[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 4944]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             EXTENDING CONDOLENCES AND GRATITUDE TO CANADA

  (Mr. SKELTON asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, I want to express condolences to the 
families of the four Canadian soldiers who were killed and the eight 
soldiers who were injured during training exercises in Afghanistan. 
News reports say that these are the first Canadians to be killed in a 
combat zone in half a century.
  Canada is a valued member of our coalition in the fight against 
terrorism and has been a valued friend of the United States for 
decades. I fear we do not express our gratitude enough to the Canadian 
people for their support and their friendship. In the face of this 
tragedy, it is important to thank Canada for its commitment to the 
fight against terrorism.
  Our men and women in uniform, U.S. forces, as well as members of our 
coalition forces, take risks every day in support of our freedoms. 
Unfortunately, some of our best and brightest young people lose their 
lives in this cause. Canadian forces are fighting alongside U.S. and 
European troops, seeking to hunt down remnants of Osama bin Laden's 
terrorist organization. We extend our condolences to our Canadian 
allies.

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