[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 70 (Tuesday, May 1, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5320-S5325]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES
Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about the issue of
Iraq, to call on the President to sign the supplemental appropriations
bill, the emergency bill that we will be sending him, and also to pay
tribute to 43 young Americans who have been killed in Iraq from my
State since January 30, 2007. This brings to 720 the number of soldiers
who were either from California or based in California who have been
killed while serving our country in Iraq. This represents 22 percent of
all U.S. deaths in Iraq.
I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record their names,
their ages, the circumstances of their death.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
SGT Alejandro Carrillo, 22, died January 30, while
conducting combat operations in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.
Sergeant Carrillo was assigned to Combat Logistics Battalion
7, Combat Logistics Regiment 1, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I
Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, CA. He was from
Los Angeles, CA.
CPL Richard O. Quill III, 22, died February 1, from a
nonhostile cause in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Corporal Quill
was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st
Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp
Pendleton, CA.
CWO Keith Yoakum, 41, died on February 2, in Taji, Iraq,
when his helicopter crashed. Chief Warrant Officer Four
Yoakum was assigned to A Company, 1st Battalion, 227th
Aviation Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, TX. He
was from Hemet, CA.
SGM Joseph J. Ellis, 40, died February 7, while conducting
combat operations in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Sergeant Major
Ellis was assigned to Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion,
4th Marine Regiment, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Special
Operations Capable, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp
Pendleton, CA.
SGT James R. Tijerina, 26, died February 7, when the
helicopter he was flying in crashed while supporting combat
operations in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Sergeant Tijerina was
assigned to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 364, Marine
Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine
Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA.
SGT Travis D. Pfister, 27, died February 7, when the
helicopter he was flying in crashed while supporting combat
operations in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Sergeant Pfister was
assigned to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 364, Marine
Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine
Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA.
CPT Jennifer J. Harris, 28, died February 7, when the
helicopter she was flying in crashed while supporting combat
operations in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. She was assigned to
Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 364, Marine Aircraft Group
39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force,
Camp Pendleton, CA.
1LT Jared M. Landaker, 25, died February 7, when the
helicopter he was flying in crashed while supporting combat
operations in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. First Lieutenant
Landaker was assigned to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron
364, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I
Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was from
Big Bear City, CA.
SGT Robert B. Thrasher, 23, died on February 11, in
Baghdad, Iraq, when his dismounted patrol received small arms
fire. Sergeant Thrasher was assigned to D Company, 2nd
Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort
Bliss, TX. He was from Folsom, CA.
PVT Clarence T. Spencer, 24, died February 4, in Balad,
Iraq, of wounds suffered when his unit came in contact with
the enemy using small arms fire in Baqubah, Iraq. Private
Spencer was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry
Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, TX.
He was from San Diego, CA.
SP Dennis L. Sellen, Jr., 20, died on February 11, in Umm
Qasr, Iraq, of noncombat related injuries. Specialist Sellen
was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st
Battalion, 185th Infantry Regiment, Army National Guard,
Fresno, CA. He was from Newhall, CA.
SP Ronnie G. Madore Jr., 34, died February 14, in Baqubah,
Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his
vehicle. Specialist Madore was assigned to the 1st Battalion,
12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division,
Fort Hood, TX. He was from San Diego, CA.
SGT Carl L. Seigart, 32, died February 14, in Baqubah,
Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his
vehicle. Sergeant Seigart was assigned to the 1st Battalion,
12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division,
Fort Hood, TX. He was from San Luis Obispo, CA.
LCpl Brian A. Escalante, 25, died February 17, while
conducting combat operations in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.
Lance Corporal Escalante was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 4th
Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary
Force, Twentynine Palms, CA.
[[Page S5321]]
SGT Clinton W. Ahlquist, 23, died February 20, while
conducting combat operations in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.
Sergeant Ahlquist was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine
Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force,
Camp Pendleton, CA.
LCpl Blake H. Howey, 20, died February 18, while conducting
combat operations in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Lance Corporal
Howey was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st
Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine
Palms, CA. He was from Glendora, CA.
SP Louis G. Kim, 19, died on February 20, in Ar Ramadi,
Iraq, when he received small arms fire. Specialist Kim was
assigned to B Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment,
1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany. He was from West
Covina, CA.
PFC Rowan D. Walter, 25, died February 23, of injuries
suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near
his vehicle during combat operations in Ramadi, Iraq, on
February 22. Private First Class Walter was assigned to the
1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat
Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Carson, CO. He was from
Winnetka, CA.
SGT Richard A. Soukenka, 30, died on February 27, in
Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated
near his military vehicle. Sergeant Soukenka was assigned to
the 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 10th Mountain
Division, Fort Drum, NY. He was from Oceanside, CA.
SSG Dustin M. Gould, 28, died March 2, while conducting
combat operations in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Staff Sergeant
Gould was assigned to 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st
Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp
Pendleton, CA.
Hospitalman Lucas W.A. Emch, 21, died March 2, when an
improvised explosive device detonated in his vicinity while
conducting combat operations in Al-Anbar Province, Iraq.
Hospitalman Emch was a hospital corpsman assigned to 1st
Marine Logistics Group, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp
Pendleton, CA.
SP Christopher D. Young, 20, died March 2, in Safwan, Iraq,
of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device
detonated near his vehicle. Specialist Young was assigned to
Company C, 3rd Battalion, 160th Infantry Regiment, California
Army National Guard, San Pedro, CA. He was from Los Angeles,
CA.
LCpl Raul S. Bravo, 21, died March 3, while conducting
combat operations in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Lance Corporal
Bravo was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st
Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine
Palms, CA.
SSG Christopher R. Webb, 28, died March 7, in Baghdad,
Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his
vehicle during combat operations. Staff Sergeant Webb was
assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st
Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, TX. He was from
Winchester, CA.
SP Adam J. Rosema, 27, died on March 14, in Balad, Iraq, of
injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device
detonated near his military vehicle. Specialist Rosema was
assigned to the 215th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Cavalry
Division, Fort Hood, TX. He was from Pasadena, CA.
SP Stephen M. Kowalczyk, 32, died on March 14, in
Muqdadiyah, Iraq, of injuries sustained from small arms fire.
Specialist Kowalczyk was assigned to C Troop, 6th Squadron,
9th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, TX. He
was from San Diego, CA.
PFC Alberto Garcia, Jr., 23, died on March 13, in Baghdad,
Iraq, when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device
detonated near his military vehicle was followed by small
arms fire. Private First Class Garcia was assigned to C
Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry
Division, Schweinfurt, Germany. He was from Bakersfield, CA.
LCpl Steven M. Chavez, 20, died March 14, from a nonhostile
incident in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Lance Corporal Chavez
was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st
Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp
Pendleton, CA.
LCpl Harry H. Timberman, 20, died March 17, from wounds
received while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar
Province, Iraq. Lance Corporal Timberman was assigned to 2nd
Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine
Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, CA.
SGT John E. Allen, 25, died on March 17, in Baghdad, Iraq,
of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device
detonated near his military vehicle. Sergeant Allen was
assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 1st
Cavalry Division, Fort Bliss, TX. He was from Palmdale, CA.
SSG Darrell R. Griffin Jr., 36, died on March, 21, in
Balad, Iraq, from wounds suffered when his unit came in
contact with small arms fire during combat operations. Staff
Sergeant Griffin was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd
Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd
Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, WA. He was from Alhambra, CA.
LCpl Daniel R. Olsen, 20, died April 2, while conducting
combat operations in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Lance Corporal
Olsen was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st
Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine
Palms, CA.
SP Curtis R. Spivey, 25, died on April 2, in San Diego, CA,
of injuries sustained on September 16, 2006, in Baghdad,
Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his
military vehicle. Specialist Spivey was assigned to B Troop,
1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division,
Fort Hood, TX. He was from Chula Vista, CA.
PFC Gabriel J. Figueroa, 20, died on April 3, in Baghdad,
Iraq, when he received small arms fire while on dismounted
patrol. Private First Class Figueroa was assigned to
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 8th
Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, TX. He was
from Baldwin Park, CA.
PFC James J. Coon, 22, died April 4, in Balad, Iraq, of
wounds suffered when in improvised explosive device detonated
near his vehicle. Private First Class Coon was assigned to
the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 1st
Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, TX. He was from Walnut Creek,
CA.
PFC Walter Freeman Jr., 20, died April 4, in Baghdad, Iraq,
when an improvised explosive device detonated near his
vehicle during combat operations. Private First Class Freeman
was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment,
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Carson,
CO. He was from Lancaster, CA.
SSG Jesse L. Williams, 25, died April 8 in Balad, Iraq, of
wounds suffered from small arms fire while conducting combat
operations in Baqubah, Iraq. Staff Sergeant Williams was
assigned to the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd
Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Stryker Brigade Combat Team,
Fort Lewis, WA. He was from Santa Rosa, CA.
LCpl Daniel J. Santee, 21, died April 14, from a nonhostile
vehicle accident in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Lance Corporal
Santee was assigned to Combat Logistics Regiment 27, 2nd
Marine Logistics Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp
Lejeune, NC. He was from Mission Viejo, CA.
1LT Shaun M. Blue, 25, died April 16, while conducting
combat operations in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. First
Lieutenant Blue was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine
Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force,
Twentynine Palms, CA.
LCpl Jesse D. Delatorre, 29, died April 16, from wounds
suffered while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar
Province, Iraq. Lance Corporal Delatorre was assigned to 2nd
Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine
Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, CA.
PFC Steven J. Walberg, 18, died April 15, in Baghdad, Iraq,
of wounds sustained from enemy small arms fire. Private First
Class Walberg was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry
Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry
Division, Fort Riley, KS. He was from Paradise, CA.
SGT Mario K. De Leon, 26, died April 16, in Baghdad, Iraq,
of wounds sustained from enemy small arms fire. Sergeant De
Leon was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry
Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division,
Schweinfurt, Germany. He was from San Francisco, CA.
PFC Jason M. Morales, 20, died April 18, in Baghdad, Iraq,
of injuries sustained when his unit came in contact with
enemy forces using small arms fire. Private First Class
Morales was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry
Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division,
Fort Riley, KS. He was from La Puente, CA.
CPL Michael M. Rojas, 21, died on April 18, in Taji, Iraq,
when an improvised explosive device detonated near his
military vehicle. Corporal Rojas was assigned to C Battery,
1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Infantry
Division, Fort Lewis, WA. He was from Fresno, CA.
I would also like to pay tribute to the two soldiers from
California who have died while serving our country in
Operation Enduring Freedom since January 30.
PFC Kristofer D. S. Thomas, 18, died February 18, in
southeastern Afghanistan when the Chinook helicopter he was
in crashed. Private First Class Thomas was assigned to the
3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, GA. He was
from Roseville, CA.
SP Agustin Gutierrez, 19, died on March 29, in Kabul,
Afghanistan, when his military vehicle overturned. Specialist
Gutierrez was assigned to the 782nd Brigade Support
Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, NC. He was
from San Jacinto, CA.
Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, if you come to my office--I think you have
had the opportunity to do so--you will see in front of the entrance at
112 Hart four huge placards with very small print paying tribute to
those from California who have died in this conflict. The sadness of
all sadness is that we keep having to send these posters back to be
printed in yet smaller print because we keep having to add so many to
it, and we are actually running out of space. We will have to get
special permission from the Architect of the Capitol to place yet
another placard in front of our door.
But we will do it regardless because we must put names on this
conflict, ages on this conflict, we must pay tribute to those who are
being sacrificed, in my opinion, by a President who simply will not
change course, for whatever reason, from a failed course.
Anyone who reads the Constitution--I highly recommend it; it is a
very
[[Page S5322]]
readable document; it is a very concise document--will see that when it
comes to war, there is a shared responsibility. As a matter of fact, if
you read the Constitution, you will see Congress mentioned far more
times, far many more times than the President. The President cannot act
as if he is king. We already had a king, King George. We have a
democracy. This is what the President says our young people are dying
for in Iraq. Yet at home he acts as if he is a one-man show when it
comes to Iraq.
Mr. President, the American people said no to that this past
election. Yet it continues as if there is no Congress, there has been
no election, there has been no change of heart by the American people,
when, in fact, there has been an enormous change of heart by the
American people. That change of heart is reflected in the election, in
the composition of this Senate, and you, Mr. President, actually are
part of that change, that message that we wanted a change in the
leadership. With all of this, it just goes on and on.
Today is the fourth anniversary of the President's speech that major
combat operations are over. Four years ago he said that, in a military
outfit. Yet, still, in today's paper: April toll is highest of 2007 for
U.S. troops. Over 100 killed this month. The Iraqi deaths are far
higher.
Three years ago the President said: Major combat operations are over.
Today we read: The deadliest month in 2007. As a matter of fact, in the
past 3 days--as of yesterday, 3 days prior to that, we had 14
dead. That is about one for almost every person in the President's
Cabinet.
What would it be like if 14 people sat around the President's Cabinet
table, and every one of them had lost a child? How long would this war
last? How long would this war last? But who is paying the price? Who is
paying the price? Our military families. They want a change. We want
success.
How do you get success? It is by changing course. It is what we sent
the President. If you read what we sent the President in this emergency
bill--I say to the Presiding Officer, I know you are so aware of it--it
is a change in course. We are going to shift, as the Iraq Study Group
suggested, from a combat mission to a support mission. We are going to
gradually redeploy our troops out of there--not overnight--but
sensibly. We are going to leave forces in Iraq to target al-Qaida,
which never was in Iraq before this war, and now they are all over it
because they want to go after our troops. So we are going to leave
troops there in Iraq. That is what the Feingold-Reid-Boxer bill does as
well. It says we have to have a mission there to go after al-Qaida when
this war is over. We say training the troops is OK. Going after al-
Qaida is what we want to do, and we want to have enough troops there
for force protection.
So anyone reading this--when the President says it is irresponsible,
maybe he has not read it. There is time, Mr. President. You have not
gotten this bill yet. Read it again. Look at it. We are changing course
in a responsible way, the way the Iraqi Study Group that you praised
says we should do. That was a bipartisan group. We all remember it:
Secretary Baker, Lee Hamilton, and the others.
Do you know why we have to change course? Because the mission you
have given our military cannot be accomplished militarily. The mission
now is--and since the mission has changed so many times, we have to go
back. The mission now is: Bring stability and democracy to Iraq, and
Iraq at peace within its own borders and with its neighbors, and an
ally in the war against terror. That is the President's goal. That is a
political and diplomatic goal, I say to you, Mr. President. It is not a
military goal. The military cannot do that. The military has done
everything asked of it, and more.
The first mission: Find the weapons of mass destruction. They went
into every nook and cranny of Iraq. There were none. So that mission:
done, accomplished.
The President said: Go get Saddam. They did it. That mission:
accomplished. That tyrant is gone forever.
He said: Go get his sons because maybe they will get the idea we mean
business. The military got his sons, put the pictures on television of
their dead bodies. It did not do the job.
What was the next mission? We have to hold elections. The military
did a magnificent job. Three elections were actually held, and they
have a government. Now, that Government will go on vacation, as I
understand it, for 2 months while our troops are dying.
The fact is, the military has done every single thing asked of it. We
are now at a point where the only way to win this war is to win it
diplomatically, politically. Yet, this President will not change
course. His solution is, more military action, a surge, which was
supposed to last a few weeks--now we are being told a few months--and
our military is paying the price. They are paying the price.
I want to read from this news article today: ``April Toll Is Highest
of '07 for U.S. Troops'':
On Monday, U.S. troops at Camp Victory, a sprawling base
near Baghdad International Airport, reflected on April's
deadly toll on their comrades. . . .
``It makes me feel depressed to be in Iraq right now,''
said [Private Richard] Gonzalez, [22 years old,] who is on
his second deployment. ``It's a whole lot different than last
time.''
Now, he said, soldiers at the base must carry weapons.
Return addresses on letters from home must be ripped off and
burned, so as not to fall into the wrong hands. On his first
deployment, eight months passed before his Baghdad base was
hit by mortar fire.
This time, incoming fire every single day--4 years after ``mission
accomplished.''
``There's a whole lot more activity,'' said Spec. Krystal Fowler, 21,
of Hampton, Va. She said it ``kind of bothers'' her to know other
troops are taking hits in the field and she can't help.
SPC Natisha Jetter said:
Our fellow soldiers are out there dying, and we're here. .
. .
Gonzales said the deaths made him realize that ``there's a
war going on out there.''
Fowler sighed. It's a war between Iraqis, she said.
``We are just interfering, and letting our soldiers die.''
``I'd rather be out there helping people survive,'' Fowler
said. . . .
There was a pause, as the soldiers mulled that.
``It's just terrifying, because you can drive the same road
for eight months, and then one day it's over,'' Gonzalez
said.
``Over,'' Fowler echoed.
I ask, rhetorically, in light of what our troops are feeling,
saying--going there for a second deployment, third deployment and more,
and the increased number of deaths of our troops, and the horrific
things that are happening in Iraq, detailed in the Red Cross report,
which I ask unanimous consent to be printed in the Record, Mr.
President, this International Red Cross report.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
Civilians Without Protection
the ever-worsening humanitarian crisis in iraq
The humanitarian situation is steadily worsening and it is
affecting, directly or indirectly, all Iraqis.
Protecting Iraq's civilian population must be a priority,
and the ICRC urgently calls for better respect for
international humanitarian law. It appeals to all those with
military or political influence on the ground to act now to
ensure that the lives of ordinary Iraqis are spared and
protected. This is an obligation under international
humanitarian law for both States and non-State actors.
The ICRC aims to ensure that Iraqis receive the aid they
need most. It cooperates closely with the Iraqi Red Crescent.
However, humanitarian aid is clearly not enough when it comes
to addressing the immense needs of Iraqis in the present
disastrous security situation.
a conflict that spares no one
The conflict in Iraq is inflicting immense suffering on the
entire population. Civilians bear the brunt of the relentless
violence and the extremely poor security conditions that are
disrupting the lives and livelihoods of millions. Every day,
dozens of people are killed and many more wounded. The plight
of Iraqi civilians is a daily reminder of the fact that there
has long been a failure to respect their lives and dignity.
Shootings, bombings, abductions, murders, military
operations and other forms of violence are forcing thousands
of people to flee their homes and seek safety elsewhere in
Iraq or in neighbouring countries. The hundreds of thousands
of displaced people scattered across Iraq find it
particularly difficult to cope with the ongoing crisis, as do
the families who generously agree to host them.
Health-care facilities are stretched to the limit as they
struggle to cope with mass casualties day-in, day-out. Many
sick and injured people do not go to hospital because it's
too dangerous, and the patients and medical staff in those
facilities are frequently threatened or targeted.
Food shortages have been reported in several areas.
According to the Iraqi Red Crescent, malnutrition has
increased over the
[[Page S5323]]
past year. The vastly inadequate water, sewage and
electricity infrastructure is presenting a risk to public
health.
Unemployment and poverty levels are rising and many
families continue to rely on government food distributions to
cover their immediate needs. According to government sources,
an estimated one third of the population lives in poverty,
while over five percent live in extreme poverty.
Much of Iraq's vital infrastructure is in a poor state of
repair owing to lack of maintenance and because security
constraints have impeded repair work on electrical power
grids, water and sanitation systems, medical facilities and
other essential facilities.
Power shortages are growing worse throughout the country,
including northern areas, owing largely to the failure to
carry out maintenance and to increase generation capacity.
Fuel shortages affecting power stations and acts of sabotage
are further aggravating the crisis. As a result, water-
treatment plants, primary health-care centres and hospitals
rely mainly on back-up generators, which often break down
owing to excess usage or fall victim to the chronic fuel
shortages.
The destructive legacy of previous conflicts, from 1980
onwards, and the years of international sanctions imposed on
Iraq after its invasion of Kuwait in 1990 are further
exacerbating the current crisis.
the icrc in iraq
Despite the difficult security situation, the ICRC spares
no effort to help the families most in need. It works closely
with the Iraqi Red Crescent, which regularly distributes
relief provided by the ICRC and collects and delivers Red
Cross messages (brief personal messages to relatives made
otherwise unreachable by armed conflict).
The ICRC--a strictly humanitarian organization committed to
the principles of neutrality, independence and impartiality--
strives to monitor and promote respect for international
humanitarian law and other legal standards applicable to the
current situation in Iraq.
sliding to disaster
Since the bombing of the sacred Shiite shrine of Samarra in
February 2006 and the subsequent increase in violence, the
problem of displacement in Iraq has become particularly
acute. Thousands of Iraqis continue to be forced out of their
homes owing to military operations, general poor security and
the destruction of houses. And the outlook is bleak,
particularly in Baghdad and other areas with mixed
communities, where the situation is likely to worsen.
Most displaced people have taken refuge with host families,
who often struggle to cope with the additional burden on
their limited resources. Some have found refuge in camps,
public buildings and abandoned military barracks. Where
displaced people decide to seek refuge often depends on the
presence of relatives or friends and, because of the
prevailing sectarian violence, on the religious or ethnic
make-up of the host community.
Frequently, both the displaced families and the communities
hosting them are badly in need of shelter materials, access
to clean water, adequate sanitation, food and other
essentials.
The displacement of hundreds of thousands of people places
an additional burden on Iraq's basic infrastructure, which is
barely sufficient to serve the resident population.
Humanitarian aid is needed by a wide range of particularly
vulnerable. civilians, including elderly and disabled people
and female-headed households.
medical care under threat
Medical professionals are fleeing the country in large
numbers following the murder or abduction of colleagues.
Hospitals and other key services are desperately short of
qualified staff. According to the Iraqi Ministry of Health,
more than half the doctors have left the country.
The mass influx of casualties to hospitals following the
daily attacks against civilians and other violent incidents
is putting the health-care system under tremendous additional
strain. Staff and resources are often stretched to the limit.
The failure to observe the special status of medical staff
and facilities is a major concern. A hospital director in
Baghdad told the ICRC that poor security conditions were
preventing staff from providing medical services. And there
have been frequent reports of armed men storming hospitals
and forcing doctors to give their companions priority
treatment at the expense of others in more urgent need.
Road-blocks and check-points sometimes prevent doctors and
patients from reaching health-care centres in time. The lack
of security also hampers the distribution of medical supplies
in many parts of Iraq.
dirty and scarce--the water crisis
Both the quantity and quality of drinking water in Iraq
remain insufficient despite limited improvements in some
areas, mainly in the south. Water is often contaminated owing
to the poor repair of sewage and water-supply networks and
the discharge of untreated sewage into rivers, which are the
main source of drinking water. Electricity and fuel shortages
and the poor maintenance of infrastructure mean that there is
no regular and reliable supply of clean water and that sewage
is often not properly disposed of.
torn apart--The fate of separated families
Tens of thousands of people are currently being detained by
the Iraqi authorities and the multinational forces in Iraq.
Many families remain without news of relatives who went
missing during past conflicts or the current hostilities.
Visiting people detained in connection with the armed
conflict in Iraq remains a humanitarian priority for the
ICRC. Persons held by the multinational forces or the Kurdish
regional government are regularly visited to assess their
conditions of detention and treatment.
the ICRC in 2006
Over 227,000 people, mostly members of displaced families,
received food aid in various parts of Iraq. Over 161,000
people received essential household items.
Some 83,000 people, including members of displaced
families, had their water supply ensured through emergency
ICRC water and sanitation projects.
In all, over four million people benefited from water and
sanitation projects.
Twenty major hospitals in Hilla, Baghdad, Diwaniya,
Karbala, Najaf and Tal Afar received medical and surgical
supplies for the treatment of wounded patients.
Eight limb-fitting centres in Baghdad, Hilla, Najaf and
Basra were supported by the ICRC, as was an Iraqi Red
Crescent centre in Mosul. This was in addition to the Arbil
centre, which is run entirely by the ICRC. In all, these
centres helped nearly 21,000 patients, who received 7,300
artificial and some 460 pairs of crutches.
Twelve hospital emergency wards received new equipment.
Ten hospitals, with a combined capacity to treat some 5,000
inpatients, had their water and sanitation systems repaired.
Sixty-seven primary health-care centres in Anbar, Babel,
Baghdad, Diwaniya, Karbala, Salah AI Deen and Wasit
governorates had their sanitation facilities repaired or
upgraded. They treat an average of over 9,000 patients per
day.
More than 32,000 detainees were visited, almost 9,000 of
them individually, during 109 visits to 28 places of
detention.
Nearly 6,400 detainees held in Camp Bucca and in the Shaiba
facility benefited from the ICRC family-visit programme.
Nearly 37,000 Red Cross messages were delivered and over
30,500 collected by the ICRC in conjunction with the Iraqi
Red Crescent.
Mrs. BOXER. This report is called ``Civilians Without Protection.'' I
will go into it in a minute. But in light of everything that is
happening, how on Earth could the President sit in the Oval Office and
say: ``I am vetoing this bill that is coming to me, and I want to just
continue what I am doing''? A military solution is what he is doing,
and he is going to continue it.
In light of everything that has gone on, doesn't this President
understand it is time for a change? Doesn't he listen to the voters?
Doesn't he read these articles? ``Send me the bill. I am going to veto
it''--very macho like. I do not think it is macho like. I think it is
wrong. I do not think it is brave to continue a policy that is failing.
I do not think it is courageous not to admit it is time for a change. I
do not think it shows strength. I think it is stubborn. I think it is
wrong. And, worst of all, our troops are paying the price for this
stubbornness. This is not the same as being stubborn in an argument we
might have about some small matter. Oh, I think this book is better
than this book, and I think this singer is better than this one. This
is involving the lives of our soldiers.
Now, this ``Civilians Without Protection'' report is very tough to
read, by the International Red Cross. Let me share some of it with you:
the pictures, the headlines, the words.
One section is called ``A conflict that spares no one.''
In some regions, particularly Baghdad and area, families
are often too afraid to leave their homes to go to work or to
shop and too afraid to send their children to school because
of random violence and the threat of kidnapping for ransom.
This one is very tough to take--very tough to take. It is written by
a young humanitarian worker from Baghdad. It is in the Red Cross
report.
Once I was called to an explosion site. There I saw a four-
year-old boy sitting beside his mother's body, which had been
decapitated by the explosion. He was talking to her, asking
her what had happened. He had been taken out shopping by his
mom.
How do you sit back and say ``status quo''? How? How? Why not welcome
a change? Why not welcome the Iraq Study Group? Why not welcome the
work that has been done here in 50, 60 different hearings which we have
held?
Another part: ``Sliding to disaster,'' in the International Red Cross
report. Another part: ``Medical care under threat.'' Another part:
``Dirty and scarce--the water crisis.'' Another part: ``Torn apart--The
fate of separated families.'' It goes into the agony. I ask us all to
imagine what it would
[[Page S5324]]
be like to worry about our kids for even 15 minutes, let alone days and
months.
This Red Cross report is printed in the Record.
Mr. President, also, I ask unanimous consent that the entire article
I referred to from the newspaper be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
[From the Washington Post Foreign Service, Tuesday, May 1, 2007]
April Toll Is Highest of '07 for U.S. Troops
(By Sudarsan Raghavan and Karin Brulliard)
Baghdad, April 30.--The deaths of more than 100 American
troops in April made it the deadliest month so far this year
for U.S. forces in Iraq, underscoring the growing exposure of
Americans as thousands of reinforcements arrive for an 11-
week-old offensive to tame sectarian violence.
More than 60 Iraqis also were killed or found dead across
Iraq on Monday. Casualties among Iraqi civilians and security
forces have outstripped those of Americans throughout the
war. In March, a total of 2,762 Iraqi civilians and policemen
were killed, down 4 percent from the previous month, when
2,864 were killed. Iraq's government has yet to release any
monthly totals for April.
Attacks killed a total of nine U.S. troops over the
weekend, including five whose deaths were announced Monday.
The weekend's fatalities brought the toll for the month to
104 Americans killed, in the sixth most-lethal month for
American forces since the U.S.-led invasion four years ago.
Under the new counterinsurgency plan, many U.S. forces have
left large, more secure bases to live in small combat
outposts and to patrol hostile neighborhoods where the risk
of insurgents targeting them has multiplied.
Highlighting the vulnerability of American forces, a series
of explosions Monday night rocked Baghdad's Green Zone, the
most heavily secured enclave in the capital and home to
thousands of U.S. troops, Western diplomats and Iraqi
government officials.
``There is a duck-and-cover going on right now,'' said Lt.
Col. Christopher C. Garver, a U.S. military spokesman, before
quickly getting off the phone. Later, Garver confirmed there
had been an assault on the Green Zone, but it was unclear
what had happened. Local Iraqi television stations reported
10 explosions inside the zone. There were no immediate
reports of casualties, Garver said.
In eastern Baghdad on Sunday, a roadside bomb killed three
U.S. soldiers and an Iraqi interpreter who were on patrol,
the military said. Attackers shot dead another soldier in the
same section of the capital on Saturday. Meanwhile, a Marine
was killed in the Sunni insurgent bastion of Anbar province,
west of Baghdad. On Saturday, the military reported four U.S.
soldiers had been killed on that day.
Before the deaths announced Monday, 99 U.S. soldiers had
been killed during April, according to iCasualties.org, an
independent Web site that monitors military deaths. Nearly
half have died in and around Baghdad, with the next greatest
number of deaths occurring in Anbar and Diyala provinces. In
December, 112 U.S. soldiers were killed.
With 11 combat deaths, April also was the deadliest month
for British troops in Iraq since the beginning of the war,
when 27 soldiers were killed in March 2003. This month's
British casualties highlighted the growing tensions in
southern Iraq as Shiite groups clash for power and Britain
prepares to draw down its forces.
The deaths came as the largest bloc of Sunnis in Iraq's
parliament, the Iraqi Accordance Front, threatened to pull
out its ministers from the cabinet, saying that it ``had lost
hope'' in having Sunni concerns addressed by the Shiite-led
government. The threat prompted President Bush to phone one
of Iraq's two vice presidents, Tariq al-Hashimi, a Sunni, in
an attempt to defuse the potential political crisis,
Hashimi's office said in a statement. A Sunni withdrawal
could seriously hamper efforts at national reconciliation and
further weaken the government. Only two weeks ago, six
cabinet ministers loyal to Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr
resigned from the cabinet.
In the province of Diyala, where scores of fighters have
fled to escape the Baghdad security offensive, a car bomb
exploded near a funeral tent in the town of Khalis, killing
22 and wounding 35, said Lt. Mohammed Hakman of the Diyala
police Joint Coordination Center. Police said they expected
the toll to rise.
The strike came four days after a suicide attacker
detonated a car packed with bombs at a checkpoint in the
town, 50 miles north of Baghdad, killing 10 Iraqi soldiers.
Near the Sunni insurgent stronghold of Ramadi, a car bomb
exploded at a police checkpoint, killing four policemen and
injuring six others, police said. In another attack near
Ramadi, a truck exploded near a restaurant, killing four
civilians, police said.
In Baghdad, a car bomb exploded in the al-Jihad
neighborhood, killing four and wounding another seven, all
civilians, while another car bomb detonated in a local
market, killing five and wounding nine civilians. In the
Shaab neighborhood, mortar shells rained down on a house,
killing three and injuring eight, police said.
Meanwhile, police found 13 corpses--all blindfolded,
handcuffed and shot in the head--in different parts of the
capital.
On Monday, U.S. troops at Camp Victory, a sprawling base
near Baghdad International Airport, reflected on April's
deadly toll on their comrades.
Sitting at a picnic table outside a recreation center, four
soldiers smoked Marlboros under a starry sky. Part of the
Headquarters Headquarters Support Company for the 3rd
Infantry Division out of Fort Stewart, Ga., they had arrived
last month. They were on the base, just ``sweeping parking
lots and waiting for a sandstorm,'' as Pfc. Richard Gonzalez,
22, put it.
Still, they said, frequent news of troop deaths made even
their mission more frightening.
``It makes me feel depressed to be in Iraq right now,''
said Gonzalez, who is on his second deployment. ``It's a
whole lot different than last time.''
Now, he said, soldiers at the base must carry weapons.
Return addresses on letters from home must be ripped off and
burned, so as not to fall into the wrong hands. On his first
deployment, eight months passed before his Baghdad base was
hit by mortar fire. This time, he said, it seems the Camp
Victory intercom announces incoming fire every day.
``There's a whole lot more activity,'' said Spec. Krystal
Fowler, 21, of Hampton, Va. She said it ``kind of bothers''
her to know other troops are taking hits in the field and she
can't help.
Spec. Natisha Jetter, 23, of Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas,
in the Virgin Islands, agreed.
``Our fellow soldiers are out there dying, and we're here
not doing our job,'' Jetter said.
Gonzalez said the deaths made him realize that ``there's a
war going on out there.''
Fowler sighed. It's a war between Iraqis, she said.
``We are just interfering, and letting our soldiers die.''
``I'd rather be out there helping people survive,'' Fowler
said. ``The more of us that are out there, the more chances
they have to survive.''
There was a pause, as the soldiers mulled that.
``It's just terrifying, because you can drive the same road
for eight months, and then one day it's over,'' Gonzalez
said.
``Over,'' Fowler echoed.
Mrs. BOXER. This President's policies left unchecked have been a
disaster. And what does he want? More of the same. He criticizes us for
coming up with a new policy, and this new policy will work because it
combines a gradual redeployment of troops, a focus on getting al-Qaida,
a focus on training the Iraqis, with a focus on diplomacy and a
political solution, which is exactly what everyone says we need.
General Petraeus says we must have a political and diplomatic
solution. Well, everyone has heard it, but obviously not this
President. Mr. President, sign this bill. Have a change of heart. Read
the paper today. Read the quote from this humanitarian worker. Read
what our troops are saying. Read about it. Reconsider.
Also, Mr. President, take a look at what we have done for our people
here at home in this bill. You deride it. You make it sound as though
we are spending on things we should not. Why shouldn't we fix Walter
Reed? Why shouldn't we fix the Veterans' Administration so when our
soldiers come home they get mental health care? Why shouldn't we invest
in better technologies to protect our troops from these horrific land
mines, car bombs, et cetera? That is what is in this bill.
Why shouldn't we help our farmers who lost their money because of
horrific droughts, horrific frosts? That is what these bills are for,
emergencies. On Sunday, we all learned about the horror that happened
in Oakland, with a gasoline tanker overturning on a major interstate
connecter. It collapsed onto the freeway below. Miracle of miracles:
the middle of the night, in the early morning, 3:40 or so a.m. No one
killed. Thank you, God. And we pray that the driver survives.
But here is the point: There is money in this bill for emergencies
such as that. There is a backlog of these emergency fixes that have had
to be done to our freeways. So, Mr. President, there is real beef in
this bill for our people, for our veterans, for our fighting men and
women. And, most important, we change course. We change course. We
don't have a hard-and-fast date to get out, as others have said. We
have a goal to get out: in April of 2008.
When I went to Iraq 2 years ago, I met with General Petraeus at
length. I watched how he was training the Iraqi soldiers. He was very
complimentary. He said they are doing great. I said to him: If they are
doing so great, why can't we go home? It is their country.
[[Page S5325]]
They have to defend their own country. He said: Well, pretty soon they
will be able to do it. Clearly, they are not doing it. Clearly, the
Iraqis are turning on each other. What is our military to do?
As Thomas Friedman said,
Our troops are protecting everyone, and yet they are
everyone's target.
They are protecting the Sunnis from the Shia. When they are
protecting the Shia, the Sunnis get them. That is an irresponsible
policy. So what we need to do is get through to this President. I ask
all the American people to keep on speaking out, to ask the President
in these next couple of hours to sign this bill. We can finally change
course. We have been in Iraq longer than World War II. We can't afford
this conflict, and that doesn't mean you cut and run. Anyone who says
that is what we are saying is wrong. Read the bill. We redeploy out of
Iraq, we stay in the region to go after al-Qaida and to train the Iraqi
forces.
We can't afford this anymore. Mr. President: Sign the bill.
I yield the floor.
Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
____________________