[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Pages 20053-20054]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                  IRAQ

  Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, for nearly 15 years, our country engaged 
in a bitter struggle with the tyrannical regime of Saddam Hussein. We 
argued, negotiated, debated, and compromised with this brutal dictator, 
and yet the results were always the same: deception, deceit, and lies. 
In the meantime, thousands of innocent Iraqis were raped, tortured, or 
murdered. Some disappeared entirely, never to be seen again. Meanwhile, 
Iraq's enormous wealth was pilfered and squandered by Saddam's cronies 
who were more concerned about their collection of foreign sports cars 
than ensuring the Iraqi people had running water and sufficient 
electricity.
  It is easy to lose sight of how far we have come. As we constantly 
hear stories of the guerrilla style warfare, of secret Iraqi resistance 
groups, and the criticism regarding the pace of reconstruction, we 
forget about the people we have saved or the freedom we have provided. 
Iraqis are now truly free, and we must remember that.
  Change is not instantaneous, particularly when it comes to freeing a 
people who have been oppressed for over 25 years. As the Center for 
Strategic and International Studies recently reported, the 
reconstruction in Iraq will be an enormous task. We cannot and should 
not expect immediate results: decades of neglect and degradation cannot 
be overcome by the simple exertion of will. No, rebuilding of Iraq will 
be a slow and deliberate process. It cannot be rushed, and we must 
remember that we have only been rebuilding for 11 weeks.
  The recommendations from the CSIS report were helpful in identifying 
those areas that we need to work on. For example, the CSIS team found 
that public safety remains the primary concern for many Iraqis as well 
as American commanders and recommends quickly expanding the Iraqi 
civilian defense forces. Another critical recommendation is finding 
work for unemployed Iraqis who have far too much time to consider their 
plight. Realistically, I believe agriculture and construction could 
provide that employment.
  Though we still have a long road ahead, we should also recognize how 
far we have come. Saddam's brutal dictatorship is no longer in power, 
and we have taken steps to track down members of his former regime. The 
recent killing of Saddam's two sons was an important victory, and it 
appears that it will only be a matter of time before we catch Saddam. 
The Iraqi people are starting to realize that Saddam is not coming back 
to power and that freedom is truly theirs.
  We have also restored most of the public utilities and improved 
security. Thousands of Iraqis are joining the country's new civil 
defense force, which will free up thousands of American troops for 
other missions. And oil revenue is increasing daily, helping defray the 
costs of running the country.
  Perhaps most significantly, Iraq's governing council has convened and 
the process of developing a formal structure for governing the country 
has begun. We also must not forget that 85 percent of the cities are 
now governed by local Iraqi leaders.
  Despite this amazing progress, some have criticized the 
administration's approach to Iraq. For example, many have wanted to 
know when our troops will come home for some time. Unfortunately, the 
Army was unable to provide a rotation schedule until recently because 
of ongoing military operations and security concerns.
  This concern resonated in my home State as well. In Colorado, we have 
been awaiting word on when the local soldiers from the 3rd Armored 
Cavalry based at Fort Carson might return since the end of Operation 
Iraqi Freedom. Thankfully, the Army recently announced its unit 
rotation schedule, which means that if all goes according to plan, many 
of the units in Iraq, including the 3rd Armored Cavalry, will be home 
within a year.
  This information will bring joy to our troops who have served so 
valiantly over the last several months. It will also give hope to the 
many families who had been patiently awaiting for information on when 
their loved ones might return. We should not forget that without their 
support and sacrifice, our troops would not be able to function. It is 
their families who give our troops strength.
  This is why I have been working with nonprofit organizations like the 
Armed Forces Foundation that have been providing support to these 
families during this prolonged deployment. During the August recess, 
for example, I will be joining the Armed Forces Foundation in 
organizing a fishing trip for the children of the soldiers from Fort 
Carson. While activities like the children's fishing trip cannot 
replace a mother or father, they can lift the spirits of these families 
who have sacrificed so much.
  Other criticism, however, is completely unjustified at this time. For 
example, some pushed for cost estimates on our future operations in 
Iraq, which everyone knows is nearly impossible to predict at this 
time. Department officials can't look into their crystal ball and pull 
out the magic number. Future operations in Iraq may cost more than the 
$4 billion we are currently spending or they may cost less. We just 
don't know at this time, and we won't know until Iraq is completely 
stabilized.
  Another criticism centers on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction 
programs. Almost all of us believed, and many of us still believe, Iraq 
had weapons of mass destruction. And what happened to these weapons is 
a legitimate question.
  Our forces have not found these weapons yet, but that does not mean 
they didn't exist or that we won't find them in the future. There are 
few matters that our intelligence agencies have ever conclusively 
agreed on. One of those was that Iraq was developing weapons of mass 
destruction. Last October's National Intelligence Estimate clearly lays 
out the intelligence supporting this belief.

[[Page 20054]]

  What attracted so much attention, unfortunately, was the use of 
particular pieces of intelligence in speeches by administration 
officials. The President's State of the Union Address for example 
included a statement that the administration now admits did not rise to 
the level of certainty required for Presidential speeches.
  While I won't attempt to justify the inclusion of such a statement, I 
will say that the matter does not deserve the attention it has 
received. The President's statement was not false, and it was only one 
statement in a series that laid out Iraq's effort to develop weapons of 
mass destruction. In fact, British intelligence still stands behind the 
statement. And no one has questioned the veracity of the other 
statements in the President's speech.
  So despite this statement, it seems clear to me that the President 
laid out a very convincing case that the American people and Congress 
agreed with. I also remind my colleagues that we voted to force Iraq to 
comply with United Nations resolutions 3 months before the President's 
speech.
  Mr. President, Operation Iraqi Freedom was a spectacular campaign 
that resulted in the freeing of millions from tyranny and oppression. 
We should take pride in bringing freedom and liberty to the Iraqi 
people. Our troops are performing admirably and continue to believe in 
their mission. We still have much to accomplish, but with patience and 
perseverance, we will make a difference in this long-troubled region of 
the world.

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