[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 105 (Wednesday, September 8, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S8926]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                SACRIFICES OF OUR MILITARY MEN AND WOMEN

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I want to very briefly comment on an 
observation that when I got home last night a lot of the media networks 
were talking about; that is, yesterday the U.S. military deaths in 
Operation Iraqi Freedom surpassed 1,000. Each one of these deaths is a 
sacrifice for the freedom and liberty we enjoy each and every day, and 
it really has focused on the importance of what the war on terror is 
all about, as we see what is depicted in Russia and as we see what has 
happened in Afghanistan and Iraq and really throughout the world and 
throughout the Middle East.
  I wish to make the point again that we all think--we all know it, but 
really it does need to be said; we think it every day, but it does need 
to be said--that these brave men and women in uniform sacrificed their 
lives for the cause of freedom--freedom in this country and throughout 
the world--and for the security and safety of their fellow Americans. 
We owe them a deep debt of gratitude for their courage and for their 
valor and their strength and their commitment to our country and to 
these ideals of which we every day take advantage.
  As President Bush has reiterated time and time again, and as he 
mentioned in an early morning meeting we had--a bicameral, bipartisan 
meeting that finished 15, 20 minutes ago--our cause is to fight the 
enemy on his soil before he can strike us here at home.
  Because of our bold action, and, yes, the sacrifices this country has 
made, terrorists will no longer find safe harbor in Iraq. Because of 
our determination, Saddam Hussein now sits in a prison where his only 
plotting and planning is to defend himself before a war crimes 
tribunal. Because of our resolve, Saddam's two sadistic sons, Uday and 
Qusay, are dead, and many of his top lieutenants are dead or in 
custody. Because of America and her many allies, no longer will the 
civilized world be threatened by Saddam and his murderous ambitions.
  From the very beginning, since President Bush launched Operation 
Iraqi Freedom roughly a year and a half ago, our Armed Forces have 
performed valiantly--from that first dramatic 3-week campaign that led 
to the fall of Baghdad, to the fighting that goes on right now in 
specific regions where the insurgents are attempting to thwart Iraq's 
path to self-government.
  The enemies of freedom will not prevail. The President, our Commander 
in Chief, has made it clear they will not prevail. This body has made 
it clear, our U.S. Government has made it clear, the enemy will not 
prevail. The enemies of freedom are going to fall. The people of Iraq 
want democracy. Polls show over and over again that the majority of 
Iraqis are optimistic about their future. Now they are finally free to 
realize their dreams.
  Our hearts do go out to the families who have lost loved ones in 
battle, as well as to the thousands of men and women who have been 
injured. The valor and courage of our young women and men in the armed 
services are a shining example to all of the world, and we owe them and 
their families our deepest respect. They now belong to America's 
pantheon of heroes who have given their lives for the cause of liberty.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor, and we will now have an hour of 
morning business, with 30 minutes to each side.

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