[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 182 (Wednesday, November 30, 2011)]
[House]
[Pages H7937-H7938]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 IMPLEMENTING SMART SECURITY TO REPAIR A U.S.-PAKISTAN RELATIONSHIP IN 
                                 CRISIS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Woolsey) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, over the weekend, NATO airstrikes killed at 
least 24 Pakistani soldiers in a tragic ``friendly fire'' incident that 
has once again elevated tensions between the U.S. and Pakistan. 
Regardless of who was at fault--whether our forces were acting in self-
defense or had legitimate reason to believe they were firing on 
insurgents--the Pakistan Government is furious and the bilateral 
relationship is facing a grave crisis.
  Pakistan has said they are cutting off supply routes into 
Afghanistan. They have said they will no longer participate in a 
critically important international conference in Germany next week--a 
conference that will help chart Afghanistan's future. This episode is 
fanning flames of anti-American sentiment in a country whose people are 
already hostile. In the last few days, we've seen public demonstrations 
of

[[Page H7938]]

Pakistanis burning the U.S. flag and shouting, ``Whoever is a friend of 
America is a traitor of the land.'' Clearly, Mr. Speaker, instead of 
winning the hearts and minds, we are giving terrorists a recruitment 
tool.
  Pakistan has not always been the most reliable partner, but they are 
an ally--and let's not forget, a nuclear power--with whom we share 
important mutual interests. We need their cooperation if there is going 
to be political reconciliation and long-term stability in neighboring 
Afghanistan. This incident leads me to believe more strongly than ever 
that we must redeploy our troops out of Afghanistan. We have very 
difficult diplomatic work to do there--work that is being complicated, 
not facilitated, by our military presence.
  After more than 10 years of failed war that is undermining our 
security interests, it's time to change our role in the region from one 
of military occupier to one of constructive partner. Pakistan and 
Afghanistan are the first places we could be implementing the SMART 
security strategy I've talked about so many times from this very spot.
  While it's true that we send enormous amounts of foreign aid to 
Pakistan, the overwhelming majority of it goes to the military, with 
very little trickling down to the people. We could instead spend more 
to boost Pakistan's literacy rate, or more investment in key 
infrastructure projects, the growth of civil society, or life-changing 
humanitarian efforts.

                              {time}  1100

  To give one specific example, Pakistan is one of four countries on 
Earth--and Afghanistan is one of the others--that hasn't completely 
eradicated polio. For pennies on the dollar, compared to our military 
expenditures, we can help provide the vaccination that would eliminate 
this dire public threat. Perhaps then we'll be able to change the fact 
that only 11 percent of Pakistanis have a favorable view of the United 
States. Perhaps instead of destabilizing influences of 100,000 troops 
on the ground, we can build a stronger relationship based on mutual 
trust, one that promotes peace and empowers the Pakistani people with a 
humanitarian surge instead of a military surge.
  Mr. Speaker, it's time for SMART Security, and it starts with 
bringing our troops home.

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