Government is viewed as 
          legitimate throughout the region;
              (10) the United States Government should strongly urge the 
          governments of those countries that have previously pledged 
          debt forgiveness and economic assistance to the Government of 
          Iraq to fully carry through on their commitments on an 
          expedited basis;
              (11) a key objective of any diplomatic offensive should be 
          to ameliorate the suffering and deprivation of Iraqi refugees, 
          both those displaced internally and those who have fled to 
          neighboring countries, through coordinated humanitarian 
          assistance and the development of a regional framework to 
          establish long-term solutions to the future of displaced Iraqi 
          citizens;
              (12) the United States Government should reallocate 
          diplomats and Department of State funds as required to ensure 
          that any comprehensive diplomatic offensive to stabilize Iraq 
          on an urgent basis has the needed resources to succeed; and
              (13) the United States Government should reallocate 
          civilian expertise to help governmental entities in Iraq 
          strengthen their ability to provide essential government 
          services to the people of Iraq.
target: Expresses the sense of the Senate on the need for a comprehensive diplomatic offensive to help broker national reconciliation efforts in Iraq and lay the foundation for the eventual redeployment of U.S. combat forces.
feat_title: A bill to express the sense of the Senate on the need for a comprehensive diplomatic offensive to help broker national reconciliation efforts in Iraq and lay the foundation for the eventual redeployment of United States combat forces.