The Truth About Iraq (by Rep. Blackburn)

Real Clear Politics ^ | 11/12/03 | Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)

[Coop]

It is impossible to prepare for a trip to Iraq. The heat, the sight of bombed buildings, the sand that covers everything, the smells, and the eyes of a people who are just beginning to experience freedom for the first time are overwhelming to the senses. It is the Iraqi people as both individuals and as a nation that I will remember the most.

At a Baghdad police station I shook hands with each of the 25 Iraqi women who composed the first graduating class of female police officers in the history of Iraq. This was not only a first for Iraq, it was also the first job any of these women had ever had. I will never forget the way they ran their fingers across the lettering on my business card. I was their new friend from the free world.

Iraq is taking baby steps toward freedom and they will need America to serve as a guide. Our nation so young in history will help an ancient land be free. This is a truly wonderful thing. We know that free capitalist nations do not attack one another. In Iraq our military efforts and our humanitarian work contribute to a better and safer world for all Americans.

Adults in Iraq have really never known life without Saddam Hussein. They watched as family, friends, and neighbors disappeared over the years to Saddam's torture chambers. Fortunately, the very small children retain their innocence. In Mosul, we spent time at a women's center where I learned that women in Iraq comprise 65 percent of the population, with a 70 percent illiteracy rate. I remember one little girl in particular who watched as we prepared for a photo at a women's center. I motioned the child over to us and put her in the photo with us. As she plunked herself down on my knee and pulled my arms around her I choked back tears and held her tight. This girl will grow up in freedom because of America. Her memories won't include Saddam Hussein, but instead how the American members of the 101st Airborne brought her freedom.

In Baghdad, days before the bombing, I spent time at the Al Rashid hotel and at a city hospital. The message from the hotel staff and the Iraqi officials to us as members of Congress and ambassadors from the free world was a simple -- don't leave us now. The people who lined the streets as we passed to wave and cheer the Americans sent the same message -- we are thankful and we will not forget.

Our men and women in uniform went to Iraq to defeat terrorism so that we might live without the fear of another day like September 11th when more than 3,000 Americans were murdered on our own soil. Our soldiers are so young and brave, and so confident this mission will change the world for the better. America's troops went to Iraq to change the Iraqi people, but as I talked with them about their lives, their hopes and dreams, it was clear that Iraq has changed them as well. America's veterans will understand this the most, for they too risked their lives to free nations and protect America. They too were changed by their experiences.

Everyday we are closing the circle and tightening the noose--literally and figuratively-- around the remnant of Saddam's regime and the terrorists. Each day that we destroy 100 tons of ammunitions and weapons, stabilize more villages, and train additional Iraqi security forces is a day closer to a free and democratic nation. We have already trained more than 50,000 Iraqis to protect their nation against the terrorist insurgents seeking to return the nation to Saddam Hussein. The new Iraqi army has trained one battalion and will have another 27 in place by next spring.

When you are on the ground in Iraq, you see the progress of the Iraqi Governing Council, the ministry heads, and the constitution writing committee. These men and women readily accept the task of setting their country back on a firm footing and see it as their duty to work quickly and fairly, assessing the progress and taking the setbacks in stride. They know the coalition authority is here to assist them as they rebuild their infrastructure, get their asphalt plants, their cement plants, their water plants and their power plants back in place. They know that once this is in place, that the coalition will help them 'prime the pump' of their economy and become a productive nation.

When the objection to the war in Iraq is cost, it is important to view cost from a historical perspective. WWI cost America 24 percent of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Following the war we loaned Germany money to rebuild and they were crushed under a debt load twice their GDP. WWII and Hitler were products of a Germany unable to repay loans. WWII cost us 130 percent of our GDP and taught us a valuable lesson. We provided grants to rebuild Europe and Japan. Today both are strong allies and defenders of freedom.

The war in Iraq and the war on terrorism are costing us less than one percent of the GDP. Stabilizing Iraq and fighting terrorism where it has its roots is a wise move for the entire free world and it will save us enormously in the future.

When I was in the control room of the 101st Airborne in Mosul, I could not help but notice a sign posted by General David Petreaus -- it said, "We are in a race to win over the people. What have you and your element done today to contribute to victory?" That is the question that each member of congress, each reporter, and each American should ask themselves every day. Our military men and women--and their families-- deserve our support, the Iraqi people deserve their chance at making a democratic society work. When freedom takes hold and Iraq is stabilized, we will be looking into the eyes of an ally.

[boxerblues]

Excellent!! The 101st does some mighty fine work with so little recognition.

[Coop]

You've got that right! You can be justifiably proud.

[justshutupandtakeit]

How hard did you have to work to become this ignorant? It is obvious to any who have followed this development over the last ten yrs that a showdown with Saddam was unavoidable and, as soon as we had a President, inevitable.

What did you think was happening?

Did the Loons at Dummass Underground send you over?

[MainFrame65]

"... Marsha Blackburn is a freshman GOP star from Brentwood, TN outside Nashville. ..."

I live in Memphis, 210 miles from Nashville, and also reside in her district thanks to the last redistricting. According to Emails I have exchanged with her, this lady supports gun rights, home and charter schools, vouchers, and the right side of every other position that I have asked her about, including low taxes and downsizing government.

Republicans in Tennessee, and especially in Memphis and Shelby County, have suffered some severe betrayals recently in the persons of former governor Don Sundquist and former county mayor Jim Rout. Both of these men have been replaced by more-honest democrats, and good riddance. So Marsha Blackburn's move up from the state legislature has been a pleasant change. I am anxious to see how she does, and if she can move onward and upward from here.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Thank you!

It's good to see these women are still getting the message out. Their briefing was so positive - Republicans and Democrats recently returned, all saying we need to stay the course.

Their good news was lost that week w/ the hit on the Al Rasheed.
~~~~

"Don't leave us now."....The people who lined the streets as we passed to wave and cheer the Americans sent the same message -- we are thankful and we will not forget.

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8 Representatives in DoD Briefing Room Discuss Recent Congressional Delegation to Iraq
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If you want on or off my Pro-Coalition ping list, please Freepmail me. Warning: it is a high volume ping list on good days. (Most days are good days).

[Coop]

Bump!

[IGOTMINE]

Your shortsighted arrogance and presuppositions regarding the War on Terror in Iraq would do MoDo proud.

We are "there" to:

1) Remove a brutal dictator with long term aspirations of regional dominance. Part of his plan was to acquire weapons of mass destruction. (Let me guess, you don't think Saddam had this capability.) To coin a phrase, "Mission accomplished".

2) Introduce the HOPE of democracy right in the heart of the Middle East. Please note that Iraq is bordered by Syria (A Baathist dictatorship) and Iran (A Shia Mullocracy.) What sort of influence you think a FREE and DEMOCRATIC Iraq would have on the populations of those countries?

3) Unstated and most importantly, we needed to demonstrate that we can kick the living shit out of any tinhorn at the time and place of our choosing. Someone had to pay for 9/11, and Saddam was as good a candidate as the next evil doer.

Try doing something other than parroting the instant gratification Democrat media line every once in a while.

[patton]

Excellent analysis of the Middle East, alpo.

Completely wrong, but fun.

Hey coop - how long were you in Iraq, again?

[UCANSEE2]

To the extent that any nation-state is central, that would be Afghanistan.

I would not disagree, but would say that no one country over there (or here) could be considered CENTRAL anymore. The terrorist organizations are too widespread.

Were we to have gone into Afghanistan first, (which the rest of the world would have rejected) we would be in much worse shape.

In chess, one doesn't go for the Queen on the first move, unless one likes losing.

Iraq is a distraction with no bearing on the problem.

I disagree completely. What I believe you meant is that "NOW" Iraq is a distraction. Had we not gone in and removed Iraq's regime (Saddam's sons, the Saddam lookalikes (Saddam died months before the coalition strikes), the Republican Guard and the anti-air weaponry), and attacked Afghanistan instead, we would have two battles on our hands and many more dead. Things would be totally out of control.

We are being attacked there because we are there.

Fair enough. Organized Crime attacks us anywhere they don't want us. We are confronting worldwide organized crime, in it's face, and yes, it will attack us while we are they, and until we remove it. If you don't yet get it, the AQ is just another Org. Crime outfit hiding under clergy outfits.

So, you really believe Condi's nonsense that Iraq will deal a "mortal blow" to the terrorists?

When you take away the candies, the candystealers go away.

Saddam first supported (money,accomodations,info) the AQ. Then they took over most of his country. He and his Republican Guard had all they could do to protect Baghdad from them. He was being blackmailed, extorted, in a sense, in that he had to support them or they would do to him what they just did to the SAUDI's recently, and have been doing to everyone else.

Giving the source of wealth from oil to the Iraqi people, means the MONEY to AQ dried up. Accomodations are short (tikrit), and won't last long.

We are getting the cooperation of the other countries that the AQ forces fled to. Slowly but surely. Even if we manage to disband the AQ, their minions will join other organizations.

So, you are in a sense, correct. We can never rid the world of evil. Without evil, there can be no good.

BUT, we can't allow EVIL to be dominant. That is what the problem is, and what we are trying to correct, and the heart of the beast was Saddam and his regime.

We still have other beasts, in Africa, South America, not just the middle east.

And, the scariest beast of all is here.

[UCANSEE2]

To all those that made personal attacks on ALPOWOLF.

We must calm ourselves. Sure, this is an emotional issue.

Sure, we get ruffled because whenever someone has the guts to take a stand we don't like, or sounds like they are parroting the media libs, we go all kooky.

Please, don't lose your self-respect. I have asked Alpowolf specific questions,and he/she has answered, and we both may profit from this exchange.

All it took was asking this poster what specifically did he think. That allowed me to discuss it properly. See, you never know. He could have had specifics (or may still) that would support his concerns and if true, might change your view too.

"A mind is like a business, it must be open to work"

[paul51]

HERE you go

[UCANSEE2]

You're asking dogfood to use logic and provide facts, alternatives, etc. Shame on you!

I gave him/her a chance to provide specifics and debate properly instead of attacking. He/she responded.

We both will certainly, if nothing else, learn from this exchange. Isn't that what this is supposed to be all about?

[gorgiboy]

I think Alpowolf is one of those folks who try to get a reaction out of ya by using shocking analogies. Bored? Misinformed? God bless them anyways.

[blackie]

Republicans and Democrats recently returned, all saying we need to stay the course ~ Bump!

[alpowolf]

I don't agree with all of your points but thanks for the reasoned response.

Your point that AQ controlled most of Iraq is new to me. Is there a source where I can read more about that?

[alpowolf]

Oh...we're going to establish a free and democratic Iraq, are we? Sure...so long as they don't have the audacity to choose leaders not pre-approved by our govt. That may be "free and democratic" to some people but it looks more like a Soviet-style puppet govt to me.

[alpowolf]

for your public aid to the enemies of this country.

What incredible nonsense. How does expressing a opinion "aid" the enemy? The fact that our republic permits dissenting opinion is a sign of strength.

By your "logic", anyone who voted Republican in the mid-terms in 1942 was a traitor.

[Coop]

Hey coop - how long were you in Iraq, again?

Never made it there. We stopped outside of Kuwait City spent our next week "camping" in the city dump (no joke).

[Coop]

To all those that made personal attacks on ALPOWOLF. We must calm ourselves...

See, you never know. He could have had specifics (or may still) that would support his concerns and if true, might change your view too.

Thanks for the sermon. My experience is that those with alternative views actually express those views, rather than simply mock and insult. Alpo does not fit anywhere into this category.

[Coop]

How does expressing a opinion "aid" the enemy?

By publicly showing signs of weakness, thereby encouraging even further attacks on our troops. You know that as well as I do - because of course you're a veteran, Reverend.

The phrase "politics ends at the water's edge" originated long before your type, and for good reason. It's just a darned shame that Hillary, Dasshole, Howie Dean, arete, and you have forgotten that.

Of course it doesn't matter. It's not your sorry rear end getting shot at while you pound away at your keyboard.