[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 192 (Wednesday, December 14, 2011)]
[House]
[Pages H8909-H8910]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        THE END OF THE IRAQ WAR: WELCOMED BUT TRAGICALLY OVERDUE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Woolsey) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, since the spring of 2004 I've stood here in 
this very spot 415 times to call for an end to foreign wars and the 
start of a new, smarter approach to national security. In most of those 
speeches my tone has been one of insistence and beseeching. Seldom have 
I been able to echo good news or declare a sense of accomplishment, but 
Mr. Speaker, today is different. As the President will reaffirm in a 
speech at Fort Bragg today--and it moves me almost beyond words to say 
this--the war in Iraq is finally over.
  After 105 excruciating months, after so much heartbreak and despair, 
after so many shameful episodes--such as the ``Mission Accomplished'' 
banner, Abu Ghraib, the outing of Valerie Plame, and so much more--our 
troops are finally coming home from Iraq, all of them.
  Much credit goes to President Obama for making good on his promise. 
When he was sworn into office, there were 142,000 U.S. servicemembers 
deployed to Iraq; by the time the calendar turns in 2012, there will be 
zero; zero.

                              {time}  1050

  But this day would not have come unless some very brave people had 
spoken up for peace at a time when the polls and the conventional 
wisdom said that President Bush and his Iraq policy were unassailable.
  I've been proud to work in particular with my friends, Congresswoman 
Barbara Lee and Congresswoman Maxine Waters, in establishing the Out of 
Iraq Caucus. Many of our colleagues on both sides of the aisle stood 
shoulder to shoulder with us, including our late friend, Jack Murtha, 
who's opposition to the war represented a major turning point in the 
Iraq debate.
  Of course, no one displayed more courage than the heroic men and 
women who served in Iraq with honor and selflessness. They present the 
best our Nation has to offer. I only wish that their elected leaders 
had served them better over the last decade.
  But, Mr. Speaker, we must be careful. We must be careful about 
turning this into an occasion of triumph or celebration. The end of the 
Iraq War is welcome, but tragically, overdue. Too much has been lost in 
precious American blood, in badly needed public treasure, and in our 
moral core as a Nation. The end of this war comes too late for nearly 
4,500 Americans whose parents, spouses, children, and friends will miss 
them desperately this holiday season and every other day of the year.
  Many thousands more are home from Iraq with broken minds and bodies, 
with scars they will carry for the rest of their days. We must keep our 
promise to them to provide the benefits that they so need and deserve.
  I don't know how we atone for the deaths of thousands upon thousands 
of innocent Iraqi civilians. Our military occupation in Iraq is over, 
but our bilateral engagement with Iraq most certainly will go on. There 
is still plenty of human need in Iraq, and we must have an obligation 
to help alleviate that.
  It is critical that the United States be a peaceful and constructive 
partner with Iraq, investing in development, providing the civilian 
support that will empower its people, and strengthening its democratic 
institutions. Now is the moment. Now, more than ever, we must move to a 
smarter security in Iraq.

[[Page H8910]]

  Finally, it is critical to remember that the end of the Iraq War does 
not mean we are a Nation at peace. The war in Afghanistan lingers on, 
violently and senselessly, still undermining our national security and 
weakening our country. We must, Mr. Speaker, move more quickly than 
ever to end that conflict.
  It is time to bring our troops home, all of our troops, safely home, 
now.

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