[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 16087-16091]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              THE TRUE FACTS IN REGARD TO PROGRESS IN IRAQ

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 4, 2005, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey) is recognized 
for one-half the remaining time until midnight as the designee of the 
majority leader.
  Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, today was an historic day on this House 
floor when we heard in a joint session of Congress from the Prime 
Minister of Iraq, Nouri Al-Maliki. The Iraqi people have spoken and 
their prime minister has spoken.
  Last night during our special hour, Mr. Speaker, two of my colleagues 
from Georgia talked about the economic activity of this country and how 
well we have done under the policies of this President and this 
Republican leadership, and they termed that hour the truth hour as 
presented by the truth squad, to make sure the facts are presented to 
our colleagues and to the American people, the true facts.
  What I would like to do in this short time that we have tonight, Mr. 
Speaker, is to talk about the true facts in regard to Iraq and the 
Iraqi people and why we need to continue to support them and not 
consider for a moment to bail out in these difficult times that they 
are continuing to go through.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to just talk about some of the progress that we 
have made. I have got a couple of slides here that I would like to 
present.
  First, just talking about the security in Iraq, Iraq's brutal former 
dictator, Saddam Hussein, as we all know, is behind bars and has been 
for the past couple of years. Just in the last couple of months, Mr. 
Speaker, the infamous, the notorious Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader 
of al Qaeda in Iraq, was eliminated by United States troops, with the 
help, I might add, Mr. Speaker, of the Iraqi people, from actionable 
intelligence that we obtained from them.
  The Iraqi Security Forces now number over 260,000, and they are 
participating in more than 90 percent, 90 percent, of all security 
operations in their Nation. The Iraqi citizens are coming forth, as I 
say, with tips about insurgents like al-Zarqawi and terrorist 
activities, more than 4,500 tips in March of this year alone.
  Of course, Mr. Speaker, this infamous photograph of Zarqawi is 
recognized by every Member in this Chamber. And listen to his quote. 
``Americans are the

[[Page 16088]]

most cowardly of God's creatures. They are an easy quarry. Praise be to 
God. We ask God to enable us to kill and capture them.'' This was a 
letter to al Qaeda in February of 2004. Thank our God that this 
infamous Zarqawi no longer exists and is no longer a threat to the 
Iraqi people and to our brave military that are fighting in Iraq.
  Let me just speak a little bit about democracy, and, of course, the 
prime minister spoke to that so well today. Prime Minister Maliki 
serves as a democratically elected prime minister of Iraq. More than 70 
percent of Iraq's citizens voted in a series of free and fair 
elections. The Iraqi citizens ratified a constitution and they elected 
the Iraqi National Unity Government. For the first time, women are part 
of the political process, holding 31 percent of the assembly seats. The 
number of judges has increased seven-fold.
  Let's speak just a little bit about the society in Iraq. Mr. Speaker, 
this shows a picture, that famous picture of an Iraqi woman holding up 
that victory sign with that blue ink on her finger signifying that she 
has voted, having stood in line all day long. There were lots of 
terrorist attacks that day, yet the Iraqi people voted in a higher 
percentage than we Americans vote in a presidential election year.
  Our troops are continuing to help the Iraqi people in building 
schools, sanitation projects and medical centers.

                              {time}  2300

  The Iraqi people can now watch commercial television and read 
independent newspapers, signs of a growing freedom of speech.
  Primary school enrollment has increased by nearly 3 million children. 
Iraqi medical schools are graduating 2,250 doctors each year. 
Unemployment is down dramatically. In the past 3 years, Iraq's GDP per 
capita has more than doubled.
  More than 40 countries and international groups have established 
embassies or missions in Iraqi to assist the developing democracy. 
Listen, Mr. Speaker, to some of the excerpts of the prime ministers 
speech to Congress today on the floor of this House, as he thanked the 
American people.
  ``Iraq will not forget those who stood with her and who continue to 
stand with her in times of need. Thank you for your continued resolve 
in helping us fight the terrorists plaguing Iraq, which is a struggle 
to defend our nascent democracy, and our people who aspire to liberty, 
democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. All of those are not just 
western values, they are universal values for humanity. They are as 
much for me the pinnacle embodiment of my faith and religion and they 
are for all free spirits''.
  I quote further. ``Today Iraq is a democracy which stands firm 
because of the sacrifices of its people, and the sacrifices of all 
those who stood with us in this crisis. And that is why I thank you. I 
would like to thank them very much for all their sacrifices''.
  Again, this is the prime minister speaking today from the floor of 
this House to the American people. He goes on. ``The journey has been 
perilous and the future is not guaranteed. Yet many around the world 
who underestimated that resolve of Iraq's people and were sure that we 
would never reach this stage. Few believed in us. But you the American 
people did and we are grateful for this''.
  I want to just go on briefly before I call on one of my colleagues, 
the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King), who has joined me and would also 
like to talk about the success that we have had in Iraq and why we need 
to continue to stay the course.
  The prime minister further said, ``I know some of you here question 
whether Iraq is part of the War on Terror. Let me be very clear. This 
is a battle between true Islam, for which a person's liberty and rights 
constitute essential cornerstones, and terrorism, which wraps itself in 
a fake Islamic cloak, in reality wages a war on Islam and Muslims and 
values and spreads hatred between humanity''.
  That quote from prime minister Maliki today. And that is exactly 
right. He continues by saying, ``wherever human kind suffers a loss at 
the hands of terrorists is a loss for all humanity. It is your duty and 
our duty to defeat this terror. Iraq is the front line in this 
struggle, and history will prove that the sacrifices of Iraqis for 
freedom will not be in vain. Iraqis are your allies in the War on 
Terror''.
  So, Mr. Speaker, let us put to rest this question of doubt, of the 
resolve of the Iraqi people and their commitment. Sure, we have made 
tremendous sacrifices in 2,6000 of our soldiers who have been killed, 
and probably 12,000 to 14,000 that have been severely injured in trying 
to fight this Global War on Terror, and bring a form of democracy to 
these people who are striving so hard for the principles of freedom.
  We have paid a sacrifice. But they have paid a tremendous sacrifice. 
And the estimate could be as many as 40,000 killed, if not more, many 
of them innocent Iraqi citizens, and many of them women and children.
  Mr. Speaker, it is a very important time today on the heels of the 
prime minister's visit and speech to the Congress today that we talk 
about this tonight. And, yes, once again the Truth Squad needs to speak 
loudly on this issue.
  Mr. Speaker, with that I would like to call on my colleague from Iowa 
(Mr. King) for his remarks.
  Mr. KING of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Gingrey for leading this 
special order hour tonight and for stepping up front to stand up for 
freedom and liberty for the American people, for the Iraqi people, and 
one day, I hope and pray it is for all people on this planet.
  If there was a theme that came out of prime ministers Al-Maliki's 
speech today, it was that theme, that theme of freedom and liberty, and 
that theme that ties us all together when he told that freedom is not 
an American value, but it is a value that God gives to all humanity.
  One of the statements that he made, I am not sure if you might have 
already made this statement, Mr. Gingrey, but I want to emphasize it. 
And this is one that gripped me when I heard it said this afternoon. 
Prime Minister Maliki: ``The fate of our country and yours is tied. 
Should democracy be allowed to fail in Iraq and terror permitted to 
triumph, then the War on Terror will never be won elsewhere''.
  Mr. Speaker, we must win this battle in this Global War on Terror, 
this battleground that is Iraq. There is no alternative but victory. In 
fact, we are moving down this path in a successful fashion. You just 
cannot simply every day take a measure of it. It is kind of like going 
on a diet in the morning and weighing yourself at noon and deciding you 
want to change your diet. We need to look at milestones.
  There have been milestones after milestones that have flowed out of 
Iraq. And there been three elections with 70 percent of the people 
going to the polls, more people going to the polls in some of the 
elections, than came to the polls in a U.S. national election.
  That ought to tell you where their commitment is. And the picture of 
the lady with the purple fingers and shining it in victory, that says 
what is going on there. It is a very, very proud thing that they 
stepped up to freedom.
  When I asked them, the Iraqis, are you first an Iraqi, or are you 
first a Kurd or a Sunni or a Shiia, invariably they will are ay, I am 
an Iraqi first. They want to have a unified nation, they want to have a 
free nation, they want to be a free people.
  Part of the rest of the speech was, as Al-Maliki said, ``this 
terrorist front is a threat to every free country in the world and 
their citizens. What is at stake is nothing less than our freedom and 
liberty. Confronting and dealing with this challenge is a 
responsibility of every liberal democracy that values its freedom. 
Iraqi is the battle that will determine the war. If in continued 
partnership we have the strength of mind and commitment to defeat the 
terrorists and their ideology in Iraq, they will never be able to 
recover''.
  Which brings me to mind a meeting that I had in Iraq my last time 
there with General Casey and General Abizaid, when General Casey made 
the statement, ``the enemy cannot win if the politicians stay in the 
fight''.

[[Page 16089]]

  That means the people here in Washington, D.C., the politician all 
across America. That means the politicians in western Europe and all 
across the world. That means the politicians in Iraq as well. They have 
all got to stay in this fight.
  When I look these solders in the eye that are over there in that 125 
and 130 degree heat today, they will say to me, ``I am proud to serve 
my country. I am proud to stand here, and I am willing to put my life 
on the line for a year or more if necessary. But why do I have to fight 
the United States news media too''?
  Well, no soldier or marine should have to do that. In fact, that is 
our job. And we take that on and we put the facts out here on this 
floor. And we do so in press conferences. That is our way of fighting 
this war.
  The object of war, according to Klauswitz is to destroy the enemy's 
will and ability to conduct war. The object of war, according to Steve 
King is, war is over when the losing side realizes that they have lost.
  And if voices come out of this Congress that seek to convince them 
otherwise, that works against the cause and does not support our 
troops. In the end, it costs American lives. And that has happened. And 
the cemeteries have brave Americans that would otherwise be living a 
normal life that have given their lives for freedom that would not have 
had to, if we stuck together as a people in this country.
  But a core of us are together, a majority of us, a vast majority of 
us are together and we will stick this out. You know, I would rather be 
on this side as I listen to the pessimism that comes sometimes from the 
other side of the aisle, then I would be on the other side of this 
battle in Iraq. I would a lot rather be on the side of freedom, on the 
side of the Iraqi military and the coalition troops than I would be on 
the side of al-Qaeda and the terrorists in Iraq.
  Just to state that, I believe it was a year ago, it must have been 
April of 2004 when Zarqawi wrote a letter, about a 17-page letter full 
of lamentations. And he said then this was not like Vietnam, that they 
did not have mountains or forests to hide in, the only place they could 
hide was in the homes of the Iraqi people that would be willing to take 
them in, and the Iraqis that were willing to hide al-Qaeda were, ``as 
rare as red sulfur''.
  I am just going to presume that red sulfur is quite rare, maybe like 
frogs or chickens teeth, but quite rare. I have never seen any red 
sulfur over there, and I have looked around quite a lot. I am sure he 
meant it was awfully hard to find a place to lay down and get some rest 
in a country like Iraq when the people do not want to take in al-Qaeda. 
That was a couple of years ago.
  Now, Zarqawi has gone on to meet his eternal reward, justly so. And I 
have visions of what that might be like for him. But rather than paint 
those on this floor and perhaps be gaveled down, Mr. Speaker, I point 
out what it looks today like for the survivors that are still on the 
side of al-Qaeda.
  How bad must it be over there to try to find optimism when you are 
losing as badly as they are. Other folks would like to convince us that 
we are losing. In fact, there is nothing that supports that. How bad 
are they losing? Well, one of the latest blows to al-Qaeda in Iraq, 
this is an excerpt from a May 8, 2006 Associated Press, could not get 
more credible than the Associated Press article, about documents 
captured during mid-April's raid south of Baghdad.
  The highlights of disorganization that already existed in Iraq, and 
the disorganization for al-Qaeda and the terrorists that continues to 
this day. It is this way. ``Every year is worse than the previous 
year''. That is a quote from captured documents of al-Qaeda and the 
terrorists. ``Every year is worse than the previous year.''
  The strategy document complains that, ``the strength of the brothers 
in Baghdad, is based mostly on car bombs and groups of assassins 
lacking any organized military capabilities''.
  We will go on with the AP article. The writer complains that the 
Americans and the Iraqi government forces were able to absorb our 
painful blows, raise new recruits and take control of Baghdad as well 
as other areas one another.
  There is why every year is worse than the previous year, as far as 
the Mujahadin's control and influence over Baghdad, according to the 
document that was captured. That should give the American people a 
sense of what it is like on the other side, on the losing side.
  And if we sang from the same hymnal, sang the same chorus, carried 
forth the same message, which is we are in this thing for victory, Iraq 
is a battleground in a Global War on Terror, we will stick this thing 
out, not only to put this issue away and behind us and make sure that 
there is a platform and a climate for freedom for the Iraqi people, but 
as far and as long as we have to go so that we can secure the safety 
and the security for the American people and for all freedom-loving 
people all around the globe.
  Today we are watching about the 14th or probably the 15th day of the 
battleground in Israel, where they were attacked from both sides, from 
the south in Gaza and the north out of Lebanon. By Hamas in the south 
and Hezbollah in the north. At the directive and order, I believe, of 
the mullahs in Iran and Ahmadinejad.
  Because they wanted to change the subject on the United Nations 
pressure on Iran for violating nuclear proliferation agreements, and UN 
Resolution 1559. So they started a war, and their number one enemy, the 
people that Ahmadinejad said should be wiped from the face of the 
earth. There is no question that that is their commitment, Mr. Speaker, 
to do that.
  Iran has been fomenting violence in Iraq for years. And we have 
tolerated it far more than we should. And I do not know that we can 
resolve the issue in Iraq as long as Iran is sending munitions, 
supplies and money and providing training for terrorists to go into 
Iraq.
  But it is happening. It has been going on for more than 2 years, 
perhaps more than 3 years. And there has been a big price paid for 
that. Syria also to a lesser extent.

                              {time}  2315

  But I don't know anybody that believes that if you could have taken 
Syria and Iran out of this equation with Iraq, if the border 
essentially had been sealed and they stayed out of that involvement, I 
don't know anybody that believes the issue wouldn't have been resolved 
in Iraq, that there wouldn't be peaceful passivity there and a solid, 
stable government and this economy that is now growing to the point 
where they have doubled their GDP since the time of liberation would 
have been even greater than it is today. The soil supplies would be 
greater. The electrical production would be greater.
  But a lot of that progress with that was not yet made in Iraq, has 
been held back by the terrorists that are trained and funded and 
supported by Iran. And I remember what our President said: If you are 
terrorist, you are an enemy. If you support a terrorist, house a 
terrorist, fund a terrorist, train a terrorist, you are our enemy. It 
doesn't matter where you are or who you are.
  Iran fits in that category. Syria fits in that category. Now the 
pressure is up, and the world's spotlight, the world stage is Iraq and 
Israel.
  Now, imagine a free Iranian people, a free Iranian people that next 
month, just the fifth of next month, will be celebrating a constitution 
that was established, however briefly, 100 years ago that defends their 
freedom and their rights the same way that our rights and our freedom 
are defended by our Constitution. I will say close to that. They have 
something to celebrate.
  And as that centennial roles around on August 5, next month, I am 
hopeful that will be an inspiration for the Iranian people that one day 
soon they can rise up and they can grab ahold of control of Iran and 
again be a free people inspired by that constitution from a century 
ago, inspired by a free Iraq and a prosperous Iraqi people and inspired 
by the potential for a world across the Middle East where all people 
breathe free.

[[Page 16090]]

  If that happens, that has cured the type of habitat that breeds 
terror. Freedom doesn't breed terror. Free people never go to war 
against other free people. There is a bright future there in that part 
of the world. Freedom can echo across those Arab countries the same way 
it echoed across Eastern Europe when the wall went down in 1989. That 
is my prayer and that is my hope, Mr. Speaker.
  I appreciate the gentleman from Georgia yielding to me, and I 
appreciate his presentation.
  Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I want to say the gentleman from Iowa in 
just a brief colloquy with him, and of course thanking him for being 
with us tonight, that I am sure that he would agree that our Commander-
in-Chief needs to rely on the combatant commanders. Certain today of 
course is General Casey, before that General Sanchez, before that 
General Franks, to let him know in regard to how many troops need to be 
on the ground and where they need to be positioned and how long they 
need to stay.
  I know that we have heard a lot from Members on the other side of the 
aisle particularly calling for a date certain for a troop withdrawal or 
reduction or redeployment 6,000 miles away, to Okinawa or whatever.
  Mr. Speaker, I am sure my colleague from Iowa would agree that this 
is a call that we need to leave to the combatant commanders to make 
these decisions. I know that because of the insurgency, the up tick in 
the insurgency, as these Islamic extremists continue to struggle in 
their death throes post-Zarqawi, there is going to be some tough times; 
and this is certainly not the time to give them your playbook. Would 
you not agree with that?
  Mr. KING of Iowa. I would absolutely agree.
  I think pretty soon fall football practice will start, and I can't 
imagine a football coach inviting the other coach in to watch your fall 
drills, or ``Here is my playbook. Here is how we run these plays and 
here is how I call them.'' You would never do it. You would never sit 
down to a poker game and play your hole cards face up.
  When you are at war, intelligence is a big part of it. And to be able 
to tip your hand to say, no, we are going to pull out of here on such 
and such a date, the enemy could go underground, hole up. They could 
use that period of time to store more weapons, more ammunitions, do 
more training, just stay out of combat; and then, when that moment 
comes, come back out of their holes in the ground and turn around and 
attack Americans and Coalition troops and Iraqis.
  This is such a solid concept that you are addressing here. It is such 
a solid concept that I am surprised that there is anyone on the other 
side of the aisle that promotes and supports such a thing.
  About a week ago, former President Clinton also stood with you on 
this issue and with me on this issue on how ridiculous it would be to 
establish a date certain to pull out of Iraq.
  You illustrated that first year, some months ago, the statement was 
made that we should pull troops back to the horizon. Now I envision 
that to be kind of back there where the sun sets on the hill or rises 
on the hill. Either way it would be a horizon. And it does turn out 
that the horizon was Okinawa. I don't think anybody in the world 
imagined that the horizon really meant Okinawa.
  Mr. GINGREY. I thank again the gentleman from Iowa.
  My good friend, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goode), has joined 
us at this late hour. At this time, I would like to call on him for his 
remarks concerning the Iraqi situation.
  Mr. GOODE. I thank the gentleman.
  I would like to restate some of the comments that we heard earlier 
today from the new Prime Minister of Iraq and make some of the points 
he said about how Iraq of today is different than what the Iraq of a 
few years ago was.
  He said, ``We have gone from a small one-party state ruled by a 
dictator and a small elite to a multi-party system where politics is 
the domain of every citizen and parties compete at all levels. What 
used to be a state-controlled media is now completely free and 
uncensored; something Iraq had never witnessed since its establishment 
as a modern state, and something which remains alien to most of the 
region. What used to be a command economy in Iraq we are rapidly 
transforming into a free market economy. In the past 3 years, our gross 
domestic product per capita has more than doubled, and it is expected 
that our economy will continue to grow.''
  He went on to say, ``While small sections of central Iraq are 
unstable, large sections have remained peaceful but ignored for far too 
long. They were the most deprived areas of Iraq under the previous 
regime and have been the most valiant in Iraq's struggle for freedom. 
We need to make an example out of these stable areas as models for the 
rest of the country.
  ``Reconstruction projects in these areas will tackle unemployment, 
which will weaken the terrorists. They will become prototypes for 
other, more volatile regions to aspire to. Undoubtedly, reconstruction 
in these areas will fuel economic growth and show what a prosperous, 
stable, democratic, and federal Iraq would look like.''
  Today, Saddam Hussein is in prison awaiting the end of his trial. 
Zarqawi, the leader of the al Qaeda in Iraq, was eliminated by United 
States troops. Iraqi security forces now number over 265,000 and are 
participating in more than 90 percent of all security operations in the 
country. Iraqi citizens are coming forth with tips about insurgents and 
terrorist activities. More than 70 percent of Iraqi citizens voted in a 
series of free and fair elections. Those figures are some that those of 
us in this country could be envious of.
  The progress in Iraq has not been without cost. This past week, a 
citizen of the Fifth District of Virginia from Greene County, a little 
community of Ruckersville, was killed by an IED. He was Corporal Adam 
Fargo. He went to William Monroe High School. He volunteered for 
service in the United States Army. He, like so many of us who have 
volunteered on behalf of our country, has made the positive statistics 
and the statements and the changes in Iraq possible. But it is not just 
for the country of Iraq, it is for the United States of America.
  We have indeed been fortunate in this country. Over the last 200 some 
odd years since our Nation was founded, rarely have there been attacks 
upon our homeland. Most of the fighting in World War II was abroad. All 
of the fighting in World War I was abroad. In Korea, the fighting was 
abroad. In Vietnam, the fighting was in Asia. And now, when we are in 
the Middle East, back in the Gulf War of 1990, 1991, the fighting was 
there. We liberated Kuwait. And now today, following September 11 when 
we were hit on our own soil, in Afghanistan men and women in our Armed 
Forces are standing up for America, and some have given their lives, 
have given their all for our Nation.
  Our Nation is a beacon on a hill. It is the land of the free and the 
home of the brave because of those persons like Adam Fargo who have 
stood by our country and made those of us who are in the United States 
of America far safer and given us the ability to enjoy democracy and 
the greatest freedom in the world.
  We need to thank all of our troops, and particularly those for whom 
we can never express enough gratitude for they have given their lives 
so that all of us may be free and that our democracy can be a shining 
light for the rest of the world.
  Mr. GINGREY. I thank the gentleman from Virginia. I don't think 
anyone could possibly say it any better.
  We must not break faith with those who have died for this cause and 
those who have been severely injured and their families. We have an 
obligation to them and to the Iraqi people.
  I know all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle were comforted to 
have the opportunity today to hear from the Iraqi Prime Minister and to 
have him answer some of these tough questions in regard to their 
commitment as well as our commitment. Because, as he said, we are a 
freedom-loving people throughout the world. They

[[Page 16091]]

feel the same about liberty as we do, and their commitment to it is 
there, and it is strong, and their deep appreciation.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the leadership for giving this opportunity to 
spend about 30 minutes with our colleagues; and now we will turn it 
over to our friends on the other side of the aisle for their time.

                          ____________________