[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 71 (Wednesday, May 25, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H4056-H4057]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             SMART SECURITY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, it is time for Congress to discuss the war 
in Iraq and how to end the terrible suffering that it is causing our 
troops, their families and the Iraqi people.
  First and foremost, I honor, I support the brave men and women who 
are serving our country in Iraq, and I believe that the best way to 
support them is to establish a plan to bring them home. In just over 2 
years of war, more than 1,600 American soldiers and an estimated 25,000 
Iraqi civilians have been killed. The number of American wounded, 
according to the Pentagon, is greater than 12,000 and that does not 
count the invisible mental wounds they are bringing home, which afflict 
as many as 25,000 more of our soldiers.
  The war in Iraq has also cost our country about $200 billion in 
slightly more than 2 years. With this much money on the line, do the 
American people not deserve to know what the President's plan is for 
Iraq? How long he expects U.S. troops to remain there? How much this 
war will cost all told and how he plans to pay for it?
  I credit the many brave individuals in Iraq who risked their lives to 
give back to the Iraqi people by voting in their January election, but 
after the election, our continued presence in Iraq has caused America 
to be seen by the Iraqi people as an occupying power, not as a 
liberating force.
  Our continued military presence in Iraq works against efforts for 
democracy. It provides a rallying point for angry insurgents and 
ultimately makes the United States less safe. That is why earlier today 
I offered an amendment to the Defense Authorization Bill for fiscal 
year 2006. My amendment expressed the sense of the Congress that the 
President must develop a plan to bring our troops home and that he must 
submit this plan to the appropriate committee in our Congress.
  We can truly support our troops by bringing them home. At the same 
time, withdrawing U.S. troops must not result in abandoning a country 
that has been devastated. We must assist Iraq, not through our military 
but through the international humanitarian efforts.
  This humanitarian approach is reflected in the SMART Security 
legislation, H. Con. Res. 158, that I have introduced with the support 
of 49 of my House colleagues.

                              {time}  2130

  SMART security is a sensible, multilateral American response to 
terrorism for the 21st century.
  The SMART approach would defend America by relying on the very best 
of American values: our commitment to peace and freedom, our compassion 
for the people of the world, and our capacity for multilateral 
leadership. This is the very essence of SMART security.
  SMART security will prevent terrorism by addressing the very 
conditions which give rise to terrorism in the first place: poverty, 
despair, and resource scarcity. SMART will ensure America's security by 
reaching out and engaging in the Muslim world. Instead of rushing off 
to war for the wrong reasons, SMART security encourages the United 
States to work with other nations to address the most pressing global 
issues.
  There is a demonstrated link between debt relief and lack of support 
for terrorism. That is why SMART security encourages the world's 
wealthy nations to provide debt relief and developmental aid for the 
world's poorest countries.

[[Page H4057]]

  SMART security encourages democracy-building, human rights education, 
conflict resolution through nonmilitary means, educational 
opportunities, particularly for women and girls, and strengthening 
civil society programs in the developing world.
  Mr. Speaker, our future efforts in Iraq must take the SMART approach: 
humanitarian assistance to rebuild Iraq's war-torn physical and 
economic infrastructure. Congress must commit to this type of support 
for Iraq, not a continuation of a military approach.
  It is time to support our troops and begin the difficult recovery 
process from a long and destructive war. The best way to do this is to 
bring our troops home. Mr. Speaker, our troops deserve nothing less.

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