[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 52 (Thursday, March 26, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H4047-H4048]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              WE MUST NOT REPEAT THE MISTAKES OF THE PAST

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas). Under a previous 
order of the House, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) is 
recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, the Obama administration is finalizing 
its strategy for Afghanistan, and it may announce the results of its 
war review in the next few days.
  President Obama inherited the situation in Afghanistan. He is a 
leader who prefers diplomacy over war. The United States is organizing 
an international conference on Afghanistan to reach out to the 
international community for their help. And there is talk about sending 
a civilian surge, a surge of experts in such areas as agriculture, 
reconstruction, rebuilding, and education to Afghanistan, all very 
positive steps.
  Since President Obama, however, has said that he will send at least 
17,000 more troops to Afghanistan and possibly more, I am deeply 
concerned. It will take years, and it will take a lot of blood and 
treasure to fight a war in Afghanistan and Pakistan. It could bog us 
down and distract us from our enormous domestic problems right here at 
home. It could cost us lives. It would cost us economic treasure, and 
it would cost us, actually it would leave our reputation, international 
reputation in tatters.
  Our 6-year occupation of Iraq, which continues, as I speak, has been 
a disaster that we absolutely must learn from. Using military force to 
solve problems that don't have a military solution doesn't work. 
Foreign occupation doesn't work. According to a new Army report, there 
are still over 100 attacks per week on our troops in Iraq.
  Another occupation, Madam Speaker, halfway around the world, raises 
serious questions that Congress needs an answer to. So last month, I 
joined my colleagues, Congresswoman Barbara Lee and Congresswoman 
Maxine Waters, and since we wrote a particular letter to the President 
and sent it, 10

[[Page H4048]]

other Members have signed on, and we're going to send that letter on to 
him also, raising these issues.
  We and the others made six recommendations. These recommendations 
are:
  1. Ask Congress for a clear authorization for the use for military 
force in Afghanistan and Pakistan;
  2. Define the goals objectives and benefits of U.S. involvement in 
Afghanistan;
  3. Determine the human and financial resources needed to carry out 
our efforts;
  4. Develop a timeline for the redeployment of our troops and military 
contractors out of Afghanistan;
  5. Clearly describe the role of NATO, the United Nations and other 
international partners;
  6. And finally, meet the immediate humanitarian and economic needs of 
the Afghan people.
  Madam Speaker, these six steps offer a good blueprint for avoiding a 
repeat of the mistakes that the United States made in Iraq. We need 
nation building, not empire building, because the way to defeat our 
enemies is to help the Afghan people to rebuild their country and to 
give them hope for a better future. Schools and roads will win us more 
hearts and minds than bombs and bullets.
  And a new foreign policy, based on conflict resolution and 
humanitarian assistance, is the most responsible and smartest way for 
us to achieve our goals in the Middle East and Central Asia. I hope 
that President Obama's new plan for Afghanistan will reflect this 
strategy and these values, because if we don't learn from our Iraq 
experience, we are doomed to repeat it.

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