[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Page 19162]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            GLOBAL TERRORISM

  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, according to reports in Sunday's New York 
Times and Washington Post, a National Intelligence Estimate prepared 
last April concludes that the war in Iraq has made the problem of 
global terrorism worse and that terrorist cells have metastasized and 
spread across the globe.
  For more than 3 years, President Bush and the Republican Congress 
have repeatedly claimed the war in Iraq is making America safer. Now, 
we learn that the 16 agencies in the intelligence community concluded 
just the opposite last April--that the Iraq war has become a rallying 
cry for extremists against the United States and made the war on terror 
more difficult to win.
  The American people have the right to hear from our Nation's top 
intelligence official about the conclusions of the intelligence 
community in this report. Before Congress adjourns this week, Director 
of National Intelligence John Negroponte should testify in open session 
about this report. In addition, an unclassified version of the key 
judgments and discussion about Iraq in the report should be made 
available to the public in a way that protects sources and methods.
  With more than 140,000 American troops on the ground in Iraq and 
terrorist attacks increasing around the globe, the stakes for the 
safety of all Americans are enormously high. It is our obligation to 
hear directly from Mr. Negroponte before adjourning at the end of this 
week. It is essential that Congress and the American people obtain a 
fuller understanding about the conclusions of the intelligence 
community about the impact of the Iraq war.
  In addition, the President and Vice President must explain statements 
they have made that are directly at odds with this National 
Intelligence Estimate.
  Despite the conclusion of the intelligence community that the war has 
been a recruitment tool for a new generation of extremists, on numerous 
occasions since the document was prepared, President Bush has claimed 
that the war has made America safer.
  On September 7, President Bush said:

       We've learned the lessons of 9/11 . . . We've gone on the 
     offense against our enemies, and transformed former 
     adversaries into allies. We have put in place the 
     institutions needed to win this war. Five years after 
     September the 11th, 2001, America is safer--and America is 
     winning the war on terror.

  On September 11, President Bush said:

       Saddam's regime posed a risk that the world could not 
     afford to take. The world is safer because Saddam Hussein is 
     no longer in power.

  Despite the conclusion of the intelligence community 5 months earlier 
that new threats are emerging because of the war in Iraq, Vice 
President Cheney said the exact opposite on September 10. He said:

       We are better off there because of what we've done to date. 
     We are less likely to have a threat emerge against the United 
     States from that corner of the world than would have been the 
     case if Saddam were still there.

  The American people deserve to know whether the President and Vice 
President are intentionally misleading us about our safety or whether 
they are simply ignoring the intelligence community. Clearly, America 
deserves better from its leaders.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded. I ask to speak for up to 20 minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. CORNYN. I ask unanimous consent I be permitted to speak for up to 
20 minutes in morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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