Congratulating the Interim Government of Iraq on its Forthcoming Assumption of Sovereign Authority in Iraq

CONGRATULATING THE INTERIM GOVERNMENT OF IRAQ ON ITS FORTHCOMING ASSUMPTION OF SOVEREIGN AUTHORITY IN IRAQ -- (House of Representatives - June 24, 2004)

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the previous order of the House, and as the designee of the majority leader, I call up the resolution (H. Res. 691) congratulating the Interim Government of Iraq on its forthcoming assumption of sovereign authority in Iraq, and ask for its immediate consideration.

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Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, these feel-good resolutions that we passed last night and are considering today do not change the facts. The facts are that this country is not united. It is very divided over this war. The facts are we did not invade Iraq for the purpose of instituting a democracy. We invaded Iraq because we were told that Iraq threatened us with weapons of mass destruction and that Iraq was responsible, to some extent, for collaborating with al Qaeda and producing the catastrophe of 9/11.

We were misled into Iraq by the administration that either lied to the American people or led us into war by use of falsehoods stated out of ignorance. We are told by this resolution that we are creating a sovereign Iraq now; and, yet, on page 7 of the resolution the American troops there remain under American command. That is a slight contradiction. How can Iraq be sovereign when we control the military over there?

We are told that we are creating a democratic Iraq. Anybody who knows anything knows we are not going to have a democratic Iraq for many years, maybe decades. We will be happy to figure out a way to get out of this quagmire without leaving behind mass chaos, civil war, communal slaughter and betraying the Kurds a third time. We also know that this war in Iraq is a diversion from the real war against the Islamic terrorists who thrust war upon us, a war we must fight but that we are being diverted from. We know that it is harder to take the necessary action, if it may be necessary, if a real nuclear threat of nuclear proliferation arises perhaps in Iran because we cried wolf in Iraq.
How will we persuade Congress or the American people that we have to do something real if a real threat arises, not a phantom threat that we reacted to?

Our actions in Abu Ghraib and perhaps elsewhere still to be properly investigated have shamed this Nation and engendered further hatred of the United States across the world. So let us not celebrate this catastrophe. Let us not pass resolutions that do not bear any relation to the world. Let us figure out how to get out of this catastrophe as best we can.