Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, was one of eight House Democrats who joined former National Security Agency director Gen. William Odom; former Assistant Secretary of Defense Lawrence Korb; and John Bruhns, an Iraq war veteran with Americans Against Escalation in Iraq at a press conference calling for an end to the policy of arming and training Iraqi Security forces. Here’s some of what she said:

“Despite the Bush administration’s rhetoric and photo ops, the fact remains that there is no military solution to the situation in Iraq. The redeployment of U.S. troops from Iraq is a precondition to restoring our national security and our efforts to fight international terrorism and putting us on a path toward a foreign policy that provides real solutions for global peace and security.”

“Nonetheless, many people who understand that we need to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq nonetheless seem to feel that we must leave behind a substantial number of troops to train Iraqi forces. While that may sound to some like a reasonable idea, as our speakers today have attested, the results have been catastrophic.”

“The bottom line is that the civil war that is taking place in Iraq is raging within the very security forces we are arming and training. The weapons and the expertise we are providing are being used both to kill American forces and Iraqi civilians as well as to to commit acts of terrorism and ethnic cleansing. This policy only serves to further endanger our troops and pour gasoline on an already out of control civil war.”

Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Los Angeles, who also was at this morning’s news conference, has introduced HR 3134, the Responsible Security in Iraq Act, to prohibit use of federal funds for the training and equipping of Iraqi Security Forces and civilians. “As we work to limit the already extensive damage caused by the administration’s failed policies in Iraq, I encourage my colleagues to reconsider the blind commitment to arming and training Iraqi security forces, and to support her bill,” Lee said.

There’s not a lot of support for that bill so far; Lee, Pete Stark and Lynn Woolsey are three of its four cosponsors.

And the House today unanimously approved Lee’s resolution to promote international travel by calling for the establishment of September as National Passport Month.

“Three quarters of the people in our country do not have passports, which adds up to millions of Americans who are unable to take advantage of the enriching opportunities presented by international travel,” said Lee. “International travel helps individuals learn tolerance, understanding and mutual respect for other cultures. By obtaining a passport and traveling internationally, Americans gain a unique perspective and experience that simply cannot be found here at home. Establishing National Passport Month will help to promote passports and travel and to educate Americans of all ages about the important role they can play as ambassadors for our country.”

New regulations require U.S. citizens to have a passport for travel to Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean. Lee’s resolution puts the House on record as supporting National Passport Month and calls on the White House to issue a proclamation formally establishing it. The resolution was supported by a campaign led by Oakland-based travel publisher Lonely Planet as well as American Express, American Airlines, the Council on International Educational Exchange, Fodor’s Travel Publications, Geographic Expeditions, Globe Trekker, National Geographic Traveler, the Outdoor Industry Association and Yahoo!.