War on Terror: Progress and Outlook

WAR ON TERROR: PROGRESS AND OUTLOOK -- (Senate - February 07, 2006)

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Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, as the U.S. Senate gets started for the second legislative session of the 109th Congress, I would like to take this opportunity and concentrate our attention on the milestones achieved in the global war on terror and take a look at the road ahead.

Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, we and many others in the international community have been united in our effort to defeat terrorism wherever it has taken hold in the world. September 11 proved without a doubt that a network of extremists preaching hate and oppression were determined to cause our Nation great harm. It is clear these extremists were and continue to be committed to nothing less than the total destruction of our Nation and our way of life. This network of terrorism is embedded in many countries. It has penetrated hard working communities, valued institutions of education, and sacred places of worship.

As in any previous world conflicts, the global war on terror cannot be successfully prosecuted without extensive cooperation of the members of the international community. Given the potential catastrophic consequences of terrorist attacks, President Bush worked with our international partners and allies to identify terrorist networks, reduce their ability to communicate and coordinate their plans, and disrupt attacks before they occur.

With America in the lead, a full scale international campaign began in 2001. A total of 136 countries, including members of the European Union, Russia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Australia, countries of Asia and Africa provided and, in many instances, still continue to provide a range of intelligence and/or military assistance. As a result of this unprecedented multilateral cooperation, we have been able to kill or capture more than one half of the known al Qaida leaders and prevent possible terrorist attacks both in the U.S. and abroad.

Despite the many difficulties in this war, our Nation has not retreated nor walked away in the face of adversity. We sought out terrorists, cut off their funding, and disrupted their plans. Under the steadfast leadership of President Bush our country has taken the battle to the enemy and achieved significant successes.

In October 2001, the coalition forces launched a military campaign against the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. The regime was successfully removed from power and all known al Qaida training camps were destroyed.

With the help from the international community, the people of Afghanistan, many for the first time in the history of their nation, tasted the initial seeds of freedom. Let me pause here for a second. For the first time in history millions of people in Afghanistan are now able to express their opinions without a fear of retribution or punishment.

After several national elections, the people of Afghanistan adopted a new constitution, elected a president and held successful parliamentary elections. Efforts to revitalize Afghanistan's economy and education system have already produced significant results. Agricultural production, which is a way of life for 70 percent of Afghanistan's people, has nearly doubled. New roads are being built. Teachers are being trained and an increasing number of people, including women, have access to education.

Afghanistan was devastated by decades of war and neglect and is now being turned into a young democracy that will be an example to others in the troubled region.

A year after September 11, the President challenged the United Nations to confront another protector of terror: Saddam Hussein. Saddam Hussein failed to comply with more than a dozen of United Nations Security Council resolutions and he gave every appearance of continuing to hide large stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction.

Based on Saddam's reported weapons of mass destruction and support for terrorism, Iraq represented a dangerous nexus that the international community could no longer ignore. President Bush bravely made the decision to liberate Iraq from the most brutal

regime in the country's history and plant the seeds of freedom in the land that had only known decades of tyranny and oppression.

It is clear today that the terrorists view Iraq as the major battleground against the coalition forces, against the rule of law, and against peace and prosperity. During the last 2 years they have tried to derail the democratic process and threatened to kill those participating in it. Undeterred, the majority of the Iraqi people have bravely ignored this threat and joined the emerging Iraqi political process.

By the millions, Iraqis lined up to choose a transitional government that drafted the most democratic constitution in the Arab world. By the millions, Iraqis approved that constitution in a national referendum. And by the millions, Iraqis elected a new Iraqi government under the Iraqi-written constitution for the Iraqi people. Let there be no doubt about it: the establishment of a meaningful political process and lasting democratic institutions will decide Iraq's future.

We can be proud of the fact that each national vote in Iraq has experienced less violence and produced bigger and broader voter turnout. President Bush put it best when he stated:

In all three aspects of our strategy--democracy, security and reconstruction--we are learning from our experiences, and we are fixing what hasn't worked. ..... we have witnessed a transformation in Iraq that is virtually without precedent.

Iraqi security forces continue to show improvements in defending their fellow countrymen. In October of last year, Iraqi police and army personnel secured polling sites around the country, quickly suppressing any incidents of violence.

Growing in size and strength, Iraqi military units have become more capable and able to defend their country's emerging democracy. Today, Iraqi security battalions have assumed control over entire sectors of Iraq. These accomplishments demonstrate the willingness of Iraqis to stand up to insurgents and protect their fellow countrymen. Iraqis are gradually taking over the frontline in defense of their communities.

With each Iraqi soldier trained and equipped to carry out the mission, Iraq draws closer to being able to stand on its own and protect its own freedom.

A free society cannot exist without an independent and impartial judicial system. With slow but steady progress on all fronts, the Iraqi people are carefully building one of the country's most important institutions: its judiciary. With the help from the international community, the Iraqi people have begun the trial of one of the most brutal dictators in history, Saddam Hussein. Although none of Hussein's victims had a luxury of due process, the new Iraqi government decided to adhere to the highest standard of the rule of law and allowed its former dictator to stand trial by his peers.

None of these successes would have been possible if not for the sacrifice of America's finest men and women in uniform. Their pride, patriotism and perseverance have been the deciding factor on the battlefields far away from home. They have answered the call of duty in a noble but difficult task. Some have made the ultimate sacrifice. Their families will always be in our thoughts and prayers. We should honor their lives by defeating the terrorists.

The successful strategy for prosecuting the global war on terror set forth by President Bush is steadily moving forward. The road ahead will require additional sacrifice from America's leaders, members of the military and the American people. We must continue to unite behind our Commander-In-Chief, make the necessary adjustments, and move forward on the path of complete victory. The Global War on Terror demands nothing less.

I yield the floor.

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