[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 72 (Tuesday, May 12, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H5449]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      WE MUST CREATE, NOT DESTROY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
  The recent news from Afghanistan is particularly troubling. American 
bombs killed Afghan civilians last week. Of course our troops are doing 
what they can to avoid civilian casualties, but bombs have a large 
footprint, and innocent people are being killed and injured along with 
the enemy.
  Last week's incident has angered the people of Afghanistan, as it 
would, and some are demanding the withdrawal of American troops from 
their country. Anti-American sentiment is spreading.
  This terrible tragedy, Madam Speaker, proves once again that war is 
not the way to win hearts and minds, and it proves that violence is the 
least effective way to achieve our national security goals and to keep 
our country safe.
  That's why I've called upon President Obama to change our mission in 
Afghanistan. Instead of military solutions, I've asked him to focus on 
reconciliation, on economic development, humanitarian aid and 
diplomatic efforts.
  President Obama is under a great deal of pressure to expand our 
military involvement in Afghanistan, but I also know that he is a man 
of peace, not war. So I'm hopeful that he will begin to rely more and 
more on peaceful solutions to the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan 
as well before things get out of hand.
  The President has already taken some important steps towards peace. 
He is encouraging civilians and military reservists to go to 
Afghanistan and to Pakistan to help with development projects.
  He's also announced that he will go to Egypt next month to deliver a 
speech to the Muslim world. This will be an important opportunity for 
the President to hold out the hand of friendship and to spread good 
will.
  The speech in Egypt will be the second time that President Obama has 
spoken directly to the Muslim people because last month he addressed 
the Turkish Parliament where he declared, and I quote him, ``The United 
States is not and will never be at war with Islam.'' He promised to 
``seek broader engagement with the Muslim people based on mutual 
interests and mutual respect.''
  He then quoted an old Turkish proverb that says, ``You cannot put out 
fire with flames.'' And he said, ``The future must belong to those who 
create, not those who destroy.''
  I agree with the end of destruction wholeheartedly. That's why I 
propose a comprehensive new national security plan called the SMART 
Security Platform for the 21st Century. Instead of violence and 
destruction, it emphasizes diplomacy, international cooperation, 
conflict prevention and nuclear nonproliferation.
  This SMART Security Platform would eliminate the root causes of 
violence by supporting democracy building, global health, better 
educational opportunities, particularly for girls and women, and 
development aid and debt relief for countries.
  It calls for a broad range of policies to stop the spread of 
conventional, biological, chemical and nuclear weapons. It would deny 
hundreds of billions of dollars every year to irresponsible regimes by 
ending our Nation's addiction to foreign oil. And it strengthens 
international intelligence and law enforcement so we can track down and 
stop individuals involved in violence while still respecting human and 
civil rights.
  These are the steps that will put America back on the moral high 
ground, where we will be in a much better position to lead the world 
toward peace.
  Madam Speaker, the Turkish proverb is right. You cannot put out fire 
with flames. That's what we learned in Iraq, and that's what we're 
learning again in Afghanistan.
  It's time for a new strategy that recognizes that creating, not 
destroying, is the best way to make our future safe and to make the 
future of our children safe and the future of our world as well.

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