[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 150 (Monday, September 22, 2008)]
[House]
[Page H8546]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  WAR IS NOT THE WAY TO STOP TERRORISM

  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, ever since 9/11, the current administration 
has relied on military force alone to fight terrorism. This policy has 
been a disaster. There have been over 34,000 Americans killed or hurt 
in Iraq, but we aren't any safer. And now our troops in Afghanistan are 
facing a growing insurgency.
  The lesson we must learn from all this is that we cannot bomb and 
torture our way to friendship and cooperation around the world. We must 
eliminate the root causes of terrorism, which are poverty and despair. 
And to do that, we must focus on helping Nations like Iraq and 
Afghanistan to make social, economic, and political progress.
  Former Congressman Charlie Wilson is an actual expert on this 
subject. Congressman Wilson represented the Second District of Texas 
from 1973 to 1997. He was the subject of the popular recent movie, 
``Charlie Wilson's War.'' The movie shows how Wilson helped the Afghans 
to beat back the Soviet invasion in their country in the 1980s.
  Charlie Wilson understands that military force alone is not the 
answer to the world's problems. He believes that diplomacy and 
development assistance are actually the best answers.
  Charlie described his position in an op-ed he wrote for The 
Washington Post last month. The op-ed is entitled, ``Charlie Wilson's 
Peace,'' and I hope that every Member of the House will read it.
  Wilson writes that after the defeat of the Soviets, his request for 
funds to rebuild Afghanistan was turned down. The result was a disaster 
for America.
  Wilson writes, ``Instead of intensifying our diplomatic and 
humanitarian efforts, we simply walked away, leaving a destroyed 
country that lacked roads, schools, and any plan or hope for 
rebuilding.
  ``Into this void marched the Taliban and al Qaeda. Had we remained 
engaged in Afghanistan, investing in education, health, and economic 
development, the world would be a very different place today.''
  I want to repeat, Mr. Speaker, Wilson's point because it is an 
important one. He says that al Qaeda became more powerful because the 
Afghan people did not receive the right kind of assistance from the 
United States. Yes, we gave them weapons, but we left them in rubble, 
and that's where terrorism grows.
  Wilson goes on to say that ``we cannot afford to aspire to anything 
less than defeating poverty, disease, and ignorance wherever they 
exist. It is a relatively small but incredibly effective investment 
that helps ensure our future national security and economic 
prosperity.''
  Charlie Wilson's experience in Afghanistan, Mr. Speaker, was over 20 
years ago, but it is a real lesson for us today. It tells us that we 
won't defeat al Qaeda just by increasing the number of our troops in 
Afghanistan. We must focus our efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq on 
reconstruction.
  That means redeploying our troops out of Iraq on a firm timetable, 
and then working with regional and international partners to rebuild 
that devastated land. Electricity and water must be restored to every 
home. Jobs must be created. The shattered educational and health care 
systems must be rebuilt. The Iraqi Government must stop dragging its 
feet and spend the money it has budgeted for essential services.
  And this House ought to take every chance to promote reconciliation 
in Iraq. Representative Shays and I have introduced legislation, H.R. 
5925, to support the United States Institute for Peace, which has been 
carrying out important reconciliation projects in Iraq since 2004. The 
institute has worked to prevent violence and promote the rule of law, 
and it deserves our help.
  Mr. Speaker, the current administration has only 4 months to go. I 
hope that the next administration will learn from this administration's 
mistakes. Starting next January 20, America must begin to export 
compassion and hope instead of war and occupation.

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