[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 48 (Wednesday, April 7, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3957-S3958]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                  IRAQ

  Mr. DAYTON. Mr. President, I want to take this opportunity to concur 
with the sentiments that have been expressed earlier by a couple of my 
colleagues regarding the heroism of our Armed Forces in Iraq. However, 
I also want to point out our proper admiration for their extraordinary 
patriotism and courage and our sad but necessary condolences to the 
families of those Americans who are still losing their lives in 
increasing numbers in Iraq or who are suffering serious life-
threatening and lifelong disabling injuries from those battles, those 
appropriate tributes and condolences and our unanimous bipartisan 
support in this body for our troops--who continue to risk their lives 
there and in Afghanistan and Bosnia and Kosovo--should not prevent us 
from questioning the Bush administration's policies or lack of policies 
which are exposing those courageous Americans to those continuing 
attacks and ask what are the administration's plans to respond to the 
present escalation of attacks in Iraq. What are the administration's 
plans to bring all of our courageous men and women home with their 
victory secured?
  In fact, we owe it to them, those whose lives are on the line on our 
behalf, whose families are enduring every day and night the fear it 
could be their loved one who will be next to give up his or her life in 
the service of their country or their bodies, we owe it to them, those 
serving, and to their families to ask the hard questions of the 
administration and not hide behind platitudes.
  I am, for one, tired of sitting in secret and top-secret briefings, 
either as a Member of this Senate or as a member of the Senate Armed 
Services Committee, and being told how well everything is going over in 
Iraq, given the chorus line again and again, just to find out, often 
the next day, that that is not true.
  Last Tuesday a week ago, late afternoon, then Wednesday morning in 
Iraq, I was given those same kind of assurances by representatives of 
the highest level of the administration, the Department of Defense, and 
our military officials. Hours later, American contractors were ambushed 
in Iraq and bodies mutilated and displayed in obscene ways in that 
country. And hours after that, American marines were attacked and, in 
fact, were surprised, so that if it had not been for the intervention 
of U.S. commandoes, private security forces, even worse casualties 
could have occurred.
  In the next few days, the escalating attacks in Iraq have caused the 
largest number of Americans to be killed of any time in this last year 
since the war began. It seems clear, based on the information I have 
been provided, that our military intelligence was unable to anticipate 
those attacks or to forewarn our Armed Forces of their imminence, their 
severity, which also resulted in additional casualties.
  I am deeply troubled by reports in the press that the administration 
has

[[Page S3958]]

been intentionally trying to downplay the seriousness of those 
insurrections. Last Wednesday, as Americans were being mutilated, the 
only public event on the President's schedule was a meeting with 
members of the Baseball Hall of Fame. That night, he conducted a 
fundraiser for his reelection. Last Monday, as other Americans were 
losing their lives, including a Minnesota soldier who was 19 years old, 
from Moose Lake, MN, giving his life in Iraq, the President threw out 
the opening pitch at the baseball game in St. Louis, MO. That night, he 
held another fundraiser for his reelection that raised $1.5 million. 
Then he flew on to, according to reports, his ranch in Crawford, TX, 
for the rest of the week.
  I don't think you can downplay, or should try to downplay, the 
seriousness of these attacks. I think we should face the realities that 
are occurring, and the Congress and the American people should be told 
what is happening, why it is happening, and how it is we are going to 
respond to these atrocities without any greater loss of American life. 
That is absolutely essential. We are heading to a weekend of great 
religious significance, following a weekend of great religious 
significance to many of our citizens, and at this time what we are 
doing there is something that is deeply troubling to this Senator, as I 
know it is to many of the people I represent in Minnesota. We want to 
see a victory there. We want to see the sacrifices that have been made 
by American troops justified, and we want it preserved as a victory 
that will last. But we want to know from this administration what the 
plan is, what the timetable is, what is going to happen, and what we 
are doing to forestall these events and warn our forces so they are not 
ambushed or caught unaware and lose their lives.
  We in Congress deserve to get the facts and the truth. Starting 
tomorrow morning, when we have a briefing from the Secretary of Defense 
and others in the military command, it is time to give us the facts, 
the truth, the real situation, and not put on any whitewash or window 
dressings but to tell us what we as elected representatives of the 
people of this country have a right to know, and what the people of 
America have a right to know. What is happening? Why is it becoming 
more severe? What are the consequences to the troops? And what are the 
administration's intentions to deal with them?
  I yield the floor.

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