[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 137 (Wednesday, October 1, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1939]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




AMENDING THE WAR POWERS RESOLUTION OF 1973 TO REQUIRE REPORTING A POST-
                           CONFLICT STRATEGY

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                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 1, 2003

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, on March 21, 2003, President 
Bush reported to Congress, ``consistent with the War Powers 
Resolution,'' (emphasis added) as well as P.L. 102-1 and P.L. 107-243 
and ``pursuant to'' his authority as Commander in Chief, that he had 
``directed U.S. Armed Forces, operating with other coalition forces, to 
commence operations on March 19, 2003, against Iraq.''
  While declaring the beginning of war with Iraq, the Bush 
administration neglected to prepare for its aftermath. At that time, he 
should have also delineated his post-conflict reconstruction strategy 
because winning the peace is often harder than fighting the war.
  The United States should not have waited for the end of the war to 
begin planning Iraq's post-conflict reconstruction. ``Conflicts 
today,'' retired four-star General Anthony Zinni has said, ``cannot be 
divided into two separate phases, the shooting and the peacekeeping 
parts. The war plan for the combat and the aftermath has to be 
`seamless.' ''
  Not having had a clear strategy to shape Iraq's political landscape 
at the outset of war has had negative implications for the success of 
the United States-led postwar efforts. From this failure by the Bush 
administration, we learned that the United States must have military 
and political strategies in hand before armed intervention.
  To make sure that future presidents do not again fail to protect 
United States military personnel during post-conflict reconstruction 
involvement, the War Powers Resolution of 1973 should be expanded to 
demand a clear strategy for winning the war, as well as winning the 
peace. In its amended form, it will include a post-conflict 
reconstruction strategy in its list of required reports to Congress.
  Successful post-conflict reconstruction does not begin the day after. 
It begins the day before.




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