Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, leaving the Capitol last night, I came across a sign on the Seventh Street Bridge overpass that said, ``Democrats, get a peace plan.'' Clearly, someone felt that this nonbinding resolution does not get us any closer to peace, and some, myself included, would argue that this resolution takes us further away from our goal of securing the peace. Retreat, surrender, leaving, disengagement, that is the view of some politicians in Washington, DC, making decisions on combat operations overseas. If there is any clear comparison to Vietnam, this legislation is it.
Here is the Republican plan for peace, victory. In the 1980s, it was a peace through strength that was a military I was proud to serve in. Our last best chance for victory is by supporting the decisions of the commanders in the field. Their current request is to reinforce the Iraqi military and police who will take the lead in military action against all insurgents and al Qaeda in Iraq.
We are to ensure reconstruction continues to empower Iraq's security forces and newly elected leadership to be prepared to fully assume their destiny, and to leave, when asked, by a sovereign country of Iraq.
It is our national security interest to support moderate Arab states. Moderate Arab states that are democratic observe the rule of law, support women's rights, and are allies with us in the war on international jihadist terrorists. We have an opportunity for Iraq to be a moderate Arab state and an ally.
However, we can be assured if we leave early that the radicals will take over after an ensuing and huge bloodbath and will forever be an enemy to the United States. During the buildup to the Iraqi constitutional elections, I wore a flag pin representing both Iraq and the United States of America.
As I have traveled about my district in the past weeks, I have put the pin back as a sign of solidarity with a sovereign and free Iraq. What this resolution does is sever this alliance. This commitment emboldens our adversaries. It tells the world we are unable to go the distance and keep our commitment to do the right thing.
Well, I will not accept defeat, and especially from political armchair quarterbacks. The military commanders in the field have asked for reenforcements. This appeal may be our last best hope for a free democratic Iraq willing to be able to protect their citizens and support us in the war on terrorism.
Are we politicians sitting safe and secure in Washington, DC, going to say no to this request? Surely not.
Throughout our history, a debate such as this has occurred on the floor of the House and across the Nation. Monday was the 198th anniversary of the birth of our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln. At his tomb I read this quote from the Gettysburg Address, which I believe is applicable today. ``It is for the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who have fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us--that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion--that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain ..... ''
Instead of fighting, we are arguing amongst ourselves. We ought to commit our country to finish the task at hand. We should be united in the cause and to pray to God, the Creator of all, to bless our efforts here, the efforts of our military, the government of Iraq, her people, and, yes, even our enemies.
I want to end with another quote from Abraham Lincoln. In his farewell address to Springfield as President-Elect, he said: ``Today I leave you; I go to assume a task more difficult than that which devolved upon General Washington. Unless the great God who assisted him shall be with me and aid me, I must fail. But if the same omniscient mind, and Almighty arm that directed and protected him, shall guide and support me, I shall not fail, I shall succeed. Let us all pray that the God of our Father may not forsake us now. To him I commend you all. Permit me to ask that with equal security and faith, you all will invoke His wisdom and guidance for me.''
May God bless our President and military leaders. May God bless our men and women in uniform who volunteered to protect our Nation from harm, and may God bless the United States of America.
Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, these are real e-mails from veterans, active duty members, and National Guard and Reservists: ``John, my son, a Marine gunny sergeant embedded with the Iraqi Army around Rimadi, called a few weeks ago. I asked him if he knew about the President's plan for more troops. He hadn't heard about it, but his only comment to me was `We can use them.' Please support the President and the troops. It may be our last, best chance to win this thing. Winning is the imperative. Semper Fi.''
And another: ``We have to let our generals be generals and wage this war as only they are trained to do and have hope that the announced troop buildup will be the final key that is needed by the Iraqis to build a secure, united country.''
We have to hope that it is not too late for the U.S. to make a difference in Iraq.''
Another: ``We need to send the message to our troops that America wants them to succeed in Iraq by giving the buildup a chance to succeed.''
Still another: ``My fellow Guardsmen are ready. We will do whatever is asked of us. Please ensure that the resources, funds and equipment continue to flow. Supporting the troops means giving us the means to do our job.''
And another: ``We also need to stay in Iraq and put forth the necessary will and resources that will allow our strategy to succeed.''
And another: ``Moreover, our troops need more open rules of engagement to do their job effectively.''
Another e-mail: ``Elections have consequences, and for our recent election the consequences have been a major setback in the war on terror and a greater threat to terrorist attack at home.''
Still another: ``Like Vietnam, our enemies view us as not having the stomach to fight a protracted war. If we withdraw, however, the credibility of the U.S., our military, and our assurances would be lost for years, probably decades.''
Another: ``The overwhelming response among officers is we must stay and finish what we have started. Many of these officers have built strong relationships with local Iraqi and Afghan citizens who want to raise their family in peace.''
Another: ``We do in fact have many more Iraqi Army and National Police units moving into Baghdad and many are effectively partnering with U.S. units.''
Another: ``They did pass their budget for 2007 last week,'' sooner than the U.S. Congress, incidentally, ``and have made some progress with other legislation, which indicates they can work some political compromises.''
I will end with this: ``I would hope that your colleagues would be able to continue to support what we are doing, because it honestly does have a reasonable chance at success.''
These are real communications with real soldiers, Active Duty, in Iraq, National Guardsmen, reservists, and veterans throughout our country who say there is no substitute for victory. We have to win this campaign. It is in our national security interest to support moderate Arab states.
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John, my son, a Marine Gunny Sgt. imbedded with the Iraqi army around Rimadi, called a few weeks ago. I asked him if he knew about the President's plan for more troops. He hadn't heard about it, but his only comment to me was: ``We can use them!'' Please support the President and the Troops. Maybe our last, best chance to win this thing. Winning is the imperative. Semper Fi!
We have to let our generals be generals and wage this war as only they are trained to do, and have hope that the announced troop buildup will be the final 3 key that's needed by the Iraqis to build a secure and united country.
We have to have hope that it's not too late for the U.S. to make a difference in Iraq.
We need to send the message to our troops that America wants them to succeed in Iraq by giving the buildup a chance to succeed.
The main effort is really the political reconciliation and the security of the population is the key precondition to that. The language and some action from the Iraqi government and Army leaders have been good in the past several weeks. The next several months will be critical--probably decisive--and I believe there is reason to be realistically hopeful.
I believe that what we are doing in Iraq and Afghanistan supports the NSS. What I have heard in the debate is that we no longer have a security interest in Iraq. What part of out NSS is to support moderate Muslim governments? Another part of the NSS addresses humanitarian rights, to include rights of women.
My fellow Guardsmen are ready. We will do whatever is asked of us. Please, ensure that the resources, funds and equipment, continue to flow. Supporting the troops means giving us the means to do our jobs.
We have not had a failed Iraq policy--we have just had overly optimistic expectations of how fast the Iraqis would be able to establish a stable government and a unified country that functions in a manner to our satisfaction.
Ironically, we want the Iraqis to pursue a unity government and national reconciliation, but we don't do that ourselves. The partisanship that we are seeing here in the U.S. is no different that the partisanship that we are seeing in Iraq.
We also need to stay in Iraq and put forth the necessary will and resources that will allow our strategy to succeed. Imagine a Super Bowl football team quitting the game in the third quarter simply because they were behind. The premise is so absurd it is inconceivable so too would be our quitting a war to protect our way of life simply because battlefield conditions are not going perfectly.
Moreover, our troops need more open rules of engagement to do their job effectively. This is war, and they are soldiers, not police officers. The U.S. and Iraqi governments must expect civilian casualties and collateral damage. It's unavoidable. The irony in this matter is that most Iraqi people would welcome the increase security.
Elections have consequences. And for our recent election, the consequences have been a major set back in the war on terror and a greater threat to terrorist attack at home.
Like Vietnam, our enemies view us as not having the stomach to fight a protracted war. If we withdraw, however, the credibility of the U.S., our military, and our assurances would be lost for years, probably decades.
The Iraqis are watching all of this, and they can see which way the wind is blowing. They know if we leave either the Sunni insurgency or the Iranians would likely come in, and their newly gained freedoms would be lost. This reality shapes the thoughts and actions of all Iraqi officials, from Prime Minister al-Maliki, down to the police officers on the street.
Many Americans are in denial about the threat from radical Islam. Unfortunately, it may take another 9/11 before they wake up. God help us if one of our cities gets nuked when that happens.
The overwhelming response among officers is that we must stay and finish what we started. Many of these officers have built strong relationships with local Iraqi and Afghan citizens who want to raise their families in peace. They feel we have given our word as a country that we will stand by them. I agree with this sentiment.
Lincoln/Sherman figured out that to truly defeat the south, he had to march to Savannah to convince the locals that it was not worth continued conflict. WWII had similar actions for resolution like Hiroshima. While these were waged against conventional forces, Congress must understand that the current conflict is more than between insurgents and U.S./Coalition forces.
If we do not have the will to do this hard work, we need to get out now. We cannot continue to try to get the job done with the minimum force. If anything we should send more than we think we need. Our focus on being liberators has caused us to misjudge what is needed. You cannot liberate until you have gained control. We never got there and must do so now.
Speaking of which, my two cents. The most basic job of government is to protect its citizens. If the Surge is properly designed to do that, then it is a good idea. I say give it a chance, even though it should have been that way to begin with. From my experiences in Desert Storm '91, I firmly believe that most people, Middles Easterners included, just want to protect their family, practice their religion, and have an opportunity to prosper.
We have to be able to go after all the killers regardless of who or where they are. The Iraqi follow-on forces then have to maintain the peace, not bring in their individual hatreds to the power vacuum. Helping them secure their borders from fighters through Jordan and Syria and equipment from Iran is also critical (Navy and Air Force tasks with limited ground support?). Getting the ``Rule of Law'' established will eventually replace the need for ``Self Protection'' (Militias).
The biggest hurdle is at home. If the media continues its selective reporting (failures only), then even if its an unqualified success on the ground, it will be perceived as a loss at home due to its depiction on TV and Press reports. Tying Iraqis to a yardstick measuring success or failure seems to be a good idea.
Press the Senate not to pass the latest Resolution limiting support--it is just a grand standing event for presidential hopefuls.
We do in fact have many more Iraqi Army and National Police units moving into Baghdad and many are effectively partnering with U.S. units.
They did pass their budget for 2007 last week (sooner than the U.S. Congress, incidentally) and have made some progress with other legislation, which indicates they can work some political compromises.
Everyone is forced to telescope political, economic, and security reforms that would normally take 7-10 years into 7-10 months.
So the question that you are debating is whether or not $100 billions (less than 0.8% GDP) and tragically, probably 700-900 U.S. soldiers' lives is worth a 50% chance of preventing a national security crisis that will set back U.S. policy for decades.
If you are the parent or spouse of one of those soldiers who may die, it is GD probably not worth it. But if you are a national leader, I would hope that your colleagues would be able to continue to support what we are doing because it honestly does have a reasonable chance of success.
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