Declaring that the United States Will Prevail in the Global War on Terror

DECLARING THAT THE UNITED STATES WILL PREVAIL IN THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR -- (House of Representatives - June 16, 2006)

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Mr. SHAW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 861, a resolution declaring that the United States will prevail in the Global War on Terror, the struggle to protect freedom from terrorist adversaries.

This is a critical time in American and world history. Only 5 years have passed since the al Qaeda network attacked us on our homeland. Over 3,000 people died on September 11, 2001, and the world as we knew it changed instantly.

Our principal terrorist enemies seek to establish regimes that rule according to a violent and intolerant distortion of Islam. As illustrated by Taliban-rules Afghanistan, such regimes would deny all political and religious freedoms and serve as sanctuaries for violent extremists to launch additional attacks--not only against the United States and its partners but the Muslim world itself.

The enemy uses suicide bombings, beheadings, and other atrocities against innocents as a means to achieve their dark vision. Their demonstrated indifference to human life and desire to inflict catastrophic damage on the United States and its partners around the world has fueled their pursuit of and intent to use WMD.

We cannot permit the world's most dangerous terrorists and their regime sponsors to threaten us with the world's most destructive weapons.

Our national strategy is to stop terrorist attacks against the United States, our citizens, our interests, and our friends and allies around the world.

We have and continue to defeat terrorists by attacking their established infrastructure, such as safe havens, management, power, and infrastructure. This disruption will naturally force the terrorists to disperse and decentralize, thereby removing their global influence.

We have and continue to deny terrorists support. Separating terrorists from their sponsors and support will deny availability of critical assets needed to plan, train for, and conduct operations. Denying sanctuary will prevent the terrorists from having the opportunity to reorganize and reestablish a global threat. A terrorist that is constantly on the move to survive does not have time to plan or conduct major operations.

We have and continue to work with the international community to diminish the underlying conditions that terrorists seek to exploit. It is in our best interest to continue focusing on resources and efforts towards at-risk regions to prevent the emergence or the reemergence of terrorists.

The United States Government, through our dedicated public servants, courageous men and women in uniform, and attentive intelligence officers are protecting the United States, our citizens, and our national interests at home and abroad--24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Today, American values, liberty, and lives are still at stake. While we engage the enemy on foreign soil, we are also simultaneously establishing homeland defenses, and extending such defenses to identify and neutralize any emerging threats as early as possible.

The American public is one of the world's most informed societies--the American people understand that the threat against our Nation and values are real and imminent.

And to mischaracterize the American people's support for the global war and the men and women in uniform fighting at the front lines of this war is unpatriotic and disingenuous. U.S. forces will withdraw from Iraq as soon as the mission is successfully accomplished. Success will be achieved when there is a free Iraq in which Iraqis themselves are sponsors of their own liberty and security. The criteria for withdrawing Coalition forces from Iraq are conditions based, not calendar based.

For America will remain the land of the free, home of the brave as long as Americans are willing to fight for the principles of freedom and democracy.

I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 861.

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