[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 83 (Wednesday, June 16, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H4269]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         CHANGES IN AFGHANISTAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Pearce) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to visit today with Members of 
the body to discuss just one of the aspects of the changes that we have 
seen in the world. We hear a lot from our friends that the war on 
terror is not progressing, that there is no significant advancement.
  Mr. Speaker, two days ago we were joined by His Excellency Hamid 
Karzai, President of the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan, to 
talk about the changes in his country. He reports that Afghanistan was 
one of the poorest countries. They had, of course, the Taliban and al 
Qaeda working there. They have an economy that is controlled by the 
drug lords. Private militias have been ever present in their countries.
  Yet, today he reports that under their new transitional government 
that they are rebuilding the schools and starting the children back to 
school. Boy and girls, 5 million of them, are back in schools today in 
Afghanistan. They are also developing health clinics to provide basic 
health services for the inhabitants and the citizens of Afghanistan.
  One of the most important things he said is they are beginning to 
rebuild their economy, beginning by rebuilding highways and roads so 
that commerce can be conducted throughout the nation. As they conduct 
commerce, they are also beginning to rebuild the military, the 
militias, their national guard, and reestablish police forces in order 
to guarantee security for the people of Afghanistan and to defend the 
country's sovereignty.
  The government of Afghanistan is beginning to fight against the 
narcotics trade, the one that has been so prevalent in that nation and 
provides drugs throughout the world to eat the heart and soul out of 
not only their children, but our children and the children of Europe, 
Germany, France and all around the world. And when the government of 
Afghanistan begins to do what they can to stop the flow of illegal 
drugs throughout the world, we know that the world situation has 
changed for the better.
  He reports to us that the Afghanis are beginning to vote with their 
feet, that over 3 million refugees have come back to Afghanistan and 
reestablished permanent residence there, voting with their feet, saying 
that we believe Afghanistan is a better place today than before the 
United States entered and began to fight the war on terror inside their 
borders.
  The country has adopted an enlightened constitution, one which for 
the first time begins to recognize the rights of women. And in that 
constitution, 25 percent of the elected seats are reserved, 25 seats in 
parliament are reserved for women. A stunning turn around for a culture 
that in Afghanistan had simply eliminated women from any positions of 
authority in that country.
  He declares that they have established an open and inclusive society. 
He reports that there are many things that they still have to do, that 
they are requesting the help of the United States on. The Islamic State 
of Afghanistan is requesting the help of the United States, help in 
disbanding the private militias and demobilizing those tremendous 
forces of evil inside the country that both protect and encourage the 
drug trade.
  He asked that we continue to fight with them to dismantle the entire 
drug industry, the illegal drug industry in that country, to help them 
to reduce the very high infant mortality rate. He explains that 
Afghanistan is open for business but they need businesses to come and 
help them rebuild the country. And he has an open invitation that asks 
American businesses to come there to help establish an economy that 
will sustain their people now and in the future. But he declares to us, 
President Karzai, declared to us on the floor of this House when he 
spoke to the joint meeting of the Senate and the House, that the 
greatest menace still in Afghanistan is terrorism. And he declared that 
terrorism is the greatest menace worldwide, as well as in Afghanistan.
  He talked about al Qaeda in Afghanistan that killed Muslims prior to 
the US dismantling the Taliban and chasing al Qaeda out of the country.
  Mr. Speaker, we were honored to have the President of Afghanistan 
visit and bring us up to date on the changes that have occurred in his 
eyes.

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