[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 14279]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




SUPPORTING NEARLY 200,000 AMERICANS WORKING TO SECURE, RECONSTRUCT AND 
                      ESTABLISH STABILITY IN IRAQ

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 25, 2004

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support the nearly 200,000 
American servicemen and women, civilian government officials and 
private contractors working to secure, reconstruct and establish 
stability in Iraq. Their collective service and sacrifices, and the 
sacrifices made by their families in their absence, are to be honored 
and profoundly respected.
  The brave and proud people of Iraq also deserve to be recognized for 
enduring a very difficult and often violent transition from brutal 
authoritarian rule to the beginnings of self-rule. There remains years 
of work ahead by the Iraqi people and their journey will be difficult 
and bloody, but the path to an open, stabile and prosperous Iraq now 
lies ahead of them.
  The current situation in Iraq and the June 30, 2004 transfer of 
limited sovereignty requires U.S. policy makers and elected leaders to 
examine the very difficult reality of today and tomorrow with 
determination and honesty, rather than the best-case planning and 
irrational optimism that has plagued the occupation for the past twelve 
months. The U.S. occupation will continue on July 1, 2004 and tens of 
thousands of Americans remain working in a very dangerous war zone for 
an indefinite number of months or years.
  Today, over one hundred Iraqis and three American soldiers were 
killed in a series of coordinated attacks across Iraq. Hundred more 
Iraqis were seriously wounded. Yet, today in this House we debate House 
Resolution 691 which calls for the American people to ``celebrate the 
restoration of freedom in Iraq'' with the June 30th transfer of 
authority. The absurdity and contradiction between the reality in Iraq 
and this resolution's call for Americans to celebrate in the face of a 
murderous day and difficult days, months and years ahead is something I 
cannot support.
  Iraq is a war zone, where guerilla-style attacks take place everyday 
and our troops operate in an extremely hazardous environment. There is 
a phenomenal amount of work that still needs to be done before Iraq and 
the world can celebrate sovereignty.
  Mr. Speaker, I know the people of Minnesota honor the service of tens 
of thousands of brave Americans serving in Iraq with their thoughts and 
prayers every day, as do I. We also share in the mourning with the 
families of service men and women who have died in Iraq. We support the 
men and women who have come home wounded and need support and time to 
heal. We witness the tragic deaths of Iraqi women, men and children and 
feel anguish at the unending violence.
  Mr. Speaker, this is no time for the American people or the people of 
the world to celebrate as House Resolution 691 urges. On July 1, 2004, 
the first step toward Iraqi autonomy will be taken and the long and 
difficult path to peace, security and hope begins. It is at the end of 
this path--when Iraqi sovereignty does not require 140,000 U.S. troops 
to support it and when peace is real and the Iraqi people are 
celebrating their own freedom from occupation and violence--that the 
Congress, the American people and the world should join them in the 
celebration.
  We should be planning for success in Iraq, not planning for a 
celebration.

                          ____________________