[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 16135]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                  IRAQ

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, during the August recess, I had the 
opportunity to meet with a number of my constituents from all walks of 
life and hear what was on their mind. The question that came up over 
and over was are we going to invade Iraq and, if we were, what did that 
mean? How many troops would it take? Would we have to attack civilian 
centers? How long would we have to stay in Iraq? Would our allies join 
us? How much would it cost? Who would rule Iraq after we invaded? How 
would this affect our efforts in Afghanistan? How would this affect our 
efforts to promote peace in the Middle East?
  I have thought long and hard about this matter as I am sure all of my 
colleagues have. I believe the questions my constituents have raised 
are legitimate and require genuine and detailed replies. I also believe 
that as a Member of this body, I need to know in very specific detail 
how the United States will find and allocate the necessary resources 
for such a venture without jeopardizing our current priorities in 
Afghanistan and the Middle East.
  Dismantling and destroying the al Qaeda terrorist network and 
stabilizing and restoring a functioning representative government in 
Afghanistan are top priorities for U.S. policy.
  We are a long way from achieving these goals. Known al Qaeda and 
Taliban fighters continue to operate in parts of Afghanistan and 
Pakistan. Other top al Qaeda leaders are known to be in Iran. Al Qaeda 
funds have been relocated to Sudan. The task of creating a stable post-
conflict government in Afghanistan has barely begun, and warlords are 
reasserting their hold over former territory. Development aid has been 
slow to arrive and even slower to take effect, and most is unable to 
reach very far beyond Kabul.
  Mr. Speaker, I recognize that it will take years for Afghanistan to 
become truly stable and able to meet the needs of its own people, but 
right now the country is already beginning to slip backward. It is 
imperative that we stay the course and succeed in Afghanistan, and it 
will cost the United States a great deal in time, personnel, effort, 
and money.
  Completing the mission in Afghanistan requires holding together the 
international coalition Washington assembled following the September 11 
attacks. War in Iraq, especially any unilateral action, would almost 
certainly shatter that coalition and alienate significant partners. A 
unilateral U.S. invasion of Iraq will make it difficult to get Arab 
support for a fair and lasting resolution to the Middle East conflict. 
It would also inflame anti-American sentiment in the region. Diplomacy 
and coalition building aside, the military challenges of war and 
especially its aftermath in Iraq are still quite formidable. Iraq, like 
Afghanistan, is a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural nation with no apparent 
popularly supported opposition. Armed paramilitary and clandestine 
organizations opposed to a U.S.-led occupation of Iraq are likely to 
engage in guerrilla attacks against American soldiers. Internal strife 
and even civil and ethnic war are even more likely. Experts on Iraq 
from both prior Republican and Democrat administrations have indicated 
that it could take a decade or more of U.S. troops occupying Iraq 
before it is stable once more.
  I will listen closely to the speech that President Bush will deliver 
next week at the United Nations. I welcome the fact that the 
administration has decided to reach out to our allies and to work with 
the United Nations on this matter. The President has also made the 
right decision to come before Congress and seek specific authorization 
for any military action in Iraq. Many questions remain to be answered 
before deciding how best to prevent the regime of Saddam Hussein from 
developing or deploying offensive weapons against other nations.
  In the meantime the U.S. and the international community must 
continue to put maximum pressure on the Iraqi regime and press for 
resumption of unconditional international weapons inspections. The 
President should continue to work through the United Nations Security 
Council, and the U.S. should exercise restraint and continue to build 
an international coalition, including Arab nations, dedicated to 
completing the job in Afghanistan and willing to work jointly for more 
genuinely representative government in Baghdad.
  Mr. Speaker, in conclusion let me just say that I am deeply concerned 
with the policy that the administration has articulated thus far on 
Iraq. It will take a far more compelling presentation to convince me 
and many of my constituents that war is the right and only course 
remaining for the United States to take in Iraq.

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