[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 18]
[House]
[Pages 24807-24815]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    THE TRUTH ABOUT THE WAR IN IRAQ

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 4, 2005, the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Drake) is 
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.
  Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to be here tonight, along 
with fellow colleagues and with the chairman of the House Armed 
Services Committee, Duncan Hunter, to talk to you about the war in 
Iraq.
  During my recent visit to Iraq, it was clear to me that our brave 
military men and women know what they are doing, why they are doing it, 
the progress they are making, and the threat to our world and our way 
of life if they fail. They see the big picture: Iraq is a key piece in 
a region-wide and worldwide struggle.
  What they wanted to know was what were the American people saying and 
thinking, and they wanted to know why their stories are not being told, 
and why their successes are not being told.
  Mr. Speaker, recently there was a New York Times article that 
included this quote. It says: ``I kind of predicted this. A third time 
just seems like I am pushing my chances.'' But in reality, Mr. Speaker, 
that was a much longer quote that I would like for you to see and I 
would like for you to hear. What that quote said was: ``Obviously, if 
you're reading this, then I have died in Iraq. I kind of predicted 
this. That is why I am writing this in November. A third time just 
seemed like I am pushing my chances. I don't regret going. Everybody 
dies, but few get to do it for something as important as freedom. It 
may seem confusing why we are in Iraq. It's not to me. I am here 
helping these people so that they can live the way that we live, not 
have to worry about tyrants or vicious dictators, to do what they want 
to do with their lives. To me, that is why I died. Others have died for 
my freedom. Now this is my mark.'' Corporal Jeffrey B. Starr.
  We would all like to thank Corporal Starr for his service, to tell 
him and his family that America mourns their very great loss, and to 
say that he is a true American hero.
  We are here tonight to tell his story and to tell the story of the 
very brave men and women who are serving to keep us free. First, I 
would like to start by recognizing Congressman Dan Burton from Indiana.
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to 
make a comment about what you just said about the New York Times 
article. When you see what was said at the beginning there, written in 
the New York Times, you immediately feel like, well, this young man was 
saying, you know, this is something we should not be doing, and I am 
just pushing my chances. But when you read the whole article, it is 
clear that he thought the life that he was giving for the freedom of 
those people was worth it.
  Mr. Speaker, he said in the last part there: ``To me, that is why I 
died. Others have died for my freedom. Now this is my mark.''
  I mean, I cannot believe that there are distortions like that in the 
media. It makes me just cringe when young men and women pay a price 
like that and write to their loved ones why they are doing it and why 
it was so important that they made that sacrifice and then have them be 
mischaracterized by a newspaper that has a preconceived idea of what 
ought to be done over there. It really, really bothers me.
  Mr. Speaker, in addition to that, my colleague, Duncan Hunter, who is 
the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, gave me this 
Congressional Medal of Honor awarded to Sergeant First Class Paul R. 
Smith of the United States Army. I was reading this and I was thinking 
about the sacrifices that these young men and women have made to 
protect people and to make sure that these people get the freedoms that 
we have enjoyed for so long. It says: ``Sergeant First Class Smith 
braved hostile enemy fire to personally engage the enemy with hand 
grenades and anti-tank weapons and organized the evacuation of three 
wounded soldiers from an armored personnel carrier struck by rocket-
propelled grenades and a 16-milimeter mortar rounds. Fearing the enemy 
would overrun their defenses, Sergeant First Class Smith moved under 
withering enemy fire to man a 50-caliber machine gun mounted on a 
damaged armored personnel carrier. In total disregard for his own life, 
he maintained his exposed position in order to engage the attacking 
enemy force. During this action, he was mortally wounded. His 
courageous actions helped defeat the enemy attack and resulted in as 
many as 50 enemy soldiers killed, while allowing the safe withdrawal of 
numerous wounded soldiers. Sergeant First Class Smith's extraordinary 
heroism and uncommon valor are in keeping with the highest traditions 
of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the 
Third Infantry Division, Rock of the Marne, and the United States 
Army.''
  Mr. Speaker, it really bothers me when I see people come down here 
and start in one way, giving an offhanded compliment to our soldiers 
and sailors and marines who are over there fighting and say, you know, 
we really respect them; and then with the other hand they say, oh, we 
ought to get out of there right now. We ought to withdraw tomorrow. We 
ought to get everybody out of there, because this is a lost cause.
  It is just not a lost cause. They went over there to do their duty 
and to stop worldwide terrorism, and this is the focal point. It is 
really bad that we have people in this body on the other side of the 
aisle, in my opinion, that say, you know, they are doing a great job 
and we really support them and, at the same time, the sacrifices that 
have been made should be for naught, we ought to just bring them home.
  We are in a world war against terrorism, a world war, and this is the 
major battleground right now. The reason we are not being attacked in 
large part here in the United States, in my opinion, is because these 
young men and women are making these sacrifices over there, in the 
middle of the storm, where terrorism has its genesis, where Iran and 
Syria and other countries are supporting terrorism. They do not want 
democracy to flourish over there, because they know their days will be 
numbered if democracy succeeds. Our young men and women who are 
fighting over there are making their days numbered, in my opinion.
  I would like to just make one quote from Sir Winston Churchill, when 
I think about my colleagues on the other side of the aisle and they 
start talking about how we have to get out of there right now. Sir 
Winston Churchill, who was one of the greatest leaders of the 20th 
century, he said in a speech that he made entitle ``We Shall Fight on 
the Beaches,'' which is very famous, he says: ``Wars are not won by 
evacuations.'' You do not win by retreating.
  The Iraqis now have almost 190,000 men in their armed services and 
their police forces over there. They are taking up more and more of the 
fight every single day. As soon as they become battle-ready and they 
can protect themselves, you are going to see us starting to bring our 
troops home. But we are not going to capitulate. Not under this 
President, we are not, and not under the majority that we have in this 
Congress.
  Now, if the more liberal Members of this body want to cave in, if 
they want to assuage the enemy and pat them on the back, then that is 
what is going to be their legacy to this country and to this world; but 
I do not want to be a part of that, and I do not think my colleagues on 
this side of the aisle want to be a part of it either.
  Let me just say one thing that is not being reported by the media 
that

[[Page 24808]]

should be, and it should be reported thoroughly and fully. Things are 
getting better in Iraq. There are now 196,000 Internet subscribers. 
There used to be almost none. Now there are 44 commercial television 
stations. None existed under Saddam Hussein when he buried alive up to 
100,000 people and killed over 400,000 people. There are more than 100 
independent newspapers and magazines and 72 commercial radio stations. 
None existed before under Saddam Hussein. There are now 3,404 public 
schools, all kinds of projects, police and fire stations, health 
facilities, and new reconstruction projects going on. Things are moving 
in the right direction, but they are not being reported by the media in 
this country.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding to me. I would 
just like to end by saying that the war against terrorism is one that 
we cannot and must not lose, and our fighting men and women are paying 
the supreme price over there right now, defending not only the rights 
and freedoms of the people in Iraq and Afghanistan, but they are also 
protecting us as well. So I would just like to say God bless them and 
thank each and every one of them for what they are doing.
  Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman for 
taking his time to join us tonight to talk about true American heroes 
and what they are doing. You will find it interesting that today in the 
Armed Services Committee, we had a panel of three men, Marines and Army 
both, who have served in Iraq. And when they were questioned about 
media coverage, they gave a couple of very interesting comments. One 
told us he never knew the war was going so poorly until he came home. 
Another one told us that the Iraqi press is doing a wonderful job of 
reporting what is going on over there, those independent newspapers and 
magazines that you have just referenced, now having 100 of them in 
Iraq. Servicemembers there feel that the press is only reporting when 
bullets are flying and not the progress that they are making.
  So I thank the gentleman for being here, and I thank the gentleman 
for his comments.
  Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas.

                              {time}  1930

  Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Virginia 
(Mrs. Drake) for recognizing me.
  Mr. Speaker, I have had the great honor on two occasions since I have 
been in Congress to go to Iraq and Afghanistan. I went early in 
November of 2003 and then again back in March of this year. What a 
difference those months have made. One of the things that I was 
awestruck by was the amount of progress that has been made in the 
country of Iraq since the beginning of the war when we overthrew Saddam 
Hussein.
  One of the things that I am puzzled by is that, when I go back to the 
district and start talking about how things are going in Iraq, my 
fellow Texans say, ``Randy, why do we not ever get to hear about that 
when we watch the news?''
  You know, that is a really good question. One of the things that I 
think is important for the American people to realize is the amount of 
progress that we have made over there. In a very short period of time, 
we have liberated Iraq from a terrible dictator, a killer, a murderer, 
and that country is moving forward to install a democratic government. 
That is happening. They have met every deadline that they have 
established for themselves.
  In December, they will have a very important democratic election to 
elect their new parliament.
  One of the other things that is going on that is so important is that 
the Iraqi people are participating in a major portion of the defense of 
their country. That is an important part of our strategy.
  Our strategy is two-fold, to help the Iraqi people to learn to be 
able to defend their country themselves and also to help them move in a 
way to establish this democratic government.
  I think it is a great tribute to our men and women that, just the 
other day, 63 percent of the Iraqi people turned out to vote. I wish in 
some of our elections 63 percent of Americans turned out.
  You have to understand the conditions that these people turned out. 
Sixty-three million people turned out to vote in conditions where it 
was not snowing or raining, but they were risking their lives; and over 
78 percent of those people so far have supported this new constitution.
  On a recent trip back from Iraq we stopped in Amman, Jordan, where 
about 120 or 130 Iraqi women had risked their lives and driven to 
Amman, Jordan, to participate in a conference to learn how to 
participate in this new democracy that they are about to inherent.
  And one of the things was I was sitting at the table with some of 
those women at lunch, and we were discussing different things about 
their coming and risking their lives to come to that. And I asked them, 
I said some people back home asked if the Iraqi people appreciate what 
the Americans have done for them, and the allied forces.
  This one lady, I will never forget, with tears streaming down her 
eyes, she said, ``Mr. Congressman, you have to understand. We are 
mothers. We are wives. We are sisters. We are aunts. And we understand 
the huge price that mothers and sisters and wives and Americans have 
paid for our freedom. And we shall never forget.''
  And it is important that America not forget the tremendous 
contribution that our young men and women are making. As I go around, I 
always take an opportunity to thank the families, because, right along 
with our men and women that are in harm's way, those families serve 
right beside them. They are back home holding down the fort, making 
sure the kids get to school, making sure the car gets fixed and the 
house is in repair. We cannot forget them.
  On Saturday, unfortunately, I had the opportunity to have to go to a 
funeral in Dimmit, Texas, for Jacob Dones. J.J. he is called by his 
friends. But you know what? It was an opportunity to go and be a part 
to celebrate the life of a young hero.
  As I travel back and forth to Iraq, one of the things that I am 
awestruck about is the enthusiasm and the dedication and the commitment 
that our young men and women have to the job that they are doing over 
there; and I always ask them, is there a message that you want me to 
take back home? And they say, ``Congressman, tell the folks back home 
what a great job we are doing and how important it is that we finish 
this job.''
  To get back to Lubbock, Texas, and back into District 19 each week, I 
travel and I stop at DFW airport. There are always young men and women 
going and coming from the battlefield, and I always take an opportunity 
to say thank you for your service.
  And one of the things that they start, without me even asking them, 
they say, ``Congressman, it is important that we finish this job.'' I 
wish you could see the children that are going to school, boys and 
girls that get to go to school now, and the fact that electricity is on 
in parts of the country that in the past it was not and that water 
systems are in place and that an economy is beginning to emerge in 
Iraq.
  So, as I close and thank the gentlewoman for this opportunity, I want 
to say to our young men and women, thank you again. We pray for you. We 
are glad you are doing the job you are doing. We are proud of you. And 
to those families we say thank you, also.
  So God bless them, and God bless America.
  Mrs. DRAKE. Congressman, I would like to tell you two stories about 
the Iraqi people. On my trip, I was quite amazed, flying from Baghdad 
to Balad in a black Army helicopter, very low and very fast over 
agricultural fields; and the people working the fields were waving at 
the helicopter. When we got to Balad, I commented, only to be told they 
always wave at us.
  The second story was in Arizona this summer I went out for a 
congressional meeting. Turned out my cab driver was from Iraq. He has 
been here 16 years. Still has family in Iraq. And he goes to

[[Page 24809]]

Iraq on a contract working with the Iraqi troops.
  When he realized I was a Member of Congress, he stopped the cab, 
turned around and said, ``I would like for you to thank the American 
people for me for what you have done.'' He said, ``When I go over 
there, it is like I am on vacation. There is only a few places where 
there are problems.'' He said, ``You people work so hard and so long, I 
do not think that you ever sleep, and you do it all for us.''
  Mr. NEUGEBAUER. It is very humbling, and as we sat and participated 
with those Iraqi women and talked about, you know, how they began to 
participate in this democracy and whether it is at the local level or 
at the state level or at the parliament, but the commitment and the 
courage that they had already shown.
  I think, as you have heard this story before if you have been to the 
theater, about the fact that the insurgents are now targeting the Iraqi 
people because they realize what is going on over there, that the Iraqi 
people have a hunger for this new gift that we have given them. So they 
are targeting these recruiting stations where some people were killed 
maybe the day before, and the very next day there will be long lines of 
young Iraqi men and women coming forth to serve.
  It is very encouraging. I want the American people to know that they 
can be very proud of their soldiers.
  I want to thank Chairman Hunter for arranging this Special Order Hour 
tonight as well as all of my colleagues who are taking the time tonight 
to honor our troops and show support for the brave Iraqi people.
  Two and a half years ago, the United States military and its allies 
embarked on a difficult, yet noble mission: Rid the world of a 
murderous, lying, and unpredictable dictator and, by doing so, allow 
the people who had lived for so long under the shadow of 
totalitarianism to experience the light of freedom.
  Our troops and the Iraqi people have risen to each challenge in front 
of them. Establishing a democracy takes persistence and dedication, and 
the Iraqi people continue to prove that they are capable of this 
tremendous task by meeting each deadline on the way to democracy.
  Much progress has been made over the past 17 months on the political 
front. In June of 2004, the Coalition Forces handed over control of the 
country to Iraqis. A date of January 30, 2005, was set to hold 
democratic elections for a transitional government.
  Despite the threats of terrorists attacking voters at the ballot box, 
millions of Iraqis turned out on January 30 for a historic democratic 
election.
  This newly elected government was tasked with drafting a constitution 
and putting it up for a national referendum in October. Right on 
schedule, on October 15, millions of citizens from Iraq's eighteen 
provinces stood together to vote on a document that will guarantee and 
protect their rights and serve as a blueprint for their nation's 
future.
  In this latest vote, 63 percent of Iraq's 15.5 million registered 
voters once again defied the threat of terrorist attacks and voted. The 
result: 78 percent of voters backed the constitution.
  And the role of women in establishing this fledgling democracy should 
not be overlooked. In April, I took a trip to the Middle East, 
including Iraq. While on the trip I attended the Iraqi Women's 
Democracy Initiative Training Conference held in Jordan. At this 
conference, women came from all parts of Iraq. Many of the women tell 
me they were threatened because of their desire to come to the meeting. 
Several report that they were shot at. In total, about 130 women were 
in attendance.
  These women were thankful. I told them that the folks back home want 
to know if the Iraqis appreciate what America has done. They do, and 
they also realize the price that many Americans have paid. They said 
that they are mothers and wives themselves, and they know that mothers 
in America have lost sons, and wives have lost husbands.
  The military has seen its share of successes as well. These successes 
began with the swift removal of Saddam Hussein from power and his 
ensuing capture, and have continued through the creation of Iraqi 
security forces.
  One by one, Iraqi Army battalions have stood up and joined the fight 
to defend their homeland. By the end of October, a total of 206,500 
Iraqi Security Forces have been trained and equipped.
  Parts of the country that a few months ago were hotbeds of insurgency 
are now controlled by Iraqi forces.
  Our military is now fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with their Iraqi 
counterparts to track down terrorists every day. Top al-Qaeda leaders 
have been caught or killed. Stockpiles of weapons and ammunition are 
being uncovered
  Tough times--both politically and militarily--may still lie ahead for 
this young democracy. The terrorists will undoubtedly attempt to thwart 
the will of free people. And Iraqis will need to return to the polls in 
December to elect a full-term parliament.
  However, the Iraqi people have met their challenges and have overcome 
obstacles at each step along the way. I am confident that as long as 
Iraq and its allies continue to stand up against terrorism, I am 
optimistic that more successes lie ahead.
  The mainstream media has a habit of only reporting the bad news 
coming out of Iraq. So it can be tough for some Americans to remain 
optimistic about our efforts in Iraq. This would not be the case if 
everyone had the chance to talk with many of the brave men and women 
who are serving in Iraq.
  Since the War began in 2003, I have visited Iraq twice. On each trip, 
I have had the opportunity to talk with our troops on the ground.
  Let there be no misunderstanding: our troops are proud of their 
accomplishments. We should be too.
  Because of our troops and the bravery and fortitude of the Iraqi 
people, young Iraqi boys and girls are attending schools.
  Electricity is being restored to all parts of the country, not just 
the regions favored by a dictator. Iraqis are beginning to protect 
Iraqis.
  Men and women are participating in the democratic process.
  And, most importantly, a ruthless dictator who terrorized his own 
people and his neighbors, and who had shown a willingness to obtain and 
use the worst weapons known to man, is no longer in power and will 
stand trial for his crimes.
  Let me end with this message to our troops and their families: We are 
proud of you, we thank you, and the American people continue to stand 
behind you.
  Mrs. DRAKE. Next I would like to recognize the gentleman from Georgia 
(Mr. Gingrey).
  Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for giving me an 
opportunity to share this time with her.
  Mr. Speaker, I have been to Iraq twice, December of 2003, shortly 
after Saddam's capture, then again in February of this year. On each of 
those trips, they are bipartisan trips, many of the Members, of course, 
that have been to Iraq and Afghanistan and the theater of operations 
are members of the Armed Services Committee. But I think many other 
Members, of course, have been as well.
  One of the best opportunities, Mr. Speaker, is to meet with troops, 
soldiers, men and women from your own State, indeed when possible from 
your own congressional district, and to have an opportunity to talk 
with them and, more importantly, that they have an opportunity to talk 
with us.
  The one thing that I can tell you that I never heard was, 
Congressman, it is too hot over here. It is too dry over here. It is 
too dusty. It is too cold. I cannot sleep. I do not like the food. 
Congressman, can you not use your political influence somehow to get me 
out of here.
  Of course, many of those soldiers, as we heard from the gentlewoman 
from Virginia (Mrs. Drake) about the corporal who was serving his third 
rotation in Iraq, had that premonition in harm's way, knowing that they 
possibly could be paying the ultimate sacrifice. None of them are 
asking us to get them home.
  Last week, when the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter) had an 
hour, just as we are doing tonight, I had an opportunity then as well 
to say a few words. I made a feeble attempt to recite that famous poem, 
In Flanders Fields. I will not try to do that again tonight for my 
colleagues, because I think all of you know it maybe even better than I 
do.
  But in the last stanza, though, it says, take up our quarrel with the 
foe, to you from failing falling hands we pass the torch. Be yours to 
hold it high, for if you break faith with us who die, we shall not 
sleep though poppies grow in Flanders Field.
  What they are saying, and our colleagues tonight, Mr. Speaker, have 
said this repeatedly, we cannot break faith with these men and women, 
2,000 plus who have lost their lives, maybe 8,000 or so who have been 
injured, some, yes,

[[Page 24810]]

severely. The worst possible thing that we could do would be to pack up 
and come home, literally bring them home against their wishes.
  They would have no choice in that matter, if we listened to our 
colleagues on the other side of the aisle. You know, you hear them, Mr. 
Speaker, talking about how much they support the troops and all of 
that. I do not doubt that. I am not going to stand up here and suggest 
that they are not patriots themselves and that they do not care for our 
troops and they do not want to arm them and make sure that they have 
the equipment they need. I do not doubt for a minute that they support 
that.
  But they are using our soldiers, our brave men and women, these 
youngsters that we are talking about here tonight, as pawns really to 
continually criticize and undermine the Commander in Chief, the coach, 
the Vice President, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, 
indirectly the gentleman from California (Chairman Hunter), because 
they want to undermine this team so that they, in the next election, 
are in charge.
  Really, Mr. Speaker, I think we all need to realize that, that there 
is a lot of politics here; and it is a dirty rotten shame that our 
soldiers, our brave men and women, are being used as pawns in this 
political process. God forgive them.
  We owe more to these troops than that. And I feel very strongly as a 
member on leave of absence from the Armed Services Committee to come at 
any opportunity I have got to take a few minutes and to stand up before 
my colleagues in this body and say, no, we will not forget you, you 
soldiers, you men and women who maybe in high school were not the 
football or track stars, cheerleaders, many of you decided to put off 
going to college and enjoying the football weekends so you could serve 
your country. Some of you may have been pushed around, kicked around by 
the schoolyard bully who does not know anything about a fair fight, but 
you had the courage to go and to serve this country as an all-volunteer 
military, whether you are active duty, Guard or Reserve; and I have 
seen them all in the theatre of operations at the tip of the spear. We 
owe them so much, and I am proud to stand up here as part of this team 
tonight.
  I really compliment the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Drake) for 
leading this team and for the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter) 
and my other colleagues that we have heard from and others who are 
going to speak. I am proud to be a part of this.
  Mrs. DRAKE. Congressman, thank you for coming and being with us. I am 
sure on your trip that it was just like on mine, I realized immediately 
these are people who have chosen to be here. It is an all-volunteer 
force. I am sure you also saw, as I did, that many of them volunteered 
to go to Iraq and to go back to Iraq; and it is just so impressive, the 
commitment that they have given to our Nation and the words of our men 
and women just like Corporal Starr.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Tennessee.

                              {time}  1945

  Mrs. BLACKBURN. I thank the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Drake) 
for doing such a wonderful job in hosting this. I thank our chairman, 
the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter), for the excellent job that 
he does in providing leadership for the House Committee on Armed 
Services. I think we also thank the family of Corporal Starr for their 
sacrifice, and we hope that they know we join them in their sorrow.
  Mrs. DRAKE. And for their willingness to share that that quote was 
wrong and to share the real quote, something that personal.
  Mrs. BLACKBURN. That is so very true, and I thank the gentlewoman for 
noting that, for setting the record straight.
  As the gentlewoman was talking about some of her experiences, meeting 
a taxi driver who was from Iraq and how he stopped to say thank you, I 
was reading some things from my news clips.
  Here is an article out of the Nashville Tennessean, today's paper, 
November 3, and an opinion column written by Jonathan Gurwitz who is a 
columnist for the San Antonio Express News. He is recounting a 
conversation and a visit with a Dr. Najmaldin Karim who is Kurdish and 
the headline is ``Why this war? Ask someone who is Kurdish.''
  I was so touched by your examples that, Mr. Speaker, I wanted to 
share a quote in this. I think it is so relevant to the discussion that 
we are having tonight. And I am quoting this Dr. Karim: ``The 
suggestion that Saddam Hussein's dictatorship was a `stable' form of 
government is outrageous to Iraqis, not on the ideological fringe, 
especially the Kurds. The war in Iraq didn't begin in 2003. For the 
previous 35 years Kurds, Shiites and anyone else who threatened the 
oligarchy fought against the suppression of their very existence.''
  Mr. Speaker, you know, this morning I spoke on the floor about what 
we are doing right to win the war on terror and the progress that we 
are making in the battle in Iraq. And it seemed that the minute I 
started talking there was some conversation across the aisle. And one 
of my colleagues from the left got upset, and then sure enough a 
Democrat Member follows me to the well during 1-minutes to speak 
against the positive changes that are going on in Iraq.
  You see, I think that the left in this country has to undermine this 
war and undermine the resolve of the American people in order to try to 
win elections next November. They have got to make you and me and every 
single one of us forget the bigger picture in this war on terror. They 
want us focused on the casualties and on the setbacks. And, yes, we 
take one step forward, we take two steps back. It is going to be a long 
war, but we are making progress.
  They do not want us to ask what sort of damage will result from 
withdrawing from Iraq. They do not want us to ask whether we would be 
better off with a free Iraq. They simply want to point out all the 
negatives and demand withdrawal in order to declare America's defeat, 
and then they believe they will win elections.
  Unfortunately, the national media, one would believe for all intents 
and purposes, is the public relations wing of the left on this subject. 
Day after day the major newspapers editorialize in both their articles 
and on the op-ed pages against our efforts in Iraq. They give extensive 
coverage to casualties and claim they do it to honor those lost. But 
they do not cover the things these men and women did to change this 
world.
  They do not cover the moments of pure courage, pure courage and 
strength that these men and women and their colleagues committed and 
performed to fix a great wrong in this world. They only cover their 
deaths, and that is a tragedy, Mr. Speaker, because it was not in their 
deaths that they became heroes. It was in the day-to-day work on behalf 
of this country that they became heroes. They gave their lives for 
something they believed in. They were heroes long before the tragedy of 
their death. We remember those lost not because they died but because 
they lived and how they lived in putting others before themselves.
  Mr. Speaker, I cannot say that I do not stop and wonder if these 
losses would be for naught; but when I am doubting and if I am unsure, 
I talk with some of those who have served in Afghanistan and in Iraq, 
and I talk to their families and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that 
we can win this because they know that we can win it. And, Mr. Speaker, 
they are living it; they are seeing it firsthand every single day.
  When I visit Fort Campbell in my district or spend time with our 
National Guard and Reserves, I see the spirit of America and I see the 
commitment and the drive to succeed. They settle any doubts. They 
restore my confidence. They should be our inspiration in this battle. 
So tonight, despite watching Democrats come to the floor and beat the 
drums of retreat in the war on terror, I want to recognize those men 
and women in uniform who we see in the progress, in the change in that 
region of the world.
  Let me just read a list of some of the accomplishments so that 
America,

[[Page 24811]]

those watching and those listening and our constituents, will 
understand the great deeds of these men and women, our heroes who are 
in uniform.
  As of October 24, 2005, a total of 206,500 Iraqi security forces have 
been trained and equipped with the assistance of the U.S. military. On 
election day in October, as our colleague from Texas previously 
mentioned, 78 percent of voters backed the charter Constitution, 78 
percent of those that went to the polls voted for freedom, voted for 
democracy. And as our colleague from Texas mentioned, 63 percent of 
Iraqis, 15\1/2\ million voters, cast their ballot. They took their life 
in their hands to cast that ballots. The Iraqi Constitution guarantees 
the rights of all its citizens and enshrines the rule of law. A new 
parliament will be voted on in December and will form a 4-year term to 
government to take office by December 31, 2005.
  Who would have thought that that was possible? Iraqis appear to be 
spending more money, signs that consumer confidence is improving. As 
the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Drake) mentioned, things are 
turning green in Iraq. You see the fields that they have planted. My 
first visit there, I said Iraqi is a khaki-colored country. It was 
covered with dust.
  Over 15,650 houses have recently been connected to the Baghdad water 
distribution system by USAID. In all, nearly 100 kilometers of mainline 
pipe have been installed in the Baghdad area.
  Mr. Speaker, I could go on and on. We know America is once again 
engaged in a great struggle that will in no uncertain terms decide what 
kind of world our children are going to inherit. I want our men and 
women in Iraq to know we believe in them. We believe in what they are 
doing, and we know that this is going to improve the national security 
for generations to come. It is going to help preserve freedom.
  Our military's cause in Iraq is a noble one, despite what some in 
this body would have you believe.
  In closing, I would like to give you a quote, a part from Ronald 
Reagan's speech on the 40th anniversary of D-Day. He said this to the 
World War II veterans who were gathered with him at Normandy:
  ``You all knew that some things are worth dying for. One's country is 
worth dying for, and democracy is worth dying for, because it is the 
most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man. All of 
you loved liberty. All of you were willing to fight tyranny, and you 
knew the people of our country were behind you.''
  Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues across the aisle will join us in 
letting every man and woman in uniform and every family know this 
country is behind them. I thank the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. 
Drake).
  Mrs. DRAKE. As the gentlewoman was speaking, I thought I need to make 
sure that you know that just a few weeks ago in Washington, the Speaker 
of the Iraq National Assembly came and spoke to people who were able to 
attend that meeting, and it was exactly like the gentlewoman said. He 
kept saying to us, there is no other option. And that is exactly what 
you have said to us and you have said this is where we are; this is 
what we have done. We may go back a step, but we go forward two or 
three more. We honor those who have served and died, thereby 
remembering that there is no other option. We can only move forward.
  You also said very clearly who would have ever thought there would be 
a Constitution in Iraq; who would have ever thought there would be a 
National Assembly in Iraq. It is a huge success story. I think it is a 
miracle. I thank the gentlewoman for being here and sharing this with 
us.
  Next, I would like to call on our friend, the gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. Carter).
  Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding to me, 
and I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter) for putting 
together this opportunity to honor those who serve our Nation in the 
war on terror.
  I am up here speaking for the people of the 31st Congressional 
District of Texas. How does the 31st Congressional District of Texas 
have credibility to speak on behalf of these efforts in Iraq and 
Afghanistan? I would like to tell you a little bit about our 
credibility.
  The first American soldier killed in combat in the war on terror is 
from Georgetown Texas, which is 5 miles from my home; and every death 
in this war is absolutely critical to Americans. So counting numbers, 
every number counts. But the 2,000th death also took place, this famous 
2,000th death that everybody in the press was just salivating to see 
happen, it seemed to me, he was also from the 31st district, Killeen, 
Texas. The people of the 31st district, from Stevensville, Texas to 
Round Rock, Texas, support our war, support our troops, and support our 
efforts in the war on terror.
  The people of the 31st district know we were attacked in the most 
vicious attack that has ever been done on the homeland in the history 
of the United States in our country, and we have retaliated in force 
and effectively and done our job. And who has done that job? Our 31st 
district's III Corps went over there. Fourth Infantry Division went 
over there and captured Saddam Hussein. The First Cavalry Division went 
over and ran a perfect election and protected people as they went out 
and, as we have heard tonight, exercised their right to vote.
  We have committed two full divisions to this war, and the Fourth ID 
is on its way back right now as we speak. I have been able to go over 
when both my divisions have been over there, and I promised General 
Thurmond and the that guys I talked to about 2 months ago, I am coming 
back just as quick as I can get over there right after the first of the 
year, because these are the finest human beings that have ever taken up 
arms on behalf of our country.
  For those people to talk about cutting and running, Americans do not 
cut and run. You know, this House has a shame on it when they turned on 
our soldiers in Vietnam, and I take that position and I am not backing 
off of it. The liberal press shamed a great generation of people who 
did their duty then and we, cannot afford to allow that to happen again 
for political expediency so someone can possibly use the war to gain 
political advantage in the United States.
  We are at war with evil people who intend to do harm to American 
citizens, wherever American citizens live or breathe or walk the 
street. We are unsafe with terrorism on the street, we are unsafe in 
our Nation and in every other nation on Earth because it is an evil 
cancer that can only be taken out by noble men and women who are 
willing to stand up on the wall and say we will fight for freedom, not 
only the freedom of Americans, but the freedom of the people that they 
are intimidating with their terrorism wherever they may appear. And I 
am telling you, we have got soldiers that have been willing to do that 
and have done the job well.
  I remember when I was in Afghanistan, the story I love to tell about 
a 20-year-old sitting looking at a screen of a film of a drone that was 
broadcasting pictures from the desert. And while we were there, he went 
to his commander and said, Sir, there is a bunch of camels crossing out 
there in a part where there should not be any camels. And I thought, 
how does this kid know there are not supposed to be any camels in this 
part of the country? He said, I think there are people underneath those 
camels.
  Three Blackhawk helicopters launched about 180 miles away. We were 
180 miles from this location. And they caught nine Taliban crawling 
across the desert under the bellies of camels.

                              {time}  2000

  My whole point of that story is: What kind of great, intelligent, 
smart kids are we sending over there and they are putting their lives 
in harm's way? This was a smart kid, a computer operator running a 
drone, able to know the knowledge of the country, to know where our 
enemy might be hiding. We have got the best of the absolute best over 
there, the same kind of people that you run into when you go to Iraq 
and you talk to these kids.

[[Page 24812]]

  I talked to a 20-year-old African American kid. We were having 
supper. He was from my district, and we have got a lot of them from my 
district. And I said, ``Son, have you had any hot spots that you have 
been in over here?'' And he said, ``Yeah. Yesterday we were in a 
convoy. They made the mistake of shooting at us.'' He said, ``They will 
not make that mistake again, sir.'' He said, ``When they stand and 
fight, they lose.''
  Our young men and women are doing a fabulous job, and there is shame 
on anyone in this country who turns on these noble people who are 
standing up for the freedom of the people in Iraq and Afghanistan and 
the freedom of the United States of America. They are heroes.
  Today, I am very proud to say that one of the first people in my 
district to be wounded, seriously wounded, Allen Babbin, he has 
undergone close to 200 surgeries from a round that he took, winning the 
Bronze Star for pulling another wounded soldier off a bridge in the 
second day in Baghdad. Today, he flew back home; and he is on his way 
to full recovery because of the great work of the Army, Navy, and Air 
Force in getting him to the right kind of treatment.
  Everybody is working the right way in this job, and we bring shame 
upon ourselves, and those who would criticize these young men and women 
and the job they are doing bring shame upon themselves, and I am sorry 
for it.
  We in America must remember: If we do not fight tyranny wherever 
tyranny exists, we have learned this lesson over and over and over in 
American history, and if we do not support those who fight tyranny 
wherever tyranny exists, then tyranny will take over that map until 
tyranny controls the world. There will not just be no freedom in Iraq 
or no freedom in Afghanistan. There will not be any freedom anywhere. 
Not even in the cradle of American liberty will there be freedom.
  What this is about, Mr. Speaker, is the ability of Americans and 
others in this world to live the kind of life that everybody wants to 
live, raise their kids, have a job, eat dinner at night without fearing 
somebody blowing them up, walk the streets. It is for all the world 
that we stand in the gap, not just for Americans, not just for Afghans, 
not just for Iraqis or others in the Middle East. It is for the world 
that these young men and women stand in the gap.
  I am very proud on behalf of the people of the 31st Congressional 
District of Texas to tell you that we stand tall on behalf of our 
soldiers. We know they are the best of the best, and they will win the 
war on terror because it is the right thing to do.
  Lastly, we pray God's blessing on each and every one of them and each 
and every family that is also courageously allowing their family member 
to do the job that has to be done to keep freedom alive and well in 
this country. So this is all about us. It is all about the best of the 
best. God bless every one of them.
  Mrs. DRAKE. Congressman, thank you for that. That was very moving to 
hear about your district and their commitment to our great Nation.
  I would like to explain this map to you, though. Because if you will 
look in the center of the map where it is green, including the Horn of 
Africa and up through the Middle East, that is the short-term goal of 
the terrorists. This is from their Web site. Is it not an amazing world 
we live in that terrorists have Web sites? That is their goal, that 
everything colored in in green be controlled by them short term.
  If you will look in the far corner over there, that is their 100-year 
goal. If you will notice, everything colored in in green is our entire 
world. I think it is important for the public to know this is not 
Thelma Drake saying this. This is from their Web site and their goal, 
and this tells you what those very brave men and women that you have 
just spoke so eloquently about, they know this and they know the threat 
to our Nation.
  I also wanted to share with you a quote from a letter that I brought 
with me tonight to talk about dated October 11, 2005, from al-Zawahiri 
to al-Zarqawi. The quote is, because you mentioned Vietnam and I think 
this is important for us to remember: Things may develop faster than we 
imagine. The aftermath of the collapse of American power in Vietnam and 
how they ran and left their agents is noteworthy.
  So do not think they do not know and they are not watching.
  Next, I would like to recognize Congressman Geoff Davis from 
Kentucky. I thank him for being here.
  Mr. DAVIS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I want to take a moment to share 
a perspective that I think is often lost in the freedoms we enjoy, the 
freedom to meet in this Chamber, the freedom to reflect upon the great 
decisions that have been made here through the generations, The 
decision to enter into a war, to provide freedom and the maintenance of 
our union, the decision to free peoples in Europe and ultimately 
preserve our security at home.
  On December 7, 1941, President Roosevelt stood in this Chamber and 
declared that December 7 was a day of infamy. He shared that this 
unprovoked attack which moved the United States to war, eventually into 
Europe as well. In the Korean War, we stopped Communist aggression. In 
Vietnam, the American people responded. During Operation Desert Storm, 
the American people responded.
  In this Chamber in September of 2001, President Bush responded to an 
attack that was not brought about, my friends, by some nebulous global 
war on terror. I think it is important that we understand this war is 
not about some nebulous terrorist concept. This is about Islamic 
extremism that chooses to impose itself on the world. These people who 
largely act as agents of states, these non-state actors do not follow 
the teachings that they purport. Yet if we look more deeply, we see 
that they are seeking to be true to their interpretation of that 
religion.
  In every generation there is a call upon that generation to defend 
the freedoms that have been purchased at such a tremendously high 
price. To maintain the union of our country and to free those who were 
enslaved cost 600,000 soldiers. In World War II, 444,000 soldiers gave 
their lives to provide freedom; and now we are engaged in a great 
struggle, a generational struggle that has been imposed upon us.
  I think that it is important that we understand that the freedom that 
our minority leader had today to say, frankly, entirely inappropriate 
things about our national leadership, the freedom that all of us have 
to disagree, the freedom that all of us have to offer alternatives, the 
freedom that all of us have to protest, the freedom that reporters who 
sometimes distort the truth and, in fact, in many cases do not even 
report the truth but fabricate it, all comes down to the men and women 
who have answered the call to duty.
  It is always the same. It is always the minority in the country that 
does that. Those who believe that there is something bigger in this 
country than individual selfishness and covetousness of the moment, 
that there is something worth risking all to protect because of those 
who come behind us, because they understand they are part of something 
bigger than themselves, bonded to something of greatness.
  I want to thank tonight those Marines of the Second Marine 
Expeditionary Force, the soldiers of the Third Infantry Division, the 
solders of the 101st Infantry Division, of the 173rd Airborne Brigade 
in Afghanistan, of the Tennessee and Louisiana National Guards who are 
rotating back into the United States, and all of those soldiers who are 
moving in and out, the Marines who are moving in and out, our airmen 
and sailors who support this effort, because you understand that you 
have accepted the call of the generations that is so important that 
many people do not realize.
  The freedom we enjoy in this Chamber was brought to us by 10 percent 
of the population of this country who chose to rebel against tyranny 
and stand for a principle that was higher than dignity of the 
individual, the rights and freedom of the individual, and that was 
purchased not simply in a declaration, but to get to the Constitution 
that gave us the government we have today was purchased in a great 
price in blood.

[[Page 24813]]

  I am convinced that if today's cynical media had to cover the 
Normandy invasion, the greatest invasion in history that defeated the 
greatest tyranny in history up to that point, had it been reported by 
today's media, today's cynical media, today's profit-driven media, Mr. 
Speaker, I believe we would have lost that war. Because the Nation 
would have called for a pullout because there was risk associated with 
that, because things did not seem to go well. Because when unforeseen 
circumstances that always come up in war, and anybody who has served in 
the military, let alone in this Chamber, unexpected things happen.
  I find those who have not served who are the great experts on 
military history do not really understand what they are talking about. 
Rather than commending our soldiers who have adapted to a fluid 
situation and the great things that have been done to support them, 
they provide criticism of why could that not have been anticipated?
  It is simple, my friends. We are fighting an adaptive and motivated 
and, frankly, evil enemy that has a religious doctrine that stands and 
flies in the face of everything on which this country was founded, on 
which the Constitution was based, that respects the rights of the 
individual, the dignity of a man, the dignity of a woman to pursue 
opportunities in the way in which they define. And when somebody wants 
to impose an attack upon this Nation, and one that was planned long 
before September 11, and attempts that were made long before September 
11, we have no choice but to yield or to respond, and we have 
responded.
  Comments that have been made by my colleagues on the other side that 
talk about casualties, I can speak with some authority on that issue, 
having buried some of my friends. I find it interesting that they want 
to talk about numbers, which dishonors those who serve. I did not see 
any of my colleagues who talk about these numbers standing with me as I 
buried a friend of a friend who was killed in Al Qayyim in June over at 
Arlington Cemetery. They were back here at PAC fund-raisers and going 
to receptions and making pointless statements in this Chamber about 
things they know nothing about.
  More than that, I would suggest to you that these same people who 
want to talk about numbers and these liberal reporters who do not care 
about this Nation, who do not care about the price that was paid for 
the freedoms that they enjoy, where were you for the last 25 years? 
Where were you when 16,000 American soldiers died between 1983 and 1996 
in service to this Nation? Where were you when 24,000 American men and 
women gave their lives between 1980 and 2004? Your comments, frankly, 
are despicable, dishonorable, uninformed, unhistorical, anti-
intellectual and, frankly, un-American. But I respect your freedom to 
make those statements, because they were purchased with the blood of 
all of those who served.
  I would suggest that in this body that the liberal reporters who 
watch and our enemies who watch and the soldiers who watch and those 
who want to speak against this from their positions of ignorance and 
political convenience, who use our soldiers: You learned your lessons 
during the Vietnam War. Now you use our soldiers in a dishonorable way 
as human shields to advance an idea that stands in contravention to the 
freedoms that have been purchased at such a high price.
  I ask my colleagues on the other side of the aisle who have been here 
for many years and like to speak with false authority: Where were you 
when my friend Ken Maddock was killed from Task Force 160? Where were 
you when my classmate from West Point, Mike Scott, died? Where were you 
when Lee Border died or Brian Haller died in the 101st Airborne 
Division? I saw no requiems in this Chamber. I saw no requiems on 
television for them. It was not politically expedient.
  But now you disagree with the policy when our Nation is threatened by 
extremists, and soldiers and Marines and airmen and sailors have 
responded to that call, and you sit here mouthing your empty words. 
Casualties are always a great tragedy.
  I think the one thing that was most poignant to me as I visited my 
old Airborne Unit, I deployed to the Middle East with the task force of 
the 1/508th running aviation operations in support of them, and I went 
and visited that unit today in Paktika Province in Afghanistan.

                              {time}  2015

  A CNN reporter came to one of the forward operating bases. There had 
been an attack on that base earlier in their deployment as they were 
clearing out the enemies of freedom, and not simply ending a military 
operation but bringing order and civil government and roads and sewers 
and the fact that the government can be good and the people can be 
helped and they can be part of something bigger than themselves, which 
is not a tyranny, an ideological tyranny. That reporter was looking for 
bad stories and refused to cover the reenlistment of every soldier in 
the 1/508 on that forward operating base who was up for reenlistment. 
That is a tragedy, and that is unfortunate.
  To me, I think the lesson that we have to ask ourselves is how do we 
get around this, how do we avoid this problem. Well, the media is not 
going to be helpful to this country because I think they have lost 
their connection with the heartland of this Nation, with the people who 
have borne the burden of the price of freedom through the generations.
  Every generation of my family has served in the Armed Forces, not in 
glorious ranks of generals and admirals, but in the enlisted ranks, 
carrying the rifles and manning the ships that provided the freedom for 
the people in this body to say the things that they have said. And I 
would say this, Mr. Speaker, I do not care about the media. What we 
need to do is allow these soldiers and these marines to go into every 
editorial board, into every Rotary Club and chamber in this Nation and 
let them tell their story. Let them tell their story in the communities 
and in the fiscal courts. Let them tell their stories in the 
courthouses and on the street corners, and I guarantee you that these 
people who purport to be experts on things they know nothing about will 
be discredited and things will be shown for what they are. Because you 
cannot refute a 100 percent reenlistment rate in units where these 
soldiers have borne this burden and they go back over and over again.
  To you military people who are watching, I want to say thank you, as 
a fellow soldier. To you who cherish our freedoms, I thank you. For you 
in the press who enjoy this freedom but you abuse it, know that the 
price that is paid by those who frankly have greater moral character 
than you, who refuse to cover the truth of what they are doing, know 
that it is their sacrifice, not yours, that allows you to share what 
you share.
  And finally, to those of our citizens in the heartland know that 
these men and women are doing a great service to prepare the way for us 
to adapt to the 21st century; that we will have a safe country and a 
community to pass these freedoms on to the next generation.
  I will leave you with a story from the 1/508, commanded by Colonel 
Tim McGuire, as he was moving northward from Shirana forward operating 
base to Orgune. He shared that coming back from that mission a little 
boy ran from a village up to his convoy. He stopped. He did not speak 
Pashto, and the interpreter asked the little boy what the problem was. 
The little boy had waved, as many of the children I saw in Afghanistan 
did at the Americans all the time. He asked the little boy what he was 
concerned about, and he said that two bad men had come into the village 
and put something in the road. That little boy saved potentially 
American soldiers.
  The enemy were dealt with and that village is open and free, but 
Colonel McGuire asked the question which encapsulates all of what this 
struggle between radical Islamic extremism and the values of freedom 
and dignity of the individual that we cherish expresses, and he said, 
Young man, why did you do that, knowing that there was risk associated 
with what that boy did. He looked at this airborne colonel in the 173rd 
Airborne Brigade, and he

[[Page 24814]]

said to Tim, before you Americans came, I could not go to school.
  That is the contrast that we have here: freedom, opportunity, hope, 
true faith, or extremism, persecution, tyranny and hatred. Thank you 
for you who serve.
  Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, next, I would like to recognize the chairman 
of the Armed Services Committee. Mr. Chairman, thank you for being here 
and listening to the true passion from our Members as they talk about 
true American heroes.
  Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman. She has 
done a wonderful job of leading this Special Order, and I want to thank 
all the Members who participated. They did a great job, and I think our 
message to all of our troops, to everyone that wears the uniform of the 
United States is this: you have great value. You are our best citizens. 
Your cause is just. You will prevail, and we will stand behind you.
  I thank the gentlewoman.
  Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I truly believe that history will name this 
generation. And until they do, I have decided I am going to call them 
the Freedom Believers, because I think there is no greater gift that we 
give to our children and to our grandchildren than freedom. And so I 
thank them, and I thank the speaker for the opportunity to be here 
tonight.
  Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, first, I want to thank Chairman Hunter for 
arranging for this opportunity to comment upon the remarkable honor and 
valor of our United States soldiers.
  One thing that I reflect on is the high quality of leaders in our 
military that we are producing right now in Iraq. We have 1st 
lieutenants with two tours under their belts already. The seamlessness 
with which our Guard and Reserves fight alongside our active duty is 
another tremendous evolution benefiting this conflict and paving the 
way for future military successes. We are making a significant 
investment in world peace with the strong commitment of our men and 
women overseas. These brave soldiers fight in a land they've never been 
for people they've never met to extend the fundamental rights of 
liberty.
  The Middle East is yet another test of this commitment to liberty. 
Liberty is defended by the vigilant who are willing to sacrifice to 
defend freedom and stabilize the country's civil institutions. In 
January of this year, 2005, over 8 million Iraqi citizens voted and 
reaffirmed only weeks ago with the ratification of their constitution. 
What a pleasure it was to observe the Iraqi people defying intimidation 
and threats to define the course of their country's destiny. This 
dignity, denied them for decades, was afforded to them by the efforts 
of those people we honor today.
  As Veterans Day approaches let us not forget that the men and women 
serving today will join the ranks of those who have selflessly served 
this same mission to bring these freedoms to all people. We have 
ensured that men and women, active and reserve soldiers from each 
service, return to a grateful homeland eager to honor their service and 
sacrifice.
  Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize our troops 
and to support our continuing efforts in Iraq.
  It is important that we recognize and honor our troops who are 
serving in the Middle East. While progress is being made there are 
still obstacles in the path toward a free and independent Iraqi state. 
The effort in Iraq is moving along steadily, and our forces are working 
in conjunction with Iraqi forces toward success in many different 
areas. American troops are fighting to secure and rebuild cities and to 
extinguish the insurgency. Our men and women in uniform are doing an 
exemplary job, and it is essential for us to salute their efforts as 
they work to ensure stability in a historically unstable region.
  Politically, Iraqis have embraced the charter constitution, and the 
Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq reports that 78 percent of 
voters were in support of its passage. This was a major step in their 
pursuit of a democratic government and citizens' rights through 
political reconstruction.
  Additionally, American forces are reconstructing the services and 
infrastructure to move Iraq forward. Electricity, water, education, and 
sanitation services are being established. Water treatment plants are 
being built throughout the country, bringing clean water to tens of 
thousands of homes. Power plants are being restored and refurbished, 
improvements on transportation infrastructure are being made, and the 
completion of school renovation and construction projects will 
facilitate education for Iraqi children.
  The war on terror is progressing as well. Our troops are successfully 
breaking up Al Qaeda by detaining known terrorists and seizing weapons 
caches. Between the 15th and 18th of October, a known Al Qaeda military 
leader was killed during Coalition raids and forces from the 172nd 
Infantry Brigade uncovered 10 weapons caches and detained 16 suspected 
terrorists in northern Iraq. Continued efforts like these are what it 
will take to eradicate the threat of terror.
  Our soldiers are overseas creating these successes and they deserve 
our continued support. These brave men and women are risking their 
lives in order to protect our Nation, our ideals, and our safety. They 
are fighting for each and everyone of us, fighting for all that we hold 
dear not just in America, but also worldwide. I want to take this 
opportunity to thank our Armed Forces for all that they have done and 
to offer my unrelenting support for their hard work and sacrifice as 
they continue to work toward the establishment of a free Iraq.
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, our men and women in the military continue 
to make our nation very proud. We are forever grateful for their 
sacrifice as they protect our precious freedoms and encourage the rise 
of democracy in the heart of the Middle East. We honor their dedication 
and admire their resolve under such difficult circumstances.
  Because of the valor of our troops, there is cause for great optimism 
in Iraq. On October 15th, nearly 10 million Iraqis traded bullets for 
ballots and voted on their draft constitution. The constitution was 
approved by an overwhelming 79 percent. This is a remarkable feat and 
an important milestone on Iraq's path toward democracy. The next step 
is a December 15th vote for the first government under the new 
constitution.
  After the constitutional vote, the Washington Post quoted a 53-year-
old Iraqi shoe salesman who said: ``[Before], no one showed us the 
draft of a constitution. None of them. This is the first time. Since 
the days of the monarchy until now, this is the first government 
willing to put the constitution before its people.''
  Another Iraqi, who planned to mark his ballot with his own blood, 
said this about voting for the constitution: ``It will bring all that 
is good for the people, such as stability, democracy and peace. With 
such a charter, we will show the world that we are a civilized nation, 
not a bunch of . . . bloodthirsty extremists.''
  The election day itself was a resounding success. Violence was 
minimal and did not affect voting at the more than 6,000 polling 
places. Nearly 200,000 Iraqi security forces took an active and lead 
role in ensuring the safety of their fellow citizens on the day of the 
vote. For Iraqis, this was truly a national effort to determine the 
future of their nation.
  The increasingly Iraqi-dominated security operations are a huge boost 
in our efforts to defeat the terrorists. After a recent trip to Iraq, 
Retired Army Major General Robert Scales commented: ``[The Iraqi 
forces] are better able to gather intelligence. They can spot 
insurgents by their body language and by how they act and the language 
they use.''
  The Iraqi security forces are gaining the trust and respect of the 
Iraqi people. In fact, the number of tips to security forces rose from 
442 in February to over 3,000 in August. The increasing capability of 
the Iraqi security forces is essential to our strategy for victory.
  Mr. Speaker, the trial of Saddam Hussein is yet another very positive 
development. This is a trial by Iraqis, for Iraqis--and for justice 
long denied to the victims who suffered under his murderous rule. The 
Iraqi Special Tribunal operates under Iraqi law and shows the solid 
foundation being built for law and order in Iraq.
  There has also been significant progress resulting from U.S. and 
Iraqi reconstruction efforts. Unfortunately, these signs that point to 
a revived society, economy and culture have not received much 
attention. Consider this:
  There were no independent newspapers or magazines in Saddam Hussein's 
Iraq--today there are more than 100; before the war, there were no cell 
phone subscribers--today there are over 3.5 million; over 3,400 schools 
have been renovated; local governments are conducting town hall 
meetings; the Baghdad real estate market is booming; and, the court 
system is coming to life--Iraqi judges have conducted 387 trials since 
2003.
  There remain terrorists committed to derailing democracy in Iraq. But 
Iraqis have already experienced the conditions that terrorists seek. 
They are conditions of hopelessness, violence, intolerance and 
repression. As we saw by the constitutional vote, nearly all Iraqis 
reject this dark existence.
  Mr. Speaker, we know that more tough days lie ahead for the American 
military. Their mission is dangerous, but their cause is just. And 
because of their courage and sacrifice, they are making significant 
progress toward supporting a free and democratic Iraq. This is

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great news for the people of Iraq--and great news for our own national 
security.

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