[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 59 (Friday, April 11, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E757-E758]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            AN HISTORIC DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DOUG BEREUTER

                              of nebraska

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 10, 2003

  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, this Member wishes to commend to his 
colleagues the April 10, 2003, editorial from the Lincoln Journal Star, 
entitled ``Cheers for Toppling of Saddam.'' Indeed, the editorial 
captures the enthusiastic spirit of the Iraqi people as American troops 
liberated them from the horrific, repressive regime of Saddam Hussein.

                     Cheers for Toppling of Saddam

       On Wednesday the war in Iraq reached a historic `tipping 
     point,'' as Brig. Gen Vince Brooks termed it, symbolized by 
     the toppling of a 40-foot statue of Saddam Hussein in a main 
     square of Baghdad.
       Hundreds of Iraqis, especially the Shiite Muslim majority 
     that suffered under Saddam's predominantly Sunni Muslim 
     government, celebrated with cheers, exchanging high fives 
     with U.S. Marines.
       A group of Iraqis dragged the head of the Saddam statue 
     through the streets. Others battered it with sticks and 
     shoes.

[[Page E758]]

       Few predicted that this historic moment would occur so soon 
     after a war of less than three weeks. President George W. 
     Bush, in fact, warned Americans on March 23, ``It is evident 
     that it will take awhile to achieve our objective.''
       And in fact, more military action lies ahead. Parts of 
     Baghdad are not secure. Coalition ground forces have not yet 
     moved into other cities, including Tikrit, Saddam's 
     birthplace 100 miles north of Baghdad. No one knows with 
     certainty whether Saddam is alive or dead.
       But Iraqis on Wednesday grasped that Saddam's 24-year rule 
     of terror had come to an end.
       Also abundantly clear is the new prowess of the U.S. 
     military. The brilliant campaign to remove Saddam so far has 
     produced a death toll far less than predictions and in fact 
     less than the toll of the Desert Storm war in 1991.
       The combination of smart weaponry, high-tech surveillance 
     equipment and instantaneous communication turned coalition 
     troops into a potent force capable of making split-second 
     adjustments to battlefield conditions, even in urban 
     environments.
       Drone aircraft fed television images of streets and 
     rooftops. Ground troops called for precision air strikes 
     rather than fighting blind. Troops even used hand-held 
     computerized translators that allowed them to communicate 
     with Iraqis.
       The advanced technology, training and updated strategy 
     brought success at minimal cost more quickly than many dared 
     hope.
       So Wednesday was a day for celebration. ``He's gone? He's 
     gone?'' chanted a group of boys in the Kurdish city of Irbil. 
     ``Bush No. 1 Bush No 1,'' shouted young men in Baghdad. Women 
     held their babies for American troops to kiss. Women and 
     children handed them flowers.
       And coalition troops were making discoveries that showed 
     why there was dancing in the streets at the realization that 
     Saddam's grip was loosed forever. In Basra, Iraqis showed 
     journalists the ``White Lion'' jail where they said Saddam's 
     secret police tortured prisoners with beatings, mutilations, 
     electric shocks and chemicals. Similar discoveries were being 
     made elsewhere in Iraq.
       The cheers of today might be soon forgotten as Iraqis begin 
     the task of rebuilding their country and establishing a new 
     government. And it must be acknowledged that this historic 
     moment came despite objections from scores of nations around 
     the globe.
       Nonetheless, it was gratifying on Wednesday to witness the 
     end of the brutal reign of Saddam Hussein.

                          ____________________