[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 171 (Tuesday, November 6, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S13941-S13944]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             RECOGNIZING THE GOOD WORK OF ED AND MARY ETTEL

  Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, it is a pleasure to rise today to 
recognize the work of some remarkable Georgians, Ed and Mary Ettel, of 
Marietta, who happen to be in the gallery this morning. The Ettels have 
worked together in their community to help touch the lives of our men 
and women in uniform. Guided by the Any Soldier Foundation, Ed and Mary 
send requested goods to our soldiers serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, 
Kyrgyzstan, Somalia, and Kosovo. Soldiers can go to www.anysoldier.com 
and request what specifically they need and want. Good people such as 
the Ettels are making sure these soldiers' requests do not go 
unnoticed.
  Serving 4 years of Active Duty in the U.S. Navy and 22 years on 
Reserve Duty, Ed Ettel undoubtedly knows what it means to sacrifice for 
his country. However, his loyalties to his fellow men and women in 
uniform did not end with his retirement. Together with his wife Mary, 
and daughters Erin and Alison, the Ettels committed themselves to being 
a support group for those who are serving overseas today.
  For the Ettels, many Saturdays over the past 2 years have been 
similar to last Saturday. The smell of pancakes usually welcomes 40 
volunteers arriving at the Ettel's house at Sope Creek Farm. After 
breakfast, the volunteers pick a soldier's request from the Any Soldier 
Web site, take it into the inventory room, and pack boxes with food, 
magazines, school supplies, clothing, toys or Christmas decorations. 
They also include a handwritten letter of support to each individual 
soldier, thanking them for their service.
  Because of the Ettels' community leadership and the help they have 
received from the other members of the Mount Bethel United Methodist 
Church in Marietta, volunteers have been able

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to collectively send 496 boxes, weighing over 4 tons, to servicemembers 
in theaters around the globe.
  One of the most fulfilling parts of the experience for these 
volunteers is how the soldiers respond. There have been countless 
thank-you and appreciation notes sent from the soldiers, letting them 
know how great it is that people back home support them and acknowledge 
the sacrifices they are making.
  It is unclear whether the motivation behind the Ettels' generosity 
comes from Mary's history as a public servant in our school system, 
Ed's service to his country in the Navy as well as the Navy Reserve or 
if it is out of sheer gratitude for the Nation in which they live. It 
is clear the Ettels' appreciation for the troops and their love of 
country has been contagious among civic organizations, school groups, 
church groups, businesses, and fellow members of their community.
  People such as the Ettels make this Nation the greatest in the world. 
I am proud to say such patriotic Americans live in my home State of 
Georgia. Words cannot express America's gratitude for our Armed Forces 
and their service and sacrifice for this Nation. As Veterans Day 
approaches, we should all remember to acknowledge those sacrifices, and 
I challenge all Americans to follow the lead of Mary and Ed Ettel in 
finding a way to say thank you.


                                  Iraq

  Mr. President, I also rise today to discuss the progress we are 
making in Iraq. Over the past few months, we have witnessed some 
encouraging developments, and I think it is important to acknowledge 
the successes of our men and women in uniform and the successes of the 
Iraqi people in helping to secure their own Nation.
  Since the troop surge was fully implemented, in June 2007, we have 
seen a steady decline in Iraqi civilian deaths, a decline in the number 
of bombings, and a decline in the number of incidents involving the 
most deadly form of roadside bombs known as explosively formed 
penetrators.
  We have sent our forces into Iraqi neighborhoods in order to root out 
extremists and gain the trust and confidence of the people, and we are 
seeing encouraging results. Since the surge of operations began in 
June, the number of IED attacks per week has declined by half. U.S. 
military deaths have fallen to their lowest level in 19 months.
  One year ago, Al Anbar was thought to be lost to the enemy. At the 
time, al-Qaida staged a parade in the city streets to flaunt its 
control. Last week, there was another parade in Al Anbar Province. Only 
this time it was a parade of Iraqi citizens and Iraqi forces who had 
reclaimed their homes and driven the terrorists out. Iraqi forces have 
now assumed responsibility for security in 8 of the 18 Iraqi provinces. 
Across the country, brave Iraqis are increasingly taking on 
responsibility for their own safety and security.
  The improvements we are witnessing in Iraq further confirm the report 
given by GEN David Petraeus, Commanding General of the Multinational 
Forces in Iraq, before Congress in September regarding the troop surge. 
While testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee, he stated:

       The military objectives of the surge are in large measure 
     being met. In recent months, in the face of tough enemies and 
     the brutal summer heat of Iraq, coalition and Iraqi security 
     forces have achieved progress in this arena.

  Our enemies see the changes underway and increasingly fear they are 
on the wrong side of events. Day by day, our forces are seizing the 
initiative from the enemy. Osama bin Laden, who is in hiding out of 
fear of U.S. forces, has publicly expressed concern about al-Qaida's 
recent setback in Iraq. In an audiotape, he talks about the mistakes 
al-Qaida has made and urges terrorists to overcome what he says are 
growing divisions in their ranks.
  This return on our success in Iraq means we are slowly beginning to 
bring some of our forces home, and we are doing it from a position of 
strength. The military did not replace 2,200 Marines who came home from 
Al Anbar Province in September, and we will also bring home an Army 
combat brigade, for a total force reduction of 5,700 troops by 
Christmas.
  While there is good news in Iraq, news that is important for the 
American people to hear, there are also remaining challenges we need to 
be realistic about. Parts of Iraq continue to be violent and difficult.
  The terrorists are still capable of carrying out attacks that will 
dominate headlines, and the Iraqi security forces will continue to 
require U.S. support. Now is certainly not the time to give up, 
restrict funding, or set a surrender date, as some in this body have 
argued we should do.
  As we continue to debate Iraq in the body in the coming months, I 
hope we can all acknowledge there has been real progress, and work 
together to ensure this progress is not wasted. That approach is 
clearly in the interests of all Americans and is in the interests of 
the Iraqi people as well.
  As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a Member from 
a State with a strong military presence, I am committed to supporting 
our troops and their families and making sure their needs are met.
  Clearly our military has answered the call of duty and they continue 
to perform courageously, and I for one will do whatever I can to ensure 
they have the resources and equipment to continue executing their 
mission, and that their families back home receive the support and 
assistance that we owe them.
  I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The junior Senator from Georgia.
  Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, I am honored to join Senator Chambliss of 
Georgia in paying tribute to Ed and Mary Ettel, my neighbors, as a 
matter of fact, in East Cobb County, Marietta, Georgia. I live about a 
mile and a half from their home, and my son and daughter-in-law attend 
Mount Bethel United Methodist Church, where they are active members, a 
great church with a great minister, Randy Mickler, who does such a good 
job inspiring his congregation to do so many good things.
  Ed and Mary do a tremendous service to our men and women in harm's 
way. I add my praise of them to the praise of Senator Chambliss. I 
thank them for the example they set and the blessing they are to our 
soldiers.
  I too want to talk for a second about Iraq, about the war in Iraq, 
and refresh some memories. Twice this year on the floor of this Senate, 
once before Memorial Day and once before the August break, we had 
heated 1-week-long debates of whether the United States of America 
should declare that we have lost and should leave Iraq. In fact, 
earlier this year, one Member of this body actually declared the war 
was lost. Well, as Senator Chambliss has acknowledged, things have 
turned in Iraq. And they have turned because of the sacrifice of our 
young men and women fighting in harm's way. They have turned because of 
the determination of a President who understands the threat of 
terrorism around the world, and the agents of terror, and those who 
would harbor terrorists. Iraq is turning. We cannot declare victory in 
the sense of a declaration of it being lost was declared earlier this 
year, but we can declare and acknowledge that progress has been made 
and the country has accomplished a number of the enumerated goals we 
set out to accomplish when we went into Iraq.
  In fact, if everyone will recall the President's speech 4 days before 
we went into Iraq, he established three goals for this country going 
into Iraq. No. 1 was to depose Saddam Hussein, and to find those 
weapons of mass destruction or their components that U.N. Resolution 
1441 declared were there; second, to allow the Iraqi people to hold 
free elections and to write a constitution of their own, and establish 
a government of their determination; third was to train the Iraqi 
military to a capability of defending that new fledgling government.
  Saddam Hussein has been deposed, was tried by a jury of his peers 
under Iraqi law. There are those who say we found no weapons of mass 
destruction, but they overlooked all of the components that we found, 
Scud missiles buried in the sand between Damascus and Baghdad, elements 
of sarin gas, 4 of the 7 mobile biological labs, 400,000 bodies in mass 
graves; all the signs, the telltale signs of the horror and the terror 
of mass destruction.
  Goal No. 2, the Iraqis held free elections in 14 months, wrote a 
constitution, established the government. Mission accomplished there.
  And then, No. 3, to train the Iraqi military sufficiently to sustain 
peace

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for that fledgling government. We are not there yet, but we are moving 
so much closer. It should be noted that a few weeks ago, when all the 
press noted the British had left Basra and what a disappointment that 
was, nobody took note of the fact that it was the Iraqi army that 
replaced them, not the American army, not coalition forces but the 
Iraqi army, trained and capable of doing it.
  Of the al-Qaida operatives who have been captured or killed in the 
last 6 weeks, the majority of them have been operations of Iraqi 
soldiers, not American soldiers. The fact is, goal No. 3, training an 
adequate and sufficient military to protect the fledgling government, 
is not at hand, but it is getting closer.
  So it is time today, on the week before the Veterans Day holiday, and 
Veterans Day in this country, to pay tribute to the men and women who 
have sacrificed for this country, for freedom, and for the fight in the 
war on terrorism.
  I carry with me a dogtag. This dogtag is SGT Mike Stokely's. Sergeant 
Stokely was killed in Iraq in September of 2005. I met his dad shortly 
after he had lost his son and, in fact, had lunch with his dad 3 weeks 
ago in Fayetteville, GA. I wanted to pay tribute to Mike and Noah 
Harris, another soldier from Georgia whose parents I have spent so much 
time with, and reflect for a moment on what they always tell me every 
time I see them. They said: Make sure you tell people that my son did 
not fight and die in vain, but what he sacrificed for is a country that 
seeks to end terror, end the threat of terror, and promote democracy 
around the world.
  Well, to Bob Stokely, Mike's dad, to Lisa Harris, Noah's mom, I say: 
They did not die in vain. The evidence in Iraq across the board is 
proving that their hard work and their sacrifice has made a difference. 
If we can stay the course, support our troops, finish the training of 
the Iraqi military, the American forces can leave in large amount and 
leave the Iraqis to protect that free, self-determined government of 
their own.
  It is time we acknowledge the success of our men and women in the 
U.S. military. It is time for us to say thank you for what they have 
done, and to look to the day that their effort makes us as Americans 
and the world a safer and a better place. Yes, the Iraq news is good. 
The war is not over. The progress is great, we need to stay the course, 
and finish the deal.
  I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Texas.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, may I inquire how much time in morning 
business this side has remaining?
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The minority has 16 minutes 
remaining.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I join my colleagues from Georgia, 
Senators Chambliss and Isakson, in talking about the news from Iraq. It 
is important as we discuss the challenges we still face and that the 
Iraqi people still face in Iraq to talk about the complete picture. 
Unfortunately, while we have heard much of violence in Iraq, and the 
challenges that face us, we have not heard enough about the successes 
the American military and our Iraqi allies are meeting with in that 
country.
  It wasn't that long ago that the surge General Petraeus, the 
counterinsurgency strategy that he is the architect of and which he has 
executed, was called a failure on the floor of the Senate. It is 
ironic, looking back, as sometimes it is helpful to go back and learn 
from history--and you do not have to go back very far, actually, just 
the summer and the spring of this year--when leaders on the other side 
of the aisle called the surge a failure.
  The most ironic part of it is that General Petraeus, the commander of 
the multinational forces in Iraq at the time, said: We have not even 
started the surge yet, so let me have a few months.
  Well, General Petraeus has now had a few months, and the surge has 
now had an opportunity to make a difference. In fact, there is much 
positive news to report. I have to think the biggest mistake the 
naysayers have made is to bet against the men and women of the U.S. 
military. That is always a mistake, because the American military men 
and women have demonstrated they can accomplish the goals they set out 
to do, and they are making a tremendous difference in Iraq in 
eliminating terrorist strongholds, as we continue to train the Iraqi 
military to take our place.
  As I have always said, we all want to bring our troops home. The 
question is, are we going to bring our troops home based on conditions 
on the ground and the Iraqis' ability to secure and stabilize their own 
country or are we going to do it regardless of the consequences in a 
way that will create the potential for a failed state in Iraq, another 
terrorist haven, and encourage our sworn enemies in Iran and elsewhere, 
embolden them to think that America cannot be trusted and America will 
turn its back on our allies?
  In May, one of our senior colleagues said the surge was supposed to 
bring stability essential to political reconciliation and economic 
reconstruction. But he said at the time: It has not and it will not. 
One short month later, the majority leader and the Speaker of the 
House, in a letter to the President, wrote: As many had foreseen, the 
escalation has failed to produce the intended results. The increase in 
U.S. forces has had little impact in curbing the violence or fostering 
political reconciliation.
  We even bore witness to atrocious ads run by organizations such as 
moveon.org slandering General Petraeus before he even had a chance to 
come here and to report on the status of the surge in September.
  Well, the numbers do not lie, to the dismay of many Americans. Some 
of my colleagues have chosen to conveniently gloss over and try to 
explain away the progress that has been made by General Petraeus's 
counterinsurgency strategy. Far from being a simple increase in troops, 
we learned General Petraeus's strategy was a new way to attack the 
enemy in Iraq, that is, utilize support from both local Iraqi citizens 
and tribal leaders to form an offensive against insurgent and terrorist 
groups, and the strategy has met with a resounding success.
  It has become a common story, but one worth repeating, that Al Anbar 
Province, a Sunni stronghold, was virtually overrun and lost to 
American and Iraqi forces, because al-Qaida basically had its way with 
that region, had terrorized the people so much that they would not 
stand up and fight them and basically were being held as victims of 
terror.
  Now the so-called Anbar awakening has occurred. Tribal leaders have 
come forward and volunteered their people to serve in the Iraqi police 
force and the Iraqi security forces. Now Al Anbar Province has 
essentially been rid of organized al-Qaida strongholds.
  The Washington Post editorial page on October 14 recognized the 
decreased violence in Iraq and noted that evidence of a drop in 
violence in Iraq is becoming hard to dispute. In September, Iraqi 
civilian deaths were down 52 percent from August, and 77 percent from 
September. The Iraqi Health Ministry and the Associated Press reported 
similar results. We are thankful that American casualties are down as 
well.
  Numbers recently released by the Pentagon corroborate the progress 
occurring in Iraq in and around Baghdad. The DOD reports terrorist 
operations are down by 59 percent; operations targeting Iraqi forces 
more than 60 percent; car bombs are down by 65 percent; casualties due 
to enemy attacks are down by 77 percent; and violence during this last 
Ramadan period was the lowest in 3 years.
  But perhaps the most convincing evidence that things, good things, 
are happening in Iraq, is the fact that the Iraqi people are beginning 
to move back into areas they had previously left behind, hopeless that 
peace and security could ever be accomplished. According to recent news 
reports, even cab drivers are feeling it is safer to drive around 
Baghdad neighborhoods where sectarian violence once made it impossible 
for them to enter.
  But perhaps the most telling story of increased security in Baghdad 
is one told by the Iraqi people themselves.
  According to an Associated Press article from this past weekend, 
thousands of Iraqi refugees who previously fled their homes in Iraq for 
the relative safety of neighboring Syria have now returned to their 
home country. While it is easy for some skeptics to second-guess 
numbers and statistics pertaining to the security situation in

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Iraq, it is nearly impossible to ignore the fact that thousands of 
Iraqis who not long ago were living as refugees in a foreign country 
now feel safe enough to come home. This reversal of refugee trends 
clearly indicates that there are good things happening in Iraq and 
around Baghdad.
  The AP reports that ``In a dramatic turnaround, more than 3,000 Iraqi 
families driven out of their Baghdad neighborhoods have returned to 
their homes in the past three months as sectarian violence has 
dropped.'' The article goes on to quote one refugee who returned home 
to his neighborhood of Khadra. ``In Khadra,'' he said, ``about 15 
families have returned from Syria.'' He said, ``I've called friends and 
family still there and told them it's safe to come home.''
  Where there was once widespread fear among Iraqi citizens, we are now 
seeing something new--hope, hope for a better and safer future. Nothing 
confirms this more than the return of refugees and their testimony that 
it is becoming safer in Iraq. While not yet safe, no one is saying the 
job has been completed, but surely an honest, objective appraisal would 
acknowledge the improvements in the security situation as demonstrated 
not only by these statistics but by testimonials from Iraqis 
themselves.
  These heartwarming accounts of families reuniting in neighborhoods, 
which not long ago had been written off as hopeless, and businesses 
opening their doors are important lessons for us all. The strategy 
employed by General Petraeus has worked and is continuing to work. The 
efforts of our military men and women who have put their hearts and 
souls into this mission are now paying dividends and producing results.
  These security gains are not a fluke. What we are seeing is a direct 
result of a carefully designed strategy which includes ramped-up 
counterinsurgency operations, increased efforts to foster cooperation 
and reconciliation among local tribes, and our continued backing of the 
hard work of the American military and support for their families.
  As we are presented with funding requests by the Pentagon to bring 
about a stable and peaceful Iraq, we are ensuring that our soldiers 
have the resources they need to bring peace and stability to a 
tumultuous land. My hope is we will not use the funding request from 
the Pentagon for continued support for our troops as another political 
football, as it has been used in the past, particularly in the face of 
such hopeful and promising news for which I would expect we would be 
grateful and thank our men and women in uniform and their families who 
have sacrificed so much to help bring this about, along with our Iraqi 
allies.
  General Petraeus told reporters this past weekend:

       In general, we think that there are no al-Qaeda strongholds 
     at this point.

  While he was quick to remind us that they are still a potent threat, 
his assessment of the progress in Iraq can be nothing but reassuring. I 
shudder to think of what would have happened had we listened to the 
naysayers months ago who said we have to withdraw all our troops, even 
before the surge was fully implemented. So far, we have voted 59 times 
on Iraq-related resolutions, most of which are nonbinding sense-of-the-
Senate resolutions; 59 times we have voted even before the surge had a 
chance to be implemented. Now we see what a mistake it is to bet 
against the men and women of the U.S. military. Thank goodness those 
resolutions were not successful, and thank goodness our American 
soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, and Coast Guard were able to carry 
out this new plan under the leadership of General Petraeus. We now see 
at least some hope in a land where hope was in short supply.
  Although many of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle 
prejudged the surge strategy and continue to oppose our efforts in 
Iraq, some of whom call even today for cutting off funds to support our 
troops, we see now substantial evidence of progress. It is my continued 
hope these positive developments may yet change the tone of the 
national dialog on the global war on terror, including the campaign in 
Iraq. It is time for all Members of this body to take an objective look 
not through a political lens, not through a lens which sees only the 
next general election, but to look objectively at what our troops are 
accomplishing in Iraq. Instead of focusing only on the challenges, we 
should at least be honest enough to acknowledge the accomplishments, 
not the least of which are the indisputable gains in security made 
through their sacrifices.
  I, for one, am proud to applaud the undeniable achievements of our 
troops in Iraq. Their hard work and tireless dedication have reminded 
us that a stable and peaceful Iraq is within reach. It is my fervent 
hope that my colleagues will join me in acknowledging and honoring the 
successes achieved by our military personnel and renew their support 
for them, their commander, and the counterinsurgency strategy that is 
bearing fruit and to always remember their families at home who wait 
for their loved one to return as soon as our mission is accomplished.
  I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Michigan.

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