Column By Senator McConnell On Independence Day

Column By Senator McConnell On Independence Day

As we celebrate Independence Day this July 4th, it's worth remembering that America was born out of a desire for freedom. Freedom remains this country's greatest source of strength, and freedom merits defending.

Freedom was attacked on September 11, 2001, by terrorists who espouse an ideology of hate. They will gladly kill innocents to spread this ideology. In response, America has taken the fight to these killers in the War on Terror. We must defeat the terrorists where they live, rather than wait for them to strike again on American soil.

Iraq is now the central battlefield in the War on Terror. We must fight there to ensure it remains free as it begins its journey to democracy. If we leave before the fight is through, Iraq could fall prey to men like Osama Bin Laden, and become a factory of hatred. But if we stay and help the Iraqis as they train their own security forces, write a constitution that guarantees a voice for all, and form a new government, Iraq has the potential to help lead the entire Middle East towards democracy and peace.

Our armed forces have done a superb job liberating Afghanistan and Iraq, allowing democracy to begin to flourish. We have other equally important democracy-building tools as well. This week, I authored a Senate bill to spend $25 million on programs to build democracy, human rights, civic education, women's development, freedom of the press, and the establishment of the rule of law in developing Islamic countries.

The more that democracy, market economies, and civil institutions flourish in these countries, the less likely they are to foster cultures of instability, chaos and violence. That means a safer world for America, and fewer of our troops in harm's way. It's better to spend fewer dollars now on democracy-building programs in these countries than more later in whatever possible military combat may lay down the road.

In his address to the American people last Tuesday night, President Bush reminded us all of the stakes in this War on Terror. We must do everything in our power to prevent another terrorist attack on American soil, and that means taking the fight to the terrorists. Abandoning Iraq in the middle of that fight would be short-sighted. President Bush understands that the strength of democracy overseas directly affects our safety and security here at home, and I am glad he will never relent in waging the War on Terror.

I can understand those who doubt, sometimes, whether the struggle in Iraq is worth it. The images on the news can be terrifying. But America has been tested in great battles before, and freedom has emerged victorious.

You don't have to look far to find heroes in this current struggle. We have many in the Kentucky National Guard. Three months ago, a squad from the 617th Military Police Company, based out of Richmond, was escorting a truck convoy about 12 miles southeast of Baghdad when about 50 heavily armed terrorists attacked.

The 10 men and women from the 617th were not professional soldiers. One managed a shoe store. Another ran a printing press. A third was a star college football player. But that day they fought with a single purpose. The soldiers drove their Humvees in between the trucks and the attackers to draw their fire, and began tossing grenades and firing M4 assault rifles. One soldier, a medic not primarily trained in combat, fired at two different pockets of insurgents in different directions with a gun in each hand.

When it was all over, they had killed 24 terrorists and wounded six more. It was the biggest single blow to the insurgency in four months. Between the 10 of them, the squad earned three Silver Stars, three Bronze Stars and two army commendation medals.

Heroes like these Kentucky National Guard soldiers remind us that ordinary Americans can do extraordinary things. With resolve, we will defeat the terrorists, and spread democracy throughout the world to prevent terror from taking root in hostile countries like it did in Iraq. As long as we remain committed to the cause of freedom, America will prevail, and the liberty we celebrate on Independence Day will spread a little further throughout the world.

http://mcconnell.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=240170&start=1