[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Page 7746]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      SUPPORTING COALITION TROOPS

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I want to take just one final moment and 
comment on our troops overseas. President Bush and Prime Minister Blair 
met today at Camp David, just a few hours ago. Today we passed in this 
Senate unanimously a Senate resolution to commend the members of the 
coalition for their support of this noble cause.
  On this day of Prime Minister Blair's visit, I want him to know, and 
I want the Record to reflect, that the Senate and the American people 
are grateful for his courage, for the courage of the British people 
and, above all, for the courage of the British troops fighting shoulder 
to shoulder with the American troops in Iraq.
  We have seen more evidence of the brutal tactics of Saddam Hussein's 
regime: Iraqi soldiers dressed in civilian clothes; Iraqi soldiers 
surrendering and then firing on coalition forces; military equipment 
placed in residential areas and near cultural sites; even reports of 
Iraqi soldiers using women as shields and giving weapons to children.
  These and other horrific acts that we have been able to witness 
firsthand as they played out over the last 7 days lead us only to 
strengthen our coalition's resolve. Let there be no doubt, we are 
engaged in a just war against evil.
  We continue to see the courage of our troops. I am especially proud 
as a Tennessean of the 101st Airborne out of Fort Campbell. It is Fort 
Campbell, KY. But if you look on a map, you see almost all of it--I 
have to be careful--almost all of the land, the majority of the land, 
is in Tennessee. The 101st Airborne, as we all know from the media 
coverage, has been dispatched to the battlefield. I have had the 
opportunity to look at a number of photographs. Although I know it is 
difficult for my colleagues in the room to see, I just want to share 
one of those photographs.
  The caption underneath it reads as follows:

       U.S. Pvt. Elizandro Gonzales, of the 502nd Infantry 
     Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, Air Assault, prepares his 
     M249 light machine gun before pressing forward to the north, 
     Thursday, March 26, 2003 in Iraq.

  And the caption continues to read:

       Gonzales said that he and the rest of his ground assault 
     convoy were ready to take the fight to the enemy.

  That is the caption from the reporter who was with the photographer 
who took this individual picture.
  I show that picture and mention it because I look forward to the 
opportunity of joining members of the families of many of these 
soldiers on Sunday at Fort Campbell so that I can personally express my 
appreciation for the sacrifices they are making, their families are 
making, and their friends are making overseas for all of us.
  Mr. President, our prayers and our people continue to be with our 
brave men and women in battle in Iraq.

                          ____________________