[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Pages 22595-22596]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             IRAQ ELECTIONS

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, on October 15, one week from tomorrow, the 
Iraqi people will cast their votes on a new, permanent Iraqi 
constitution, a social compact, which if ratified, will be unique in 
the history of the Arab Middle East.
  Since the stunning January 30 elections, Iraqi leaders have worked 
tirelessly to draft this historic document. Next Saturday, the Iraqi 
people will have the chance to formally express their support for this 
historic document.

[[Page 22596]]

  Throughout the summer, we witnessed the complex and painstaking 
nature of the constitution drafting process. These negotiations 
included leaders from all of Iraq's ethnic and religious groups. The 
product is a result of patience, flexibility, and compromise.
  As the President said yesterday in his televised speech, ``By any 
standard or precedent of history, Iraq has made incredible political 
progress--from tyranny, to liberation, to national elections, to the 
writing of a constitution, in the space of 2\1/2\ years.''
  Indeed.
  And they have made this progress under a hail of constant threats and 
violence from terrorist enemies within and without their borders.
  American service men and women have sacrificed greatly to advance 
America's interests in Iraq, but many more Iraqis have been killed and 
injured in the pursuit of a free and democratic Iraq.
  The draft permanent constitution lays a solid foundation for a stable 
and democratic Iraq in the heart of the Middle East. It establishes a 
true democratic system. The voice of all Iraqis will be heard. Human 
rights will be protected. The rule of law will be respected. And women 
will be full and equal participants.
  It is critical that Iraqis from all walks of life and all segments of 
Iraq's diverse population participate in next week's referendum.
  It is also important for Iraq's Sunni population to support this 
document and the democratic system of government that it establishes.
  Sunni leaders have expressed strong reservations about several 
aspects of the constitution in recent weeks. Many will vote no; that is 
their right.
  However, I believe that they also recognize the importance of 
participating in the referendum. Only through participation and 
integration into Iraq's new democratic system can Iraq's ethnic and 
religious groups ensure that their rights are secured and their 
interests are protected. They learned this hard lesson after avoiding 
the January vote. They will not make the same mistake again.
  When several of my Senate colleagues and I met with Interim President 
Jalal Talabani last month, I was convinced that the Iraqi people 
recognize the magnitude of this moment.
  And I am confident that when the time comes next week, they will once 
again show their courage and determination.
  The enemy will try to intimidate and threaten them. But the Iraqi 
people are strong.
  Eight and one-half million voters defied the killers last January, 
and Iraqis continue to volunteer for the Iraqi security forces, ready 
and willing to defend their new democracy. They do so despite the fact 
that security forces are being targeted. They do so because they 
believe in the vision of a free and democratic Iraq.
  I am confident that the Iraqi people will demonstrate this same 
fortitude in the referendum next Saturday.
  And for those who vote against the constitution, they will have the 
chance to express themselves again in December when the Iraqis go to 
the polls to elect a permanent government.
  In the meantime, the Iraqis also must undertake another momentous 
task.
  On October 19, the Iraqi Special Tribunal will begin the trial of 
Saddam Hussein and some of his closest associates. The opening portion 
of the trial will focus on the 1982 killings of 143 Shiites in the 
village north of Baghdad. Saddam will also face charges of human rights 
abuses, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
  In particular, Saddam Hussein will be required to finally answer for 
his use of chemical weapons against the civilian Kurdish population of 
Hallabja in 1988, and the violent suppression of mass uprisings 
following the Gulf War in 1991.
  It will be a riveting sight to see the justice system in the hands of 
the Iraqi people. And to watch as they face down the man and his 
minions responsible for so many hideous and barbaric crimes.
  I am confident that the Iraqi people will give their former 
oppressors a fair trial and that the guilty will be brought to justice.
  Step by step, the Iraqi people are on the path to democracy. And with 
each step, the terrorists are dealt a devastating blow, and freedom 
shows once again its power to inspire and prevail.
  The Senate stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the Iraqi people as they 
fulfill their democratic destiny. They deserve our deepest and most 
sincere support.
  I look forward to watching with hope and admiration as they take to 
the polling booths once again to secure their future as a free and 
prosperous nation in the heart of the Middle East.

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