[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 20]
[House]
[Page 27718]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       POLITICAL PROGRESS IN IRAQ

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, 65 years ago today our Nation was 
attacked by enemies of freedom, and we heeded the call to action. The 
Greatest Generation battled tyranny and then led the effort to help 
Europe rebuild.
  On September 11, 2001, another day that will live in infamy in our 
Nation's history, our mission once again became clear. On that day 4 
years ago, Islamic fanatics killed 3,000 souls, but would have 
delighted in killing 10 or 100 times that number. Our shores and 
subsequently those of our allies were attacked.
  Collectively, we resolved to root out and eliminate the scourge of 
evil responsible for these threats. And as a global leader, refusing to 
be victimized and surrender to those who seek our destruction, the 
United States assumed the responsibility, as it has done many times 
before, to protect not just our homeland but, in the words of Woodrow 
Wilson, to make the world safe for democracy.
  And so it is that for freedom's sake we must fulfill our mission in 
Iraq.
  I am proud that my stepson, Douglas Lehtinen, and his fiancee, 
Lindsay Nelson, are serving as marine officers in Iraq, flying F-18s. 
The men and women in their squadron are proud of their mission of 
victory in Iraq.
  Vice President Dick Cheney summed things up quite appropriately on 
Tuesday of this week when he addressed our troops in Fort Drum, New 
York. He said, ``Were we to leave, Iraq would return to the rule of 
tyrants and become a massive source of instability in the Middle 
East.''

                              {time}  1845

  Our mission is not easy. But our efforts and the noble sacrifice of 
our fine troops are yielding results. The naysayers and the fatalistic, 
those who question the ability of our U.S. forces to succeed refuse to 
acknowledge the political and psychological transformation that is 
taking place in Iraq, and the long-term positive impact that our 
efforts in Iraq will have in helping to curtail the spread of Islamic 
extremist and jihadist activities.
  Today, Saddam Hussein is on trial for his crimes against humanity. 
And most of the villainous heirs to his legacy have been neutralized. 
Together with our Iraqi allies, we are prevailing against a brutal 
insurgency and assisting the people of Iraq in their efforts to create 
a truly representative free market Arab democracy in a region polluted 
with despotic regimes.
  Tangible examples of success include, in January, the people of Iraq 
held their first free democratic election for the transitional national 
assembly. The turnout for this election was astonishing. Roughly 8.5 
million Iraqis risked their lives to participate.
  This was followed by the drafting of a new constitution. The debate 
on the various provisions in the Constitution was a perfect example of 
how the Iraqi people are exercising those fundamental freedoms 
protected from a Democratic society.
  Today, the Iraqi people prepare for elections next week that will 
continue Iraq's transformation from a brutal totalitarian state to a 
free and Democratic Nation. But it is not just our observations that 
tell the story of the progress that we are making and the need to forge 
ahead.
  Iraqis themselves are expressing optimism as shown by a survey last 
month by the International Republican Institute. This survey indicated 
that 56 percent of Iraqis thought that things would be better in 6 
months. Just the other day, The Washington Post quoted an Egyptian 
democracy advocate who was an early opponent of the war in Iraq, 
admitting that any way you look at it, toppling Saddam Hussein has 
unfrozen the Middle East he said, just as Napoleon's 1798 expedition 
did. Elections in Iraq forced the theocrats and the autocrats to put 
democracy on the agenda, he said.
  Not least significantly, Mr. Speaker, Iraq's quest for liberty has 
had an interesting ripple effect throughout the region. For example the 
Syrians have been significantly pushed back in Lebanon, and Assad's 
tyrannical regime has been impressively weakened.
  To those who claim that we need to pack up and depart, mission 
incomplete, who demand the need for benchmarks and the transfer of 
authority, I say open your eyes. For 2 years, we have been doing just 
that. Setting benchmarks and meeting them.
  Benchmarks relating to the transfer of authority. Benchmarks for 
Iraqis to take helm of leadership positions, for elections to choose a 
national assembly. Benchmarks to select a constitution. My colleagues, 
let us recall the words of former President Ronald Reagan, who said, 
the ultimate determinant in the struggle now going on for the world 
will be but a test of wills and ideals, a trial of spiritual resolve 
for the values we hold, the beliefs we cherish, and the ideals to which 
we are dedicated. With freedom on our side, we cannot fail.

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