[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 6]
[House]
[Page 8732]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


               SMART SECURITY AND MISSION UNACCOMPLISHED

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, last Sunday was the second anniversary of 
President Bush's now infamous ``Mission Accomplished'' speech in which 
he declared an end to major combat operations in Iraq under an arrogant 
banner declaring that the mission had been ``accomplished.'' I do not 
know the President's definition of the word ``accomplished,'' but I 
think just about anyone who is asked would say that the mission is very 
far from being accomplished in Iraq.
  Let us consider the facts. To date, nearly 1,600 American soldiers 
have been killed in this war. Estimates of Iraqi sources suggest that 
between 21,000 and 25,000, at least, Iraqi civilians have been killed 
as well, with hundreds more injured and dying weekly. And nearly 12,000 
American troops have suffered severe injuries as a result of the 
continuing major combat operations. The vast majority of all these 
casualties occurred and continue to occur after the President delivered 
his ``Mission Accomplished'' speech.
  We need to consider what is happening every single day on the ground 
in Iraq. The newspapers provide news daily of the latest disaster 
caused by vicious Iraqi militants. Every day dozens of innocent people 
are being killed. To my colleagues who claim that the newspapers are 
biased and do not present the positive news stories out of Iraq, I 
would say that it is pretty hard to be positive when they are 
surrounded by violence.
  Iraq is currently embroiled in a dangerous cycle of daily car 
bombings, roadside hijackings, and murders of innocents. Just 
yesterday, for instance, 45 Iraqis were killed in a bomb attack in the 
northern city of Irbil. This latest attack brings the death toll in the 
past week alone to a staggering 190 innocent Iraqi civilians. What an 
utter shame. How could anyone possibly refer to what is happening in 
Iraq as ``mission accomplished''? The only thing that is accomplished 
is the utter collapse of order in Iraqi society.
  Mr. Speaker, there has to be a better way than our current dangerous 
pattern of invading countries and leaving them in chaos. That is why I 
will reintroduce the SMART Security Resolution for the 21st Century 
next week. SMART stands for a Sensible Multilateral American Response 
to Terrorism. And it represents a better, smarter approach to diplomacy 
than our current failed foreign policies.
  The SMART approach provides a more effective national strategy, a 
strategy focused on nonproliferation, conflict prevention, 
international diplomacy, and international involvement. Instead of 
advocating preemptive war, SMART utilizes military action only, and 
only, after all diplomatic alternatives have been attempted and 
exhausted and only when it is absolutely necessary.
  SMART pursues diplomacy over hostile rhetoric; enhanced weapons 
inspections over half-cocked, misleading allegations; and support for 
nonproliferation initiatives here at home rather than the buildup of 
new nuclear weapons like the bunker-buster bomb. SMART security means 
creating a robust civil society to ensure that Iraq's economic and 
physical infrastructure become fully viable.
  We need to consider the impact of the war in Iraq on the Iraqi 
people, the terrible death and destruction that it is causing every 
single day. And we need to think about the war in terms of how it 
hinders America's security for our future. Each day this war encourages 
a new generation of terrorists who are getting stronger and stronger. 
Their common bond is their hatred of the United States.
  Mr. Speaker, of course the security of the American people is of the 
utmost importance, especially in the post-September 11 world. But as 
the world's largest democracy, we have a responsibility to interact 
with other nations in a smarter way, by utilizing all diplomatic 
possibilities before resorting to force. While it may be frustrating 
and time consuming to negotiate with other countries over 
disagreements, cooperating with the international community will make 
the world more peaceful and Americans far safer than aggressive 
unilateralism.

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