[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 73 (Thursday, May 15, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E982]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       INTRODUCTION OF THE NATO PEACEKEEPING IN IRAQ ACT OF 2003

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                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 15, 2003

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce today H.R. 2112, 
the ``NATO Peacekeeping in Iraq Act of 2003''.
  Mr. Speaker, our military forces have won a spectacular military 
victory in Iraq. We now face the challenge of rebuilding a peaceful, 
prosperous, democratic Iraq. Some argue that winning the peace will be 
far more difficult than winning the war. I could not disagree more. 
Although the fighting was brief, and the casualties few, the risks were 
great and the sacrifices of our armed forces enormous. Let no one 
minimize our battlefield achievements.
  Nevertheless, our work is not done, and we must tackle the post-war 
challenge we face with the same creativity, intelligence, and 
commitment as we did the war itself. Although we should not expect that 
Iraq to become a Jeffersonian democracy overnight, we should expect 
from our leadership a clear and comprehensive strategy for addressing 
the pressing political, economic and humanitarian challenges we now 
face in Iraq.
  My most pressing concern in this regard, Mr. Speaker, is the 
troubling security situation in Iraq. Security is the sine qua non of 
democratic reconstruction. Without it, there is no rule of law, no 
safety of property, no prospect of commerce. Without it, we will be 
unable to take the most basic steps toward building a prosperous, 
politically liberal Iraq.
  These concerns lead me to believe we must have more military ``boots 
on the ground'' if we are to secure and rebuild Iraq, including an 
enhanced military police presence. These need not be--nor should be--
the boots of the American military. The United States is not an 
occupying force, but a liberating one, and we must ensure perceptions 
reflect that reality. They should be the boots of a broad-based, 
international security force. And NATO should be at its core, just as 
NATO has recently agreed to do for the International Security 
Assistance Force in Kabul, Afghanistan.
  I have long advocated that the combined forces of our Atlantic 
Alliance should be deployed to Iraq to carry out the critical 
stabilizing and peacekeeping missions there. Deploying NATO would 
increase the number of countries with a direct stake in the success of 
nation-building in Iraq. It would ease the burden on the current 
coalition. And, most important, it would mean more security for the 
Iraqi people. I understand that many of our friends in NATO are 
prepared to take up the challenge, particularly the Government of 
Poland.
  This bill calls upon NATO to immediately begin contributing 
peacekeeping and civil order personnel to promote security and 
stability in Iraq. It also urges the President to use all appropriate 
diplomatic means to persuade NATO and NATO member nations to formally 
undertake a major peacekeeping and civil order mission in Iraq. It also 
authorizes funds to facilitate the deployment of NATO forces.
  Thanks to the bravery and skill of our soldiers, sailors, airmen and 
marines, the democratic nations of the world have an opportunity to 
bring the benefits of government for the people, by the people, and of 
the people to a land that is a cradle of civilization and one of the 
most important nations of the Middle East. It is in the interest of all 
democratic nations to prevent this opportunity from slipping away. The 
nations of NATO should be in Iraq, on the ground, to ensure this vision 
of democracy is fully realized.

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