A New Day and Time in Iraq

A NEW DAY AND TIME IN IRAQ

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Mr. ENSIGN. Mr. President, I rise to speak on the progress America is making in the global war on terrorism and in particular on the progress being made in Iraq.

Recently we passed a solemn benchmark. Two thousand of our servicemen and women have paid the ultimate price in defense of freedom. A vocal minority contend that these casualties were in vain. They claim we are in Iraq for all the wrong reasons. Further, they say that since there have been no weapons of mass destruction uncovered in Iraq that the administration obviously lied to get Americans behind the initial war effort. I think it is important that we take a few minutes to recall the world in which we lived prior to taking military action against Saddam Hussein in 2003.

The previous administration was quite clear in their belief that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction. Then-President Clinton said:

Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear. We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program.

Clinton's National Security Advisor, Sandy Berger, said of Hussein:

He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times since 1993.

Even after he left office, Al Gore stated:

We know that [Hussein] has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout the country.

Madeline Albright said:

The risks that the leaders of a rogue state will use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons against us or our allies is the greatest security threat we face.

Let us all remember, Iraq had been in blatant violation of 17 separate United Nations resolutions dating back to the first Persian Gulf War--resolutions which required Iraq to reveal prohibited WMD and missile programs to U.N. inspectors. American and British warplanes were continually fired upon while enforcing U.N.-mandated ``no fly zones'' in Iraq.

In 1993, terrorists detonated a bomb in the garage of the World Trade Center in an attempt to topple this symbol of capitalism.

In 1996, the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia, housing an Air Force Fighter Wing, were attacked by terrorists. Nineteen U.S. servicemembers lost their lives. Hundreds were wounded.

In 1998, the U.S. Embassies in Tanzania and Kenya were bombed by terrorists. Hundreds lost their lives.

In October of 2000, the USS Cole was attacked by terrorists while refueling in Yemen. Seventeen sailors lost their lives. Many more were injured. And, of course, we all remember the day the Pentagon was attacked and the World Trade Center was leveled by terrorists crashing commercial airliners into both structures on 9/11, resulting in more than 3,000 of our fellow citizens being killed and America finally waking up to the reality that is terrorism.

The terrorists had no reason to believe that we would respond to 9/11 because we had not responded in the past. At that time, every country in the free world believed that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction. Saddam Hussein did nothing to dispel those beliefs. He had actually used chemical weapons on Iranians and on his own citizens.

President Bush could not risk America's future on the hope that a dictator like Hussein, with a track record that included grotesque human rights abuses, aggression against his neighbors, and the harboring and funding of terrorists, could be reformed or indefinitely contained.

In fact, the Senate chose not to risk America's future either. This body voted 77-23 in favor of the resolution allowing President Bush to use force in Iraq. Those voting in the affirmative included the then-Democratic Leader of the Senate, the ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee, the ranking member of the Intelligence Committee and the Democratic nominee for President in the 2004 election.

I have a few quotes I would like to read.

Senator JAY ROCKEFELLER, CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, October 2002:

There is unmistakable evidence that Saddam Hussein is working aggressively to develop nuclear weapons and will likely have nuclear weapons within the next five years . . . We also should remember we have always underestimated the progress Saddam has made in development of weapons of mass destruction.

He obviously had access to the intelligence that the President had.

Senator JOHN KERRY, CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, October 2002:

When I vote to give the President of the United States the authority to use force, if necessary, to disarm Saddam Hussein [it is] because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real and grave threat to our security. . . .

Senator HILLARY CLINTON, CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, October 2002:

In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including al-Qaeda members . . . It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons.

Senator CARL LEVIN, Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing, September 2002:

We begin with the common belief that Saddam Hussein is a tyrant and a threat to the peace and stability of the region. He has ignored the mandate of the United Nations and is building weapons of mass destruction and the means of delivering them.

I could go on. We have lots of quotes, but let's stop for now.

On March 19, 2003, 2 days after our President's televised ultimatum, a 35-nation coalition launched operations to disarm Iraq.

In a matter of weeks, Hussein's decades-old regime had been removed, liberating 25 million Iraqis from one of the world's most brutal tyrannies.

That was 2 1/2 years ago. Now, because things aren't quite as antiseptic as some would like, there are calls for American troop withdrawal. Again, I think it is important for us to review just how far we've come over the last 2 1/2 years.

As far as security is concerned, the initial 35-nation coalition that liberated Iraq has increased to include 72 countries.

Iraqi Security Forces are continuing to take a more prominent role in defending their country. One hundred sixteen Iraqi battalions are currently conducting military operations. That's 22 more battalions on line than there were just 3 months ago.

As President Bush has stated numerous times:

Our task is to make the Iraqi units fully capable and independent. We're building up Iraqi security forces as quickly as possible, so they can assume the lead in defeating the terrorists and insurgents. Our strategy can be summed up this way: As the Iraqis stand up, we will stand down.

Our assistance to the people of Iraq is not limited to the military. There have been infrastructure improvements as well, including almost 3,500 schools.

Also, there were no commercial TV stations in Iraq before the war; today there are 44.

There were no independent newspapers or magazines in Iraq before the war. Today there are more than 100.

In January of this year, 8 million Iraqi citizens, in the face of violent threats, voted to establish a parliament. Last month, the Iraqis again returned to the polls in large numbers, and almost 10 million this time--more than 60 percent of the registered voters--voted to approve their constitution. This coming December, they will return to the polls to elect a fully constitutional government.

Because of America's leadership, compassion, and sacrifice, the world has witnessed the end of Saddam Hussein's regime and the beginnings of an energetic democracy in Iraq. This fledgling democracy has the ability to transform a region that has been a breeding ground for terrorists.

The world is a safer place because Qadhafi saw the fate of Saddam Hussein and decided Libya was better off with its weapons of mass destruction program under lock and key.

We are safer because the AQ Kahn network has been shut down and is no longer supplying materiel support to Iran and North Korea's nuclear efforts.

We are safer because terrorists and the countries that harbor them know if they threaten the United States, they could be the next ones to feel the force of the U.S. military.

Our word means something now because the President laid a marker down in the sand and stood behind that marker when it was time--when Saddam Hussein did not come forward and agree to the resolutions that the United Nations had passed.

I believe the more than 2,000 members of our military who have died in service for our Nation in Iraq--and others will surely follow them--have made our country safer.

I believe history will show in the fullness of time that America was involved in a noble effort that transformed a region and indeed the world.

I yield the floor.

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