[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 83 (Friday, June 23, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1249-E1250]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  DECLARING THAT THE UNITED STATES WILL PREVAIL IN THE GLOBAL WAR ON 
                                 TERROR

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. ROBERT E. ANDREWS

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 15, 2006

  Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose this resolution 
because the process under which it is being considered is deeply flawed 
and unfair to those with legitimate opposing points of view. There are 
Members in this chamber who want to offer specific plans on Iraq and 
they have the right to have these proposals debated and voted on.
  This entire debate is a sham, Mr. Speaker. This resolution was 
brought to the floor to help Republicans win in November, not to help 
our country win the war in Iraq. Make no mistake about it; it is very 
important for this House to formally acknowledge our support for our 
troops, especially when they are in harm's way, fighting a difficult 
and protracted war. But this resolution is not a show of support. It is 
a political tool with little substance. In fact, the only provision of 
substance is the third Resolved clause which ``declares that it is not 
in the national security interest of the United States to set an 
arbitrary date for the withdrawal or redeployment of United States 
Armed Forces from Iraq.'' I happen to agree that we should not set a 
public deadline for withdrawal. I don't think it makes sense 
strategically and, even worse, I think it puts our commanders on the 
ground at a disadvantage because it provides the resistance with a 
clear target of how long they need to hold out. If we withdraw our 
troops prematurely, we run the risk of the young Iraqi government 
folding and the vacuum being filled by a government friendly to 
terrorists.
  This debate should have been about alternatives. That is a primary 
function of Congress. To debate our country's most important issues. I 
can think of no issue more important than whether we succeed or fail in 
Iraq. Rather than add to the vast amount of rhetoric being tossed 
around by both sides, I would like to present what I think needs to be 
done for us to succeed in Iraq, First, we must dramatically improve our 
intelligence operations. To be sure, the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi 
is a great accomplishment by our brave military in Iraq. But successes 
such as this one are too rare because most Iraqi civilians still do not 
feel secure enough to turn over valuable intelligence to American or 
Iraqi government officials. We desperately need an intelligence 
alliance in order to provide troops with the information they need to 
get the job done in Iraq.
  The second thing we must do to succeed in Iraq is step up the 
training and readiness of the Iraqi Security Forces. Congress continues 
to fail in its oversight of Iraqi Security Force readiness. Because it 
is so difficult to get a straight and consistent answer out of the 
Administration regarding the readiness of Iraqi Security Forces, it is 
virtually impossible to determine when we will be able to begin 
bringing American troops home. As of this week, the Administration 
tells us. there are 264,600 ``trained and equipped'' Iraqi Security 
Forces. Unfortunately the definition of ``trained and equipped'' has 
been elusive or not clear enough to replace American troops with Iraqi 
or international troops. I believe that for every fully trained Iraqi 
soldier, one American soldier should come home. Clearly, this isn't 
happening.
  The third thing we must do to succeed in Iraq is to continue our 
support of the democratically elected Iraqi government. A strong Iraqi 
government will be able to provide incentives to its people to help 
quell the violence. This support cannot be merely military support. It 
must be comprehensive and include the full range of services of a 
functioning government. Iraq's leaders face a monumental task. Quelling 
the violence will not be enough to send them on the path to success. 
Make no mistake about it; their success is closely linked to whether 
our mission in Iraq will be considered a success.
  In closing, I would like to comment on the Whereas clause in this 
resolution that states that it is ``the steadfast resolve of the United 
States and its partners since September 11, 2001, helped persuade the 
government of Libya to surrender its weapons of mass destruction.'' 
Libya made the right decision to abandon its WMD programs. Our resolve 
in the Global War on Terror convinced Libya that the cost was too high 
to continue to pursue WMD. However, before this decision Libya was a 
primary state sponsor of terror. It now must honor its commitments to 
the victims of that terror, including the families. of the victims of 
Pan Am 103. In taking responsibility for the bombing of Pan Am 103--an 
attack which took the lives of 189 Americans--Libya agreed

[[Page E1250]]

to pay compensation to the families of those who died. While 80 percent 
of that agreement has been fulfilled, the remaining 20 percent was held 
back by Libya as long as it remained on the U.S. list of state sponsors 
of terrorism. They have now been removed from that list, and must now 
follow through on their agreements.
  Libya has renounced its weapons of mass destruction and declared its 
intention to be a responsible member of the community of nations. It 
should now make good on the remainder of its promises to the families 
of victims of its terrorism. With these steps, Libya will be an example 
of a country that has not only changed its course but has recognized 
its responsibility for past acts. Until it completes this journey fully 
and completely, doubts will remain about the nature of this regime. 
These doubts will be impediments to its progress as a full actor in 
diplomatic exchanges with the world. The United States will watch 
Libya's actions as well as its words. This vigilance will ensure that 
we will prevail in the Global War on Terror.
  Mr. Speaker, I will vote no on this resolution. I hope that the next 
time we have a debate on Iraq, it will be substantive and offer 
solutions. As a coequal branch of government responsible for the 
welfare of our courageous men and women in uniform, we should settle 
for no less.

                          ____________________