[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Pages 23150-23151]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                  IRAQ

  Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, I think it is appropriate this morning 
that those of us in elected office, and every American, show some 
appreciation for what is going on in Iraq this morning.
  I turned on the television and saw a new face of Iraq. I saw a judge 
schooled in the law, loyal to the law, presiding over a trial of Saddam 
Hussein, a person who was schooled in thuggery, loyal to himself and 
his agenda, one of the most brutal murderers the Middle East has known. 
And I saw an attorney general laying out the case against Saddam 
Hussein.
  How did that all happen? It happened through sheer will. First, 
violence had to replace diplomacy because diplomacy was failing. The 
effort to contain Saddam Hussein's regime, to rein it in, to clearly 
understand what his purposes were about weapons of mass destruction, to 
get him to stay out of the upheaval of the Middle East, to be a 
productive member of the Middle East society, the world community, in 
my opinion, failed miserably and we had to resort to force and violence 
to oust a man who had perpetuated many crimes against his own people 
and his neighbors.
  How did it happen, at the end of the day? It happened through the 
bravery, commitment, and sacrifice of the American military, their 
coalition partners, and the Iraqi people themselves.
  We have lost around 2,000 troops since the war began. To those 
families who have lost loved ones, there is nothing I can say other 
than I am sorry and, in my opinion, for what it is worth, your loved 
ones have advanced the cause of freedom by participating in a military 
operation to take Saddam Hussein off the throne and into the dock as a 
defendant.
  To those coalition members who have stood with us and who have 
sacrificed, thank you. Because of your sacrifice, the cause of freedom 
has been advanced.
  We do not appreciate enough, in my opinion, the sacrifice of the 
Iraqi people. I believe it is the judge or one member of the court 
whose brother was assassinated. To sit in judgment of Saddam Hussein is 
no easy thing to do. They are literally risking their lives to be a 
prosecutor, a policeman, or member of the army. They wear a target on

[[Page 23151]]

 their back. Their families are at risk because the terrorists see it 
as a risk to their way of life. Those who take up arms against the 
terrorists in Iraq are literally changing the course of history.
  To those men and women who have served in the American military, 
those who have lost life and limb, I hope you take pride in what is 
happening today. To the families of the loved ones who have been lost, 
those who have been injured, and those who are still serving, because 
of your sacrifice and commitment, your willingness to leave your 
comfort zones, to leave your family and friends, Guard members and 
Reservists leaving their businesses and loved ones behind, you have 
changed the course of Middle East history.
  At the end of the day, we can't kill enough terrorists to win. 
Terrorism is about hijacking of a great religion. There is no place in 
the terrorist world for a different faith, people of moderation in the 
Islamic community, and there is no role for a woman. For that to 
change, it is going to have to be deeper than force of arms. It is 
going to have to be a transformation of a culture.
  The culture of the rule of the gun versus the rule of law is 
happening before our eyes. What is going on today in Iraq is a sea 
change in the Middle East. It is about time a dictator in that region 
answers for his crimes. It is about time people in that region be 
allowed to live their lives in a normal fashion and raise their kids in 
peace.
  That day is still far away, but we are closer than we have ever been. 
So to those men and women serving in our American military and those 
who have suffered, congratulations and God bless. Because of your 
sacrifice and those sacrifices of our coalition partners and the Iraqi 
people, there has been a sea change in the Middle East and you deserve 
all the credit.
  I hope the American people will be patient to see this thing through 
because what happens in Iraq is directly related to our own security.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kansas is recognized.
  Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I have come to the floor to make a 
statement about the situation taking place in Darfur and to update my 
colleagues. But I wish to speak briefly to my colleagues and to others 
about the amazing trial of Saddam Hussein that has started.
  This is a trial that is going to reveal a great deal about what took 
place, the carnage that happened under his rule, and what he did to the 
people of Iraq. I worked with a number of Iraqi dissidents over a 
period of time. The things they reported--the mass graves, the 
persecutions, the intimidation by this Government of Saddam Hussein--is 
something that has not been well revealed. Hopefully, that is going to 
come out in this trial. We will see change as it progresses.

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