[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Pages 14436-14437]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   SUPPORTING OUR COMMANDER IN CHIEF

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, yesterday I had the opportunity and good 
fortune to be invited to the White House with Speaker Boehner, Leader 
Pelosi, and Leader McConnell. We spent more than an hour with the 
President and Vice President talking about what is going on in the 
world.
  We do know what is going on in the world separate and apart from that 
meeting at the White House. There is a murderous, vile terrorist group 
that is taking over parts of Iraq and is trying to move into other 
parts of the world in the Middle East. Their brutality is 
unprecedented, especially unprecedented in that they want to advertise 
how vile they are. They are so vicious, going after everyone--
civilians, women, children--trying to eliminate anyone who they think 
disagrees with them. They have targeted minorities, they have targeted 
Jews, Christians, and anyone whom they disagree with--religious 
minorities. We saw that. We had thousands and thousands of ancient 
religious minorities trapped on a mountain by these vicious, vile 
people.
  Of course, they are after any American. The two innocent journalists 
who were out just covering the news were beheaded and they advertised 
the beheadings. The Islamic State or ISIS--whatever we want to call 
them--will be stopped. They must be stopped and they need to be 
destroyed and they will be destroyed.
  President Obama has taken decisive action during the month of August 
to protect Americans and help prevent a humanitarian catastrophe. 
Yesterday the President described his initiative to take on this 
terrorist group as we move forward, and I support him. President Obama 
has made it clear it is going to take decisive action to destroy the 
Islamic State through the use of air strikes and drones. This is a 
smart, strategic, and effective approach and I support it.
  But there are people in Congress who are taking advice from Dick 
Cheney. He was here yesterday. I think they better be very careful of 
the advice they take from Dick Cheney. Dick Cheney is more responsible 
than anyone else for the worst foreign policy decision in the history 
of the country, the invasion of Iraq. Almost 6,000 dead Americans and 
tens of thousands wounded, thousands and thousands grievously wounded. 
Our fighting men and women did a yeoman's job. They made us proud. But 
was that war necessary? In hindsight, it appears to me it wasn't. Not 
only have we lost thousands of American lives, it has destabilized the 
whole Middle East and hundreds of thousands--hundreds of thousands--
hundreds of thousands--hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have been 
killed. They are now gone.
  But there are some pushing hard in Congress to authorize use of 
military force right now--right now. Dick Cheney was here yesterday. I 
guess that is whom they are following. But wouldn't it be a good idea 
for us to stand back a little bit and see what the President of the 
United States has to say tonight? He is addressing the Nation. Let's 
allow him to speak to our country, to our fellow citizens, and lay out 
his plan.
  It is absolutely critical that the American people and Congress hear 
directly from the President of the United States.
  In the Senate we are going to have an all-Senators briefing tomorrow 
afternoon. The administration will come to one of our classified rooms 
in the Capitol complex and lay out to us in detail what is going on 
that is not in the news. So every Member of this body will have a 
chance to get as much information as possible. The President speaks 
tonight. Tomorrow afternoon there is a briefing.
  It is clear--the President has said so publicly, his administration 
has said so publicly, and the officials who work directly with the 
White House--he is doing his utmost. He just returned from Europe and 
much of the time that

[[Page 14437]]

was spent there in the NATO conference was about what they are going to 
do to go after this evil in the Middle East, this ISIS group. He is 
doing his utmost to build a robust international coalition including 
the Sunni Arab States.
  For this mission to be successful, of course, Sunni Arab countries 
must play a role and they will do that. That is being worked on as we 
speak.
  It is clear to me that we need to train and equip Syrian rebels and 
other groups in the Middle East that need some help. It is called title 
10 authority. The rebels have tried to get it from us and they should 
get it. That is our way of building an international coalition. 
Congress should do that. The Republicans are worried about money. There 
is money to do that. The chairman of the Armed Services Committee is on 
the floor and he can certainly vouch for that. It would give authority 
for the President to help equip these rebels.
  Going it alone is not going to work. We must have the support of the 
international community if we are to rid the world of ISIS. We know 
France--I at least believe that--has stepped forward, I believe Great 
Britain has stepped forward, I understand Poland is part of the 
coalition that has stepped forward, and there are many other countries 
the President met with in Europe just a few days ago. We need to build 
a coalition, and that is what he is doing, rather than declaring war 
today. Title 10 authority is something we need.
  I repeat. Going it alone will not suffice. I also believe that as 
Commander in Chief the President has the authority he needs now to act 
against ISIS. I believe the vast majority of the Members of Congress 
agree with that. Now it is critical we support our Commander in Chief 
as he takes this decisive action. I am amazed--amazed--that some 
Members of Congress want to rush to war, because that is what they are 
talking about is a war. How did that work out for us last time? Not so 
well. The Bush-Cheney strategy of rushing into conflict didn't work 
then and it will not work now. Let's be cautious and let's be 
deliberate.
  I repeat. Former Vice President Cheney was here yesterday giving the 
Republicans a pep talk. He gave them advice on foreign policy. Please--
please--taking advice from Dick Cheney on foreign policy, that is a 
terrifying prospect. We should be learning from our past mistakes, not 
repeating them.
  Air strikes and strategic use of drones and of course covert action 
are the most effective ways to take out ISIS without committing 
American troops, placing troops in harm's way. So I support President 
Obama's decision not to send in ground troops. That is not an option 
for the American people. I can guarantee everyone that within the sound 
of my voice.
  But now that the Republicans are taking advice from Dick Cheney on 
foreign policy, I am concerned they once again will rush to commit U.S. 
troops to a ground war in the Middle East when we could accomplish the 
mission in a more strategic way.
  I say to Democrats and Republicans, let's destroy these despicable 
terrorists, but let's do it the right way this time. The President 
knows and the American people know we have to take decisive action. The 
President knows how to destroy terrorists and their organization. Osama 
bin Laden is proof of that.
  Let's give the President of the United States the time to do this the 
right way. Troops are out there defending us as we speak. They are not 
Democrats. They are not Republicans. They are not Independents. They 
are fighting for us to protect Americans. We need committed, decisive 
action to stop ISIS.

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