[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 65 (Tuesday, May 11, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H2784-H2785]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE?

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Chocola). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murphy) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. MURPHY. Mr. Speaker, earlier this afternoon, like so many 
Americans and citizens of the world, I watched the news with disgust as 
they announced the beheading of Pennsylvanian Nick Berg, a young man, 
26 years old, who was working in Iraq as a civilian. Somehow, Abu Musab 
Zarqawi and other al Qaeda decided it was time to show us, once again, 
their version of justice which, to we Americans, is more of what we 
call murder.
  Repeatedly, the stations talked about this and then cut back and 
forth to hearings taking place here on Capitol Hill to review the 
hearings about the Abu Ghraib prison and the terrible behavior of 
several soldiers there.
  I was struck by the idea that while the actions of the soldiers in 
the prison were reprehensible and that they should face court-martial, 
I am also wondering where is the outrage about the murder of an 
American citizen? Where was the outrage also about the four contractors 
who were killed, their bodies mutilated, drawn and quartered and hung 
and burned? Where was the outrage about the terrorists living in Iraq 
and showing us the way that they see the world: innocent citizens who 
had no trial, because no trial could be held, because they committed no 
crime.
  But it continues to give us a flavor of what we are up against when 
we note how terrorists view Americans and view Western culture and the 
world. Whether or not we are in Iraq, whether or not we are in 
Afghanistan, they will continue to perpetrate their war to kill us; not 
because they want land, not because they are seeking economic gains, 
but simply because they feel they are on a mission to kill anyone who 
is Western, who is from America, who is Christian or Jewish, and they 
will not stop until they have killed us or we have killed them.
  But let us not forget who Abu Musab Zarqawi is. He is not just 
someone who appeared on television today.
  World history tells us that in 1999, Zarqawi planned a terrorist 
attack for the millennial celebration in Jordan. The Radisson Hotel in 
Aman and other American, Israeli, and Christian cites were targeted. 
The plot was discovered before it was carried out, and Zarqawi escaped 
before he could be indicted.
  In 2000, Zarqawi went to Afghanistan where he oversaw a terrorist 
training

[[Page H2785]]

camp. He also specialized in chemical and biological weapons.
  In 2001 Zarqawi was sentenced to 15 years for his terrorist plots in 
Jordan. However, since he escaped before he was arrested, he has not 
served any of his term.
  In October 2001, after the Taliban lost control of Afghanistan, 
Zarqawi fled to Iran with a wounded leg. While he was there, Zarqawi 
dispatched two Palestinians and a Jordanian who entered Turkey, and 
then they were supposed to go to Israel to conduct bombing attacks.
  In February of 2002, the three terrorists who were sent by Zarqawi 
were caught in Turkey.
  Then in May of 2002, Zarqawi traveled to Iraq; yes, Iraq. He had his 
leg amputated and had a prosthetic limb to replace it.
  From May through July of 2002, Zarqawi spent time recovering in 
Baghdad and, at the same time, several extremists also came to Baghdad 
and established a base of operations.
  In the late summer of 2002, Zarqawi traveled to Lebanon to meet with 
leaders of Hezbollah, another terrorist group.
  And then in October of 2002, Lawrence Foley, a United States official 
with the Agency For International Development was assassinated, and 
after some arrests were made of the actual shooters in December of 
2002, Zarqawi was linked to the plot by providing the murder weapons.
  In early 2003, Zarqawi returned to the Ansar al-Islam camp in 
northern Iraq. Other terrorists who have trained in this particular 
camp have plotted chemical attacks with various toxins in Britain, 
France, Georgia, and Chechnya.
  In January 2003, several terrorists were arrested in Britain for 
planning to put the toxin ricin in the military food supply. These 
terrorists were linked to Zarqawi. He continues on with his murderous 
ways.
  It is important to note that as this history tells us that indeed 
this terrorist was plotting in Iraq, this terrorist was working in Iraq 
to train other terrorists. But where is the outrage? Where is the 
outrage among us?
  Instead, we talk on and on, snipe back and forth, point fingers, call 
each side names on both sides of the aisle, trying to score political 
points instead of trying to achieve peace; looking at polling numbers, 
and not working on policy.
  It is time that we lay these things to rest and look at the outrage 
and look at the ties that bind us and say, this is why we are fighting 
terrorism. It is to stop the murders, and it is to ask ourselves where 
is the outrage of their behavior.

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