[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 38 (Wednesday, March 4, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H2949-H2950]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       LET'S GIVE THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD DIGNITY AND OPPORTUNITY

  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, the Iraqi Government is reopening the 
infamous Abu Ghraib prison. It has been renovated to include computers, 
recreational areas, a library and a barber shop for the prisoners. The 
Iraqis promise to treat prisoners humanely and in accordance with 
international standards.
  Some disagree with this decision to reopen Abu Ghraib. They say it 
should have been turned into a museum to document the crimes that took 
place there. Others say it should have been simply knocked down. But 
the Iraqi Government says it must keep the facility because it actually 
needs the space.
  The renovations are designed to remove any reminders of the terrible 
violations of human rights that took place at Abu Ghraib when it was 
under U.S. control. Those violations did a great deal of damage, Mr. 
Speaker, to America's reputation. Even worse, they sent a terrible 
signal to the world. The UN has reported that nondemocratic countries 
have used U.S. actions in places like Abu Ghraib to justify their own 
abuses.
  Mr. Speaker, the people of the world expect America to offer a better 
example than that. They expect us to work for peace and to treat people 
with dignity and compassion.
  The Obama administration has already taken important steps in that 
direction. The President has renounced torture. He has ordered the 
closing of Guantanamo Bay. His administration has also released 
documents which show how the previous administration violated the 
constitutional rights of the American people right here at home.
  President Obama has also pledged to use diplomacy instead of war as 
the first tool of American foreign policy. He has signaled his 
willingness to talk to Iran and Syria, two nations that we must engage 
to create stability in the Middle East. He is trying, Mr. Speaker, to 
diffuse tensions with Russia, and Secretary of State Clinton has 
pledged a vigorous effort to kick-start the stalled peace process 
between Israel and the Palestinians.
  But there is still a lot more that we just have to do. We must remove 
all of our troops and military contractors out of Iraq by August 2010. 
Leaving 50,000 residual troops is unacceptable. The Iraqi people will 
view it as an enduring occupation force and it will delay the 
reconciliation and the unification the Iraqi people need. They need 
that to build stability and democracy in their country.
  We must also redeploy our troops out of Afghanistan and use 
humanitarian assistance instead of military force to achieve our goals 
there.

                              {time}  1530

  Every expert on Afghanistan knows that foreign military intervention 
never succeeds in that part of the world. Helping the Afghan people to 
build schools and roads will work a lot better than sending in more 
troops.
  I've also called for a worldwide ceasefire or ``time-out'' to give 
diplomacy, to give humanitarian assistance and conflict resolution a 
chance to work. By intensifying our efforts in

[[Page H2950]]

these areas, Mr. Speaker, our efforts of ``soft power'' or ``smart 
power'' and reducing the size of our military, we can move towards a 
conflict-free world.
  Mr. Speaker, President Obama has said, and I quote him, ``We have a 
significant stake in ensuring that those who live in fear and want 
today can live with dignity and opportunity tomorrow.''
  The President is right. Instead of bombs, instead of bullets, let's 
give the people of the world dignity and opportunity. That's the way to 
defeat terrorism. That's the way to keep America safe, and that's the 
way to ensure peace around the globe.

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