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War in Iraq

August 4, 2009
Floor Statement
Rep. Maxine Waters [D-CA]: Mr. Speaker, a couple of weeks ago, Thomas Friedman wrote an op ed in the New York Times titled, "Remember Iraq."

In the article, Mr. Friedman laments that in the last couple of months "the air has gone out of the Iraq debate." Mr. Friedman, unfortunately, seems to be correct. We haven't been talking about Iraq as much lately.

The media is partly to blame for this, but the consumers of the media take some responsibility as well. Without new sensational stories to run, war coverage becomes monotonous, and we can be desensitized to the depictions of war. But it is the media's ethical responsibility to focus on the issues that matter the most rather than what sells the most papers and boosts ratings.

When reports of the terrible toll of the Iraq war fall off the front page and disappear from nightly TV coverage, it can be easier to put the sacrifices our men and women in uniform are making in Iraq out of one's mind. It can be easy to forget the suffering of the Iraq people, whose lives continue to be plagued by violence. The enormous costs of the war don't seem as real when they are not thrust in our faces every day.

But it is also the ethical responsibility of this Congress to continue to debate an issue as important as the war. We are partly to blame for letting the air out of the Iraq debate as well.

In the absence of the required number of votes needed to override an inevitable Bush veto on any Iraq-related legislation, we in Congress must do a better job of challenging the administration's false rhetoric about the Iraq war. While the war in Iraq is disappearing from the newspapers, problems in Pakistan, Turkey and Iran are sure getting a lot of attention.

Why aren't we making the connection between the problems in these countries with the problems we have created in Iraq? An enduring foreign military presence will destabilize any region. An enormous endless American military presence in the heart of the Middle East is a recipe for disaster.

We in Congress need to do more to educate our constituents of the incredible costs of this misguided war in Iraq and the danger it presents to the peace and security of the entire region.

The Middle East is a house of cards, and we are shaking the table. It is no accident that since we began our misguided war in Iraq, we have seen more problems among Iraq's neighbors. Turkey is a very important ally to the United States, and the threat of a Turkish invasion into the Kurdish region of Iraq is a real problem for us. The last thing we need is another front opening in an already unmanageable war.

We must also discuss the connection between the President's so-called war on terror, with the problems we are watching unfold in Pakistan. We must not forget that the al Qaeda forces, who might long ago have been defeated if we hadn't been distracted in Iraq, have invaded northern Pakistan and hundreds of Pakistani soldiers have been killed. Most experts agree that Osama bin Laden is probably hiding in that region in northern Pakistan.

Meanwhile, General Musharraf has imposed a state of emergency through Pakistan dissolving the courts and suspending the constitution. Thousands of angry lawyers in Lahore and other cities Monday have taken to the streets to protest the embattled Pakistani President. Pictures in our newspapers of the lawyers being beaten and arrested by the police are ominous warnings of further trouble to come.

This is worrisome when it happens in any country, but down right terrifying when it happens in a country that possesses nuclear weapons. It is difficult for anyone to say exactly how this connects to our failed war in Iraq, but it surely isn't helping.

The point is that President Bush's irresponsible policy in the Middle East has destabilized the entire region. He has created a ticking time bomb. Rather than trying to defuse the situation with the diplomatic surge, Bush's answer was a military surge and to ratchet up the rhetoric against those who dare oppose him.

We must make it clear every single day that it is because we care so strongly about the safety of our country, the wellness of our military and the help of those who serve, that we demand an end to the war in Iraq. As Mr. Friedman pointed out, when we, as a country, allowed the debate over Iraq to fizzle, we are not merely procrastinating and delaying the eventual confrontation. We are committing negligence.

The daily cost of the war is staggering and cannot be ignored. For every day the war in Iraq continues, more American lives are lost, more Iraqis are killed, more of our tax dollars are spent, and political reconciliation in Iraq becomes less and less likely as the vital struggle for power continues to rage. Perhaps the most important measure of progress, the stability of the region, seems to be slipping further and further out of balance.

Countless proposals have been offered to change the course of this President's war in Iraq. There is no shortage of good ideas on how, when, and why we need to end the war in Iraq. I am of the opinion that we must end the war in Iraq as soon as possible and only provide funding to bring our troops home safely and quickly.

Others in the Democratic Caucus offer different answers but remain committed to the ultimate goal of ending the war. We demand a new direction. Let's bring our troops home to their families as soon as possible and refocus this country's resources on the issues that matter the most to the American people. It's time to end the war in Iraq.

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