[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 9744]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          SMART SECURITY AND REACHING OUT TO THE MUSLIM WORLD

  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, the Bush administration has done a woefully 
inadequate job of reaching out to the Muslim world. To quote an oft-
used phrase, ``They never seem to miss an opportunity to miss an 
opportunity.''
  I believe that fundamentally they fail to understand that most 
Muslims do not want to blow up Western sites and buildings; they want 
to live in a free society, one which allows them to worship the God of 
their choosing and raise their children in safety, much like every 
American.
  Unfortunately, the Bush administration because of this lack of 
understanding has twisted the September 11 attacks in order to achieve 
a veritable clash of societies. The President uses phrases like ``us 
versus them'' and ``you are either with us or against us.'' Quotes like 
these cause many nonviolent Muslims to oppose the United States as they 
see a U.S. engaged in a war not against terrorism but against Muslims. 
They see the United States as a colonial occupier, not as a liberating 
government.
  This has encouraged radical Muslim groups to step up their recruiting 
and their tactics. The net result is 3\1/2\ years after September 11, 
Americans are much less safe, not safer than they were. Instead of 
responding by reaching out to the Muslim world to address the root 
causes of terrorism, deprivation, resource scarcity and lack of 
educational opportunities, this administration invaded Iraq, a country 
that was not previously a haven for terrorists and had no relationship 
whatsoever to the events of September 11.
  Regardless, in April 2003, the United States invaded Iraq with the 
support of a weak coalition of nations. Most countries, even those that 
fought in the first Gulf War in 1991, chose not to enter the second war 
in Iraq. They could not legitimize a war based on such faulty and 
wavering premises as the ones we heard in late 2002 and early 2003.
  The war has been a disaster from nearly the beginning. Since April 
2003, more than 1,600 American soldiers and at least 24,000 Iraqi 
civilians have paid for this arrogant foreign policy with their lives. 
At least another 12,000 Americans soldiers have been seriously wounded 
and of course the U.S. has incurred a tremendous financial burden, so 
far a $200 billion IOU.
  Instead of addressing the threat of future terrorism by engaging the 
Muslim world through smart national security policies, the Bush 
administration took the fight to a country that became a terrorist 
enclave only after the U.S. invaded. It is quite clear that the war in 
Iraq was the worst possible response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. 
Instead of stopping terrorism, the war has actually hindered our 
efforts, including any effort to capture Osama bin Laden.
  But fortunately, there is another way. Over the last 2 years, I have 
developed and refined a national security platform called SMART 
Security. SMART is Sensible, Multilateral American Response to 
Terrorism for the 21st Century. Unlike our current policies, it will 
achieve real results. SMART Security will ensure America's security by 
reaching out and engaging the Muslim world. Instead of rushing off to 
war for the wrong reasons, SMART Security encourages the United States 
to work with other nations to address the most pressing global issues.
  There is a demonstrated link between debt relief and lack of support 
for terrorism, which is why the SMART platform will encourage wealthy 
nations to provide debt relief and developmental aid for the world's 
poorest countries.
  Not every international problem has a military answer; and that is 
why SMART Security will prevent terrorism, by addressing the very 
conditions which give rise to terrorism in the first place.
  SMART Security also encourages democracy building, human rights 
education, conflict resolution through nonmilitary means, educational 
opportunities for women and girls, and strengthening civil society 
programs in the developing world.
  Programs like these are the best way to encourage democracy in 
countries like Iraq, not through wars that cause thousands of deaths, 
cost billions of dollars. The SMART approach is a way to reach out to 
the Muslim world. It is time we stop putting all of our eggs in the 
military basket and start getting smart about our national security.

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