[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 6]
[House]
[Page 7832]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      DEMOCRACY IN THE MIDDLE EAST

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to praise President Bush's 
ongoing efforts to carry democracy and freedom to the farthest corners 
of the Middle East.
  Like some of my colleagues, I have had the opportunity recently to 
travel to this part of the world, to Iraq, to Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, 
Jordan, Cypress and Israel. These experiences left me extremely 
encouraged about the prospect of freedom in the Middle East. I believe 
we are witnessing a crucial moment in world history as democracy is 
planting roots in countries previously overrun by terrorists and 
tyrants.
  The most visible instance of this is in Iraq. Four short months ago, 
Iraqi citizens braved terrorist threats and bodily harm to turn out at 
the polls in amazing numbers. Today, the fruits of their labor are 
evident, and the Iraqi people can finally look forward to a future in a 
free and a democratic society. They have a government that serves as a 
voice for all Iraqis, be they Kurdish, Sunni, Shiite, Christian, or any 
of the many other ethnic and religious groups represented in the new 
government.
  Like the Iraqi people, citizens of Afghanistan are also enjoying new-
found freedoms. Our United States Armed Forces have liberated millions 
of Afghans, paving the way for a democratic Afghani government, one 
that is committed to fighting terrorism on its own.
  But Iraq and Afghanistan are not the only nations where freedom is 
marching, Mr. Speaker. The roots of democracy grow wide, and they have 
begun their spread into Iran, Syria, Palestine, Libya, and perhaps even 
Saudi Arabia. The list of democratic accomplishments in the region is 
growing, suggesting that a true change in outlook and culture is 
occurring in the Middle East.
  Syria has begun pulling its troops out of Lebanon. Israel is working 
with the Palestinian people to pull troops and settlers out of Gaza, 
and the post-Arafat PLO is increasingly willing to put this kind of 
diplomacy over terrorism. Libya has begun the voluntary dismantling of 
its nuclear program, and Egypt has agreed to allow multi-candidate 
elections.
  Any one of these accomplishments alone would be reason to rejoice; 
but taken together, they signal an ever-growing, irrevocable force for 
change across the globe. What we are accomplishing in the Middle East 
is far more than winning the war on terror. We are winning the war of 
ideas. People around the globe are crying out for freedom.
  Democracy, representation, the opportunity to disagree, these are all 
essential developments that foster freedom; and we are seeing them 
spread across the Middle East. People are choosing democracy over 
dictators and demagogues, and I am extremely encouraged by these 
developments.
  Mr. Speaker, the naysayers among us, those who said fair democratic 
elections in Iraq would never occur, who said this region would never 
accept democracy, they have been proven wrong. Freedom is a universal 
ideal, one that knows no boundaries or borders. As President Bush so 
often reminds us, freedom truly is on the march.

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