[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 62 (Thursday, May 6, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H2703]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 REMARKS ABOUT IRAQ WAR BEING UNWINNABLE ARE APPALLING AND INEXCUSABLE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Foley) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FOLEY. Mr. Speaker, I do take some exception, and I am here to 
speak on another subject, but as the author of the discount card, I 
find it very practical, very reasonable, and very meaningful for 
seniors in my district, the fifth largest Medicare-eligible population 
in America. We will get on that at another time.
  Why I am here today is obviously having read the Roll Call this 
morning and seen the headlines, I am furious by the remarks that were 
attributed to one of my colleagues that said the war in Iraq is 
unwinnable. ``Unwinnable'' was the comment made.
  What is more mind-boggling is the remarks are attributed to someone 
who has served this Nation as a veteran during the Vietnam War 
conflict, and we respect him immensely for his service to this country.
  There are some, though, in this process who have recently spoken in 
the national media comparing this conflict to Vietnam. I find the 
comparison absurd. It is also deliberately partisan rhetoric.
  But if there is one lesson we should have learned from Vietnam that 
should carry over here in this Chamber today, it is that disparaging 
what our soldiers are doing in Iraq is tantamount to giving comfort to 
the terrorists and comfort to the enemy.
  Saying this conflict is unwinnable will make no difference one way or 
the other to what we do in Iraq, but it has a devastating effect on 
American men and women who are in Iraq now doing what we in this 
Congress have asked them to do. Congress voted on a resolution to go 
into Iraq. We are there. We have sent more troops there to bring peace 
and democracy to Iraq. We are not risking our lives as Members of 
Congress; they are, as will the thousands of other Americans who may 
follow to bring liberty to Iraq.
  Whether anyone here agrees or disagrees with the reasons we went to 
Iraq in the first place, the simple fact is that we are there now and 
we have to accomplish the goals that free Iraqis are asking of us.
  We are fighting terrorism at its doorstep. If someone disagrees with 
that, so be it. But no one should ever forget that what they say has a 
direct impact on the men and women who are in Iraq at our behest.
  To tell them they are over there risking their life and limb for 
something unwinnable is just unbelievable. On a very basic level, it is 
like a coach telling his team of Little Leaguers that they do not have 
a chance of winning the game, but go out there and play anyway. Let us 
waste some time.
  I know that is a poor analogy, because we are not talking about 
Little League. This is the big league. This is life and death. This is 
America's finest young men and women serving this country.
  For that reason alone, I find it stunning that anyone in this body 
could say something that will have absolutely no effect, other than to 
undercut the morale of our troops in Iraq and cheer on the terrorists.
  I went to a funeral in my district of a young man who was killed in 
Iraq 2 weeks before he was to return home and marry his high school 
sweetheart. It was a very, very tearful day for everyone in the room.
  When I approached his parents, I felt remorse, obviously, because I 
had voted to send their child to that place. They did not look at me 
with bitterness. They were proud of their son. They were proud he died 
doing what he wanted to do since he was a little boy, and that was 
defend the flag that flies over this building.
  I did not sacrifice anything in Iraq, but these people did. They knew 
that the cause that their son perished under was just and was noble and 
was right. For him and all the others who have perished in this 
conflict, these kinds of words of ``unwinnable'' are simply political 
rhetoric designed to influence the outcome of this next election.
  But I urge all of my colleagues, Democrats and Republicans and 
citizens alike, while there are people in harm's way from this country 
in that nation and everywhere on the globe, we respect that, and let us 
not make their burden more difficult by giving the enemy even an 
inkling that they may be winning. That succeeded in Spain during this 
recent election by bombing a train and killing people.
  Those that say that they were attacked simply because the Spanish 
were in Iraq have not looked at the entirety of what is happening. 
Jordanians are being attacked, if you will. There were plans to attack 
their intelligence service. Saudi Arabia was the target last week of a 
terrorist attack. These things are happening because of terrorists, not 
because of Iraq, but because they want to undo the way of life that we 
respect.
  So I take umbrage with the comments that this is unwinnable, and I 
ask us all to join in salute for our strong, brave men and women in the 
field.

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