[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 14546-14547]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           RECOMMENDATIONS FROM TRIP REPORT ON VISIT TO IRAQ

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. FRANK R. WOLF

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 10, 2003

  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I recently shared with our colleagues 
observations following my recent two-day trip to southern Iraq. I was 
there Sunday, May 25, and Monday, May 26. I also spent a day, Tuesday, 
May 27, in Kuwait, where I met with Kuwaiti government officials, 
members of the U.S. military, State Department officials and staff from 
the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
  Today I want to share with our colleagues a number of recommendations 
concerning the reconstruction of Iraq.
  Recommendations: these recommendations are based on my observations 
and conversations with the people I met during the course of my visit. 
Some were discussed in greater detail in the observations section of my 
trip report.
  Security: security is priority one. While the coalition forces have 
made great strides in trying to improve security in recent weeks, there 
is still a long way to go. Security is the linchpin to winning the 
peace in Iraq. That means security for coalition forces. Security for 
the NGOs. Security for the contractors. And security for the Iraqi 
people so they can go about their life. The gun turn-back program 
recently announced by Ambassador Bremer is a positive step but many are 
concerned that people may turn in only one gun and keep two. In 
addition to concerns about personal safety, looting remains a problem. 
I was told that looters continue to target electrical substations in 
southern Iraq, stealing the copper wire to sell on the black market. 
These substations provide much of the power for Baghdad. Coalition 
forces should provide security until it can be provided by the Iraqis.
  Justice System: re-establishing a fair and just judicial system in a 
timely fashion is critical. Figuring out what to do with locals who 
break the law, such as looters, but are not a threat to U.S. security 
must be addressed as soon as possible. The laws need to be clear and 
must be enforced.
  `Play to Win': ``Play to Win,'' the final report of the bipartisan 
Commission on Post-Conflict Reconstruction, should be used as the 
blueprint for rebuilding Iraq.
  The report, released in January, was produced jointly by the 
Association of the United States Army and the Center for Strategic and 
International Studies. Its 17 recommendations provide an excellent 
model to follow. The commission is made up of 27 distinguished 
individuals with extensive experience in government, the military, non-
governmental organizations and international aid groups. It met 
throughout 2002 to ``consider recommendations that surfaced over two 
years of research, expert working groups, and vetting with current 
policymakers and practitioners.'' The report can be found on the 
Internet at http://www.pcrproject.org
  Commission Visits: a select group of the Commission on Post Conflict 
Reconstruction should travel to Iraq.
  The panel's co-chairmen, Dr. John Hamre, former deputy secretary of 
defense, and Gen. Gordon Sullivan, former chief of staff of the U.S. 
Army, should appoint a select number of commissioners to travel to Iraq 
to assess how the reconstruction efforts are going. Their assessment, a 
second opinion, if you will, would be impartial and could prove to be 
invaluable. They should travel in a small group with a military escort 
to ensure their safety.
  Congressional Oversight: small groups of members of Congress should 
make the trip to Iraq. They should go without publicity to ensure their 
safety and the safety of those who would be providing protection. Their 
visit to learn more about what is happening in the country and what it 
is going to take to rebuild the country would be helpful in their 
oversight responsibility in Congress. The chairmen and ranking 
Members--or their designees--of the House and Senate Armed Services 
committees, Appropriations committees and International Relations/
Foreign Relations committees should consider going.
  In addition to meeting with military commanders, the members should 
meet with Ambassador Bremer and other officials in the Office of 
Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance (ORHA), USAID officials, 
representatives from the NGO community and other international 
organizations, and Iraqi citizens.
  Partnering with Iraqi People: every effort must be made to involve 
the Iraqi people in rebuilding their country, from governance to 
security to repairing the country's infrastructure. The Iraqi people 
must be an equal partner in the process.
  ``Play to Win'' is instructive on this point: ``. . . every effort 
must be taken to build (or rebuild) indigenous capacity and governance 
structures as soon as possible. Leadership roles in the reconstruction 
effort must be given to host country nationals at the earliest possible 
stage of the process. Even if capacity is limited, host country 
representatives should chair or co-chair pledging conferences, 
priority-setting meetings, joint assessment of needs, and all other 
relevant processes.''
  American companies awarded contracts to rebuild Iraq's infrastructure 
should hire locals whenever possible. There are many skilled and 
educated people in Iraq and they should be tapped to help rebuild their 
country.
  Reconstruction Support: the sooner the Office of Reconstruction and 
Humanitarian Assistance, now called the Coalition Provisional 
Authority, is completely operational the better. Every effort should be 
made to ensure that Ambassador Bremer and his staff have the necessary 
tools and resources to successfully complete the job.
  Provincial Officers: the military's Civil Affairs detachments in Iraq 
have worked diligently to help restore order and are making more and 
more progress every day. Consideration should be given to providing the 
officer in charge of each of the 18 provinces in Iraq with access to a 
ready cash account--perhaps up to $500,000--so they can more quickly 
hire translators, laborers and other locals to assist in their efforts 
in putting together a government without having to get every 
expenditure signed off by headquarters or Washington.
  The money also could be used to purchase goods and services in-
country, such as generators, pumps or even a trash truck, on a

[[Page 14547]]

more timely basis rather than waiting for it to be brought in by 
coalition forces.
  Government on any level needs money to operate. Clearly, this money 
must be accounted for, but it would greatly assist in the efforts to 
rebuild the country.
  Civilian Expertise: consideration also should be given to helping 
augment the work of the Civil Affairs detachments by bringing in U.S. 
civilians with expertise in local government, such as county 
administrators and city managers, as well as experts in agriculture and 
public works. In each of the 18 provinces, the head of each military 
Civil Affairs detachment acts like a governor. They need experts--much 
like a cabinet--at their disposal who can advise them on issues like 
banking, education, public works and health care.
  For example, the National Association of County Administrators could 
assist in rotating in civilian administrators to work with the military 
and local Iraqis in setting up and running local governments. There 
could be one for each of the 18 provinces. Some of the leading 
agriculture companies in the country could lend their expertise on 
irrigation and production. The head of the public works department in 
any large county or city in the country would bring an inordinate 
amount of experience to the table. There also is a great deal of 
expertise in the Federal Government which can be tapped. Again, these 
individuals would work hand-in-hand with the military and the locals.
  Post-Combat Skills: the U.S. military has to begin thinking about 
training more of its soldiers for a postcombat environment to help fill 
any void until the necessary Civil Affairs and Military Police units 
can be put in place. I realize this is asking our war fighters to take 
on a new mission, but in this new world environment, I believe this 
skill is necessary.
  Communications Systems: communications and communication systems 
remain a problem for both the military and the aid organizations 
working in Iraq. I was told that not all of the Civil Affairs 
detachments are readily able to communicate with each other or with the 
Humanitarian Assistance Center in Kuwait, which is coordinating all the 
civil affairs and humanitarian assistance in Iraq. Contacting U.S. 
officials in Baghdad also is problematic. I was told part of the 
problem is that most Civil Affairs detachments are made up of reserve 
units which do not always have compatible communications equipment. 
This needs to be addressed. It is imperative that all 18 provinces be 
linked with each other and headquarters. Congress should provide DOD 
with the necessary funding to ensure that these detachments have 
radios, computers and other communications equipment that are 
interoperable.
  Aid organizations also are encountering problems communicating with 
their staff in southern Iraq because telephone and other data 
transmission lines have yet to be repaired. This presents a problem, 
especially for sharing data and supplying information.
  Iraq's banking system: the issue of Iraqi currency must be dealt with 
immediately. Many people in Iraq will not accept payment with the old 
regime's currency. The World Bank should provide its expertise in 
helping get Iraq's banking system back up and running.
  The Story of Democracy: the State Department working with the 
National Endowment for Democracy and other groups with similar 
expertise should develop a program on democracy and how a democratic 
government works.
  I was told that Iraqis watch a great deal of television. Perhaps 
whatever program is developed should be put on videotapes and tailored 
to specific age groups so that all Iraqis can understand the democratic 
process. This program must be made available to the Civil Affairs units 
in each of the 18 provinces. I understand money already has been 
appropriated and some contracts have been let. This program must be put 
into place as soon as possible.
  A pro-democracy newspaper also should begin to be published on a 
daily basis in Iraq.
  Ordnance Removal: finding and removing unexploded ordnance needs to 
be a priority. Sadly, many Iraqi children have been seriously hurt by 
exploding weapons while playing outdoors. When I visited the General 
Hospital in Nasiriyah, a young boy had just been brought into the 
emergency room after either a mine or unexploded ordnance blew up near 
him. He was severely burned and there was a piece of shrapnel in his 
right eye. Clearing this ordnance will be a long and laborious process.
  Health Care: while great progress has been made to improve health 
care in southern Iraq since the war ended, there is still a long way to 
go. While the major hospitals in southern Iraq used to bear Saddam 
Hussein's name--and are all identically constructed--there was little 
or no medicine and the conditions inside are deplorable. One NGO that 
is providing invaluable assistance is the International Medical Corps 
(IMC). Their doctors, nurses, nutritionists and other health care 
professionals are making great strides in assessing the health care 
needs of Iraq. They are also helping provide care. I was told that IMC 
has helped distribute more than two tons of donated medicine to 
hospitals and clinics in southern Iraq. There is concern, however, that 
diseases like malaria and visceral leishmaniasis--also called Dum Dum 
Fever or Black Fever--could ravage the region this summer because no 
spraying was done this spring to kill the mosquito larvae or sand flea 
larvae. Bites from sand fleas are the cause of visceral leishmaniasis, 
which attacks internal organs. This disease has an 80 percent fatality 
rate for young children unless treated with a 21-day shot routine. 
Cholera is another concern. Area hospitals and American drug companies 
should work with medical NGOs in Iraq to ensure they have an adequate 
drug supply and the necessary equipment to provide medical services. 
Any assistance must be coordinated with NGOs on the ground so there is 
not any duplication of efforts or unnecessary equipment donated.
  Women's Health: improving health services for women will be 
particularly important as the reconstruction of Iraq moves forward. 
More focus is needed on pre- and post-natal care. The surgical 
capabilities in the country are seriously lacking. Special instruments 
for delivering babies and performing cesarean sections are needed. So 
are the proper medications for delivery. More nurses also need to be 
trained.
  Religious Freedom: as a new government is established in Iraq, care 
must be given to protect the rights of religious minorities. I urge the 
Bush Administration to develop a strategy and governance structure 
within the new Iraqi government to ensure that the hard won freedoms of 
the Iraqi people also will include the right and protection of 
religious liberties.
  Quality of Life for Troops: the troops serving in the Gulf region are 
outstanding. The ones I spoke with were highly skilled, highly 
motivated and extremely professional. They all have made great 
sacrifices to serve their country. In turn, we should do everything 
possible to make sure their morale remains high. Hearing from home is a 
big part of that. Congress should provide DOD with the necessary 
resources to ensure these service men and women serving in the Gulf, 
and around the globe for that matter, are able to get messages from 
home, whether by phone, e-mail or regular mail.
  Commendation for Kuwait: Congress should approve a resolution 
thanking the government and people of Kuwait for their assistance in 
helping to provide humanitarian relief to Iraq. The Kuwaiti government 
has provided millions of dollars in assistance, both in-kind and in 
material goods. The United States' Humanitarian Operations Center is 
run out of a former government facility in Kuwait City.
  NGOs Valuable Role: the NGOs on the ground in the region also have 
done a tremendous job responding to the needs of the Iraqi people. From 
helping provide food to medical care to caring for orphans, their 
experience and expertise has proven invaluable. I was told some of the 
NGOs in the region are concerned that the humanitarian assistance is 
being coordinated by the U.S. military. Some of their misgivings may be 
justified. As the ORHA/CPA gets up and running, however, I suspect many 
of their concerns will be alleviated. Care must be given though to 
ensure that ORHA/CPA does not duplicate efforts that are already 
underway.
  Conclusion: in closing, I want to thank all those who helped make my 
trip possible. For security reasons I cannot mention people by name, 
but I am forever grateful for their assistance.
  I also want to thank all the NGOs who are providing humanitarian 
assistance in Iraq. The people who work and volunteer for these 
organizations are extremely dedicated. They work long hours and give up 
the many comforts of home to serve others, often in very dangerous 
places around the globe, like Iraq and Afghanistan. They are a special 
breed and deserve our thanks and praise.
  Finally, I want to thank several members of my staff for their help 
in putting together this report. Dan Scandling, my chief of staff, 
accompanied me on the trip and served as photographer. Janet Shaffron, 
my legislative director, edited the report and Colin Samples did the 
layout and design.

                          ____________________