[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 19]
[House]
[Page 27018]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              TODAY MARKS A TRAGIC DAY IN AMERICAN HISTORY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, today marks a sad and tragic day in 
American history. Today is the fifth anniversary of the House joint 
resolution which authorized the use of American Armed Forces against 
Iraq.
  I was among the 133 Members of the House who voted ``no'' on that 
resolution. But our voices could not be heard over the deafening spin 
machine of fear and misinformation that came from the administration.
  We were told about mushroom clouds, yellow cake, and weapons of mass 
destruction. They all turned out to be fairytales. But they became the 
rationale of something America should never, never do: wage a war of 
choice.
  But now the American people know that our involvement in Iraq is 
folly, and in 2006 they sent us to Congress to end the occupation.
  Iraq is not the American people's war; it is the administration's 
war. And it goes on because the administration has turned a deaf ear to 
the will of the people. The administration looks to our involvement in 
South Korea as the model for Iraq. That means a permanent occupation 
that may last half a century or more.
  Who wants this? The American people don't want it. The Iraqi people 
don't want it. The people of the Middle East don't want it. Our allies 
don't want it. The world does not want it. Iraq is the symptom of a 
foreign policy that is fatally flawed. We have turned our backs on the 
structure of international cooperation and agreement that is the best 
way to stop terrorism, ensure our national security, and keep the 
peace.
  Our leaders have told us to wait for history to judge the wisdom of 
our involvement in Iraq, but we don't have to wait; 5 years is long 
enough to judge. And we already know what the occupation has done; it 
has shattered the lives of millions through death, injury, and 
displacement. It has wrecked our moral leadership, it has wrecked our 
standing in the world. It has distracted us from fighting the poverty 
and hopelessness that give rise to terrorism, and from working with 
other nations to dismantle terrorist networks. It has made us foreign 
occupiers in the eyes of the people of the Middle East, making it 
virtually impossible for us to be partners for peace in that very 
volatile region.
  The occupation broke faith with our brave troops. We told them they 
were going to fight America's enemies, and then we left them to police 
a civil war that has nothing to do with America. The occupation has 
undermined our commitment to civil liberties and human rights. America 
should be known as the great champion of democracy; instead, we are 
known for Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, illegal wiretapping, and the PATRIOT 
Act.
  The occupation has squandered nearly half a trillion dollars from our 
Treasury, robbing money from domestic needs. And the occupation has not 
made our Nation safer. Our intelligence community has warned us that al 
Qaeda is using the occupation to recruit operatives for attacks on the 
United States.
  So how should we mark this fifth anniversary day? Let us use October 
10, 2007 to correct the mistake this House made on October 10, 2002. 
Let us use this day to commit ourselves to a bold new course of action. 
Congress must rescind the resolution authorizing the use of force in 
Iraq. Congress must use its power of the purse to defund the occupation 
and, instead, fully fund the safe, orderly, and responsible 
redeployment of our troops and withdrawal of all military contractors 
now. And Congress must resist the new drumbeat of war, this time 
against Iran.
  The occupation of Iraq represents a failure of national policy. 
America's true strengths lie in our commitment to moral action, lies in 
our compassion for the people of the world, and a government based on 
the rule of law. Let us use this day to return to those values and 
ensure the safety of our country and our people. And let us be 
committed to bring our troops home from Iraq.

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