[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 11623]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            THE WAR IN IRAQ

  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to 
speak out of order for 5 minutes.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the gentleman from New 
Mexico is recognized for 5 minutes.
  There was no objection.
  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, over 3 years our Nation has 
invested in Iraq. In human and political costs it has been a heavy 
toll. We have lost thousands of American and Iraqi lives, spent 
billions of dollars, and squandered the greatest outpouring of 
international support in decades. And through it all, we have misplaced 
our focus on the threat of Islamic terrorism.
  It is time for us to prepare to redeploy our forces from Iraq by the 
end of the year. Mr. Murtha is right: redeploy but be ready. Some 
successes have occurred.

                              {time}  1215

  The recent killing of Islamic extremist al Zarqawi by coalition 
forces offers an opportunity to stem the steady tide of internal 
terrorist attacks in Iraq, while the welcome news that several 
important cabinet ministers have been appointed demonstrates that 
progress is being made. Nevertheless, these glimpses of optimism cannot 
mask the overwhelming recognition that this was a war of choice. The 
administration invaded Iraq without the necessary international support 
and without plans for stability, reconstruction, and governance.
  Earlier this year I visited Iraq and saw firsthand the reality of our 
investment. While our troops bravely fight, there were few areas of 
security or safety. Sectarian violence and civil strife have eclipsed 
the progress of free elections. Unemployment continues unabated. 
Radical clerics promote hate, and anti-American sentiment has spread 
with fervor. At the same time the President is urging that we stay the 
course, we are approaching 2,500 American troops killed, and more and 
more we are learning the costs back home, families losing loved ones 
and soldiers physically and mentally scarred by war.
  We have helped sow the seeds of democracy, but now the people of Iraq 
must take charge and bring about their own destiny. We cannot force our 
way of life or our ideals upon another nation, nor should that ever be 
our mission. Rather, we must encourage them to bring about their own 
change and promise that as long as democracy and liberty is their 
desire, we will be their ally and be devoted to their success. To 
prolong this transition will only deepen their dependence on our 
resources, will further radicalize those who use our presence as an 
enticement for hate, and will distract us away from where our focus 
must lie.
  It was only a few years ago that this Congress, with bipartisanship 
and unity, supported the President in embarking against the terrorist 
threat by ousting the Taliban from Afghanistan. All of our allies and 
some of our enemies recognized the strength of our convictions in 
defeating those who promote radicalism and extremism, and we were 
joined by the largest coalition in history. But then we detoured and 
launched an ill-advised military operation in Iraq. The results have 
been damaging, and instead of achieving success globally, we have 
reached and sowed frustration and recalcitrance.
  I believe we are seeing ever increasing signs that our resources in 
Iraq must now be shifted to finish the job in Afghanistan and work with 
our allies to defeat the terrorist threat around the world. Not because 
we have failed or succeeded but because the process of democracy is 
never ending. And it is time for the Iraqi people to stand up and lead 
the way toward their future. Through redeployment and reallocation, we 
can provide regional support to those areas most susceptible to 
terrorism. We can refocus our attention to eradicating the leaders of 
hate who use global networks to promote radicalism. And we can 
strengthen our ability to develop multilateral approaches, reinvesting 
in the idea that key alliances is the best way in which to bring about 
democracy and stability throughout the world.
  There are some who will argue that patriotism and criticism are 
mutually exclusive. This is utterly false. Our strength of promoting 
democracy, liberty, and freedom must be coupled with the wisdom of 
recognizing our fallibility. The difference between those who believe 
we must stay the course in Iraq and those who believe we must change 
course lies not in degrees of patriotism but rather in truthful 
disagreement over policy. Confusing the two leads only to division and 
partisanship, and we must avoid at all costs to allow an issue of such 
importance to be clouded with such rhetoric.
  Mr. Speaker, I was against our Nation going to war in Iraq, but at 
every step of the way I have supported our men and women in uniform in 
their mission. I have objected to the heavy-handed foreign policy of 
this administration but have desired to see hope and progress for the 
Iraqi people. And now I call for our troops in Iraq to be redeployed by 
the end of the year.

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