[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15860]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1045
                         CONDEMNING ISIS ATTACK

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. McClintock). The Chair recognizes the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my 
deepest condolences to the parents of Peter Kassig, a former Army 
Ranger, Iraq veteran, and humanitarian aid worker who was murdered in 
cold blood by mass cowards, representing the so-called Islamic State of 
Iraq and Syria.
  These barbaric acts are those of cowards who have unleashed terror 
throughout the desert in western Syria and northern Iraq. They have 
massacred entire villages, beheaded families, and sold women and 
children into slavery. ISIS blows up history it does not agree with and 
sells artifacts to fund its rampage.
  Now, I condemn this attack and all attacks against the innocent and 
call for neighboring countries to become more actively engaged in 
defeating this threat. Not only is ISIS a threat to stability in the 
region, acts like these have shown that they are a threat to peace-
loving people across the globe.
  They have brainwashed thousands of young individuals and have set 
their eyes on preparing a new generation of terrorists. Last week, ISIS 
even announced a partnership with al Qaeda.
  To quote Ed and Paula Kassig, Peter's parents, ``Good will prevail.'' 
Fortunately, some have stepped up to fight the spread of ISIS. Our 
brave men and women in the U.S. Air Force and Navy have led an 
incredible and efficient bombing campaign against ISIS targets, halting 
their advance.
  Kurdish Peshmerga forces have gained ground and have been an 
effective fighting force. Iraqi forces have organized and began an 
offensive to retake lost territory. There has been progress, but more 
needs to be done to secure the region.
  Despite clearly evil acts by ISIS, there are good people pushing back 
who have risked everything to help those most affected. Aid workers and 
volunteers have gone into the war-torn portions of Syria and Iraq to 
help provide assistance and hope to those most affected. These workers 
have provided food, water, first aid, and support.
  Peter Kassig did the right things. He helped the helpless. He aided 
the deprived. He treated the wounded. Because he did these things, 
Peter and others became targeted by ISIS.
  We should look at the examples set by Peter Kassig and not forget the 
selflessness he embodied.

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