Congressman Returns from Iraq

Barrett says U.S. must win war on terrorism Posted Thursday, October 23, 2003 - 7:44 pm

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Four days in Iraq convinced U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett the war on terrorism is essential, even though the task is daunting and involves rebuilding a foreign country ravaged by war and a ruthless dictator. "If we don't devote the men, the material, the money and the effort to win this war in the streets of Baghdad, in the streets of Mosul, in the streets of any little town in Iraq, then we're going to be fighting this war in the streets of Columbia, South Carolina and Greenville, South Carolina, Atlanta, Georgia, every other major city in the United States," Barrett, R-Westminister, said Thursday.

He and other congressional members visited Kuwait and Iraq Oct. 17-20 and met with American commanders, soldiers and Iraqi officials to help determine if the U.S. government has everything it needs to do the job.

Barrett supported President Bush's recent call for $87 billion to support Iraq and Afghanistan. He also rejected Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld questioning whether the United States has failed to make "truly bold moves" in Iraq and Afghanistan and asking the Pentagon to rethink its strategy.

"It's a tough go over there; there's no doubt about it," Barrett, a former state legislator and Citadel graduate, said. "There are still struggles every day."

But his observations indicated the task is "going much better than the TV and newspapers print every day," he said.

His comments came the day roadside bombs killed an American soldier and two Iraqis in separate incidents Thursday north of Baghdad, bringing to 105 the number of American soldiers killed by hostile fire since President Bush declared an end to major combat May 1.

"If you want to look at what's happening every day and what's happened in the past, the law of averages say that we are going to lose some more lives," Barrett said. He said U.S. forces are seeing more sophisticated attacks. "It is a war on terrorism. It's a war we have to win," he said.

He added, "The people that we saw, the people that we came in contact with driving down the street, were all giving us the thumbs up, smiling, waving. There are some bad guys over there, and there are pockets of resistance. But by and large, the biggest majority of Iraqis are glad that we're there. They want us to stay until the situation is stabilized."

Working in daytime temperatures reaching the 90s, Barrett met with U.S. soldiers and had "good chow." Morale is high, but "every one of them said they're ready to come home," he said.

Barrett said it is "extremely important" former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein be captured or killed. "He was their country's symbol and that shows that we are serious about this thing and it shows that if the American Armed Forces and coalition forces come looking for you, buddy, you'd better watch out, because we're going to find you," Barrett said.

Barrett, 42, said levels of electricity, drinking water and garbage collection are returning and roads are being improved every day.

With their oil, the Iraqi people have the ability to be self-sustaining in a country that can grow and prosper on its own "so we can turn this thing back over to them and get out of Dodge," Barrett said. Friday, October 24

The more we hear the comments from Congressmen and Senators that actually visited Iraq, the more compelling it becomes for all members to attempt to visit that country on their own and observe first-hand what the objectives are, and how well they have been achieved, over there.

One of the duties of elected officials should be to look directly upon the results of their debates as applied in the real world. There are a few who may be counted upon to NEVER be swayed by seeing negative results for what they so glowingly advocated in the past, but support for the continued governance of Iraq by Saddam Hussein gets very hard to maintain in the hard light of experience.

Even in a more-or-less positive article, we still get this

bringing to 105 the number of American soldiers killed by hostile fire since President Bush declared an end to major combat May 1.

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