[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 132 (Tuesday, October 18, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S11450]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                  IRAQ

  Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, I rise this morning to reflect for a 
moment on the apparent successful events in Iraq this weekend and also 
to look forward to more successful events in the months ahead. It 
appears the people of Iraq--10 million of them--turned out on Saturday 
to ratify a constitution under which elections will take place on 
December 15 of this year. I believe now is an appropriate time for us 
to recognize, in the process of liberating the people of Iraq, the 
great accomplishments our brave young men and women have made to allow 
that process to take place.
  About 2\1/2\ years ago, America went into Iraq with three stated 
goals. One was to depose Saddam Hussein. That was done. He goes on 
trial tomorrow, to be tried by his own people, in his own court, by his 
own judges. Second, we went in to rid the nation of weapons that could 
hurt others and stabilize the country so we could accomplish the third 
goal, which is to allow the people of Iraq to self-determine their 
future, as we in America did some 229 years ago.
  The first goal, deposing Hussein, was accomplished, and he goes on 
trial. The second goal of stabilizing the country has, in fact, been 
accomplished. It has been accomplished in a unique way and was ratified 
by the very election that took place on Saturday, because on Saturday 
the Iraqi military protected the Iraqi polling places to allow the 
Iraqis to have an election that had very little disruption or violence 
by the insurgents. Now we move toward December 15 and the election of a 
permanent assembly for the people of Iraq to govern themselves.
  On the first day of February of this year, I visited Baghdad, shortly 
after the elections that were held on January 31. I saw on that day the 
pride of Iraqis holding up their index finger, stained with blue ink, 
with smiles on their faces and self-satisfaction from having voted, 
which they did. We saw at that election where a number of the Sunnis 
stayed home, where most of the Shiites and the Kurds voted, and there 
were about 8 million votes.
  Just 8 months later, I watched this morning on TV and saw index 
fingers raised with ink stains to evidence the vote that had taken 
place, but those ink stains were not just on the fingers of Shiites and 
Kurds, they were on the fingers of Sunnis as well because, as was said 
after the first election in Iraq in January, the Sunnis learned that in 
a democracy, if you do not vote, you do not count. Although their votes 
may have been different yesterday, it laid the groundwork for this 
country to self-determine its future in peace, for its three groups 
within their country to join together, to form a government, to iron 
out their differences peacefully, and to grow in the Middle East what 
many thought was never possible, and that is an Arab nation self-
determining its future, with its people electing its representatives, 
living and growing in peace and harmony with its neighbors.
  There have been a lot of critics of our efforts in Iraq. There have 
been some who have said the war was wrong and others who have said we 
ought to come home, when, in fact, they have misjudged and 
mischaracterized the entire event. For us to come home is to lose the 
war. For us to stay is for liberty and peace and freedom to take root, 
to grow, and to prosper, and for an area of the world that for all time 
has been in turmoil to have the chance in future time to be in peace. 
That is not just good for the Middle East. That is not just good for 
the Iraqis. That is good for America. That is good for the nations of 
the world. That is good for the future peace of this great Nation we 
call the United States of America, for it was terrorism that drug us 
into the Middle East. It is terrorism, through insurgents, that we 
fight today in Iraq. And it is terrorism that will lose, not in the end 
to bullets but to votes, with a people free to self-determine their 
future.
  The people in Iraq began that process on January 31 and reaffirmed 
that process this past Saturday. I am confident and looking forward to 
the future, that on December 15 they will reaffirm that process again 
by holding free elections, guarded--and peacefully guarded--by their 
own trained troops, who will be the security force that in the future 
replaces our men and women, and that they will secure the country of 
Iraq not just for one election, not just for one day, but for the 
future.
  It has been said that victory in Iraq is a process and not an event. 
I believe that is an appropriate statement. We have gone through a 
process that deposed an evil dictator, stabilized a violent nation, 
allowed free elections to take place, for a constitution to be drawn, 
for elections for its ratification to take place, and now we are on the 
doorstep of the election of those permanent representatives who will 
self-determine the future of the nation of Iraq. In this process, known 
as freedom, America has contributed much.
  Our sons and daughters have been there steadfastly fighting the 
insurgents, securing the Iraqi people, and giving the flame of liberty 
and freedom a chance to grow and glow. On Saturday that process 
apparently took place again. I look forward to it taking place on 
December 15. I thank God for the brave men and women of the U.S. Armed 
Forces and the resilience of our people as, once again, we are the 
leading light for freedom, peace, hope, and liberty not just in our own 
country but around the world.
  I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Vitter). The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to use my leader 
time and not interfere with morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________