[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Pages 10682-10687]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES

  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about the issue of 
Iraq, to call on the President to sign the supplemental appropriations 
bill, the emergency bill that we will be sending him, and also to pay 
tribute to 43 young Americans who have been killed in Iraq from my 
State since January 30, 2007. This brings to 720 the number of soldiers 
who were either from California or based in California who have been 
killed while serving our country in Iraq. This represents 22 percent of 
all U.S. deaths in Iraq.
  I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record their names, 
their ages, the circumstances of their death.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

       SGT Alejandro Carrillo, 22, died January 30, while 
     conducting combat operations in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. 
     Sergeant Carrillo was assigned to Combat Logistics Battalion 
     7, Combat Logistics Regiment 1, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I 
     Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, CA. He was from 
     Los Angeles, CA.
       CPL Richard O. Quill III, 22, died February 1, from a 
     nonhostile cause in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Corporal Quill 
     was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st 
     Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp 
     Pendleton, CA.
       CWO Keith Yoakum, 41, died on February 2, in Taji, Iraq, 
     when his helicopter crashed. Chief Warrant Officer Four 
     Yoakum was assigned to A Company, 1st Battalion, 227th 
     Aviation Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, TX. He 
     was from Hemet, CA.
       SGM Joseph J. Ellis, 40, died February 7, while conducting 
     combat operations in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Sergeant Major 
     Ellis was assigned to Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 
     4th Marine Regiment, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Special 
     Operations Capable, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp 
     Pendleton, CA.
       SGT James R. Tijerina, 26, died February 7, when the 
     helicopter he was flying in crashed while supporting combat 
     operations in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Sergeant Tijerina was 
     assigned to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 364, Marine 
     Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine 
     Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA.
       SGT Travis D. Pfister, 27, died February 7, when the 
     helicopter he was flying in crashed while supporting combat 
     operations in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Sergeant Pfister was 
     assigned to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 364, Marine 
     Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine 
     Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA.
       CPT Jennifer J. Harris, 28, died February 7, when the 
     helicopter she was flying in crashed while supporting combat 
     operations in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. She was assigned to 
     Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 364, Marine Aircraft Group 
     39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, 
     Camp Pendleton, CA.
       1LT Jared M. Landaker, 25, died February 7, when the 
     helicopter he was flying in crashed while supporting combat 
     operations in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. First Lieutenant 
     Landaker was assigned to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 
     364, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I 
     Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was from 
     Big Bear City, CA.
       SGT Robert B. Thrasher, 23, died on February 11, in 
     Baghdad, Iraq, when his dismounted patrol received small arms 
     fire. Sergeant Thrasher was assigned to D Company, 2nd 
     Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort 
     Bliss, TX. He was from Folsom, CA.
       PVT Clarence T. Spencer, 24, died February 4, in Balad, 
     Iraq, of wounds suffered when his unit came in contact with 
     the enemy using small arms fire in Baqubah, Iraq. Private 
     Spencer was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry 
     Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, TX. 
     He was from San Diego, CA.
       SP Dennis L. Sellen, Jr., 20, died on February 11, in Umm 
     Qasr, Iraq, of noncombat related injuries. Specialist Sellen 
     was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st 
     Battalion, 185th Infantry Regiment, Army National Guard, 
     Fresno, CA. He was from Newhall, CA.
       SP Ronnie G. Madore Jr., 34, died February 14, in Baqubah, 
     Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his 
     vehicle. Specialist Madore was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 
     12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, 
     Fort Hood, TX. He was from San Diego, CA.
       SGT Carl L. Seigart, 32, died February 14, in Baqubah, 
     Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his 
     vehicle. Sergeant Seigart was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 
     12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, 
     Fort Hood, TX. He was from San Luis Obispo, CA.
       LCpl Brian A. Escalante, 25, died February 17, while 
     conducting combat operations in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. 
     Lance Corporal Escalante was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 4th 
     Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary 
     Force, Twentynine Palms, CA.

[[Page 10683]]

       SGT Clinton W. Ahlquist, 23, died February 20, while 
     conducting combat operations in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. 
     Sergeant Ahlquist was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine 
     Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, 
     Camp Pendleton, CA.
       LCpl Blake H. Howey, 20, died February 18, while conducting 
     combat operations in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Lance Corporal 
     Howey was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st 
     Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine 
     Palms, CA. He was from Glendora, CA.
       SP Louis G. Kim, 19, died on February 20, in Ar Ramadi, 
     Iraq, when he received small arms fire. Specialist Kim was 
     assigned to B Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 
     1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany. He was from West 
     Covina, CA.
       PFC Rowan D. Walter, 25, died February 23, of injuries 
     suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near 
     his vehicle during combat operations in Ramadi, Iraq, on 
     February 22. Private First Class Walter was assigned to the 
     1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat 
     Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Carson, CO. He was from 
     Winnetka, CA.
       SGT Richard A. Soukenka, 30, died on February 27, in 
     Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated 
     near his military vehicle. Sergeant Soukenka was assigned to 
     the 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 10th Mountain 
     Division, Fort Drum, NY. He was from Oceanside, CA.
       SSG Dustin M. Gould, 28, died March 2, while conducting 
     combat operations in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Staff Sergeant 
     Gould was assigned to 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st 
     Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp 
     Pendleton, CA.
       Hospitalman Lucas W.A. Emch, 21, died March 2, when an 
     improvised explosive device detonated in his vicinity while 
     conducting combat operations in Al-Anbar Province, Iraq. 
     Hospitalman Emch was a hospital corpsman assigned to 1st 
     Marine Logistics Group, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp 
     Pendleton, CA.
       SP Christopher D. Young, 20, died March 2, in Safwan, Iraq, 
     of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device 
     detonated near his vehicle. Specialist Young was assigned to 
     Company C, 3rd Battalion, 160th Infantry Regiment, California 
     Army National Guard, San Pedro, CA. He was from Los Angeles, 
     CA.
       LCpl Raul S. Bravo, 21, died March 3, while conducting 
     combat operations in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Lance Corporal 
     Bravo was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st 
     Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine 
     Palms, CA.
       SSG Christopher R. Webb, 28, died March 7, in Baghdad, 
     Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his 
     vehicle during combat operations. Staff Sergeant Webb was 
     assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st 
     Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, TX. He was from 
     Winchester, CA.
       SP Adam J. Rosema, 27, died on March 14, in Balad, Iraq, of 
     injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device 
     detonated near his military vehicle. Specialist Rosema was 
     assigned to the 215th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Cavalry 
     Division, Fort Hood, TX. He was from Pasadena, CA.
       SP Stephen M. Kowalczyk, 32, died on March 14, in 
     Muqdadiyah, Iraq, of injuries sustained from small arms fire. 
     Specialist Kowalczyk was assigned to C Troop, 6th Squadron, 
     9th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, TX. He 
     was from San Diego, CA.
       PFC Alberto Garcia, Jr., 23, died on March 13, in Baghdad, 
     Iraq, when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device 
     detonated near his military vehicle was followed by small 
     arms fire. Private First Class Garcia was assigned to C 
     Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry 
     Division, Schweinfurt, Germany. He was from Bakersfield, CA.
       LCpl Steven M. Chavez, 20, died March 14, from a nonhostile 
     incident in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Lance Corporal Chavez 
     was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st 
     Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp 
     Pendleton, CA.
       LCpl Harry H. Timberman, 20, died March 17, from wounds 
     received while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar 
     Province, Iraq. Lance Corporal Timberman was assigned to 2nd 
     Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine 
     Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, CA.
       SGT John E. Allen, 25, died on March 17, in Baghdad, Iraq, 
     of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device 
     detonated near his military vehicle. Sergeant Allen was 
     assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 1st 
     Cavalry Division, Fort Bliss, TX. He was from Palmdale, CA.
       SSG Darrell R. Griffin Jr., 36, died on March, 21, in 
     Balad, Iraq, from wounds suffered when his unit came in 
     contact with small arms fire during combat operations. Staff 
     Sergeant Griffin was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd 
     Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd 
     Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, WA. He was from Alhambra, CA.
       LCpl Daniel R. Olsen, 20, died April 2, while conducting 
     combat operations in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Lance Corporal 
     Olsen was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st 
     Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine 
     Palms, CA.
       SP Curtis R. Spivey, 25, died on April 2, in San Diego, CA, 
     of injuries sustained on September 16, 2006, in Baghdad, 
     Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his 
     military vehicle. Specialist Spivey was assigned to B Troop, 
     1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, 
     Fort Hood, TX. He was from Chula Vista, CA.
       PFC Gabriel J. Figueroa, 20, died on April 3, in Baghdad, 
     Iraq, when he received small arms fire while on dismounted 
     patrol. Private First Class Figueroa was assigned to 
     Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 8th 
     Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, TX. He was 
     from Baldwin Park, CA.
       PFC James J. Coon, 22, died April 4, in Balad, Iraq, of 
     wounds suffered when in improvised explosive device detonated 
     near his vehicle. Private First Class Coon was assigned to 
     the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 1st 
     Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, TX. He was from Walnut Creek, 
     CA.
       PFC Walter Freeman Jr., 20, died April 4, in Baghdad, Iraq, 
     when an improvised explosive device detonated near his 
     vehicle during combat operations. Private First Class Freeman 
     was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 
     2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Carson, 
     CO. He was from Lancaster, CA.
       SSG Jesse L. Williams, 25, died April 8 in Balad, Iraq, of 
     wounds suffered from small arms fire while conducting combat 
     operations in Baqubah, Iraq. Staff Sergeant Williams was 
     assigned to the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd 
     Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 
     Fort Lewis, WA. He was from Santa Rosa, CA.
       LCpl Daniel J. Santee, 21, died April 14, from a nonhostile 
     vehicle accident in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Lance Corporal 
     Santee was assigned to Combat Logistics Regiment 27, 2nd 
     Marine Logistics Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp 
     Lejeune, NC. He was from Mission Viejo, CA.
       1LT Shaun M. Blue, 25, died April 16, while conducting 
     combat operations in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. First 
     Lieutenant Blue was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine 
     Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, 
     Twentynine Palms, CA.
       LCpl Jesse D. Delatorre, 29, died April 16, from wounds 
     suffered while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar 
     Province, Iraq. Lance Corporal Delatorre was assigned to 2nd 
     Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine 
     Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, CA.
       PFC Steven J. Walberg, 18, died April 15, in Baghdad, Iraq, 
     of wounds sustained from enemy small arms fire. Private First 
     Class Walberg was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry 
     Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry 
     Division, Fort Riley, KS. He was from Paradise, CA.
       SGT Mario K. De Leon, 26, died April 16, in Baghdad, Iraq, 
     of wounds sustained from enemy small arms fire. Sergeant De 
     Leon was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry 
     Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, 
     Schweinfurt, Germany. He was from San Francisco, CA.
       PFC Jason M. Morales, 20, died April 18, in Baghdad, Iraq, 
     of injuries sustained when his unit came in contact with 
     enemy forces using small arms fire. Private First Class 
     Morales was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry 
     Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, 
     Fort Riley, KS. He was from La Puente, CA.
       CPL Michael M. Rojas, 21, died on April 18, in Taji, Iraq, 
     when an improvised explosive device detonated near his 
     military vehicle. Corporal Rojas was assigned to C Battery, 
     1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Infantry 
     Division, Fort Lewis, WA. He was from Fresno, CA.
       I would also like to pay tribute to the two soldiers from 
     California who have died while serving our country in 
     Operation Enduring Freedom since January 30.
       PFC Kristofer D. S. Thomas, 18, died February 18, in 
     southeastern Afghanistan when the Chinook helicopter he was 
     in crashed. Private First Class Thomas was assigned to the 
     3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, GA. He was 
     from Roseville, CA.
       SP Agustin Gutierrez, 19, died on March 29, in Kabul, 
     Afghanistan, when his military vehicle overturned. Specialist 
     Gutierrez was assigned to the 782nd Brigade Support 
     Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, NC. He was 
     from San Jacinto, CA.

  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, if you come to my office--I think you have 
had the opportunity to do so--you will see in front of the entrance at 
112 Hart four huge placards with very small print paying tribute to 
those from California who have died in this conflict. The sadness of 
all sadness is that we keep having to send these posters back to be 
printed in yet smaller print because we keep having to add so many to 
it, and we are actually running out of space. We will have to get 
special permission from the Architect of the Capitol to place yet 
another placard in front of our door.

[[Page 10684]]

  But we will do it regardless because we must put names on this 
conflict, ages on this conflict, we must pay tribute to those who are 
being sacrificed, in my opinion, by a President who simply will not 
change course, for whatever reason, from a failed course.
  Anyone who reads the Constitution--I highly recommend it; it is a 
very readable document; it is a very concise document--will see that 
when it comes to war, there is a shared responsibility. As a matter of 
fact, if you read the Constitution, you will see Congress mentioned far 
more times, far many more times than the President. The President 
cannot act as if he is king. We already had a king, King George. We 
have a democracy. This is what the President says our young people are 
dying for in Iraq. Yet at home he acts as if he is a one-man show when 
it comes to Iraq.
  Mr. President, the American people said no to that this past 
election. Yet it continues as if there is no Congress, there has been 
no election, there has been no change of heart by the American people, 
when, in fact, there has been an enormous change of heart by the 
American people. That change of heart is reflected in the election, in 
the composition of this Senate, and you, Mr. President, actually are 
part of that change, that message that we wanted a change in the 
leadership. With all of this, it just goes on and on.
  Today is the fourth anniversary of the President's speech that major 
combat operations are over. Four years ago he said that, in a military 
outfit. Yet, still, in today's paper: April toll is highest of 2007 for 
U.S. troops. Over 100 killed this month. The Iraqi deaths are far 
higher.
  Three years ago the President said: Major combat operations are over. 
Today we read: The deadliest month in 2007. As a matter of fact, in the 
past 3 days--as of yesterday, 3 days prior to that, we had 14 dead. 
That is about one for almost every person in the President's Cabinet.
  What would it be like if 14 people sat around the President's Cabinet 
table, and every one of them had lost a child? How long would this war 
last? How long would this war last? But who is paying the price? Who is 
paying the price? Our military families. They want a change. We want 
success.
  How do you get success? It is by changing course. It is what we sent 
the President. If you read what we sent the President in this emergency 
bill--I say to the Presiding Officer, I know you are so aware of it--it 
is a change in course. We are going to shift, as the Iraq Study Group 
suggested, from a combat mission to a support mission. We are going to 
gradually redeploy our troops out of there--not overnight--but 
sensibly. We are going to leave forces in Iraq to target al-Qaida, 
which never was in Iraq before this war, and now they are all over it 
because they want to go after our troops. So we are going to leave 
troops there in Iraq. That is what the Feingold-Reid-Boxer bill does as 
well. It says we have to have a mission there to go after al-Qaida when 
this war is over. We say training the troops is OK. Going after al-
Qaida is what we want to do, and we want to have enough troops there 
for force protection.
  So anyone reading this--when the President says it is irresponsible, 
maybe he has not read it. There is time, Mr. President. You have not 
gotten this bill yet. Read it again. Look at it. We are changing course 
in a responsible way, the way the Iraqi Study Group that you praised 
says we should do. That was a bipartisan group. We all remember it: 
Secretary Baker, Lee Hamilton, and the others.
  Do you know why we have to change course? Because the mission you 
have given our military cannot be accomplished militarily. The mission 
now is--and since the mission has changed so many times, we have to go 
back. The mission now is: Bring stability and democracy to Iraq, and 
Iraq at peace within its own borders and with its neighbors, and an 
ally in the war against terror. That is the President's goal. That is a 
political and diplomatic goal, I say to you, Mr. President. It is not a 
military goal. The military cannot do that. The military has done 
everything asked of it, and more.
  The first mission: Find the weapons of mass destruction. They went 
into every nook and cranny of Iraq. There were none. So that mission: 
done, accomplished.
  The President said: Go get Saddam. They did it. That mission: 
accomplished. That tyrant is gone forever.
  He said: Go get his sons because maybe they will get the idea we mean 
business. The military got his sons, put the pictures on television of 
their dead bodies. It did not do the job.
  What was the next mission? We have to hold elections. The military 
did a magnificent job. Three elections were actually held, and they 
have a government. Now, that Government will go on vacation, as I 
understand it, for 2 months while our troops are dying.
  The fact is, the military has done every single thing asked of it. We 
are now at a point where the only way to win this war is to win it 
diplomatically, politically. Yet, this President will not change 
course. His solution is, more military action, a surge, which was 
supposed to last a few weeks--now we are being told a few months--and 
our military is paying the price. They are paying the price.
  I want to read from this news article today: ``April Toll Is Highest 
of '07 for U.S. Troops'':

       On Monday, U.S. troops at Camp Victory, a sprawling base 
     near Baghdad International Airport, reflected on April's 
     deadly toll on their comrades. . . .
       ``It makes me feel depressed to be in Iraq right now,'' 
     said [Private Richard] Gonzalez, [22 years old,] who is on 
     his second deployment. ``It's a whole lot different than last 
     time.''
       Now, he said, soldiers at the base must carry weapons. 
     Return addresses on letters from home must be ripped off and 
     burned, so as not to fall into the wrong hands. On his first 
     deployment, eight months passed before his Baghdad base was 
     hit by mortar fire.

  This time, incoming fire every single day--4 years after ``mission 
accomplished.''
  ``There's a whole lot more activity,'' said Spec. Krystal Fowler, 21, 
of Hampton, Va. She said it ``kind of bothers'' her to know other 
troops are taking hits in the field and she can't help.
  SPC Natisha Jetter said:

       Our fellow soldiers are out there dying, and we're here. . 
     . .
       Gonzales said the deaths made him realize that ``there's a 
     war going on out there.''
       Fowler sighed. It's a war between Iraqis, she said.
       ``We are just interfering, and letting our soldiers die.''
       ``I'd rather be out there helping people survive,'' Fowler 
     said. . . .
       There was a pause, as the soldiers mulled that.
       ``It's just terrifying, because you can drive the same road 
     for eight months, and then one day it's over,'' Gonzalez 
     said.
       ``Over,'' Fowler echoed.

  I ask, rhetorically, in light of what our troops are feeling, 
saying--going there for a second deployment, third deployment and more, 
and the increased number of deaths of our troops, and the horrific 
things that are happening in Iraq, detailed in the Red Cross report, 
which I ask unanimous consent to be printed in the Record, Mr. 
President, this International Red Cross report.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                      Civilians Without Protection


             the ever-worsening humanitarian crisis in iraq

       The humanitarian situation is steadily worsening and it is 
     affecting, directly or indirectly, all Iraqis.
       Protecting Iraq's civilian population must be a priority, 
     and the ICRC urgently calls for better respect for 
     international humanitarian law. It appeals to all those with 
     military or political influence on the ground to act now to 
     ensure that the lives of ordinary Iraqis are spared and 
     protected. This is an obligation under international 
     humanitarian law for both States and non-State actors.
       The ICRC aims to ensure that Iraqis receive the aid they 
     need most. It cooperates closely with the Iraqi Red Crescent. 
     However, humanitarian aid is clearly not enough when it comes 
     to addressing the immense needs of Iraqis in the present 
     disastrous security situation.


                     a conflict that spares no one

       The conflict in Iraq is inflicting immense suffering on the 
     entire population. Civilians bear the brunt of the relentless 
     violence and the extremely poor security conditions that are 
     disrupting the lives and livelihoods of millions. Every day, 
     dozens of people are killed and many more wounded. The plight

[[Page 10685]]

     of Iraqi civilians is a daily reminder of the fact that there 
     has long been a failure to respect their lives and dignity.
       Shootings, bombings, abductions, murders, military 
     operations and other forms of violence are forcing thousands 
     of people to flee their homes and seek safety elsewhere in 
     Iraq or in neighbouring countries. The hundreds of thousands 
     of displaced people scattered across Iraq find it 
     particularly difficult to cope with the ongoing crisis, as do 
     the families who generously agree to host them.
       Health-care facilities are stretched to the limit as they 
     struggle to cope with mass casualties day-in, day-out. Many 
     sick and injured people do not go to hospital because it's 
     too dangerous, and the patients and medical staff in those 
     facilities are frequently threatened or targeted.
       Food shortages have been reported in several areas. 
     According to the Iraqi Red Crescent, malnutrition has 
     increased over the past year. The vastly inadequate water, 
     sewage and electricity infrastructure is presenting a risk to 
     public health.
       Unemployment and poverty levels are rising and many 
     families continue to rely on government food distributions to 
     cover their immediate needs. According to government sources, 
     an estimated one third of the population lives in poverty, 
     while over five percent live in extreme poverty.
       Much of Iraq's vital infrastructure is in a poor state of 
     repair owing to lack of maintenance and because security 
     constraints have impeded repair work on electrical power 
     grids, water and sanitation systems, medical facilities and 
     other essential facilities.
       Power shortages are growing worse throughout the country, 
     including northern areas, owing largely to the failure to 
     carry out maintenance and to increase generation capacity. 
     Fuel shortages affecting power stations and acts of sabotage 
     are further aggravating the crisis. As a result, water-
     treatment plants, primary health-care centres and hospitals 
     rely mainly on back-up generators, which often break down 
     owing to excess usage or fall victim to the chronic fuel 
     shortages.
       The destructive legacy of previous conflicts, from 1980 
     onwards, and the years of international sanctions imposed on 
     Iraq after its invasion of Kuwait in 1990 are further 
     exacerbating the current crisis.


                            the icrc in iraq

       Despite the difficult security situation, the ICRC spares 
     no effort to help the families most in need. It works closely 
     with the Iraqi Red Crescent, which regularly distributes 
     relief provided by the ICRC and collects and delivers Red 
     Cross messages (brief personal messages to relatives made 
     otherwise unreachable by armed conflict).
       The ICRC--a strictly humanitarian organization committed to 
     the principles of neutrality, independence and impartiality--
     strives to monitor and promote respect for international 
     humanitarian law and other legal standards applicable to the 
     current situation in Iraq.


                          sliding to disaster

       Since the bombing of the sacred Shiite shrine of Samarra in 
     February 2006 and the subsequent increase in violence, the 
     problem of displacement in Iraq has become particularly 
     acute. Thousands of Iraqis continue to be forced out of their 
     homes owing to military operations, general poor security and 
     the destruction of houses. And the outlook is bleak, 
     particularly in Baghdad and other areas with mixed 
     communities, where the situation is likely to worsen.
       Most displaced people have taken refuge with host families, 
     who often struggle to cope with the additional burden on 
     their limited resources. Some have found refuge in camps, 
     public buildings and abandoned military barracks. Where 
     displaced people decide to seek refuge often depends on the 
     presence of relatives or friends and, because of the 
     prevailing sectarian violence, on the religious or ethnic 
     make-up of the host community.
       Frequently, both the displaced families and the communities 
     hosting them are badly in need of shelter materials, access 
     to clean water, adequate sanitation, food and other 
     essentials.
       The displacement of hundreds of thousands of people places 
     an additional burden on Iraq's basic infrastructure, which is 
     barely sufficient to serve the resident population.
       Humanitarian aid is needed by a wide range of particularly 
     vulnerable. civilians, including elderly and disabled people 
     and female-headed households.


                       medical care under threat

       Medical professionals are fleeing the country in large 
     numbers following the murder or abduction of colleagues. 
     Hospitals and other key services are desperately short of 
     qualified staff. According to the Iraqi Ministry of Health, 
     more than half the doctors have left the country.
       The mass influx of casualties to hospitals following the 
     daily attacks against civilians and other violent incidents 
     is putting the health-care system under tremendous additional 
     strain. Staff and resources are often stretched to the limit.
       The failure to observe the special status of medical staff 
     and facilities is a major concern. A hospital director in 
     Baghdad told the ICRC that poor security conditions were 
     preventing staff from providing medical services. And there 
     have been frequent reports of armed men storming hospitals 
     and forcing doctors to give their companions priority 
     treatment at the expense of others in more urgent need.
       Road-blocks and check-points sometimes prevent doctors and 
     patients from reaching health-care centres in time. The lack 
     of security also hampers the distribution of medical supplies 
     in many parts of Iraq.


                   dirty and scarce--the water crisis

       Both the quantity and quality of drinking water in Iraq 
     remain insufficient despite limited improvements in some 
     areas, mainly in the south. Water is often contaminated owing 
     to the poor repair of sewage and water-supply networks and 
     the discharge of untreated sewage into rivers, which are the 
     main source of drinking water. Electricity and fuel shortages 
     and the poor maintenance of infrastructure mean that there is 
     no regular and reliable supply of clean water and that sewage 
     is often not properly disposed of.


               torn apart--The fate of separated families

       Tens of thousands of people are currently being detained by 
     the Iraqi authorities and the multinational forces in Iraq. 
     Many families remain without news of relatives who went 
     missing during past conflicts or the current hostilities.
       Visiting people detained in connection with the armed 
     conflict in Iraq remains a humanitarian priority for the 
     ICRC. Persons held by the multinational forces or the Kurdish 
     regional government are regularly visited to assess their 
     conditions of detention and treatment.


                            the ICRC in 2006

       Over 227,000 people, mostly members of displaced families, 
     received food aid in various parts of Iraq. Over 161,000 
     people received essential household items.
       Some 83,000 people, including members of displaced 
     families, had their water supply ensured through emergency 
     ICRC water and sanitation projects.
       In all, over four million people benefited from water and 
     sanitation projects.
       Twenty major hospitals in Hilla, Baghdad, Diwaniya, 
     Karbala, Najaf and Tal Afar received medical and surgical 
     supplies for the treatment of wounded patients.
       Eight limb-fitting centres in Baghdad, Hilla, Najaf and 
     Basra were supported by the ICRC, as was an Iraqi Red 
     Crescent centre in Mosul. This was in addition to the Arbil 
     centre, which is run entirely by the ICRC. In all, these 
     centres helped nearly 21,000 patients, who received 7,300 
     artificial and some 460 pairs of crutches.
       Twelve hospital emergency wards received new equipment.
       Ten hospitals, with a combined capacity to treat some 5,000 
     inpatients, had their water and sanitation systems repaired.
       Sixty-seven primary health-care centres in Anbar, Babel, 
     Baghdad, Diwaniya, Karbala, Salah AI Deen and Wasit 
     governorates had their sanitation facilities repaired or 
     upgraded. They treat an average of over 9,000 patients per 
     day.
       More than 32,000 detainees were visited, almost 9,000 of 
     them individually, during 109 visits to 28 places of 
     detention.
       Nearly 6,400 detainees held in Camp Bucca and in the Shaiba 
     facility benefited from the ICRC family-visit programme.
       Nearly 37,000 Red Cross messages were delivered and over 
     30,500 collected by the ICRC in conjunction with the Iraqi 
     Red Crescent.

  Mrs. BOXER. This report is called ``Civilians Without Protection.'' I 
will go into it in a minute. But in light of everything that is 
happening, how on Earth could the President sit in the Oval Office and 
say: ``I am vetoing this bill that is coming to me, and I want to just 
continue what I am doing''? A military solution is what he is doing, 
and he is going to continue it.
  In light of everything that has gone on, doesn't this President 
understand it is time for a change? Doesn't he listen to the voters? 
Doesn't he read these articles? ``Send me the bill. I am going to veto 
it''--very macho like. I do not think it is macho like. I think it is 
wrong. I do not think it is brave to continue a policy that is failing. 
I do not think it is courageous not to admit it is time for a change. I 
do not think it shows strength. I think it is stubborn. I think it is 
wrong. And, worst of all, our troops are paying the price for this 
stubbornness. This is not the same as being stubborn in an argument we 
might have about some small matter. Oh, I think this book is better 
than this book, and I think this singer is better than this one. This 
is involving the lives of our soldiers.
  Now, this ``Civilians Without Protection'' report is very tough to 
read, by the International Red Cross. Let me share some of it with you: 
the pictures, the headlines, the words.
  One section is called ``A conflict that spares no one.''

       In some regions, particularly Baghdad and area, families 
     are often too afraid to leave

[[Page 10686]]

     their homes to go to work or to shop and too afraid to send 
     their children to school because of random violence and the 
     threat of kidnapping for ransom.

  This one is very tough to take--very tough to take. It is written by 
a young humanitarian worker from Baghdad. It is in the Red Cross 
report.

       Once I was called to an explosion site. There I saw a four-
     year-old boy sitting beside his mother's body, which had been 
     decapitated by the explosion. He was talking to her, asking 
     her what had happened. He had been taken out shopping by his 
     mom.

  How do you sit back and say ``status quo''? How? How? Why not welcome 
a change? Why not welcome the Iraq Study Group? Why not welcome the 
work that has been done here in 50, 60 different hearings which we have 
held?
  Another part: ``Sliding to disaster,'' in the International Red Cross 
report. Another part: ``Medical care under threat.'' Another part: 
``Dirty and scarce--the water crisis.'' Another part: ``Torn apart--The 
fate of separated families.'' It goes into the agony. I ask us all to 
imagine what it would be like to worry about our kids for even 15 
minutes, let alone days and months.
  This Red Cross report is printed in the Record.
  Mr. President, also, I ask unanimous consent that the entire article 
I referred to from the newspaper be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

    [From the Washington Post Foreign Service, Tuesday, May 1, 2007]

              April Toll Is Highest of '07 for U.S. Troops

               (By Sudarsan Raghavan and Karin Brulliard)

       Baghdad, April 30.--The deaths of more than 100 American 
     troops in April made it the deadliest month so far this year 
     for U.S. forces in Iraq, underscoring the growing exposure of 
     Americans as thousands of reinforcements arrive for an 11-
     week-old offensive to tame sectarian violence.
       More than 60 Iraqis also were killed or found dead across 
     Iraq on Monday. Casualties among Iraqi civilians and security 
     forces have outstripped those of Americans throughout the 
     war. In March, a total of 2,762 Iraqi civilians and policemen 
     were killed, down 4 percent from the previous month, when 
     2,864 were killed. Iraq's government has yet to release any 
     monthly totals for April.
       Attacks killed a total of nine U.S. troops over the 
     weekend, including five whose deaths were announced Monday. 
     The weekend's fatalities brought the toll for the month to 
     104 Americans killed, in the sixth most-lethal month for 
     American forces since the U.S.-led invasion four years ago.
       Under the new counterinsurgency plan, many U.S. forces have 
     left large, more secure bases to live in small combat 
     outposts and to patrol hostile neighborhoods where the risk 
     of insurgents targeting them has multiplied.
       Highlighting the vulnerability of American forces, a series 
     of explosions Monday night rocked Baghdad's Green Zone, the 
     most heavily secured enclave in the capital and home to 
     thousands of U.S. troops, Western diplomats and Iraqi 
     government officials.
       ``There is a duck-and-cover going on right now,'' said Lt. 
     Col. Christopher C. Garver, a U.S. military spokesman, before 
     quickly getting off the phone. Later, Garver confirmed there 
     had been an assault on the Green Zone, but it was unclear 
     what had happened. Local Iraqi television stations reported 
     10 explosions inside the zone. There were no immediate 
     reports of casualties, Garver said.
       In eastern Baghdad on Sunday, a roadside bomb killed three 
     U.S. soldiers and an Iraqi interpreter who were on patrol, 
     the military said. Attackers shot dead another soldier in the 
     same section of the capital on Saturday. Meanwhile, a Marine 
     was killed in the Sunni insurgent bastion of Anbar province, 
     west of Baghdad. On Saturday, the military reported four U.S. 
     soldiers had been killed on that day.
       Before the deaths announced Monday, 99 U.S. soldiers had 
     been killed during April, according to iCasualties.org, an 
     independent Web site that monitors military deaths. Nearly 
     half have died in and around Baghdad, with the next greatest 
     number of deaths occurring in Anbar and Diyala provinces. In 
     December, 112 U.S. soldiers were killed.
       With 11 combat deaths, April also was the deadliest month 
     for British troops in Iraq since the beginning of the war, 
     when 27 soldiers were killed in March 2003. This month's 
     British casualties highlighted the growing tensions in 
     southern Iraq as Shiite groups clash for power and Britain 
     prepares to draw down its forces.
       The deaths came as the largest bloc of Sunnis in Iraq's 
     parliament, the Iraqi Accordance Front, threatened to pull 
     out its ministers from the cabinet, saying that it ``had lost 
     hope'' in having Sunni concerns addressed by the Shiite-led 
     government. The threat prompted President Bush to phone one 
     of Iraq's two vice presidents, Tariq al-Hashimi, a Sunni, in 
     an attempt to defuse the potential political crisis, 
     Hashimi's office said in a statement. A Sunni withdrawal 
     could seriously hamper efforts at national reconciliation and 
     further weaken the government. Only two weeks ago, six 
     cabinet ministers loyal to Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr 
     resigned from the cabinet.
       In the province of Diyala, where scores of fighters have 
     fled to escape the Baghdad security offensive, a car bomb 
     exploded near a funeral tent in the town of Khalis, killing 
     22 and wounding 35, said Lt. Mohammed Hakman of the Diyala 
     police Joint Coordination Center. Police said they expected 
     the toll to rise.
       The strike came four days after a suicide attacker 
     detonated a car packed with bombs at a checkpoint in the 
     town, 50 miles north of Baghdad, killing 10 Iraqi soldiers.
       Near the Sunni insurgent stronghold of Ramadi, a car bomb 
     exploded at a police checkpoint, killing four policemen and 
     injuring six others, police said. In another attack near 
     Ramadi, a truck exploded near a restaurant, killing four 
     civilians, police said.
       In Baghdad, a car bomb exploded in the al-Jihad 
     neighborhood, killing four and wounding another seven, all 
     civilians, while another car bomb detonated in a local 
     market, killing five and wounding nine civilians. In the 
     Shaab neighborhood, mortar shells rained down on a house, 
     killing three and injuring eight, police said.
       Meanwhile, police found 13 corpses--all blindfolded, 
     handcuffed and shot in the head--in different parts of the 
     capital.
       On Monday, U.S. troops at Camp Victory, a sprawling base 
     near Baghdad International Airport, reflected on April's 
     deadly toll on their comrades.
       Sitting at a picnic table outside a recreation center, four 
     soldiers smoked Marlboros under a starry sky. Part of the 
     Headquarters Headquarters Support Company for the 3rd 
     Infantry Division out of Fort Stewart, Ga., they had arrived 
     last month. They were on the base, just ``sweeping parking 
     lots and waiting for a sandstorm,'' as Pfc. Richard Gonzalez, 
     22, put it.
       Still, they said, frequent news of troop deaths made even 
     their mission more frightening.
       ``It makes me feel depressed to be in Iraq right now,'' 
     said Gonzalez, who is on his second deployment. ``It's a 
     whole lot different than last time.''
       Now, he said, soldiers at the base must carry weapons. 
     Return addresses on letters from home must be ripped off and 
     burned, so as not to fall into the wrong hands. On his first 
     deployment, eight months passed before his Baghdad base was 
     hit by mortar fire. This time, he said, it seems the Camp 
     Victory intercom announces incoming fire every day.
       ``There's a whole lot more activity,'' said Spec. Krystal 
     Fowler, 21, of Hampton, Va. She said it ``kind of bothers'' 
     her to know other troops are taking hits in the field and she 
     can't help.
       Spec. Natisha Jetter, 23, of Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas, 
     in the Virgin Islands, agreed.
       ``Our fellow soldiers are out there dying, and we're here 
     not doing our job,'' Jetter said.
       Gonzalez said the deaths made him realize that ``there's a 
     war going on out there.''
       Fowler sighed. It's a war between Iraqis, she said.
       ``We are just interfering, and letting our soldiers die.''
       ``I'd rather be out there helping people survive,'' Fowler 
     said. ``The more of us that are out there, the more chances 
     they have to survive.''
       There was a pause, as the soldiers mulled that.
       ``It's just terrifying, because you can drive the same road 
     for eight months, and then one day it's over,'' Gonzalez 
     said.
       ``Over,'' Fowler echoed.

  Mrs. BOXER. This President's policies left unchecked have been a 
disaster. And what does he want? More of the same. He criticizes us for 
coming up with a new policy, and this new policy will work because it 
combines a gradual redeployment of troops, a focus on getting al-Qaida, 
a focus on training the Iraqis, with a focus on diplomacy and a 
political solution, which is exactly what everyone says we need.
  General Petraeus says we must have a political and diplomatic 
solution. Well, everyone has heard it, but obviously not this 
President. Mr. President, sign this bill. Have a change of heart. Read 
the paper today. Read the quote from this humanitarian worker. Read 
what our troops are saying. Read about it. Reconsider.
  Also, Mr. President, take a look at what we have done for our people 
here at home in this bill. You deride it. You make it sound as though 
we are spending on things we should not. Why shouldn't we fix Walter 
Reed? Why shouldn't we fix the Veterans' Administration so when our 
soldiers come home they get mental health care?

[[Page 10687]]

Why shouldn't we invest in better technologies to protect our troops 
from these horrific land mines, car bombs, et cetera? That is what is 
in this bill.
  Why shouldn't we help our farmers who lost their money because of 
horrific droughts, horrific frosts? That is what these bills are for, 
emergencies. On Sunday, we all learned about the horror that happened 
in Oakland, with a gasoline tanker overturning on a major interstate 
connecter. It collapsed onto the freeway below. Miracle of miracles: 
the middle of the night, in the early morning, 3:40 or so a.m. No one 
killed. Thank you, God. And we pray that the driver survives.
  But here is the point: There is money in this bill for emergencies 
such as that. There is a backlog of these emergency fixes that have had 
to be done to our freeways. So, Mr. President, there is real beef in 
this bill for our people, for our veterans, for our fighting men and 
women. And, most important, we change course. We change course. We 
don't have a hard-and-fast date to get out, as others have said. We 
have a goal to get out: in April of 2008.
  When I went to Iraq 2 years ago, I met with General Petraeus at 
length. I watched how he was training the Iraqi soldiers. He was very 
complimentary. He said they are doing great. I said to him: If they are 
doing so great, why can't we go home? It is their country. They have to 
defend their own country. He said: Well, pretty soon they will be able 
to do it. Clearly, they are not doing it. Clearly, the Iraqis are 
turning on each other. What is our military to do?
  As Thomas Friedman said,

       Our troops are protecting everyone, and yet they are 
     everyone's target.

  They are protecting the Sunnis from the Shia. When they are 
protecting the Shia, the Sunnis get them. That is an irresponsible 
policy. So what we need to do is get through to this President. I ask 
all the American people to keep on speaking out, to ask the President 
in these next couple of hours to sign this bill. We can finally change 
course. We have been in Iraq longer than World War II. We can't afford 
this conflict, and that doesn't mean you cut and run. Anyone who says 
that is what we are saying is wrong. Read the bill. We redeploy out of 
Iraq, we stay in the region to go after al-Qaida and to train the Iraqi 
forces.
  We can't afford this anymore. Mr. President: Sign the bill.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________