The Iraq War "Talk-A-Thon"

THE IRAQ WAR ``TALK-A-THON''

Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, America deserves a real choice about our future in Iraq. But, instead, tomorrow it is presented with a false choice. Indeed, not so much a debate about our future in Iraq as a 10-hour or so talk-a-thon. The talk-a-thon is about a resolution that, much like the Iraq policy we have seen over the last few years, is presented to this House without the ability of any Member of the House to change a single word. You cannot dot an ``i.'' You cannot cross a ``t.'' You cannot offer an amendment. You cannot offer a substitute or alternative policy. Once again, in a very constrained and perverse way, the question of Iraq is presented for Members to talk, but not to act.

Indeed, the resolution itself tells the whole story. It is entitled a resolution which is ``declaring that the United States will prevail in the `Global War on Terror.' '' Wouldn't it be wonderful if by simply passing a declaration we could declare the ``Global War on Terror'' won?

But tragically it is paper like this that was offered by those who failed to fulfill their decision-making and oversight responsibilities in this Congress that exposed young men and women from this country to the greatest danger. Instead of Kevlar vests, instead of reinforced vehicles, they got paper resolutions. And paper resolutions could not block the IEDs, and it could not block the bullets that came the way of our brave young men and women in uniform. No. Indeed, other than paper proclamations, the original claim was the main thing our troops would need in Iraq, as they were being sent off to war, was a broom to sweep away all the rose petals that would be thrown at them in gratitude for them invading Iraq. Well, of course, it did not turn out that way.

This false choice that we are being presented with tomorrow without any opportunity to dot an ``i'' or cross a ``t'' deserves some consideration. It has a ``Whereas'' clause that ``by early 2003, Saddam Hussein ..... had supported terrorists, constituted a threat against global peace.''. The reason that language is there is to perpetuate the lie, and it is a lie, that Saddam Hussein was somehow linked to the tragedy of 9/11.

Now, we know that Saddam Hussein was a villain, a thug, a dictator, and a tyrant. But there has been absolutely no evidence presented to this Congress to support the continued innuendo and suggestion by this administration, time and time again, that he somehow was responsible for 9/11.

Then there is a clause in the resolution that ``the terrorists have declared Iraq to be the central front in the war against all who oppose their ideology. Well, the truth is it became a central front only after President George Bush started a war there. He provided the terrorists with the opportunity; he took our young men and women to them, placed them in grave danger, provided an inadequate number of troops so that all these Iraqi ammunition and weapons dumps were open and available to any terrorist who wanted to come in and take their weapons to use against our American forces.

The resolution refers to our ``coalition,'' and, of course, our ``coalition'' is the United States, the United Kingdom, and a great deal of public relations. Because most of the other countries in the so-called ``coalition'' have contributed extremely meager resources. They have been there for public relations purposes to try to cover the fact that this was a go-it-alone invasion of Iraq.

And now the ``impressive victories'' of which this resolution speaks do not take into account that the number of deaths of young Americans is approaching 3,000; 3,000 human beings, 3,000 young people cut down in their lives, removed from their families. We approach another 20,000 who suffered grievous injury, who may never be quite the same because of the injuries that they suffered in courageous service to our country.

And that takes us to why this resolution is being presented in this form. Because from the outset this administration and the leadership in this Congress have never missed a chance to hitch a ride for their failed policies on the coattails of the courageous men and women who have been standing up for our country overseas.

They know their failed policies can't stand on their own merit, and so they buried them within a resolution honoring the sacrifice of our United States troops. I honor them, but say that our policy must change and must change now.

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