[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 19]
[House]
[Page 25850]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION

  (Ms. HARRIS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. HARRIS. Mr. Speaker, this House continues to conduct an essential 
debate over our Nation's policy in Iraq. Nevertheless, meeting the 
Iraqi people and hearing their story firsthand invoked an old adage 
with respect to those who offer armchair criticism: talk is cheap.
  In the aftermath of the first Gulf War 12 years ago, we encouraged 
the Iraqi people to rise up against their brutal dictator. Then we left 
them to Saddam's murderous designs. While this decision may have made 
sense in terms of U.N. resolutions and international opinion, it 
amounted to a betrayal of the Iraqi people.
  The blood, sacrifice, and heroism of our troops over the last 7 
months have once again forged a bond of trust. In the faces of the 
Iraqis with whom I met, I witnessed a new hope that has not only 
demonstrated the success of our plan; it testified to the justice of 
our cause.
  Mr. Speaker, regardless of one's opinion about the rationale for this 
war, one truth remains: to turn back now, to betray the Iraqi people 
once again will only embolden the terrorists. Let us not debate whether 
we will produce a free prosperous and peaceful Iraq. Failure is not an 
option.

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