[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 11229]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     ONE STEP CLOSER TO SOVEREIGNTY

  (Mr. PITTS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, yesterday was a big day for Iraq. As The 
Washington Post reports this morning, ``A diverse group of secular 
figures, political independents, and technical specialists was 
appointed Tuesday to serve as Iraq's caretaker administration.''
  As we come to the turnover of sovereignty to this government, we must 
keep in mind how important our effort in Iraq is. A free Iraq would be 
a death blow to the terrorists. For too long the people of this region 
have had no say in the direction of their nations. On June 30, we move 
one step closer to seeing a nation choose its own course.
  The President has been a firm, steady leader during this trying time. 
He has rightly said that we have not freed Iraq to make them into 
Americans; we have freed Iraq to allow them to live in freedom. Iraq 
has the potential to be a great ally in the Middle East. Success there 
is critical.

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