A Year Later: A Safer Iraq and a Safer World

A Year Later: A Safer Iraq and a Safer World
By Tom Cole
March 22, 2004

On the anniversary of the decision to send troops to Iraq to defeat Saddam Hussein and free the Iraqi people from the oppression of his brutal dictatorship, the House of Representatives debated a resolution, HR 557, that recognized this one-year anniversary of Operation Iraqi Freedom and commended our troops for their success. Although this resolution passed the House with a bipartisan vote, I wondered why there was so much debate on such a simple issue.
Who can seriously dispute H.R. 557's main points? The world is safer with Saddam Hussein in prison as opposed to being in power. If anyone questions that, let them ask the citizens of the two Muslim countries he invaded, the Kurds whom he gassed or the Shiites whom he butchered by the thousands. Even President Clinton in December 1998 said, "There should be no doubt, Saddam's ability to produce and deliver weapons of mass destruction poses a grave threat to the peace of that region and the security of the world." Saddam Hussein was a true dictator who denied basic rights and essential services to his people. In a five-year span, he bulldozed 60 villages, eliminating more than 30,000 of his own people with mustard gas and nerve agents. In a twelve-month period, he had 1,500 Iraqis executed for purely political reasons. He promoted terrorism and had a long history of aggression against his neighbors.
Because of our troops and those of our allies, Iraq has been freed from the grips of fear. The United States, with the backing of some 30 like-minded countries, has liberated 25 million people and made an example of Saddam Hussein. After hundreds of precision-guided raids and thousands of patrols, deadly weapons have been seized and 44 of the 55 most wanted former Iraqi leaders are dead or captured, along with thousands of other Saddam loyalists.
The American people and our allies ought to also take pride in what we have done to improve the lives of the average Iraqi. Since the end of the war, 4.2 million children and 700,000 pregnant mothers have been vaccinated. Over 30 million vaccine doses have been procured and 22 million actually delivered to Iraq. By the end of 2004, 90 percent of Iraqi children will have been vaccinated against polio, tuberculosis, and measles; 600 primary health clinics have been reequipped to provide health care, dozens of schools opened, colleges kept operational and the sanitation extended.
U.S forces are handing the torch to the Iraqi people. They have begun to form an Army, build an effective police force and develop a fair justice system. The Iraqi people should be commended for their courage in overcoming 35 years of oppression and they should be recognized for adopting an interim constitution and moving forward toward a democracy.
Our success in Iraq has triggered positive events around the world. As the dictator's regime toppled, Iran agreed to open its nuclear facilities for U.N. inspection. Also, Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi surrendered his weapons of mass destruction program as a direct result of our actions in Iraq. Recent media reports have shown how aggressive and helpful Pakistan has been to the coalition forces around Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Unfortunately even though we succeeded in removing the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein, there are still many who will seek to harm peaceful nations. The recent terrorist attack in Spain prove that, although the world is safer, we must continue our fight against terrorism; there is still more work to be done.
The United States military and our allies in the coalition deserve to be recognized for their heroic service and their valor on the battlefield and their continuing work in Iraq. There are still many challenges to overcome. Rebuilding Iraq after decades of neglect will take time and our soldiers are continually in harm's way, but on this one-year anniversary, I am proud of what America and Americans have done in Iraq. I know that all Oklahomans share this pride in our troops. We thank each and every one of them and their families for their service and sacrifice.