[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 57 (Wednesday, April 21, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H2771-H2772]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      PRAISING THE OUTSTANDING WORK OF OUR FIGHTING MEN AND WOMEN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bright) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to praise the outstanding work 
of our fighting men and women stationed overseas. Too often, their work 
goes unnoticed, but our safety and security is contingent upon their 
success. On Monday, however, the entire world took notice of their 
excellent work.
  Two of al Qaeda's top leaders were killed in a joint effort between 
Iraqi and U.S. forces. General Odierno said it was ``potentially the 
most significant blow to al Qaeda since the beginning of the 
insurgency.''
  Their success has not been by accident nor has it been limited to 
Iraq. Our allies across the region are beginning to actively engage in 
the fight against terrorism, and it is yielding successful results. We 
must send a loud message that those who seek to do us harm will pay the 
ultimate price. I anticipate our progress will continue in the months 
ahead because we have a strategy and clear-cut goals in Afghanistan.
  The administration and the commanders on the ground know we must root 
out the terrorists who still reside in the same country from which the 
9/11 terror attacks originated. As a result, terrorist leaders are 
being captured and killed on a regular basis. Special forces and 
Predator drones, in coordination with the governments in Pakistan and 
Afghanistan, have captured or killed more than 600 of al Qaeda's 
fighters and associates in 2009 alone, far more than in 2008. This is 
more than triple the amount from the period of 2004-2008 combined.
  The new counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan helped lead to the 
capture of, among others, the Taliban's second in command, a former 
Taliban finance minister, and two shadow governors of Afghan provinces. 
These are the most significant captures of the Afghan Taliban leaders 
since the start of the war in Afghanistan.

                              {time}  1645

  However, as we continue to move forward in Iraq and Afghanistan, we 
must never forget about our number one target. That's Osama bin Laden. 
The man who was behind the 9/11 attacks must be brought to justice in 
order to send a

[[Page H2772]]

clear message that no act of terror will be able to go unpunished.
  Last year I twice visited Afghanistan as part of a congressional 
delegation to the regions. We received briefings from both American and 
Afghani political leaders and their military leaders. The question I 
asked nearly everyone who would listen to us was, Where is Osama bin 
Laden, and what are we doing to capture or kill this man?
  Our recent success in killing and capturing his allies gives me 
confidence that the appropriate steps are being taken to bring this 
murderer to justice. In fact, Commander of U.S. and NATO forces in 
Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, recently confirmed that the 
military is actively trying to find and kill bin Laden. I was very 
pleased to hear General McChrystal confirm his commitment as he 
continues his excellent service in Afghanistan.
  The strategy in Afghanistan and Iraq is two-pronged and not only a 
military endeavor. In addition to wrapping up our missions to capture 
and kill terrorists, we are also now placing a greater emphasis on 
preventing the recruitment of violent extremists by preventing these 
countries from returning to the conditions that fueled such hate in the 
past.
  In fact, just a couple of hours ago, I participated in a video 
teleconference with the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team in the 3rd 
Infantry Division of the U.S. Army. The ``sledgehammer brigade,'' as 
they are nicknamed, told me about over 120 projects they have completed 
or will soon be completed in a five-province region in Iraq. Their 
efforts are a big reason we have seen significant progress and 
stabilization in Iraq over the past 2 years.
  I look forward to working with my colleagues to continue to support 
our forces in these two endeavors.

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