[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 8989]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                AMERICAN TROOPS WORKING TO IMPROVE IRAQ

  (Mr. WILSON of South Carolina asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, while we are all appalled 
and outraged by the actions of a few soldiers, let us not forget there 
are 135,000 honorable American troops, along with 23,000 courageous 
coalition partners, working day and night in Iraq to improve the 
Iraqis' quality of life. These fine men and women in uniform have built 
and repaired schools, reopened thousands of run-down hospitals and 
clinics, restored and improved electricity and water supplies, and put 
a new currency in place.
  The positive progress which I saw firsthand last month in Iraq has 
been astounding, despite daily terrorist attacks that seek to prevent 
democracy from taking root. The terrorists know that if freedom 
prevails in Iraq that it will spell the beginning of the end of their 
quest for tyrannical hold on the Middle East. Yet their desperate 
attempts will fail, and the American military will continue their noble 
work to make sure that Iraqis live in a free Iraq to protect American 
families from future acts of terrorism.
  In conclusion, may God bless our troops, and we will never forget 
September 11.

                          ____________________