[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 6]
[House]
[Pages 7832-7833]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          WHY DO THEY HATE US?

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Washington (Mr. McDermott) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, the great unanswered question of the 21st 
century is, why do they hate us?
  We have to find out. The answer relates directly to the safety and 
security of America and every American, wherever we live.
  Why does the world not see us the way we see ourselves? Strong, 
generous, eager to share what makes us unique. ``We hold these truths 
to be self evident.''

[[Page 7833]]

  Why? Why can they not perceive the America that we know?
  Well, several incidents recently give us clues as to the riddle of 
why the world cannot except our raison d'etre.
  A few weeks ago we strongly objected to the Japanese government's 
effort to establish a contract with Iran for much-needed energy. We 
told them do not do it.
  This is the continuation of a quarter-of-a-century-old foreign policy 
initiative: isolate Iran; that will force them to bend to our will.
  But Iran is rich in resources, and I think the conclusion follows 
naturally from these circumstances. When it comes to Iran, economic 
isolation equals nuclear proliferation.
  Attempting to curb, stifle, or choke off the natural economic 
progress of a nation with supplies very much in demand is unlikely to 
be effective. It certainly has not worked for a quarter of a century, 
no matter which party has had the White House.
  Iran is a nation rich in natural energy resources which some nations 
will seek to leverage regardless of what U.S. policy is.
  Today, 14 percent of China's energy needs are met with energy 
resources from Iran. No one should doubt the obvious. This energy 
relationship will go on in coming years.
  We lean on Japan, but that has no impact on China or Russia or others 
in the region. If anything, it is an incentive for Iran to deepen its 
economic and political ties elsewhere.
  In attempting to isolate Iran, we may be, in the end, isolating 
ourselves from the seemingly unstoppable economic and geopolitical 
expansion in Asia and the Middle East.
  A few days after we expressed our extreme concerns to Japan, 
something happened that did not receive widespread news coverage in the 
United States. Last year, Japan financed the equivalent of the entire 
U.S. deficit, $400 billion.
  Now, some in Japan have expressed a preference for the Euro. Japan is 
our friend, a strong and close ally. It seems to me if our friends are 
struggling with our foreign policy decisions, imagine what our 
nonfriends are doing. They are using it to isolate the U.S. from the 
rest of the world.
  Not long after our concerns were expressed to Japan, we showed the 
iron fist again when Iran, Pakistan, and India began to talk of a 
pipeline for South Asia across Pakistan to supply energy to starved 
West India.
  The President has defined Iran as the Axis of Evil. The U.S., to put 
it diplomatically, prefers to end the religious government in Iran 
where we might change the rhetoric from the Axis of Evil to the access, 
A-C-C-E-S-S to natural resources.
  Our vocal and public expressions against the Iranian Government were 
noticed. Iran's leaders took a page out of our playbook. We call them 
the Axis of Evil. They call us the Great Satan.
  Lately, the administration has ramped up on the nuclear weapons of 
mass destruction rhetoric, leaving some to fear or speculate about 
whether the rhetoric is really the base case for a new preemptive 
action.
  One hears Condoleezza Rice threatening sanctions against those who 
engage in commerce in Iran. It just so happened that entire nations 
like India and Pakistan fall into that rhetorical trap.
  A proposal to build a pipeline from Iran through Pakistan to serve 
energy needs in India has been called a peace pipeline. It is the 
latest positive step between two great nations with a long history of 
tension and bloodshed.
  If the IRA and Northern Ireland can resolve differences, surely there 
is hope for Kashmir. The signs of hope are there; but like a seed 
planted in fertile ground, the hope for lasting peace must be nurtured.
  Instead, our one-size-fits-all foreign policy aimed at Iran hits 
India and Pakistan as well. We end up trying to punish Iran by 
undercutting India and Pakistan.
  India's energy problems are real. The future of the nation depends on 
securing stable energy resources. Yet, U.S. foreign policy meant to 
punish Iran hurts America's friends and America's foreign policy.
  We are telling India and Pakistan to abandon the peace pipeline 
because we do not like Iran. But we are saying there will be severe 
consequences for our friends if they do not follow our orders.
  Why are we trying to prevent India from solving one of its most 
pressing energy problems, chronic energy shortage?
  We have not isolated Iran. We have merely strongly encouraged Iran to 
build economic and political relationships everywhere else. We like to 
pretend our effort in Iran has been effective. I think it is time for 
us to admit we need a complete reassessment and overhaul of our failing 
foreign policy beginning in Iran.
  In my judgment, it is time to put economic democracy on the table, 
and there is no place like starting with India and Pakistan.
  Their destiny should be in the hands of Indians and Pakistanis. The 
Administration has been declaring veto power.
  Iran, Cuba, and a host of other foreign policy initiatives have shown 
us that this approach does not work. And our intention to approve or 
veto the destiny of other nations will not last.
  I worry about Iran as much as any Republican and Democrat leader.
  But we cannot deny what we know to be true. Our current foreign 
policy--in philosophy and practice--has been most effective at 
isolating America.
  It's time we revise our vision to something sustainable and 
tolerable.
  We can start by encouraging regional cooperation in Central and South 
Asia. We can start by encouraging peace, perhaps symbolized by the so 
called peace pipeline. We have helped Iran win many friends in recent 
years.
  Now it is time to envision a foreign policy which makes it more 
likely that Iran, the world's second largest holder of natural gas, 
will focus on developing natural gas instead of nuclear energy that 
could form the basis for a nuclear threat.
  Surely, our experience in Iraq and its problems should have taught us 
something about the ultimate futility of trying to solve everything 
with a gun.

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