Fighting Terrorism

FIGHTING TERRORISM -- (Senate - June 09, 2006)

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, there are two things on my mind today that I wanted to share with our colleagues.

First of all, I wanted to come to the floor to take issue with something that I view as a disturbing trend that I have seen develop over the last few days when it comes to our ongoing efforts to liberate the Iraqi people and to fight the global war on terror.

Yesterday, during a 9 a.m. press conference with MG Bill Caldwell, the military spokesman in Baghdad, regarding the mission that killed terrorist Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi, one reporter asked:

Were you going for Zarqawi? We've heard that you have been going for some other people and then there was some luck involved.

To which Major General Caldwell replied:

We knew exactly who was there. We knew it was Zarqawi. And that was the deliberate target that we went to get.

An AP story yesterday said:

What may have changed the Americans' luck was U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad's efforts to mend relations with Iraq's minority Sunni Arabs, alienated by the U.S. invasion and the new Shiite-dominated government.

And a story yesterday in Time Magazine entitled ``How They Got Zarqawi; the Manhunt That Snared Him.''

In part I quote that story:

The fact that intelligence agencies were able to close in on a man who had eluded capture for three years, during which his terror operations left thousands of Iraqis dead, suggests that some of those close enough to know Zarqawi's whereabouts and connections may have been ready to shop him to his enemies. Not necessarily, of course.

The story goes on to say:

The intel services could have simply gotten a lucky break through the slow but steady gathering of information, or Zarqawi could have made a mistake. Either way, a key agent in the chaos gripping Iraq has now been taken out of the equation.

Also, as we know, recently there were arrests of 12 men and 5 youths in Canada last weekend, foiling a major terrorist plot to attack targets in southern Ontario. The assistant director of operations of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service said the men arrested are followers of a ``violent ideology inspired by al-Qaida.''

In reporting on this story, CBS News also had this to say with regard to recent terror arrests:

Police in Toledo, Ohio busted another cell in February. This one consisted of three men training to attack U.S. forces overseas. Once again, luck played a role.

So, Mr. President, I got to thinking about this word, this four-letter word ``luck.'' It is certainly a loaded term, and in the context of yesterday's operation, I think it is a pretty dismissive term as well.

Instead of luck, I would suggest that the elimination of Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi was a combination of professionalism, patience, persistence, and precision munitions, not luck. Professionalism, patience, persistence, and precision munitions, not luck.

To me, attributing all of this somehow to luck devalues the preparation of our men and women in uniform as well as our intelligence services and our coalition forces. It doesn't give adequate credit to the heightened awareness that we have exercised since September 11, 2001, and it certainly doesn't do justice to patient, relentless execution of the war on terror by our fighting forces and allies. So I think it is time we get a little perspective.

Was it luck when officials were conducting an investigation that foiled a plot the impact of which had the potential to rival the bombing of the Oklahoma City Federal Building? Was it luck that motivated the Iraqis to tip U.S. forces to Zarqawi's whereabouts? Was it luck that trained our forces to execute that critical mission? And while we are on the subject, was it luck that our men and women in uniform executed the invasion and liberation of Iraq successfully and in a miraculously short period of time? Was it luck that Saddam Hussein was removed from his position as head of a terrible, tortuous regime and found cowering in a spider hole and brought to justice? Was it luck when CIA forces joined with Pakistani authorities to capture top al-Qaida operative Khalid Shaikh Mohammed?

I can't help but find it interesting that, as the old adage goes, the harder our military and intelligence forces work, the luckier they seem to get. Or it could be more apt to say it this way, in the words of the old adage, luck is when preparation meets opportunity.

All of these achievements were hard won, and all of the victories in this global war are bought with a dear price--and we should never forget that or try to dismiss that hard work and those efforts, the determination and sacrifice as merely luck.

It is not luck that is bringing the fight to the terrorists' doorstep. It is not luck that our country and our allies are hunting down those who would threaten our freedom and perhaps even our very way of life. September 11, 2001, was a dark day in our Nation's history. But let's not forget the meaning of our actions as we fight and win the war on terror is inextricably linked to the events on that day, the day the world mourned with us, the day our friends said, ``Today we are all Americans.''

Since that day we have worked to bring terrorists to justice, and we are succeeding. We are succeeding because of commitment, dedication, hard work, patience, and sacrifice. We are going to continue doing all that we can and all that we must to defend the cause of freedom.

I caution those who would dismiss these efforts in a world that in this context has little meaning. Let's recognize these accomplishments for what they are and be thankful for the protection provided by our men and women in uniform, our intelligence communities, our friends, and our allies.

http://thomas.loc.gov