Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 438) urging member states of the United Nations to stop supporting resolutions that unfairly castigate Israel and to promote within the United Nations General Assembly more balanced and constructive approaches to resolving conflict in the Middle East, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Resolution 438, which I am proud to cosponsor.

Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by thanking the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Rothman) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kirk) for their initiative in drafting this measure.

Let me also thank the chairman and the ranking member of the Committee on International Relations and the House leadership for moving this resolution to the floor so rapidly.

Mr. Speaker, as the current session of the General Assembly of the United Nations winds toward a close, there are still important decisions to be made. Will the United Nations reform itself along the lines suggested by the United States, indeed, by this House? Many of these reforms are supported widely among the member states of the U.N. and even in some parts of its bureaucracy. Or will it continue along its way, wasting money and political capital on what lawyers might call ``larks and detours''?

Among the most wasteful of the activities of the U.N. is its incessant use of funds and time on Israel-bashing resolutions and institutions. While these were never good ideas, and have been opposed by all American administrations, any excuse for supporting them has simply disappeared with the changes in the situation on the ground in the Middle East.

The resolution carefully catalogs the abysmal record of the United Nations' one-sided criticism of Israel over the decades. I will not repeat the details that are covered in the resolution; but it is enough to say, enough is enough. It is time to bring this unacceptable behavior to an end.

The United Nation has legitimate work to do. It should not sully its hands further with this one-sided agenda which serves no useful purpose, but only prevents it from doing good where it might be able to do so.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the administration which has been working on these issues energetically to increase its efforts to correct this situation, including through the elimination of Palestinian offices and commissions that serve to fuel the anti-Israel bias and the resolutions that they always consider.

I included such a mandate in the U.N. Reform Act, the Henry Hyde bill, and I look forward to working with the administration toward this goal.

When our current permanent representative to the United Nations, Ambassador John Bolton, was Assistant Secretary of State for organizational affairs during the administration of the first President Bush, he executed a masterful strategy aimed at the repeal of the infamous Zionism is Racism resolution of the General Assembly.

Mr. Speaker, I have every confidence that given his energy and the backing of the Department, he will have success in carrying out the agenda outlined in this resolution before us.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to render their strong support for this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kirk).

(Mr. KIRK asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Miller).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Garrett).

Mr. Speaker, I also have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 535) honoring the life, legacy, and example of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin on the tenth anniversary of his death.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in strong support of H. Res. 535, honoring the life, the legacy and the example of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.

I commend the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) for introducing this resolution. I would also like to thank the leadership, along with Chairman

Hyde and Ranking Member Lantos of the House International Relations Committee for helping to bring this important resolution to the floor today.

Mr. Speaker, on November 4, 1995, Prime Minister Rabin was tragically assassinated at a peace rally in Kings of Israel Square in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Moments before his death, Rabin said the following to tens of thousands of Israelis: ``Peace entails difficulties, even pain. Israel knows no path devoid of pain. But the path of peace is preferable to the path of war.''

Prime Minister Rabin symbolized the complexities of Israeli society. He fought in the war of independence, which established the State of Israel in 1948, and spent much of his professional life in the battlefield defending the State of Israel militarily.

However, his contributions to the greater battle for Israel's security through a negotiated solution is what the people of Israel, the Palestinians and, indeed, the rest of the world remember most 10 years after he uttered his last words of hope and peace in 1995.

Under Prime Minister Rabin's leadership, Israel signed a Declaration of Principles Framework Agreement with the Palestinians in 1993 and a peace treaty with Jordan a year later.

In 1994, Rabin received the Nobel Peace Prize, saying the following about making peace with the Palestinians at the time: ``Mistakes could topple the whole structure and bring disaster down upon us despite the toll of murderous terrorism, despite fanatic and scheming enemies. We will pursue the course of peace with determination and fortitude. We will not let up. We will not give in. Peace will triumph over all our enemies, because the alternative is grim for us all.''

Prime Minister Rabin paid the ultimate price for peace; and after his death, his beloved wife, Leah Rabin, carried on her husband's message. After Mrs. Rabin's passing from lung cancer, her daughter Dalia Rabin is leading her father's mission for hope and peace. This resolution is also a testament to their hard work and commitment to the ideals of their father and husband, Yitzhak Rabin.

Thanks to the generosity of so many people, Mr. Rabin's legacy will permanently be commemorated in the State of Israel through the opening of the Yitzhak Rabin Center for Israel Studies.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support the passage of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I also commend my good friend from New York (Mr. Engel) for this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 280) mourning the horrific loss of life caused by the floods and mudslides that occurred in October 2005 in Central America and Mexico and expressing the sense of Congress that the United States should do everything possible to assist the affected people and communities, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the concurrent resolution under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, devastating storms affected most of the Western Hemisphere this hurricane season, and many people throughout the region will spend the next few months and years rebuilding their lives and their communities. Many people in the U.S., as well as our neighbors in Central America, are in this situation in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Stan, Wilma, and Beta.

These hurricanes and other tropical storms that barreled through the Caribbean, along Mexico's gulf coast, and along parts of Central America and up to our shores, brought heavy winds and destructive rainfall. The torrential downpours caused widespread flooding and severe mudslides, killing an estimated 2,000 people and affecting millions of others across Central America, including the people of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Mexico. Some of these areas sustained severe damage to residential and commercial infrastructure and crippled destruction of transportation as well as food crops.

In some of the hardest hit areas, schools, homes, roads, hospitals, and other buildings were simply washed away. Some villages in Guatemala were swept away by mudslides and have been turned instead into mass graves. Our prayers are with these communities.

House Con. Res. 280 was introduced last month to urge expedited humanitarian relief, as well as stronger efforts to provide technical assistance to Central American governments in order to strengthen the capacity of first responders and governmental institutions at the national, provincial, and local levels. Furthermore, this legislation urges assistance which targets immediate and long-term infrastructure needs, with a special emphasis on improvements that aim to increase emergency preparedness and withstand future natural disasters.

I urge my colleagues to support House Con. Res. 280.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, it is perhaps difficult for some to comprehend the extent of our successes in Iraq because they are focused on isolated incidents rather than looking at the totality of our efforts. So to fully grasp how far Iraq has come, it is necessary to take stock of these successes.

My stepson, Doug Lehtinen, and his fiance, Lindsay Nelson, are serving in Iraq right now. They are marine officers flying F-18s along the Syrian border. They know that the security component of our efforts in Iraq is the cornerstone for our mission for victory.

Iraqis are playing an ever-increasing role for providing for their own security. The Iraqi army and police forces are growing larger and are better trained and they are more effective than ever. The Iraqi army and security forces grew from just one operational battalion in July 2004 to more than 120 today. Many critics note that only one battalion is rated at what the U.S. Army categorizes as a level one, fully independent degree of operability. However, over 40 are at level two, which are capable of fighting, with some support, usually just logistics or artillery support from our coalition forces.

All of these units are patrolling their own areas of operations, and the cities of Najaf and Mosul are now patrolled exclusively by Iraqi security forces, as are large portions of the city of Baghdad. And there are also roughly 80 battalions, both police and military, identified as category three and are currently fighting alongside our U.S. and coalition forces.

As a result, the United States military recently transferred more than two dozen U.S. established bases to Iraqi control. In addition, there are now currently 25,000 Iraqi special police officers who can conduct combat and commando operations as well as routine policing duties. Also, there are 75,000 Iraqi police officers trained and equipped.

And looking to the future, Mr. Speaker, the current plans include establishing 10 Iraqi army infantry divisions. That is 160,000 soldiers, 135,000 regular police officers, 9,000 border police, in addition to the current force of 18,000, and 3,000 additional highway patrol officers in addition to the current level of 3,000, by the year 2007.

Today, thousands of young Iraqis are volunteering, volunteering for service, and they are training to become soldiers and police officers at several facilities throughout the country of Iraq. As a result, over 225,000 Iraqi soldiers and police officers will be available to

provide security for Iraq's nationwide election in just under 2 weeks. Yes, the third successful election which will take place in just a few days.

Today, Iraqi security forces are strong enough to garrison and control cleared areas, as recently illustrated in the leading role taken by the Iraqis in the successful September 2005 offensive in Tal Afar. Both U.S. and Iraqi forces have enjoyed additional successes in eliminating insurgent strongholds in Fallujah, in Mosul, in Najaf, in Samara, and in many other smaller towns along the Syrian border.

The increasing effectiveness of the Iraqi security forces has inspired optimism among the Iraqi people, and this is reflected in the growing number of intelligence tips from Iraqi civilians. According to reports in March 2005, Iraqi and coalition forces received 483 intelligence tips from Iraqi citizens. This figure rose to 3,300 in August and to more than 4,700 in September. This has translated into further public confidence in the security situation in Iraq.

Simultaneously, the increasing effectiveness of the Iraqi security forces has caused fear and derision within our enemies' ranks. Significant success securing the Syrian border, previously a sieve for Iraqi and foreign insurgents, has made it tougher for Syrian-based insurgents to orchestrate or support attacks in Iraq. As a result, homicide bombings by Islamic jihadists has reportedly been down 30 percent since the October constitutional referendum.

So the military and the security components of the strategy are laid out in the national strategy for victory in Iraq, as stated by the President, and it is due to the commitment of fighting men and women like my stepson, Doug, and his fiance, but also thanks to the brave men and women of the Iraqi security forces who continue to fight for their emerging democracy.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to look at the situation in Iraq, look at the threat posed by Iraq under the regime of Saddam Hussein, then look at Iraq today. There is no question that we are succeeding.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to share a few thoughts with my colleagues on recent the elections in Azerbaijan.

While the recent November 6th parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan failed to meet U.S. and international standards for a free and fair process, there were some notable improvements over the previous elections.

According to the State Department, the Government of Azerbaijan: allowed large numbers of candidates to register; provided candidates with greater access to the media; allowed exit polls and extensive monitoring by domestic and foreign observers; improved voter lists; and took other actions contributing to a more orderly and transparent vote.

However, there were widespread reports of major irregularities and fraud--including concerning vote tabulation, as well as intimidation of voters and observers--that may have disenfranchised voters in many districts.

In response, Azerbaijani leader Aliyev has, thus far, reportedly: ordered the Justice Minister to fully investigate the election results; dismissed two governors and other officials for election fraud; annulled the outcome of the elections in a fourth voting district; and is probing the results from 20 of the country's voting constituencies for possible violations.

Just this week, it was reported that Aliyev dismissed Vagif Ragimov, the governor of Zagatala, a region in western Azerbaijan near the border with Georgia, for alleged interference in ballot counting. Two days earlier, after a three-hour discussion, the Central Election Commission (CEC) reportedly canceled results in the #110 Zagatala constituency in response to reported violations in a majority of the polling stations.

Ragimov was reportedly the third governor to be dismissed for attempted vote tampering.

These are positive steps but further corrective actions must be taken. For example, investigations should not be limited exclusively to election day problems but must address reports of post-election crackdowns and suppression of dissent.

I therefore urge Mr. Aliyev to continue to work closely with the United States, the rest of the international community, and all segments of Azerbaijani society to undertake the necessary reforms to provide for a future in which free, fair and transparent elections are regularly held in a fully democratic Azerbaijan.

I thank the gentleman for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in favor of the rule and in strong opposition to the underlying resolution. Our mission in Iraq is clear: Peace through strength, victory through resolve. Those who would have us retreat immediately have forgotten what appeasement does to the Islamic extremist madmen and murderers. Our goal in Iraq is honorable and wise. We must see this through to our victorious end. The choice is that simple, yet that important.

In his 2005 speech commemorating Veterans Day, President Bush affirmed that it is courage that liberated more than 50 million people from tyranny in the last century, and it is courage that will once again destroy the enemies of freedom.

As the stepmother of a proud Marine, Douglas Lehtinen, who, together with my future daughter-in-law Lindsay, is currently serving our Nation in Iraq, and as the wife of a decorated Vietnam veteran, I have witnessed this courage and this commitment to the mission of liberty.

In one of his e-mails from Iraq, Dougie asked that I remind the American people that it was not the United States who asked for this global struggle against Islamic extremists. It was the Islamic jihadists who targeted the free world and our Nation long before we entered Iraq. We cannot afford to yield the victory to the Islamic extremists by withdrawing now.

Dougie forwarded a piece to me just yesterday by Lieutenant General James T. Conway which best summarizes the opinion of many of our troops about the need to stay the course. Conway states: ``Our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines realize that the biggest threat to mission accomplishment depends on what their fellow Americans do. The insurgents realize full well that the only choice they have of defeating the U.S. military is to weaken the will of the American population.''

He adds, The insurgents in Iraq maim and kill the less protected Iraqis, but their real target is that portion of the American public that is shaped by the news media.

Let us heed the message from our men and women in our Armed Forces serving in Iraq. They are in the best position to assess what we need to do, and they are asking us not to pull out of Iraq at this juncture. Iraq is at one of the epicenters of the U.S. comprehensive strategy to fight terrorism worldwide.

Our ability to project major Armed Forces to the very heart of the Middle East provides the United States and our allies in the war against terrorism the ability to directly address the tactical and ideological challenges of Islamic extremists. Through the promotion of an incipient Iraqi democracy, we continue our concerted efforts to counter the root causes of Islamic extremists in the region. These radicals are fully cognizant that the emergence of a new and democratic Iraq will inevitably threaten their very survival because freedom threatens them. Democratic governments deny them the funds, the weapons, and the sanctuary that they need to survive. Democracy denies them the new recruits that they need.

As such, Mr. Speaker, we must continue to support the people of Iraq in their efforts to strengthen their emerging democracies whose pace of development has been astounding. In January, the people of Iraq turned out in droves to vote in their first free democratic elections. In October, they once again voted to approve their Constitution, and today they are busily preparing for elections in December that will continue Iraq in its transition from a brutal totalitarian state to a free democratic nation. It takes time. We will succeed.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate my constituent, Dr. Ana Margarita Cruz on having been named Florida Professor of the Year by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. I would like to thank her for all the hard work it took to receive this prestigious honor. Dr. Cruz's commitment to education, specifically higher education is very commendable.

Dr. Cruz's area of expertise lies in area of business management, accounting and taxes. She has a diverse background and has been employed in both the private and public sector. Dr. Cruz's extensive experience and qualifications in the field of business have been recognized, as she is currently the Interim Chair for the School of Business at Miami-Dade College for the Wolfson Campus.

As a former educator I understand the importance of an education and the impact a teacher can have on a student's life. I am pleased Dr. Cruz chose such a noble profession, shaping the vision and spirit of the leaders of tomorrow. Once again I would like to offer my warmest congratulations on this tremendous accomplishment. I would encourage Dr. Cruz to continue the efforts that have brought her so far and allowed her to touch the lives of so many.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Operation Pedro Pan for inviting me to share in this dinner commemorating the 45-year anniversary of the Pedro Pan exodus and benefiting two very important causes; the New Children's Village and the Pedro Pan Archives at Barry University. I had the honor of being present 15 years ago when Elly Chovel presented the Pledge of Thanksgiving, which established Operation Pedro Pan. Tonight, I have the pleasure of giving my heartfelt congratulations to Ms. Chovel on receiving the Monsignor Bryan O. Walsh Award for her years of service and dedication to Operation Pedro Pan.

Operation Pedro Pan is an organization, which has been influential in shaping the Cuban-American community, as we know it today. Many of the Pedro Pan children who made the sacrifice of leaving Cuba for the pursuit of freedom are the leaders of our community today. Among them is my colleague in Washington, DC, Senator Mel Martinez, who is the first Cuban-American elected to the United States Senate--and a Pedro Pan Child.

It makes me proud to see how much Operation Pedro Pan has accomplished in South Florida. Operation Pedro Pan is one of the Cuban- American community's best examples of what can be accomplished through dedication and hard work. Through its advocacy work for children and working to preserve the significance of an important time in Cuban history, Pedro Pan has established itself as a highly respected organization.

I wish the best for Operation Pedro Pan. I hope that in the years to come you continue to reach your goals, so that our children and our children's children realize the sacrifices that our generation made in search of liberty. Once again, I thank you for the opportunity to be here with you tonight. I commend Operation Pedro Pan for the leadership they display in our unity year after year and I look forward to continuing my support for their efforts.

Mr. Speaker, I would like this opportunity to congratulate my constituent and a long time friend Mikki Canton as the recipient of the 2005 American Jewish Committee's Judge Learned Hand Award. This distinguished award was established in loving memory of Judge Learned Hand, Senior Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit from 1924 to 1951. It is presented to outstanding leaders in the legal community who exemplify the high principles for which Judge Hand was renowned.

Mikki Canton is the first Cuban-American woman to receive this recognition, and she also has the distinct privilege of being one of the few Hispanic female managing partners at a major Florida law firm. She oversees the daily operations of the Miami office of Gunster Yoakley, and is the chair of the firm's Corporate Strategic Counseling and Public Affairs departments. Her dedicated service to the citizens of South Florida should serve as a model for all of us. Her devotion and desire to reach out to people in need is not only commendable, but inspirational as well. I would like to thank her for the perseverance she has displayed throughout her legal profession.

Mikki Canton is a member of the women's Leadership Board of Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government, a group that examines public policies relating to women. She is the Florida chair of the Fellows of the American Bar Association and sits on the board of several large local charities. I am proud to recognize Mikki Canton for her tireless dedication to the well being of our South Florida residents. I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Mikki on her wonderful service to our community.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 546) condemning in the strongest terms the terrorist attacks that occurred on November 9, 2005, in Amman, Jordan, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Last Wednesday the world once again looked in horror at the destruction caused by Islamic extremist homicide bombers, this time in Jordan. We were compelled to act and first express our deepest condolences to the victims of this radical movement that has perverted the Koran to fit their extreme twisted ideology of hatred.

Perhaps, most importantly, we were compelled to offer every possible form

of cooperation in investigating these al Qaeda attacks and in assisting in efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice, led by al-Zarqawi. Jordan is our strategic ally in an international war on terror. Jordan has demonstrated its commitment to secure its borders to prevent foreign fighters from entering Iraq to attack our U.S. forces and our Coalition forces as well as innocent Iraqis. It has cooperated in providing critical information that may have helped prevent countless deaths at the hands of these Islamic extremists.

Just as critical has been Jordan's leadership in addressing the conditions that breed instability and are manipulated by the likes of al Qaeda and other Islamic extremists to recruit and advance their notorious agenda. Jordan has been a leader in reforming politically and economically for the benefit of its people serving as an example for other Arab Nations.

King Abdullah's efforts to facilitate and serve as a positive force between Israel and the Palestinians towards peace are noteworthy. Mr. Speaker, the attacks in Amman last week remove the facade that these dastardly acts by Islamic extremists are about anything other than death, destruction and hunger for power, control and continued oppression.

These attacks clearly demonstrate the callous and cowardly nature of the Islamic extremist enemy that we are facing, an enemy that is willing to bomb a wedding reception, kill innocent people of all backgrounds and injure over 100 others in order to advance their radical al Qaeda agenda.

Freedom threatens them. Al Qaeda mastermind al-Zarqawi, who is believed to be behind the bombings in Jordan last week, acknowledged in a February 17, 2004 letter to al Qaeda operatives, he says our enemy is growing stronger day after day. By God, this is suffocation. We will be on the roads again.

One of Osama bin Laden's closest associates wrote in a book published in September 2003 that a far more dangerous threat is secularist democracy. He cautions against democracy's seduction as it drives Muslims to refuse to take part in jihad.

I would like to commend the government and the people of Jordan for their courage and their commitment to true democratic reforms. Congress thanks the Jordanian people for their support in the cooperation and the aftermath of our 9/11 attacks, and we stand by Jordan as it tries to give face to this Islamic extremist movement that seeks to pervert Islam and to give Muslims worldwide a bad name.

We render our support in your efforts to bring to justice those Islamic extremist operatives, and we will continue to work together to pursue, to disrupt, to undermine and to dismantle the al Qaeda and other Islamic radical networks that have made possible the attacks like the ones in Amman on November 9.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Foley).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 38) expressing support for the accession of Israel to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Res. 38.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I first want to thank the leadership for bringing House Resolution 38 before the House today. This resolution was unanimously adopted by the House International Relations Committee on September 15, and it expresses support for the accession of Israel to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the OECD.

More than 50 years have elapsed since George Marshall's speech at Harvard, which led to the Marshall Plan and the creation of the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation, which is the forerunner for the OECD.

His vision of economic cooperation based on common values and policies is now shared by even more countries, which are enjoying mutually beneficial relationships for their membership in the OECD.

Israel has been attempting to join the OECD since the year 2000 when it met the organisation's industrial and per-capita product criteria. Not only could OECD membership enhance Israel's status in the global market and within international financial institutions, but also other OECD countries could potentially benefit in the science and high tech sectors due to Israel's economic and advanced technological standing.

Israel also shares in the commitment to democratic governance and free market principles, and those are the foundations of the OECD. As a result, in December of 2004, Israel was invited on an ad hoc basis to participate as an observer in discussions of the trade committee of the

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) for his help on this resolution as well as the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take the time of the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton).

Madam Speaker, a number of news sources have recently dedicated space and air time to headlines concerning our progress in the war on terror, such as ``What the New York Times doesn't tell you.''

Indeed, as we all have had occasion to note in some of our Nation's widely read news publications, the editorial rule is often there is no news like bad news. But in these Halls of Congress, no such rule abounds, so truth-telling must begin here.

Since the brutal terrorist attacks of September 11, the United States has responded with policies that offer a pragmatic approach to the challenges that we face in the region today. These have included taking the fight to the terrorists and their supporters, denying them the resources and safe sanctuaries, keeping them on the run so that they cannot target us at home, all while simultaneously assisting the developing Middle East democracies so that they can become a bastion of stable, free market democratic societies and as a means of addressing the root causes of terrorism and Islamic extremism.

As Chair of the House Subcommittee on Central Asia and the Middle East, I am proud of the success that these policies have enjoyed, particularly in the frontline states in the war on terror of Iraq and Afghanistan.

However, if we are to fully grasp where both countries are now, and where both are heading politically, we must understand what these nations have endured under brutal regimes that systemically denied the Iraqi and the Afghan people their freedom and shackled their hopes and aspirations.

Saddam Hussein's terrorist regime wreaked havoc on Iraq society and stunted the country's growth and development.

The mass graves are but one sad example of how this brutal ruler destroyed Iraqi lives. He indiscriminately slaughtered Iraqis, regardless of background, with an estimated 300,000 having disappeared from the time that Saddam took power in 1979 until his removal almost 25 years later.

Thus, the progress achieved thus far by the Iraqi people toward establishing a true democratic government, just a few years after the termination of his regime, is nothing short of miraculous.

Within this past year alone, the people of Iraq have not only held free elections and approved a new Iraqi constitution this past October, but they are diligently preparing for nationwide elections on December 15.

Today, the Iraqi people remain engaged in a political process aimed at creating a unified and democratic Iraq, to the envy of the neighboring countries such as Iran and Syria, and to the chagrin of those tyrannical regimes.

In particular, the women of Iraq who, under the Hussein regime were routinely subject to public execution, under the pretext of fighting prostitution and widespread rape and abuse, are now fully participating in the nation's political life.

I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit Iraq as part of a historic all-female congressional delegation, during which we met with women from all sectors and educational backgrounds. They now have a voice in charting the path for their country's future and in helping to ensure that this course is toward a vibrant and prosperous Iraqi nation.

Likewise, in Afghanistan, U.S. efforts have also contributed to significant positive changes in the lives of women in Afghanistan where the Taliban's brutality and blatant disregard for the lives and well- being of the Afghan people impacted all the people of that country.

The shroud of misery placed upon the people of Afghanistan when the Taliban captured Kabul in 1996 was removed in 2002 by the United States with the help of our allies and the Afghan people themselves.

As a nation whose recent history has been marked more by war than by peace, more by upheaval than by progress, Afghanistan's transition to democracy has also been nothing short of miraculous.

In a state of effective war for most of the last quarter century, Afghanistan was allowed to fester for most of the 1990s, ultimately hosting al Qaeda and enduring the extremist Taliban regime.

In liberating the Afghan people, we brought an end to the deplorable human rights violations under the Taliban regime, which included the barbaric practices of beatings, tortures, rapes, executions that were carried out by Taliban's Department of Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice.

Today, the Afghan people are determined to take steps to ensure Afghanistan's survival as a free and democratic nation. We are on the road to victory, and the selfless dedication of our men and women in uniform should always be congratulated.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take my Special Order at this time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my strong support for both the men and women of our Armed Forces and the American civilians serving in Iraq through the Department of State and other U.S. agencies. I thank them for their courage and the dedication that they have so bravely displayed in carrying out their noble mission of liberating and securing Iraq from tyranny and terrorism.

Mr. Speaker, I have witnessed such dedication in conversations with a former staffer of mine who returned from Iraq this past summer and from one of my former interns who served with the United States Army in Iraq. I have frequently discussed the situation in Iraq with my husband, Dexter, a decorated Vietnam veteran who was wounded in combat and was awarded a Purple Heart.

However, it has been my talks with my stepson Dougie, a first lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps who is currently serving in Iraq, which has helped me the most and has had the most profound effect on me and helped me to fully comprehend the importance of the mission that our men and women in the Armed Forces are embarked upon in Iraq. To him it is not an obligation. It is an honor and a privilege to have the opportunity to serve our country; to contribute to the freedom of the Iraqi people; to confront the terrorists; and perhaps most importantly, to fight tyranny, as the Greatest Generation did during World War II.

Our mission is just. It has far-reaching, longstanding, strategic, and political ramifications. It is helping to further U.S. security and foreign policy goals throughout the region. For these reasons and, most importantly, for my stepson Doug Lehtinen, and his fiancee, Lindsay Nelson, who is also a Marine officer currently serving in Iraq, and all of the members of the U.S. Armed Forces serving in Afghanistan and Iraq and elsewhere, we must continue to fully support our troops and their mission. Simply stated, we cannot afford to yield a victory to the terrorists in Iraq and throughout the region.

Iraq is one of the epicenters of the U.S. comprehensive strategy to fight terrorism worldwide, a strategy that includes killing and disrupting terrorists abroad; confronting theocratic and autocratic regimes that harbor terrorists and facilitate terrorist attacks; and promoting economic reform and democracy as a means to address those threats.

Our ability to project major Armed Forces to the very heart of the Middle East provides the United States, as well as our allies in the war against terrorism, the wherewithal to directly address the tactical and ideological challenges of Islamic extremism. Our presence in Iraq further strengthens our leverage against current and emerging democracies and increases the deterrent value of U.S. power.

Finally, through the promotion of incipient Iraqi democracy, we can continue our concerted efforts to counter the root causes of Islamic extremism and terrorism in that area.

However, our success in Iraq will not come without challenges. Creating new and effective political and security institutions in Iraq takes time. The task before us is not insurmountable; but if rushed, we do risk failure for lack of persistence. The continuing presence of U.S. and coalition forces must be determined by the achievement of concrete objectives. We cannot send a message to the terrorists that their war of attrition is succeeding and that we are weakening in our resolve to win.

The Iraqi people have not weakened their resolve, and they have clearly demonstrated their commitment to both the establishment and the solidification of a democratic political culture through their January 30 election, through the October 15 referendum on their Constitution, and their preparations for the December 15 elections.

Our men and women in uniform are not and have not weakened their resolve. Let us not weaken our resolve in the United States Congress. Let us not waver in our commitment to our mission, our very important and noble cause in Iraq.