[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 18]
[Senate]
[Pages 24723-24724]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS

  Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I would like to share some of my 
thoughts on the administration's request for additional funding for 
Iraq and Afghanistan.
  The majority of our attention has been focused on the situation in 
Iraq. Certainly this topic merits the attention it has received not 
only this morning but every morning it has received during morning 
business. In all of this, however, I would like to ensure that we do 
not overlook another very important aspect of this bill, which is 
increased assistance for Afghanistan.
  The supplemental includes $11 billion for Operation Enduring Freedom: 
over $1 billion for training of the Afghan National Army and the 
construction of roads, schools, and health clinics.
  Too often, as we focus on what is transpiring around the world--
whether it is events in Iraq, the happenings in North Korea, the 
situation in Liberia--the news coming out of Afghanistan goes 
unnoticed: the cooperation between U.S. and Afghan forces in tracking 
down elements of the Taliban and al-Qaida; the progress USAID is making 
in strengthening the government; vaccinating Afghan children for 
measles; expanding educational opportunities for women and girls; and 
we must also remember the rehabilitation of numerous roads, bridges, 
tunnels, and related infrastructure.
  There is also bad news as to what is happening in Afghanistan: 
reports of the resurgence of the Taliban and al-Qaida, increased poppy 
cultivation for opium production, and a yet uncertain relationship 
between the central and the provincial governments.
  Our support for the progress in Afghanistan must continue. Many talk 
of the need to succeed in Iraq. The high price associated with that, if 
we fail, will be incredible. And I agree. The same holds true with 
Afghanistan. So I am pleased this supplemental is not just about Iraq 
but includes Afghanistan as well.
  This past May, during his commencement address at the University of 
South Carolina, the President spoke to what the biggest accomplishment 
our presence in these two nations--Iraq and Afghanistan--can be, and 
that is the opportunity to replace old hatreds with new hope.
  As the President said, when citizens have hope--when they feel as if 
they are invested in the future--then the extreme ideologies of 
terrorists hold no sway. But if there is no hope, if individuals think 
the future holds nothing for them or their families, the appeal of 
extremism is great.
  That is the fight the United States faces today. What does the future 
of Iraq and Afghanistan hold for their citizens?
  We have all heard of the recent Gallup poll taken in Iraq, which 
showed that 67 percent of Iraqis surveyed thought their lives would be 
better off in 5 years as a result of the U.S.-led invasion. Only 8 
percent said their lives would be worse off. The hope for the future is 
there.
  The Iraqi people are not willing to give in to the evil of terrorism, 
but if the United States fails in its task, if we do not deliver on our 
promises to get the job done, we have perhaps opened the door to even 
further terrorism.
  Make no mistake about it, if we go about our task in a halfhearted 
manner and do not provide the resources that are needed, then we are 
only sentencing our troops to continued danger and longer deployments. 
The fact is, the sooner we complete the job, the sooner our troops come 
home.
  Despite what may be portrayed in the media, progress is being made. 
We see that on a daily basis. Towns and municipal councils have been 
set up.
  Fifty-six thousand Iraqis have been trained and armed for the 
security of their nation. More Iraqis are being trained to serve in the 
Iraqi Army and the police force. Electricity has been restored to 
prewar levels. A new Iraqi currency was introduced just this week.
  On the education side, on October 1, just a couple weeks ago, the 
children of Iraq returned to school. And with the assistance of the 
Coalition Provincial Authority and USAID, nearly 1,600 schools in Iraq 
have been renovated. Over 5.6 million math and science books, free of 
Saddam's propaganda, are being printed and will soon be delivered. U.S. 
universities are part-
nering with Iraqi universities. This is significant because over 40 
percent of Iraq's population is under the age of 15. These are kids who 
have known nothing but life under Saddam Hussein. These children are 
Iraq's future. Ensuring access to educational opportunities for both 
boys and girls is key. This will give the Iraqis the chance to develop 
the skills they need for their own personal advancement, to diversify 
Iraq's economic development, and to provide for the future of their 
nation and a future with hope, which is what we are all working toward.
  I see the good Senator from Missouri is here. I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Missouri is recognized 
for 8 minutes 15 seconds.
  Mr. TALENT. Mr. President, it was not really my intention to come 
down on this particular debate and speak. I would like to give a 
broader statement on the war at some point. But I thought I would come 
for a few minutes today because I have been watching from time to time 
our friends on the Democratic side, particularly the Presidential 
candidates who seem to be vying with each other to show their base, to 
show the left how much they are against the war. They are trying to 
appeal to the left, which is certainly understandable given that they 
are running in a primary.
  That has distressed me because I think the growing opposition to the 
war on the left is a tremendous historical mistake. People in that 
movement will view it that way 20 or 30 years

[[Page 24724]]

from now. I say with all good faith to my friends in that movement that 
this is not the 1960s. Iraq is not Vietnam. Saddam Hussein is not Ho 
Chi Minh. The terrorists are not some kind of utopian movement that 
wants to create a workers paradise around the world. The terrorists 
stand for everything that this country hates, and in particular, 
everything the left in this country has always stood against. They are 
bloodthirsty cutthroats. They don't believe in diversity. They are 
racial and religious bigots. They are sexists. They hate the idea of 
international law. They have no respect for international norms. We 
should all be opposing them.
  This is a war in which we should all be involved. We should all get 
in the same boat and row. I know it is hard to support a war which is 
led by a President you do not support. I was in that situation when we 
were involved in Bosnia. We are still there. It is hard to support a 
war led by a President whose very election you question. I understand 
what it is like to lose a contested election and, in fact, to lose one, 
the outcome of which is disputed. I was in that situation when I ran 
for Governor in 2000.
  I believe very strongly that this is an American war. This action in 
Iraq is part of it. There is a tremendous strategic aspect of this war. 
We can and will win it, if we pull together, if we get in the same boat 
and row. There is no reason we should not. I urge both parties and all 
different parts of the philosophical spectrum to do that.
  I want to take a few minutes to talk about this package, and in 
particular the need for reconstruction. There are three reasons this is 
very important, why it is in America's interest to spend this money and 
reconstruct Iraq.
  First, we have to get the lights on there so that we can do the job 
we have set out to do. It is very difficult to hunt people down, hunt 
the terrorists down, if you can't turn on the lights. We need this 
infrastructure in order to do our job. Second, we have to create a 
basic infrastructure in Iraq so that the country can have the stability 
that will allow us to leave honorably. None of us want to be there. But 
we have engaged in this war for our interests, and it is now our 
responsibility to make sure the country is stable enough so there is 
not chaos when we leave. To do that, they have to have an electricity 
grid, among other things.
  The third point was made powerfully by Prime Minister Blair in the 
House Chamber. Part of what we have to do in this war is not just 
defeat the terrorists but vindicate our values against which they 
stand. It is not enough just to curse the darkness. We have to light a 
candle.
  One of the terrorists' goals is to spread their philosophy and their 
ideals all throughout the Islamic world, from Morocco to Indonesia. We 
need to show that the ideals of our democracy--dignity, freedom, the 
rights of the individual--are not just for us; they are for everybody. 
They don't just work for us; they will work for everybody. That is why 
the creation of a stable, benign Iraqi democracy is so crucial an 
aspect of this war. It would be an enormous strategic victory for us if 
we could create such a democracy there. I believe we can. I believe we 
are. We can and will win, if we don't quit.
  I don't believe the people are going to quit. I don't believe this 
Congress is going to quit. This money we are spending today is in our 
interest to spend. That bears on the loan versus grant problem. 
Certainly I hope we get this money back. I would love to get this money 
back. We all should do what we can to enhance the Treasury and FSC and 
the American taxpayer. But if it is in our interest to do it, we should 
do it the same way we do everything else that is in our interest--we 
just spend the money. If it is not in our interest, we should not loan 
it to them either. I don't want to loan money to a country just to help 
them. I am representing Missouri and the United States of America. We 
spend money. We loan money to advance America's interests. If it is in 
our interest, and we believe that, we ought to be willing to give it to 
them in the form of a grant, especially since everybody knows, if we 
give this money in a loan, eventually we will forgive it. We will not 
get the money back anyway. We are going to urge everybody around the 
world to forgive it.
  This is in America's interest. We can light a candle. We can defeat 
these terrorists. We can win this war. We ought to do it. I hope we 
will all pull together in the debate on this bill and get it done.
  I yield back the remainder of my time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. Murkowski). The Democratic leader.
  Mr. DASCHLE. Would the Chair inform the body as to the amount of time 
remaining on the Republican side?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. There are 2 minutes 13 seconds remaining on 
the Republican side.
  Mr. DASCHLE. Madam President, I do not know if anybody on the other 
side wishes to use that time, but in the interim, perhaps I might use 
leader time to make a statement on another matter.
  (The remarks of Mr. Daschle and Mr. Leahy pertaining to the 
introduction of S. 1740 are located in today's Record under 
``Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions.'')
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Massachusetts.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Madam President, I ask that the Chair notify me when I 
have 3 minutes remaining.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair will do so.

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