[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Page 2683]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            TRIBUTE TO THE VETERANS OF THE PERSIAN GULF WAR

 Mr. GRAMS. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to the 
brave men and women who risked their lives fighting in the Persian Gulf 
War.
  February 27 marks the eighth anniversary of the end of the Persian 
Gulf War and the liberation of Kuwait. After seven months of Iraqi 
occupation resulting in a six-week war, and cumulating in 100 hours of 
land attacks, Iraq was forced to withdraw from Kuwait. When it was all 
over, 697,000 U.S. troops had been deployed to the area and had helped 
gain freedom for the Kuwaitis. We honor the courageous men and women 
who fought in the war and especially those who lost their lives while 
fighting to protect the ideals America stands for; that is, freedom and 
liberty for all.
  As Americans, we enjoy many freedoms. When our Forefathers declared 
independence from Britain, they cited the ``right to life, liberty and 
the pursuit of happiness'' as the rights of all citizens. These 
inalienable rights cannot be taken away by anyone. After America won 
its independence and had drafted a constitution, a section was added to 
secure certain rights of all Americans. This addendum was called the 
Bill of Rights, and it ensures all citizens freedom of speech and 
freedom of religion. Unfortunately, we sometimes take these freedoms 
for granted and forget that not all people around the world enjoy the 
same inalienable rights that we do, nor can they protect themselves 
from aggressors who threaten to take away their liberty.
  When Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, he took away their freedom and 
threatened to oppress the people. As a promotor of freedom and liberty, 
the United States stepped in to defend the rights of Kuwaitis. Although 
war is a grave option, all people deserve the chance to live without 
oppression. Before turning to war, our first move is to find a solution 
peacefully through negotiations. Yet, sometimes this option fails. As 
much as we want to achieve world peace through diplomatic means, the 
unfortunate reality is that sometimes we face many complicated 
international problems, which must be dealt with in other ways.
  Because of the actions of Saddam Hussein, the Persian Gulf War was 
unavoidable. The U.S. Armed Forces came together with our Allies to 
fight for the rights of the people of Kuwait. We should be proud of the 
heroic men and women, including the members of the Minnesota Reserve 
and Guard, who fought for the freedom of others. These men and women 
put their lives on the line without hesitation.
  Mr. President, eight years ago, American soldiers bravely won freedom 
for a small country in the Middle East. I am honored today to pay 
tribute to these courageous men and women who fought in the Persian 
Gulf War.

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