[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5514]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            ASTONISHING REVERSALS BEING ACCOMPLISHED IN IRAQ

  (Mrs. BLACKBURN asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, this is an important week here as we are 
hearing the updated assessments from General David Petraeus and 
Ambassador Ryan Crocker.
  Under the leadership of General Petraeus, our troops in Iraq have 
accomplished an astonishing reversal in a nation that was on the road 
to crippling ethno-sectarian violence just 18 months ago. One of the 
statistics that we are seeing is that these ethno-sectarian killings 
are down 90 percent. And with the security provided by coalition 
troops, the Iraqi parliament is now learning how to work as a 
parliament as a legislative body to negotiate and to cooperate.
  By passing their 2008 budget this February, the Iraqis demonstrated 
their commitment to bolstering security gains by working toward 
reconciliation, stability, and economic growth.
  The people of a Muslim state in the heart of the Middle East have 
rejected violence and extremism, they have cast their lot with the 
modern world and they have chose freedom. It is significant, Mr. 
Speaker.

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