[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 28 (Monday, March 8, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S2256]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     THE IRAQ INTERIM CONSTITUTION

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, we are now on the resolution and the two 
managers are gathering now to start that debate. In the interim period, 
I wish to make another comment that has to do with a truly historic 
occurrence in Iraq.
  Today is a historic day for the Iraqi people. Today, the Iraq 
Governing Council will formally sign an interim constitution that 
represents one of the most liberal and democratic governing documents 
in the Arab world. It is a historic day for the entire Arab world.
  The new Iraqi Constitution is a monumental achievement. I applaud the 
courage and the foresight of Iraq's leaders to seize this historic 
opportunity before them and to work together to forge a framework for 
freedom that reflects the aspirations and God-given rights of every 
single Iraqi citizen.
  After 35 years of torment and oppression by an evil and dictatorial 
regime, Iraq is finally emerging from the shadows and becoming a 
democratic nation by and for the people. Remember, the people of Iraq 
just 1 year ago were ruled by a tyrant who worshipped Hitler and 
Stalin, two of the 20th century's most prolific mass murderers--just a 
year ago.
  Iraq is emerging from a terrible history, and the Iraqi people 
deserve our highest praise for their ability to set aside 
recriminations and to set aside old ethnic conflicts, to confront their 
fears and overcome mistrust in order to embrace the future. It is my 
sincere hope that others in the region and around the world will take 
heart at Iraq's extraordinary progress and that this fledgling nation 
will one day soon become a beacon of freedom for all.

  The new interim constitution is rightly a document of principles. It 
guarantees freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, privacy, 
thought, conscience, religious belief, and due process. It protects 
women, ethnic and religious minorities, and strives to balance regional 
and national imperatives.
  No longer will the Iraqi people have to fear secret police, 
government abductions, torture, or arbitrary imprisonment. No more mass 
graves, no more child prisons, no more forced confessions or mass 
executions.
  I have great hopes for Iraq. Like President Bush, I believe all 
people are capable and deserving of a democratic government. That is 
because I believe, like President Bush, freedom is an inherent right, 
not a privilege to be dispensed by pundits or politicians. Securing 
freedom in Iraq, as we all know, will be hard. The continuing vicious 
bombings against innocent Iraqis demonstrate that we are up against 
determined and evil forces. My heart goes out to those victims and to 
those families.
  We know from our own 9/11 how truly devastating these acts of evil 
are to the immediate victims and to the nation that is forced to watch, 
helpless, in horror. But I have faith that the Iraqi people will 
persevere. We will not allow our enemies to divide us. We will stand 
together as two free nations. We will defeat the forces of terror and 
the Iraqi people will live in peace and freedom.

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