[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 15]
[House]
[Page 21023]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        CONCERNS OVER IRAQI WAR

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, those of us who have taken an 
oath of office to serve the American people welcome the opportunity to 
come back to the United States Congress and to be able to help guide 
this Nation as we move into the 21st century.
  A lot of activity has taken place over the August work recess; and I 
believe, Mr. Speaker, it warrants commentary and it warrants action.
  More than 6 months ago as we looked to the future, and more than that 
time frame when we debated the question of war and peace as it relates 
to Iraq, there were many of us who vigorously opposed the 
administration's war in Iraq. We argued for a constitutional vote on 
this floor, to vote war up or down. As that was overridden and the 
President decided unilaterally to go to war and ignore the United 
Nations and NATO allies and others, we continue to suggest that 
following this war, recognizing and appreciating the greatness of those 
young men and women willing to offer themselves and sacrifice 
themselves for the principles of this Nation, that we should design an 
aftermath to Iraq.
  We began to deliberate and to discuss how should we, in fact, secure 
Iraq; how should we, in fact, provide safety to the people, to provide 
peace to the people, democratization to the people, and certainly 
provide the protection to our young men and women on the ground. 
Unfortunately, this administration decided to go it alone. And lo and 
behold, though we wish not to be able to say that this evening, all we 
can say is, I told you so.
  We find in the papers of the last couple of days terrible atrocities. 
One, for example, is that there are bomb incidents almost every day. 
Might I say to the U.N., United Nations family, my deepest sympathy for 
the tragic loss of those who are on the ground for humanitarian 
purposes. We are also offering our deepest sympathy to the families who 
have lost their young men and women on the front lines and, yes, those 
lives that will continue to be lost.
  We find out by recent reports in newspapers that a congressional 
study shows that the Army lacks the active duty troops to keep the 
current occupation force in Iraq past March of 2004 without getting 
extra help from either other services and reserves or other nations. It 
was not too long ago when we said to the administration, it is 
imperative that if you fought the war alone, then you clearly need to 
keep the peace in the multi-lateral posture with the United Nations, 
with NATO allies and even with allies from the Arab region. Being in 
the Arab region, in the Medius region in April, it was clear that our 
Arab nations wanted to participate in the peace, our friends in India 
wanted to participate in the peace. But were they asked? No.
  As the President moves for a U.N. Security Council resolution, 
tentative as it is, I believe it is time for the President of the 
United States to take to the bully pulpit and restore the value to the 
United Nations, restore our friendship with the United Nations, and 
begin to put together before the U.N. Security Council a sincere 
effort, a sincere offering that we would like to collaborate in 
building the peace. There is no shame in working with friends or 
collaborating. There is no shame in promoting the United Nations, the 
very entity upon which we built after World War II in order to generate 
a forum that nations could come together and fight for peace as opposed 
to war. But yet this administration turned its back on a vehicle that 
could be helpful; and now here we come back, suggesting that we would 
like our friends to donate troops and money. Well, we cannot get that 
kind of action unless you show true sincerity.
  To the President I say that this report is worse than we would like. 
Released on Tuesday by a nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, it 
said that if the Pentagon sticks to its plan of rotating active duty 
Army troops out of Iraq after a year, it will only be able to sustain a 
force of 67,000 to 106,000 using active duty and reserve and Marine 
forces.
  We need help and there is no shame in that. I hope that the President 
will gather his thoughts and go to the United Nations in a 
collaborative way, not in an undermining way, not in undermining 
troops. I frankly support the ideas of the United Nations' effort led 
by the leadership of the United States military. We have the facts. We 
are on the ground. We know the facts.
  But, Mr. Speaker, I think it is shameful to note that we have lost 
more soldiers than when it was announced that the war was over. I think 
it is shameful that when those soldiers die we are ignoring the fact 
that we have, in fact, lost our wounded, over 1,104, and that there are 
wounded individuals every single day that go unreported because of the 
fact that we are only reporting those who have died.
  Mr. Speaker, as I close, let me simply say the poverty rate is going 
up. We, frankly, need to do this together, keeping the peace, providing 
for the peace. We will need world friends. It is time now for us to 
design an aftermath that will provide for democracy and safety in Iraq.

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