Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to talk about the issue that is of foremost importance to our Nation, and that is continuing the battle against Islamic extremists. Some seem to have forgotten that the front lines of our war…
Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to talk about the issue that is of foremost importance to our Nation, and that is continuing the battle against Islamic extremists.
Some seem to have forgotten that the front lines of our war against these Islam extremists is not limited to the countries with active conflicts such as Iraq and Afghanistan. Nor is our approach solely military.
On the contrary, from the onset of this war on terror, formally initiated by the enemy on September 11, 5 years ago, the U.S. has also employed all available political, diplomatic, and economic tools to address the growing threat which for far too long had been ignored by the previous administration.
We have undertaken bilateral strategies, built coalitions, and worked through regional and U.N. forums. Make no mistake, we are engaged in a battle of ideas, and one for our very survival. The Islamic extremists have declared war against freedom-loving nations.
Last year, a terrorist attack was foiled in Australia. But 52 people were killed by suicide bombers while on a public transit system in London. On November 5, 2005, the world once again looked in horror at the destruction caused by homicidal extremists in Jordan.
In 2005, and as recently as in April of this year, the people of Egypt also fell victim to jihadists. Months later, in July of this year, Islamofascists attacked India's financial capital, killing over 200 innocent people.
Last month, authorities in the United Kingdom announced that they had disrupted a plot to hijack as many as 10 aircraft that were headed from the U.K. to the U.S.
Hezbollah carried out attacks against Israel with the assistance and the support of Syria and Iran, the world's most active state sponsor of terror, that seeks nuclear weapons capability. All of these attacks are further evidence that the war against Islamic extremists is global, it is ongoing. And it is brutal.
In order to prevent future attacks, we must remain alert and proactive in the war against Islamic extremists. We need to bring the fight to their doors, and infiltrate their hierarchy, and to gain intelligence that will lead to the disruption and the fall of these groups so that they may no longer inflict harm upon the free world.
Iraq and Afghanistan serve as examples of what has been done so far and what remains to be done. But daily news reports focus only on the violence and attacks feeding into these efforts by the enemy to weaken our resolve so that they can capitalize on our weakness.
But there is a larger picture which is certainly more encouraging. For example, I was recently on a call with a senior Iraqi official who detailed how, despite the violence, the Iraqi Government and Iraqi forces, with the help of U.S. and coalition forces, have been able to deny the insurgents and the Islamic terrorists strongholds in the country.
Iraqis participated in elections three times since the year 2005. In 2005, we also saw Iraq draft a constitution that included their right to vote, that protected individual rights and religious beliefs, and safeguarded minority rights.
Iraq now has a unity government that draws upon different religious, political and ethnic groups. As Iraq has made substantial steps in its political institutions, it has also made great strides in its capabilities to secure their nation.
In his August 30 briefing, General Casey, the commanding general of the multinational forces, stated that the three-step process in building up Iraqi security forces to a point of being independently capable of providing security is almost 75 percent complete.
Iraq today is an Iraq transformed, an Iraq we helped rescue from the darkness of tyranny and guided them into the light of freedom.
My stepson Dougie and his wife Lindsey served as Marine officers in Iraq. And we thank all of the men and women who proudly wear their Nation's uniform. And in Afghanistan, Mr. Speaker, we have denied the al Qaeda terrorist network sanctuary, and we have assisted its transition to a multiparty democracy.
Once the terrorist refuge under the repressive Taliban regime, which hosted the likes of terrorist mastermind KSM, Afghanistan is now a full partner in our war on terror. There can be no safe haven allowed for Islamic extremists and their activities. They must be brought out of the shadows and seen for what they truly are.
In order to rout the Islamic extremists, we have been working with like-minded allies to create a global network of information used to monitor and destroy jihadist groups and their plots. We must also work to prevent the world's deadliest weapons from reaching the hands of these Islamic jihadists and from countries of concern such as Iran.
Toward that end, in May of 2003, President Bush launched the Proliferation Security Initiative, the PSI. The PSI is dedicated to stopping all aspects of the proliferation trade, and to denying terrorists, rogue states and their supplier networks access to WMD- related materials and their delivery systems.
Since its inception, the PSI has grown from a handful of nations to a global partnership of more than 70 countries from all around the world.
In December of 2003, the PSI enjoyed tremendous success when, as a result of a critical interdiction, Libya, a nation once designated as a state sponsor of terrorism, declared that it would eliminate all elements of its chemical and nuclear weapons program, that it would declare all nuclear activities to the International Atomic Energy Agency, that it would accept international inspections to ensure Libya's complete adherence to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and sign the IAEA additional protocol, and that Libya would eliminate all chemical weapons stocks and munitions and accede to the chemical weapons convention.
The PSI is but one component of our multiprong nonproliferation strategy, which is also a critical component of our broader counterterrorism efforts. Another important pillar of our counterterrorism strategy focuses on denying terrorists the funds to carry out attacks.
Just days after the 9/11 attacks, President Bush issued an executive order to starve terrorists of their support funds. The order immediately froze the financial assets of 27 different entities. It also prohibited any U.S. economic transactions of these groups. They included organizations, individual leaders, corporations and so-called nonprofit organizations, which are nothing more than fronts for Islamic extremists and jihadists.
In short, as the threats evolve or modify, so do our responses. New methods and strategies are being developed to keep our country safe in the face of this indiscriminate enemy. We must not waver. We must not lose focus. We must press on. As echoed in the words of Winston Churchill, ``One ought never to turn one's back on a threatened danger and try to run away from it. If you do that, you will double the danger. But if you meet it promptly and without flinching, you will reduce the danger by half.''
Our country, therefore, Mr. Speaker, must remain vigilant and forward-looking to ensure that we defeat the extremists and their murderous ideology. A few weeks ago, we commemorated, sadly, the fifth anniversary of the deplorable attacks against our Nation. Five years ago, our eyes could not accept the images being shown around the world. Our mind could not fathom the hatred that could drive these individuals to kill thousands of innocent human beings. At first we were surprised, but with the help and guidance
of good friends and allies around the world, especially Israel, which for decades has been targeted by the likes of 9/11 hijackers, we quickly turned our sorrow, our dismay and our anger into a catalyst for action, a strategy to combat the enemy wherever it rears its head. The September 11 attacks brought into sharp focus the scope of the threat from Islamic extremists. Defeating Islamic extremists and these organizations of global reach, denying them the promise and the benefits of state sponsorship, severing their lines of financing, closing their much-needed sanctuaries and preempting the proliferation of weapons and technology are all central components of this struggle. As Chair of the Subcommittee on the Middle East and Central Asia, this is my compass.
There is a great documentary called ``Obsession,'' which expresses how radical Islam is fixated on hatred and destruction and poses a tremendous threat to the United States, to Israel, and to all who refuse to be subjected to this distorted ideology of hate. Central to defeating the fanatics who have distorted this religion is the realization that we are facing an enemy that has decided to declare a full-fledged war upon us and is determined to destroy western civilization and the principles upon which it is based. Islamofascism is an ideology that is engrossed in destruction and world domination. Their view is wrong and highly misguided.
Consider the recent crisis in Lebanon which was triggered by Hezbollah extremists crossing the Israeli border and murdering eight Israeli soldiers and kidnapping two. It is clear that this unprovoked attack by Hezbollah was not triggered by occupation, as Israel was not occupying a single inch of Lebanese territory. Rather, it was an attack on Israel's very existence and everything that the Jewish state stands for. It was an attack against justice, democracy, tolerance and freedom, principles that are engrained in the foundation of the U.S., of Israel and the entire free world.
We must recognize this as a struggle of values, a battle of freedom and tolerance versus oppression and hatred. On the one hand, an ideology that views life as the most precious possession and, on the other, one infatuated with death and destruction. Israel's mere existence in the region is a thorn to the Jihadist ideology which seeks to impose terror and oppression. It is dangerous to believe that if only Israel is to give up more land, the conflict would be resolved and everything would be all right. This theory was proven wrong in Lebanon after Israel's withdrawal in 2000 and has proven to be wrong again after Israel made the painful withdrawal from the Gaza Strip just last year. In both cases, the extremists became emboldened and enhanced their attacks against Israel, thereby clearly indicating that no land- for-peace deal would ever solve the conflict, since the ultimate goal of these extremists is, in their very own words, to wipe Israel off the face of the world. In the words of a Hamas leader, ``We do not recognize the Israeli enemy, nor his right to be our neighbor, nor to stay on the land, nor his ownership of any inch of land.''
We must not negotiate with Hamas or with any government in which an Islamic terrorist group which refuses to lay down its arms and refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state participates. Although Israel has been the primary target of Islamic terrorism, radical Islam threatens all who do not embrace it. The horrific attacks on 9/11 drove home the point that this clash expands well beyond the Arab-Israeli conflict.
It is also a tremendous mistake to believe that if the U.S. weren't such a strong supporter of Israel, extremists would stop their aggression against America. Terror bombings committed by these Islamic extremists in Buenos Aires, in Madrid, in London, and the brutal murder in Amsterdam of a Dutch filmmaker who was critical of radical Islam are just a few examples indicating that the fundamentalists are waging a war beyond Israel, beyond the United States, and that this war targets western civilization as a whole.
It is astonishing to me that after seeing the barbaric acts of this radical Islamofascist movement in their own countries that many in Europe still fail to see the threat posed by these fundamentalists. Surprising and dismaying as well is Europe's tremendously unbalanced condemning approach toward Israel. For a long time, Israel has been fighting on the front lines of a battle against radical Islam and it is a battle for all who value life, freedom and tolerance to join forces in the battle against these Jihadists who are threatening to destroy us.
The European Union, for example, should add Hezbollah, an extremist group responsible for murdering hundreds of Europeans, Americans and Israelis, on their list of terrorist organizations. Failure of civilized nations to place groups such as Hezbollah on their list of terrorist organizations is shocking, given all the innocent people brutally murdered by these Islamic extremists. The international community must wake up from its slumber and realize the threat posed by radical Islam, and it must be dealt with decisively or we would risk eradicating ourselves because of it.
In order to defeat the threat posed by radical Islam, it is essential to eliminate terror organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah that implement the brutal attacks and to isolate rogue regimes like Iran and Syria that provide the financial and military support to these extremists. As such, we must not and we cannot negotiate with any Palestinian Authority where Hamas or other Islamic terrorist entity participates. There are those who seek to bifurcate U.S. policy toward the P.A. and allow U.S. assistance to flow to ministries and offices of the Palestinian Authority that are not controlled by Hamas. But money is fungible. Assistance sent to one office can easily be diverted to Hamas or other Palestinian terrorist groups. Even the lines between Fatah and the al-Aqsa Martyr's Brigade are blurred.
The U.S. must isolate the Hamas-led government politically and diplomatically through implementing the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act, which I introduced, and which was overwhelmingly adopted by the House in May. The bill prohibits direct assistance to the Palestinian Authority, including the PLC and other P.A. bodies; it prohibits travel to the United States by members or associates of Hamas; it audits all committees, offices and commissions focused solely on the Palestinian agenda at the United Nations and calls for their elimination; it calls for the P.A. to be designated as a terrorist sanctuary; it calls for a reduction in diplomatic ties with the Palestinian Authority and the closure of the P.A.'s office in the U.S.
The version of the bill passed by the Senate, however, lacks several essential provisions that are necessary for the legislation to be effective. I am in discussions with Senate colleagues to reach a final agreement on the legislation and send a bill to the President that would make it significantly more difficult for terrorists to get their hands on U.S. funds. Without these provisions, our ability to prevent the terrorists from getting their hands on U.S. funds will be greatly diminished.
Passing the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act in its strongest form is an imperative part of achieving our objectives. Our stance against Islamic terrorism must be uncompromising. We must not allow political or military victories to be used by the extremists to further their hateful agenda. We must ensure that Hamas, Hezbollah and other radical Islamic entities are weakened. A critical starting point is by cutting off their lifeline of funds and weapons.
This is why, in light of the resurgence of Syria's support for terrorism, its aid to Iraqi insurgents, its pursuit of dangerous weapons and its stranglehold over Lebanese sovereignty, I recently spearheaded an effort urging President Bush to implement all currently unexercised sanctions available to him under the Syrian Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act which I introduced with my colleague Eliot Engel. If the U.S. fails to impose further sanctions on the Syrian regime and if the United Nations fails to enforce its own resolutions, Syria will be emboldened to wreak further havoc.
Similarly with Iran, which is at the core of the fight against Islamofascism worldwide and whose attempt to project its power poses a threat to Israel, to the United States and to international global security, we must take immediate steps to deny it the
materials, technology and much-needed funds to pursue their dastardly agenda.
The Iranian regime has for years supported Hezbollah and Hamas as well as the insurgents in Iraq who carry out attacks against our U.S. troops. The recent crisis in Lebanon made it very clear how intensely involved Iran is in supplying Hezbollah with Jihadist ideology, weapons and finances. Iran has used Hezbollah to expand its tentacles into the western hemisphere. As I said, we witnessed the 1992 bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Argentina and the July 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish Community Center, also in Buenos Aires.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. The Iranian leadership has continuously made threats to wipe Israel off the map. It has embarked on a mission through its nuclear pursuit and expansion of its chemical, biological and missile capabilities to implement this plan.
There is still time to contain the threat that is posed by Iran and adopt short and long-term policies that will compel Iran's extremist regime to change its unacceptable behavior. The Iran Freedom Support Act, which I authored and which has overwhelmingly passed the House, provides the tools to achieve the necessary short and long-term goals to counter the mounting Iranian offensive against Israel, against the United States and other freedom-loving nations.
The threat of Islamic jihadists is here, and global jihad will not go away on its own. It is up to us to confront and eliminate this threat. In the past we have defeated the evil of Nazism and communism. Today we can and we must work to defeat Islamic jihadists.
The film ``Obsession'' helps to explain how something as horrific and inconceivable as the events of September 11, 2001, could have transpired and why we must persevere in the international war on terror. This understanding is essential to our effective response.
Even with all that has occurred lately in the Middle East, I am hopeful that the cause of moderation in the Middle East is succeeding and that progress is being made to quell the threats. Moreover, we must stand up to those who criticize our policies of supporting our allies, like Israel, and who want to apologize to the terrorists and appease them.
We can remind them of the words that Churchill used to depict the scourge of Nazism, which he described as ``a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime.''
Today we face an enemy as diabolical in its thirst for domination and destruction. We have no choice but to pursue victory, for our very civilization depends on it.
I would like to yield to my colleague, Mr. Thaddeus McCotter, who has been a leading spokesman on our Subcommittee on the Middle East as well as on our full Committee on International Relations, to further expand on the war on terror, our war on radical Islamic jihadists, and why the United States will prevail with the help our allies.
Thank you, Mr. McCotter. I could not agree more.
The stakes are high. The stakes are high in Iraq. The stakes are high in Afghanistan. But the stakes are even higher and the threat is even worse were we to pull out, were we to set arbitrary deadlines, and were we to tell those Iraqi citizens who three times came out in an incredible show of their love for democracy, under threats of death to them and to their family members were they to vote, those proud days when they wore their purple finger upright and said yes, I was happy to vote.
They have stood up a democracy, through very difficult ethnic, religious and a lot of political divisions that Saddam Hussein, the dictator who ruled for too many years sowed in order to keep himself in power. And now they have got a unified government. Now Saddam Hussein is on trial. Now we have captured so many of those al Qaeda leaders, the successes that we have had in Afghanistan in making sure that the Taliban would not control that beautiful country again. Were we to fail in these efforts, what would we say to those Iraqi families who sacrificed so long and so hard to finally have a democracy?
For those freedom-loving Afghani citizens, for those freedom loving Iraqi citizens, and for the United States' own survival, we have got to make sure we win this war against these jihadist entities.