[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 83 (Wednesday, June 16, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6823-S6824]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             VISIT TO IRAQ

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I have a few remarks on leader time that 
have to do with a discussion I began on Monday, and that is a followup 
on a trip about 12 days ago to Iraq. Again, we awoke today to increased 
terrorist activity in Iraq, with assassination and with sabotage of the 
oil supply lines there. I am saddened by the fact we see this terrorist 
activity, but I will have

[[Page S6824]]

to say, as I said on Monday, this increased terrorist activity was 
anticipated. It is unfortunate we have to anticipate this increased 
terrorist activity, but it was very clear from our discussions with the 
Iraqi leadership, as well as with our civilians and military leadership 
in Iraq, that the terrorists' goal is to do everything possible to 
obstruct this rule of law, to obstruct this transfer of power, this 
transfer to sovereignty, this transfer from us being an occupying force 
to a mission.
  It is not aimed just at the United States or just the coalition, or 
not just the new Iraqi interim government, but it is ultimately aimed--
and this is from the Iraqi leadership perspective--at the Iraqi people.
  The trip we took was with Senator Bennett and Senator Ensign. We did 
have the opportunity just a few days after the appointment of the new 
Prime Minister to meet with the Prime Minister and have an extended 
discussion. The new Prime Minister is Dr. Ayad Allawi. He is a 
neurologist by training. He is someone who 3 weeks ago did not 
anticipate being the new Prime Minister.
  As I said earlier in the week, what we found in our discussions with 
our leaders there, but even more importantly with the Iraqi leadership, 
is that in spite of this anticipated and actual occurrence of increased 
terrorist activity--really since late March, and it will likely extend 
until several weeks or maybe longer after passage of sovereignty on 
June 30--was a lot of optimism and a lot of confidence in this new 
interim government. That optimism was tempered with caution and hope, 
but it was also paired with a real determination to succeed. Backing 
down in response to these terrorists is simply not an option. That is 
what the Iraqis told us, what the new Iraqi interim government told us.
  In addition, we were encouraged by the confidence that our civilian 
leaders, Ambassador Bremer and his colleagues, have in the new 
ministers, or 33 of these new ministers who have been appointed, as 
well as the new Iraqi leadership, the Prime Minister, the President, 
who was here last week, and with whom the Democratic leadership and our 
leadership had an opportunity to meet. It is this interim government to 
whom we will be passing sovereignty on June 30. So to hear this 
confidence come from people who are on the ground in Iraq, the Iraqi 
people, as well as our leaders, again, was very reassuring to us.
  Dr. Allawi has been a longstanding opponent of Saddam Hussein's 
regime.
  He is a man of great character, and he is widely respected throughout 
Iraq. He made it very clear to us that he shares our strategic goals--
strategic goals which become a partnership in many ways.
  In our meeting with the Prime Minister, he stated very clearly that 
we--he spoke in terms of ``we,'' the Iraqi people, the Iraqi government 
and the United States and the coalition--must again and again come back 
to what we and they are fighting for; that is, freedom and human rights 
and the rule of law.
  This fight on terrorism is one that he knows will be long. He says it 
is now an Iraqi responsibility, and if these acts of terrorism are acts 
of terrorism against the Iraqi people and their hope for prosperity and 
their livelihood--and he would be saying that again and again as Prime 
Minister, and indeed he has done that over the last several days. He 
said there are some in Iraq who want to destabilize Iraq, that tyranny 
works hand in hand with terrorism. He said Iraq has a responsibility at 
this point to confront this evil in the region and the world; that Iraq 
needs help but it is Iraq's responsibility.
  He was quite clear. The forces aligned against us understand that if 
Iraq is successful and succeeds in establishing the rule of law, those 
forces are defeated, but if Iraq fails as a state, then terrorism may 
be uncontrollable there--but also throughout the Middle East. He told 
us that a healthy Iraq will lead to a healthy and more stable Middle 
East region.
  He also made clear that Iraq cannot succeed without the assistance of 
the United States, the international community, and the coalition 
forces.
  He outlined to us various processes that must be worked in parallel 
if Iraq is to succeed in rebuilding the Iraqi institutions that were 
hurt, destroyed, and run in the ground by Saddam Hussein. We talked 
about the court system, the police force, the transformation of Iraqi 
society, and ensuring that political reform leads to Iraqis choosing 
their own leaders.
  He said these two goals are, No. 1, security, and No. 2, free 
elections.
  As we all know, this interim government will serve for a period of 
about 6 months at which time free elections will take place in January 
of next year.
  A fourth point he made is to pursue economic development.
  Again, he came back to the terrorists--that the terrorist activity 
there and the fighting going on there discourages investment in Iraq.
  A major goal of the Prime Minister is to build consensus so that in 
Iraq a national identity will prevail. Their goal, though, continues to 
be hindered by Saddam's policy of divide and rule that Saddam purposely 
used to fracture Iraq over decades.
  The Prime Minister said we need to help the country in order to move 
forward, and to do that we need to put that Iraqi face on security, to 
put that Iraqi face on the reconstruction and other efforts to 
rehabilitate the country.
  He assured us that under the new leadership of the interim Iraqi 
government which will occur that it will be the Iraqis who will be 
telling the Iraqi story.
  The central part of the Prime Minister's policy will be to combat 
terrorism.

  We very quickly moved into the importance of having a strong judicial 
system--a strong rule of law to support the system, as he described it.
  He pointed out that Iraq must improve and expedite the training of 
police and security forces in the country. He thanked us for providing 
tremendous assistance as they rebuild that police and security force.
  Iraq needs to take steps with the help of its neighbors to tighten 
border controls and stop terrorist trafficking.
  The Prime Minister also intends to make clear to the Iraqi people 
that the terrorist attacks we are seeing on this infrastructure--such 
as the tragedy of the sabotage of the oilfields over the last 24 
hours--are attacks on the Iraqi people. He says this again and again--
that terrorism hurts the Iraqi people, and thus it is the 
responsibility of the Iraqi people to come back and confront the 
terrorists.
  As we wrapped up our meeting with the Prime Minister, he very soberly 
said that as Iraq moves closer and closer to democracy, the more the 
terrorists will attack. Indeed, that is exactly what we are seeing over 
the last several weeks since late March, and again will likely continue 
for the next several weeks.
  He wanted us to understand that he and most Iraqis deeply appreciate 
the sacrifices that the United States of America has made for his 
country, for freedom, for rule of law, and for that move toward 
democracy.
  Thus, while the road ahead will be difficult, the Iraqi people we 
believe--having just been there--are fortunate to have such a dedicated 
public servant with his vision and the will to work toward a free and 
democratic Iraq. The Iraqi people have a true leader in Prime Minister 
Allawi.

                          ____________________