[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 3]
[House]
[Page 3197]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               FREEDOM IS WINNING IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN

  (Mr. PENCE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I got a sense of what we have to show for it 
in Iraq this weekend. I joined a bipartisan delegation that toured the 
metes and bounds of Iraq and Afghanistan.
  In the course of 4 days, we took off and landed 20 different times in 
four different types of aircraft. The one inescapable conclusion, after 
years of difficulty and setback in varying degrees, is freedom is 
winning in Iraq and Afghanistan.
  In northern Iraq, we saw firsthand the Kurdish region where security, 
political progress and economic growth are taking hold. In central 
Iraq, following the military surge, al Qaeda and insurgent violence are 
in steep decline. Violence across the country has been reduced in the 
last year by more than 60 percent. It is truly extraordinary.
  And the political progress is taking hold. There has been a surge in 
optimism in Iraq due to the passage of a de-Ba'athification law, and 
provincial elections could well be just around the corner this fall.
  Later today, in words and pictures, I will detail our trip on my Web 
log at mikepence.house.gov. And I hope many of my constituents will 
take time to read it.
  As we practice freedom here at home, Americans of good will should be 
encouraged to know freedom is winning in Iraq and Afghanistan.

                          ____________________