Executive Session

EXECUTIVE SESSION

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I rise to express my great admiration of our brave Montana servicemen and women in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere in the world. These brave men and women have put their lives on hold and on the line. Their families and their communities-our communities-support them. These Montanans and all American soldiers are in our thoughts and prayers. We want them to come home quickly and safely.

We need a plan to bring their mission in Iraq to conclusion. And we need the administration to communicate that strategy clearly to the world, and to our brave troops.

I am deeply troubled by the allegations of abuse of Iraqi prisoners. I was horrified by the images we have seen over the last week. Our nation, which our men and women are serving with such honor, must lead by example if we want to win the global "war of ideas".

Although we know the vast majority of our men and women in uniform are serving honorably, these allegations of abuse demonstrate that we are not giving our troops all of the support that they need.

These images of prisoner abuse are not at all consistent with the principles I know our men and women in the Armed Forces hold clear. Our men and women went to Iraq to protect this Nation, to make the world a safer place. They have performed admirably under harsh conditions, sometimes with insufficient equipment, because they believe in their mission. I believe in them and I will continue to make sure that they get the support they need.

What our troops need now more than ever is visionary leadership. They Need to know what their mission is and when that mission has changed. They must be trained for that mission and given all of the resources they need for it, be it body armor or bottled water.

In order to win the war of ideas and make the world safer, we must share our vision of how to win the global war on terrorism. Sharing the vision to win means building effective, lasting partnerships with not just other countries and governments, but international institutions. The whole world benefits from a stable Iraq. The U.S. needs to work together with other nations to share the risk and responsibility U.S. forces face today.

Sharing our vision of how to win the war on terrorism also means ensuring exemplary leadership for every private first class in the United States armed services. We want to ensure that the unconscionable actions of a few misguided soldiers do not endanger the mission of the thousands who work day in and day out to fulfill that vision.

This is why I supported the President's nomination of Ambassador Negroponte to be Ambassador to Iraq. This administration must demonstrate that it has not only the determination but also the vision to win the war on ideas that the war on terror truly has become.

Now is the time when we must share our vision with the troops who serve with dignity and honor, with the American people and with the world.