[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 564 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 564

Relating to the liberation of the Iraqi people and the valiant service 
        of the United States Armed Forces and Coalition forces.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 17, 2004

  Ms. Pelosi (for herself, Mr. Hoyer, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Clyburn, Ms. 
DeLauro, Mr. George Miller of California, Mr. Skelton, Ms. Harman, Mr. 
Lantos, Mr. Murtha, and Mr. Matsui) submitted the following resolution; 
which was referred to the Committee on International Relations, and in 
    addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Relating to the liberation of the Iraqi people and the valiant service 
        of the United States Armed Forces and Coalition forces.

Whereas Saddam Hussein and his regime committed crimes against humanity, 
        systematically violating the human rights of Iraqis and citizens of 
        other countries;
Whereas Saddam Hussein's terror regime subjected the Iraqi people to murder, 
        torture, rape, and amputation;
Whereas on March 16, 1988, Saddam Hussein's regime had and unleashed weapons of 
        mass destruction against Kurdish citizens, killing nearly 5,000 of them;
Whereas as many as 270 mass grave sites, containing the remains of as many as 
        400,000 victims of Saddam Hussein's regime, have been found in Iraq;
Whereas rape was used to intimidate the Iraqi population, with victims often 
        raped in front of their families;
Whereas the regime punished the Marsh Arabs by draining the marshlands, which 
        created hundreds of thousands of refugees and caused an ecological 
        catastrophe;
Whereas the Iraq Liberation Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-338), passed by the 
        House of Representatives by a vote of 360 to 38, made it United States 
        policy to support efforts to remove from power the regime headed by 
        Saddam Hussein;
Whereas with the Iraqi regime failing to comply with 16 previously adopted 
        United Nations Security Council resolutions, the Security Council 
        unanimously approved Resolution 1441 on November 8, 2002, declaring that 
        Iraq ``has been and remains in material breach of its obligations under 
        relevant resolutions, including resolution 687 (1991), in particular 
        through Iraq's failure to cooperate with United Nations inspectors''; 
        and
Whereas on October 10, 2002, the House of Representatives passed the 
        Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 
        (Public Law 107-243) and on March 19, 2003, the United States initiated 
        military operations in Iraq: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) acknowledges the belief that the United States and the 
        world have been made safer with the removal of Saddam Hussein 
        and his regime from power in Iraq, and the belief that a final 
        judgment on the value of activities in Iraq cannot be made 
        until Iraq is stable and secure;
            (2) commends the Iraqi people for their courage in the face 
        of unspeakable oppression and brutality inflicted on them by 
        Saddam Hussein's regime;
            (3) commends the Iraqi people on the adoption of Iraq's 
        interim constitution;
            (4) commends the members of the United States Armed Forces 
        and Coalition forces for liberating Iraq and expresses its 
        gratitude for their valiant service;
            (5) urges the President--
                    (A) to take all steps necessary to ensure that all 
                members of the United States Armed Forces serving in 
                Iraq receive the best force protection equipment 
                available, including protective body armor and extra-
                armored wheeled vehicles capable of providing better 
                protection against explosive devices;
                    (B) to ensure that all members of the Armed Forces 
                who suffer wounds or other injuries, or who incur 
                illness, while serving in Iraq receive complete, 
                timely, and high-quality health care to treat the 
                short-term and long-term consequences of such wounds, 
                injuries, and illnesses;
                    (C) to recognize the key contributions made by 
                members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces, 
                and their families, in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and, in 
                consultation with Congress, to address immediately the 
                disparity that exists for many Reserve and Guard 
                personnel between the pay they receive in civilian life 
                and the military compensation they receive when ordered 
                to active duty;
                    (D) to acknowledge that there were serious 
                deficiencies in United States pre-war intelligence on 
                Iraq, particularly in light of the failure to find any 
                evidence of significant weapons of mass destruction 
                stockpiles, and to take steps now to improve 
                intelligence so that United States troops are better 
                protected and future United States national security 
                strategies are better informed;
                    (E) to request sufficient funding immediately to 
                fully support United States military operations in Iraq 
                and the surrounding region in order to ensure the 
                safety and well-being of United States troops deployed 
                to Iraq and the surrounding region;
                    (F) to obtain far-reaching international 
                participation in the securing, reconstruction, and 
                political development of Iraq, including the protection 
                of women's and children's rights; and
                    (G) to take steps to correct the failure of the 
                United States Government to plan adequately for the 
                post-war occupation of Iraq, including the failure to 
                integrate internal United States Government studies and 
                outside expert opinions that predicted the onset of 
                guerrilla activity and described how to promote 
                effective reconstruction, democratization, and civil 
                society development activities, and the failure to 
                apply those studies and opinions today in order to 
                improve current United States reconstruction efforts in 
                Iraq;
            (6) expresses deep sorrow and regret for the deaths of more 
        than 550 and the wounding of more than 3,500 members of the 
        United States Armed Forces in Iraq and extends support to their 
        families; and
            (7) expresses sorrow and regret for the deaths in Iraq of 
        United States civilians, United Nations personnel, unknown 
        numbers of Iraqi civilians, and other noncombatants.
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